Destiny [COMPLETED]

Chapter 11

       

Daniel, pulled up a chair for me as we got to a table situated at the far end of Nourish restaurant, beside a glass window. An attribute of a gentleman to a woman.

I shivered inside at the prospect of getting hit by the question anytime soon, since the evidence of his true feeling in his diary had begun to manifest. To chase away my disturbing musing, I scanned the expanse of the environment: not large, but wide enough to contain roughly about fifty-sixty people. Few tables were empty. The people present were mostly couples, if you would identify one considering the long-held stares, speaking in barely above whispers and holding hands while stealing sips of drinks. Somehow, I envied them. I had been dreaming of doing that with Daniel for a long time.

Then, it downed on me; could this building be for couples, lovers only? I had never heard about nor visited the beautifully erected structure. Could it be more of a hint of his feelings for me?

I redirected my gaze to Daniel––and instantly knocked myself mentally for doing that... For his charming eyes rested on me. Freezing me on my seat. He smiled. A very gradual forming smile that is capable of setting intense confusion and need in someone. "What would you like to have?" he said of a sudden breaking me from the frozen exhilarated atmosphere.

Forcing my mouth open, I poked the menu on the table in front of me not blinking away with such an overwhelming exigency. "I haven't decided on any, yet." I raised the carte with no hope of viewing through it for dish selection, rather with the zeal to cover my shaky hands which of a recent, found pleasure in engaging in a trembling game. "Jollof rice will suffice," I muttered, dropping back the bill of fare. Slide my hand on top of my laps under the table for good measure concealment.

Without another word, Daniel signaled a waitress trotting by with such vigor as to an antelope putting as much distance to a stalking superior animal. "Good afternoon. What do I serve?" she asked politely. Whether deliberately or not, smooth down her immaculate shirt tucked in black plain black jeans, with a black belt that kept her trouser from falling off her narrow waist.

"Two plates of jollof rice, please."

"I will be back in a jiffy," she informed as she turned to leave.

"And..." Daniel, voiced interrupting her process, "...red wine." The beautiful lady with skin as that of glowing chocolate, nodded with a smile before hurrying off to attend to our order. I followed her retreating petite figure wondering if Daniel would find her more attractive than me... Turned to look at Daniel to figure that little information out. Smiled in both satisfaction and dread as I saw where his focus fully rested on––me. That was very reassuring like pouring a bucket of ice on an overheated body.

"You don't like eating your meal with soda?"

"I do. Quite a lot, really, do you happen to have a problem with wine?" He rested his elbow on the table shifting forward, expertly advertising his left long clean nails without being aware.

"Not at all. I love all varieties without exception," I lied. Like bloody lied without having to think over it. The truth was, I'd never for once tasted vino; up until I finally did after he filled two glasses offering one to me. Silently, I dug into my rice and chicken lap... or at least I tried to eat as much as possible. Halfway into my food, I gave up. Shoved the plate aside. So restless and anticipating his confession that the few fork-full I had downed upset my stomach.

"You done eating?" He looked at my still filled dish, gently he leveled it towards me. To my surprise, before I would give a reply, he dropped his own cutlery and shifted his food away from him as though it'd developed maggots and worms.

"I'm full." I wiped off nonexistent grease from my lips. "ate my fill back in my apartment."

He said nothing afterward, stared at his glass as if trying to discover something mysterious about it. Grabbing that opportunity, I let myself float in my own thoughts. Frustration surfaced. When he was going to pop out the question, I asked no one in particular. His body language was far from that of a love-stricken young lad looking forward to pouring out his heart to his crush. He seemed so unnaturally calm for my liking. He'd been so good at keeping his emotion hidden, it could be one of the cases in which he deem it fit to be insouciant.

A slow growing smile appeared on my face, catching myself early enough, I dropped it to a frown. As that could also give him a reason to ask a question, I switched to an expressionless face.
However, his long fingers captured my attention when he slipped it up to down his glass, idly. Almost groaned when I began imagining holding that slim hands forever. He raised his glass. "Let's make a toast. It might be the last time we ever share this moment."

My brow worked up in blatant confusion. Trying to understand the meaning behind his cryptic remark. "What do you mean by that?" I raised my glass, too, pretending to be in the mood for it. Whereby I was all boiling and in turmoil inside, desperate to rectify what he meant by that. I delayed touching my glass to his, waiting for an explanation.

He laughed.

I huffed.

"What's funny?" I shot him a warning look.

"Just preparing you for what I'm about to tell you, soon."

My stretched hand was practically stiff. I watched him... then it hit me like a tsunami; so hard I nearly bolted up. Like solving a mystery murder case, I put together my finding and his statement to get the meaning. He wanted me to know he would distance himself from me if I reject him. Maybe his heart would be too fragile to accept the blow.

I clamped down my upper set of teeth below my lower lips to suppress a beam of elation discovering it's way to my mouth. How can I reject the man I had been dying to have? Am I stupid?

He clicked his glass to mine. "Can we hurry this up? I don't feel like this is the perfect place to tell you whatever I have in mind."

Snatching a ball of breath into my nostril in glee, I gulped down the entire content at a go.

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Here's chapter eleven. I hope y'all like it. Twelve will be up by tomorrow and thank you for reading my book.🌟🌟🌟