Act of love

Chapter Fifteen

Anfisa:

Saturday 19 December 2021

Dear God,

today I have been living for two full weeks with Zach. It feels strange living with him, especially after knowing he read my diary. I can't tell which part he read but I feel really embarrassed. I never wanted anyone to read this because I am truly my exposed self in this diary.

When I'm writing in this diary, I feel like I don't have to keep up this huge wall. The wall I need so I don't get hurt. The feeling is similar to the feeling Zach gives me. A safe protecting feeling, like he would never judge me. I could say I murdered someone and he would help me cover up the crime scene. We all need a person like that in our lives.

He is also not the worst person to lives in. Actually I quite like living with him. Most of the times he is at work, but when he isn't he cooks me food, whatever I want. He doesn't ask me to do a lot or pay rent, and he is very hygienic. That is the perfect roommate.

As for my dad, I haven't seen my him around much anymore. Mainly because I've been working from home only. I can't bring myself to go outside anymore. Maybe it's depression, maybe it's feeling scared I'll see my dad again, maybe it's not wanting to be out alone, maybe it's feeling lonely, maybe it's...

Immediately I slap my diary closed when I hear a key going into the lock of the door. Every night when I am home alone I lock the door to avoid creepy men. We have had them lurking before, and since then I decided it would be best if I would just keep the door locked.
Zachary seems to be home earlier from work today.
It's currently 6:45 pm, he said the latest time he would be home is 11:00 pm.
The door slowly opens a bit, before it opens fully.
"Zach? Is that you?" I ask in a protecting voice, just to make sure it really is him.
"Yes it's me." He greets me with a warm hug.
His scrubs wrap tightly around his muscles, making them appear a lot wider then they usually do. Everyday he gets home in these scrubs my heart beats uncontrollably, it causes a warmth to tumble down my chest.
How can someone who looks so good, look even better?
"Why are you home so early?" I ask after a pit of silence. He crosses his arms over his chest, my eyes fall on his arms. As he notices me staring his muscles tense. A grin appears on his face making me blush hard.
"I wanted to surprise you..."
"It worked." I scoff without even letting him finish his sentence.
"Anfisa, I want to surprise you with dinner." He says with the most adorable tone.
"Like a date?" My entire evening is taking a turn, the last date I've been on didn't end how I wanted it to.
"Only if you want it to be." Strangely I don't want to go out as just friends, deep down I want it to be a date. I don't want to give any other woman a chance with Zach.
"It's a date then." His questionable look turns into a large smile across his face.
"Perfect, give me ten minutes to get ready."
"I will need longer then ten minutes Zach."
"Women." He mumbles under his breath, I can tell he doesn't actually mean it when he smiles right after he said it.

