Whirlwind (On Hold-Will Be Back Soon!)

Chapter 8

Alexandra finished getting ready by 6:45 pm that evening. A lot of things she was, but being tardy was definitely not one of them. Back home, her borderline-obsession with punctuality was legendary among the members of her family. But no amount of teasing and leg-pulling could ever deviate her from her strict adherence to her schedule.

Presently, she turned this way and that, admiring herself and setting right any faults she found with her dress. Victor had been very… nonchalant about her dressing to dinner, so she had put together an outfit that seemed most appropriate-a knee-length grey skirt and black top. She avoided looking too simple by accessorizing with a thick, chunky silver necklace. And she was set!

She figured Victor was yet to reach the hotel, and decided to meet him downstairs on the patio, so that they could leave straight for dinner-and not be late for their reservation, of course. She grabbed her purse and was just pulling open the door, when she heard a crisp knock.

“Who is it?” she asked. Her paranoid self was never, ever too far behind.

“What if I say, an obsessed stalker, waiting for you to open the door, so that I can force myself into your room? And then we’ll see how things go from there.” Victor’s voice held a quantum of amusement.

Alexandra exhaled, relieved. Opening the door, she said, “Well, then I would say, bring it on, obsessed stalker. I am trained in karate-err, a bit, that is!” She knew her joke was lame, okay, it wasn’t even funny, but she didn’t expect him to not react at all and just stare!

Self-consciously tucking a tendril of hair behind her ear, she asked, “Everything alright?”

“Yes, it is. But you look-beautiful.” He said seriously.

She laughed nervously, “Trying to earn brownie points with the British lady, are we?”

Snapping out of his trance, Victor winked at her, “Always!”

The drive to the restaurant was filled with animated conversation, giggles and teasing. They discussed films, music, art, food, politics-everything under the sun. The conversation flowed easily, even after they reached the restaurant.

Victor had brought Alexandra to an old Italian restaurant, tucked away in a corner of the beautiful city. He told her that the place was atleast 70 years old and away from the touristy crowds that frequented his country. He added conspiratorially, “You will hardly find mention of this place in any of your maps, travelogues or guidebooks. You have to be a local to know this place.”

Equally conspiratorially, Alexandra whispered back, “Then how do you know it, Mr. Verona?”

“You can be foxy when you want to, Ms. Hastings!” he laughed, but explained, “Till I was 16, most of my relatives were based in Rome. Now of course they have all moved to different parts of the world, but I have spent many, many happy days in this city. So you may call me half-local! I know my way well around here.”

The act of eating dinner itself was a lazy affair. They took their time to browse through the menu and pick-out their respective dishes. When the food arrived, along with a bottle of red wine whose taste, Victor promised Alexandra, she would never forget, they had both worked up a large appetite with the energy they had spent on their banter. Both dug into the food enthusiastically, especially Alexandra. The food was like heaven in her mouth. Her dirty mind instead screamed ‘orgasmic’, and she couldn’t agree more. Staring reverently at Victor, she said, “This food is brilliant. You are an angel for bringing me here!”

“I always like a girl who can eat her own weight in food!” Victor smirked.

Alexandra blushed. How was she, a foodie, a gourmand too perhaps, supposed to control herself in the face of such sinfully delicious food?! She had eaten and eaten and eaten. And even now there was a tiny place in her stomach crying out for dessert!

Victor took her hand in his and squeezed it lightly.

“I was only kidding, Alex. People seldom seem to enjoy and appreciate good food these days. I might sound silly, or even patronizing, but these days people are in too much of a hurry. All the bloody time. They cannot keep down their phones, not even at mealtime. And when you keep such fantastic food in front of them, what do they do? They go click, click, click on their cellphones. And bam! The pictures are on Instagram. But what about love for food? These idiots wouldn’t know the difference if you thrust sawdust down their throats.” Victor took a deep breath.

Alexandra took a matching one too. She could only say, “That was quite a rant.” But it wasn’t because she disagreed with him, or because she didn’t know how to respond. The reason was that she was still trying to recover from that gentle, innocent yet potent squeeze of his hand. His touch had felt electric and had sent tingly sensations up her arm and through the rest of her body.

She wanted to say something, but his touch had left her tongue-tied.

“He is going to think you are an idiot!” her brain screamed at her. But her vocal chords felt like they had been tied into a ribbon!

The way he had called her ‘Alex’… It was a nickname she disliked, but hearing it fall from his mouth made it that much more desirable.

She forced herself out of her thoughts and responded to what he had said. She hoped her pretence of animation would fool him, keep him away from the line of thought that her traitorious heart had embarked on…

She felt like she was looking at him for the first time. He looked so handsome in that crisp shirt that he was wearing. The blue colour of the shirt went beautifully with that of his eyes and brought them out. His mischievous, twinkly eyes that held such happiness.

Her mind went back to their first meeting; the way she had been terrified that he was some kind of creep, and reflected on today, when he was sitting across the table from her, talking happily. She had found him attractive that first day too, but her scared mind had been fixed on keeping her safe. It was different today-they were chatting like old friends, cracking jokes, glorying in the company of the other…

She suddenly jolted out of her thoughts. She believed in romance, in love, but definitely not infatuations. Why was she behaving like a stupid child with a crush! She could not explain the sensations she had felt at Victor’s touch, but she dismissed it. Some things just defied logic.

She tuned herself back to what Victor was saying.

She needed to reign in her mind, and fast.