Alexandria Woods is the woman who has it all. Starring in every film and TV series possible, she's taking the industry by storm.
However, not everything is as perfect as it seems. Alexandria lives in constant fear of somebody finding out about her...
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A quiet laugh escapes my lips as Alex and I run into the restaurant, our hands intertwined as I pull her along behind me. Our situation is comical and our similarity to bad ninjas makes me want to stop and laugh until I'm breathless.
But I can't because even as we approach the restaurant and I put my hand on the cool steel of the door, my ears are on constant alert for something to happen. Someone to take a photo of us dressed up and running into a restaurant together would look awful and it would be a photo that neither of us would be able to explain.
The street is desolate, however, and there's not even a whisper of sound due the nosiest movements coming from ourselves. Pulling open the door, the aroma of garlic and tomato washes over me and the heat of the place making my decision to not bring a jacket be a good one.
The restaurant is completely empty apart from a faint sizzling coming from what I presume is the kitchen. Tables lay ready, but none of them have plates. The dark red and golden colour scheme is obvious as we shut the door behind us, fully immersing in the serenity of the building.
Alerted to our entrance by the sound of the door, I let out a breath of relief as the chef, Maria, peeks her head around the door. She's renowned for her classic yet modern Italian food and with her classy, comfortable restaurants - she's quickly becoming one of New York's rising restaurants.
"Ciao, how are we this evening?" She greets, a smile on her face.
Alex stands beside me and slips her hand into my own. Gently leaning against me, a smile takes over her face before she answers. "We're great! Thank you so much for opening for us."
"It was really kind of you." I add.
Maria places a hand on her chest in affection before saying, "It's my pleasure. Now please grab a seat, your first course is almost ready."
Smiling at us once more, she takes off back into the kitchen. Turning to look at Alex, I shrug my shoulders before leading her to one of the tables by the window. All of Maria's restaurants have blacked out windows, to add to the romantic vibe, which is actually perfect for our current situation.
Unable to be seen, we both take a seat and I feel myself relax for the first time in a while. Alex places her bag on the floor before she grins up at me.
"This is amazing." She says softly, her eye wide in wonderment.
I nod in agreement with her, my eyes roaming around the place. "I know, I'm impressed Noah and Clara actually managed this."
"You underestimate them." Alex teases.
"Only because I've seen Noah forget his ticket to a red carpet event once - my trust in his organisation disappeared that night, and never returned."
"Well, he's earned my trust back. That's for sure." Alex smiles.
Our conversation is brought to a close as Maria walks out. She holds two wine glasses in one hand, with a bottle of wine in the other. Setting it down, she explains, "I brought you some white wine. You're fist course should be out in five minutes. However, I don't want to ruin any conversations, so I'll just chime a bell and you can come and collect it over there."