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"Are you almost ready? If you take much longer the restaurant will be closed once you're ready." Annoyed I roll my eyes, usually he isn't the impatient type, but he seems nervous and tense now.
I indeed needed more then just ten minutes to get ready. In ten minutes I finished my hair, which is fast. I just need everything to be perfect for him, it feels like I'm going on a date and I've never seen him before. But in fact the person I'm going on a date with, I've been living in his apartment for two whole weeks.
For the last time I stroke my mascara brush through my lashes and put it aside, with the rest of my make up just lying around in my room. I'm not the best at keeping my room clean, not even if it's actually not my room.
Once I get up Zach can't seem to keep his eyes off me, the same goes for me. I have never seen him so tidy in a suit. It fits him very well, it's like the suit was made for his ordinary body.
"Do you like it?" A smirk appears around his mouth. I can't say anything except nod with my mouth slightly opened. If I wasn't wearing heels right now I would be jumping up and down in excitement. "Anfisa..." His eyes glare all over my body. "You look amazing." Nervously I pull a bit on my red dress, hoping it would grow just an inch longer to cover me up. "Don't." Zach takes my hand that is pulling on my dress, and threads his fingers through it. My breath quickens. "The dress is perfect, you in the dress is perfect." There is a slight sparkle in his eyes. The sparkle that is more visible due to the plain boring bedroom we're standing in. "God I could kiss you right now." My cheeks fluster red, I would be lying if I said I didn't think about kissing him at least a million times.
I lean in, hoping he will reward how I look with a deep long kiss. He doesn't. Instead he steps back giving me plenty of space to breathe. Rejected.
"Where are you taking me?" I ask him on the way outside. His arm around my waist, I haven't felt this safe in a long time. Being outside without the fear of seeing my father. Even if I did see him, I know Zach would protect me. His arm softly shakes me to get me out of my deepest thoughts.
"Sorry what?"
"I asked if you were excited for our actual first date."
Our actual first date. I think back to the stupid party we once went to, was that a date?
"Very excited." He doesn't answer me another time he just smiles at me as he squeezes my sides, sending a wave of heat all the way through my body.
The place he's taking me isn't far since he decided to walk. The city is quite busy since it's Saturday.
When we walk near my apartment a sudden thought pops up.
"Are you taking me to my own apartment?"
"What? No." He laughs at my silly comment.
A few feet farther a light up sign catches my eye. Sette giorni. He's taking me to my favorite restaurant, such a smart man.
"Are we going there?" I ask just to be sure. He doesn't answer me, but based on the smile he's wearing I can pretty much guess the answer is yes.
This restaurant is basically where everything good happens. My last date with Dalton, my first date with Zachary, the place where I had a good talk with my mom a year ago.
"My favorite restaurant."
"I picked that up the last time we went here." Zach takes my hand and leads me inside through the main entrance. Walking over the red carpet in front of the door makes me feel like I'm a princess.
The princess with the prince on the white horse. Except there is no horse in the middle of the city. This thought makes me laugh.
"What is it?" He asks, stopping right in front of the main entrance. Not giving a care in the world about the lane behind us.
"Nothing let's go." Slightly embarrassed I pull him to the restaurant.
"Sir Wixx." One of the waiters greet him with a nod. He clearly comes here a lot since the waiters know him by name.
"How often do you come here?" He takes a step even closer to me.
"Believe it or not, I come here almost every day." Before he let's me give a reaction to it he points to a quiet place of the restaurant.
"Look, there is a good place for us." I give him the most confusing look I can.
"Are you crazy? You do know that that's the area for more wealthy, famous people, that's why barely anyone is sitting there." A large smirk appears on his face.
"Anfisa, you are so special, that we are allowed to sit there." My cheeks grow red, I feel totally flattered. Zach pulls me to the luxury area somewhere safe in a corner.
"We are so going to get kicked out." He shrugs slightly.
"I don't think so."
Across the table a couple is sitting, I recognize her from the news, the guy next to her must be her boyfriend. They're staring at us, like really staring at us. Safely I scan around the restaurant, this is the only place in the restaurant I've never sat before. It's nicely decorated, just like the whole restaurant. A lot of plants and green, unlike the rest of the restaurant. I stare off into the restaurant, from this point of view it seems larger then ever.
"Do you like this place?" I nod heavily.
"I love it." His smile turns straight into pride.
"Tell me some of your dreams Anfisa." Zach says politely after just ordering food for us both.
It's extremely busy at the restaurant since it's dinner time during a Saturday, the waiters are working hard.
"I would love to be a designer." He looks all around the restaurant for the twentieth time tonight, his jaw twitching.
