DIANA
***
"Diana, wake up," As Dante's voice gently stirred me from my slumber, I felt a soft warmth enveloping me. Slowly, my eyelids fluttered open, adjusting to the soft light filtering through the window. The familiar surroundings began to come into focus, and I recognized the neon glow of the sign reading 'Marcos's trattoria'.
He came over to my side and opened the door for me, taking his warm hand in mine to guide me to the entrance of his uncle's trattoria.
"Thank you," I muttered before letting out a yawn.
He opened the door to the trattoria, the bell chiming as he did so, and allowed me to walk in first before he did.
The earthy hues of the furnishings mixed with the greenery brought about a comfy and homey feel to the place. The aroma of the various ingredients and spices of Italian dishes found its way to my nostrils, instantly making my stomach quietly rumble.
Dante led the way toward an unoccupied booth in a corner. We both slid into the middle of the plush booth, making me feel grateful to finally be sitting down again. Briefly shutting my eyes, I slumped my head on Dante's shoulder.
An industrial hanging light dangled from the ceiling, highlighting the circular wooden table that accompanied napkins and your common condiments. Though it was a small spot, the aesthetics compensated for it.
Basking in the relaxing effect this place had on me I spoke up. "I missed this place," I mumbled, closing my eyes once again.
"Me too." A comfortable silence overtook our booth until a voice broke through the quietude.
"Dante!" A booming voice called out, abruptly waking me from my drowsiness.
As my eyes fluttered open, I saw Dante's uncle, standing in front of our booth with his arms wide and his aura welcoming.
"Ziu, comu stai?" Dante said, showing off his pearly white smile.
(Uncle, how are you?)
He slid out of the booth and embraced his uncle in an endearing hug.
"I'm amazing." He pulled back from the embrace to inspect Dante's appearance, "You've grown much taller, how have you been?" His Brooklyn accent was just as thick as I remembered.
"I'm well," He replied, "you remember Diana, don't you?" Dante's uncle turned to look at me.
With all the focus on me, my hands begin to fiddle with each other under the table. I smile subtly.
He scoffed, "How could I? Every time you'd visit you'd tell me about how much you-"
Dante shot his uncle a funny look, causing him to end his sentence there. A quiet laugh left my mouth from the funny encounter.
Dante's uncle cleared his throat, "I haven't seen you since you were a teenager, Diana. Now you both are so grown up." His light brown eyes sparkled with a genuine happiness that seemed to never fade despite his age.
"Are you two finally dating?" He pointed between the two of us.
At first, I was caught off guard by the idea of us ever dating in the future. My fingers began to fidget from the unexpected nervousness.
In sync, we shook our heads.
His greying eyebrows furrowed, "Well, you should," He suggested, "On that note, a waitress will come over to serve you guys. Enjoy your time here." He flashed us one of his infamous smiles before leaving.
• • •
His uncle's words echoed in my mind leaving me deep in thought about the endless possibilities of our future.
YOU ARE READING
Whispers of Passion | (18+)
RomanceAs he leaned in closer, I could feel the warmth of his breath on my face and his tempting lips mere inches away from mine. Our eyes locked onto each other, unable to look away as the tension between us grew stronger. We both knew what was about to h...
