4EVER

Chapter 29 - Rock Her World

Shuffling through the freshly fallen snow, Noelle giggled and admired the fluffy scatter as her boots swished through the freshly fallen snow. The powdery weather prohibited Noelle from fancying herself up but it was a weeknight and most likely would prove to be a slow, low attended evening at the restaurant. The whiff of sweet Italian bread billowed through the courtyard making here antsy to slather some with butter and partake of its gooey goodness.

Upon entering, beautiful memories surged back of the night Prince and Noelle stumbled upon the Firecave restaurant. She remembered he wanted to make reservations while she lured him to be spontaneous, just explore to see what they'd find and it was a gem.

The table they shared was free so she asked the waiter if she could sit there and he accommodated her request. Choosing to sit in Prince's chair, she thought about what all he said and did that made her feel special that evening. The tender touches, sensual talk and the way he gazed at her longingly all made her wonder if they could ever get back to such a special place again.

Once seated, she was able to focus on the reminiscent smells of the restaurant. A glass of water and right out of the oven warm, crusty bread was set on her table. Drawing back the cloth of the bread basket, the aroma weaved its way and she enjoyed her accentuated sense of smell because of her pregnancy. As the pat of butter melted into the soft dough she anxiously took a bite while the creamy overflow dripped along her thumb and she chased it with her tongue.

"Mmmm." Restraint needed to be a necessity she could already tell or she would easily consume this basket of bread before having her evening meal.

The specials and full menu of decadent pasta and sauces were tempting but she was already determined to watch her caloric intake to support a healthy pregnancy, not prohibiting the occasional splurge, which for her was dessert.

Silly thoughts entered her head as the idyllic atmosphere started to take its toll. Imaging Prince walking through those doors would have put her in a state of euphoria...and be the perfect new beginning to their story. Only Gabriel knew she was here though, so there was no chance of that happening. No longer wanting to keep her best friend in the dark, she resigned herself to give Marissa a call in the morning and tell her everything but swear her to secrecy.

Veal marsala sounded good, along with a salad and then maybe she'd take a peek at the dessert tray. After ordering her dinner, the fireplace flames kept her company as the sparks snapped and crackled and she thought about how her life was going to change and how she was going to tell Prince about the pregnancy.

Then again, she thought, what if he never got in contact with her? Hardly thinking she could just call him up and say 'Hey! I'm pregnant with your baby.' If he ever did come back, she wanted it to be because he loved her and not because of the baby.

As soon as the waiter set her plates on the table her nerves kicked in and she could hardly eat. In the middle of what seemed like an intense nervous breakdown, a wave of heat passed over her. Was it the fireplace? Hormones? A little of both? Nausea too, perhaps she waited too long in between snacks and meals or isn't eating enough protein.

After taking a few big bites of meat and her side of pasta a doggie bag was in order and the waiter brought her a free dessert.

"I'm concerned, was everything ok with your meal?" Inquired the waiter.

"Oh gosh yes. I'm just very tired and I'd like to go back to my place and maybe eat a bit later." She pleasantly reassured the waiter it wasn't the food, paid the bill and gather her back and purse for the trek back to her villa.

A massive snow was no longer pretty. Slipping and sliding ever few steps made her very uneasy and afraid she was going to fall. Once a shuffle now turned into a trudge and she just wanted to get home.