"Why aren't you?"
"Listen, if you have anything better to do then sit here with me please do it, I don't want to take up your precious time." As I say this his eyes lock on mine. A hard lock. The look of betrayal he shoots me gives me chills.
"No, there is no place I would rather be right now then here with you." His fingers intertwine with mine.
"Ma'am, sir Wixx your food." Zachary takes his hands back in an instant and pulls on his suit, making sure he is all tidy for the waiter.
"Calm down, he is just a waiter." I say to him when the waiter is out of sight. When he doesn't answer me I get even more confused.
"What's going on?" A sigh rolls over his lips.
When a silence falls I stare down at the food. It smells delicious as ever, my favorite food.
How does he know so much about me already?
"Listen love, I don't want to tell you like this but I can't wait anymore." He shoves a large bite of his food in his mouth, staying quiet for a while since the food is way too hot to eat. "Seven days in Italy, what does that mean to you?"
"The page you read from my diary." I give him a confused look, while he stays serious.
"And what's the name of this restaurant?" Annoyed I roll my eyes at him, I'm not an idiot. "Say the name."
"Sette Giorni." When I still don't understand he picks his phone out of his pocket. Zach's fingers slide all across the screen, typing something. His phone screen faces me. A translate, he put the name of the restaurant in a translator.
"Seven days" Sette giorni is Italian for seven days. My eyes lift up from his screen.
"Is this a coincidence?" Between thinking and answering his eyes are fully focused on the food.
"I own Sette Giorni." My jaw drops to the floor, when he actually says it out loud it hits me.
He is the owner of Sette Giorni, I am in love with the owner of Sette Giorni.
"I thought you were a doctor." After saying this I slap myself against my forehead, the most stupid answer just came out of my mouth. For the fourth time Zachary scans all around the restaurant, an owner keeping his eyes open, even if he's not working.
"I am both an emergency doctor and in the time that I don't work I help out at the restaurant or look through financial stuff." Another spoon full of food enters my mouth, before blowing slightly on it.
"How do you even have time for yourself or to see me?"
"I don't." Is his simple answer. I tilt my head at him. "On Sundays I am usually free unless the restaurant really needs me. And today I worked here in the morning and was supposed to have a night shift at the hospital, but here I am."
His hand reaches to mine until they touch, sending a warm feeling throughout my stomach.
A silence fills the private room full of celebrities.
"Anfisa, I like you, a lot, you are perfect, you see me for me and not for my money."
That's because before you told me this I didn't even know how much money you had. I want to say, but I don't, I stay quiet and listen to what he is saying.
"Anfisa, I've never dealt with situations like these. How long do I wait to ask you to be my girlfriend? How long until you're over Dalton?" I want to speak, but no words enter my mind. Just a blank empty mind. Him bringing up Dalton brings emotions up in me I didn't even know I was suppressing the whole time. "Please, I need you in my life." The please makes it sound begging, giving me a terrible feeling in my stomach.
"I'm not going anywhere." To reassure him I give his hand a soft squeeze. A glossy look forms into his eyes, are those slight tears? He quickly wipes them away when a waiter enters his vision.
"Did you guys need anything?"
"No thank you sir." I thank him with a smile. He smiles back, the smile stays on my mind for a second.
"Actually..." The waiter stops and turns around. The look on Zach's face speaks full books. Jealousy.
"Do you mind bringing me a glass of water?" He nods as the pretty smile fades. "Anfisa." Zachary begins for the third time. "I need answers."
"I want to be with you..." As soon as the words leave my mouth I start to regret them. They ran through my mind but I didn't mean to pronounce them. It wasn't a lie, I meant it, I do want to be with him, I just don't know when I'm ready.
"You do?" There is a slight tone of surprise in his voice, like he didn't expect it. My hands shaking with excitement make my way over to his. Which are laying still on the table.
Before my hands can touch his he pulls them back laying them flat on his thighs. He is giving me too many mixed signals. My eyes meet his again and it feels like it is the first time laying eyes on him. His beautiful pearly eyes stare straight through my soul.
"I don't get it." I whisper under my breath.
"What don't you get?'
"I just told you that I want to be with you and you can't even touch me. What am I supposed to feel Zachary." The strong eye contact fades within seconds. His eyes travel to the plate of food. Not to look at how delicious this food looks, but to think. My words seem to repeat in his head.
"I can't do this here, let's do this at home..."
The entire dinner I had no idea what to say. Every time he would stay quiet I can hear my heart pounding in my head. I want to yell at it and tell it to stop.
"Anfisa? Are you coming?" I nod and grab my jacket before leaving the restaurant with my arm folded into Zach's.
Zachary struggles to put the key in the lock to open the door, when I help him. I am so close to him I can smell the alcohol from him.