"I'm ready." In the living room, Angela appeared where Gael waited for her as he stared out at the view from the tall window, overlooking the sea outside. His hands were deep in his pockets.

He turned around, and it was like seeing her again for the first time. She stood by the sofa, and he looked at her intently from head to toe and then back to her face. She looked incredibly hot, wearing a one-shoulder black figure-hugging dress that hugged her perfect tits. Her dress fell to her knees, and it had a cut that displayed her left knee up to her mid-thigh—sexy as fûck.

Angela's hair was down. They were longer now, and he liked how it cascaded so seductively down the side of her face, the tips brushing the swell of her breasts. Her hair color made him curious what to call it because it was as if the shade couldn't decide whether it was a brown or a grey. He loved the color on her.

He snaked an arm around her waist, his hand resting on the small of her back. "What?" she wondered.

"I just can't get over how beautiful you are," Gael complimented, his eyes blazing as he gazed at her.

She scoffed, shaking her head and smiling. "I can't tell you how handsome you are over and over—you already know that. And I don't want to inflate your ego even more."

Her red lips were like an invitation, and he was so tempted to just capture it with his, but if he did, he wouldn't be able to stop himself. But that didn't stop him from copping a feel when he pulled her closer, his hand sliding down her ass. "I haven't seen you all day. I miss you."

"Me too."

Leaning down towards her neck, he inhaled her scent that was so addicting, and then he pressed his lips on the skin just below her ear. She shivered. "As much as I'm so tempted to just have you for dinner tonight, our reservation is at 8:30. So we need to leave." He reluctantly pulled back and led her out of the apartment.

Gael opened the door for her as they reached the car, and a bouquet sat on the seat. He picked it up and handed it to Angela, "For you."

"Thank you. They're beautiful." She cradled the bouquet in her arm, admiring the combination of white roses and pink carnation flowers with purple baby's breath, wrapped in a metallic grey and pink special papers. It looked so sweet and dainty. "Flowers and dinner. You're really going all out, huh?"

"Wait till you see the fireworks." He winked, laughing when her mouth fell open.

Angela rolled her eyes, knowing that he was only joking. He was only joking, right?

***

The Medallion was located on the outskirts of Mayne City, in a higher ground that's not so far from Gael's house. The best thing about this restaurant was that there weren't lines outside for the waiting patrons because it was exclusive as they have limited reservations per evening. Thus, even if it was a full house, it didn't look very crowded. It also had a hotel with only eight premium rooms, which usually takes a few months of booking in advance to be able to get a room.

The valet took their car, and Angela had her arm hooked with Gael's as they headed inside where a hostess led them to the bar. They were thirty minutes early for their reservation, so they decided to have a drink first to start their night. Several heads turned their way as the pair arrived, curious about who the tall man was—especially the women who probably knew most of the eligible bachelors in the city but didn't recognize Gael.

He helped her up on her stool and then took the one next to her. She ordered a Fabiola cocktail made of dry vermouth and Grand Marnier, the orange a delightful contrast to the dryness of the fortified wine and sweetness of the brandy. "Is it alright that I'm drinking?" she wondered while glancing at his club soda and lime drink in a fancy glass. It looked like a gin and tonic cocktail, but it was nothing more than flavored sparkling water.

"Of course. I'd want you to enjoy the night. I'm also driving, so I have to be sober." Gael smiled, and they clinked their glasses together. He had already broken his hard alcohol abstinence recently, so he wanted to try harder. Even if he could drink a glass of wine if he really wanted to and could ask for someone to drive them later, he just wanted Angela all to himself tonight.

The two talked about their day. She told him about her meeting with Samantha, and he told her that he was on the phone and online meetings the whole day. Gael was serious when he told her family about his plans to open a restaurant. His family owned a few in Italy, one of which was The Grove, which he inherited the major shares from his father. And he wanted to open one here, but he hadn't found the right place yet.

"I've always wanted to visit more places in Italy," she said. "I've only ever been to Milan. And all I did was shop."

He lightly chuckled. "There's more to Italy than just Milan. And honestly, we don't like it there very much. It's always grey and foggy. It's always so busy too. I wouldn't want to live there even if someone pays me to. The people in Milan think they're superior to the rest of the country. Our region is next to each other, but there's a vast difference."

"Where did you say you're from in the north?"

"It's a province called Belluno in the Veneto region—about a hundred kilometers north of Venice. It's a really beautiful place. You'll love it there." He whipped out his phone and scrolled through the very few photos he had in his gallery. Some were taken from the sceneries around their house.

Angela gasped when he showed her the pictures. "Oh, my god. This looks like a stock photo from google. It's so…vibrant. Is that your house?" Her eyes sparkled in fascination as she admired the Villa in the mountains.

"Angela?" a man's voice called her from a few meters away.

She and Gael turned their heads in the direction of the voice. A man with dark hair and pale skin tilted his head—next to him was a woman with blonde hair and a violet evening gown.

"Great," Angela muttered under her breath, keeping her face looking uninterested.

"Who's he?" Gael asked, his eyes scanning the man with an arrogant smile.

"Jeremy. I used to date him in college." She glanced at the woman and turned away, gulping down the rest of her cocktail. "He cheated on me with a friend—major asshole."

"You sure dated assholes." He sounded harsh, not liking the way the man lingered at her legs.

"I was stupid and didn't know any better." She sighed. "You know what's funny? That woman is Oliver's ex. She cheated on him too. Now they both deserve each other."

"I knew it was you," said Jeremy when they arrived at the bar, flagging down the bartender. "How are you?"

"I felt amazing until a minute ago." Angela curled her lips into an obviously fake smile.

Jeremy chuckled, unbothered by her apparent dislike towards him. "You know Jenny, right?" He tilted his head towards the blonde next to him.

A laugh she couldn't suppress escaped her lips as she folded her arms under her chest. "Of course. How could I forget?"

Jenny, who had been staring at Gael, rolled her eyes when she heard Angela but didn't say anything. Jeremy looked at Gael and asked, "Who's your date?"

Not having any interest in their presence at all, Angela glanced at Gael, whose sharp gaze had been focused on Jeremy. Then she saw the hostess coming their way—she knew their table was ready. "My date is too important—you can't afford to know. If you'll excuse us." She got to her feet with Gael's help, and they followed the hostess towards the grand staircase.

"You okay?" he asked as they walked, his hand resting on her back.

"Of course. Sorry about that. It's been nearly ten years, but I just don't like being around them."

"I didn't like the way he looked at you. What did you do when you found out he cheated?"

Angela slapped a hand over her mouth as she laughed. "Oh, my god. He had this white Lambo that he loved so much. My friends and I got drunk one night, and we slashed his tires, poured paint over the roof, and spray painted the hood with 'Hope THE CLAM was worth it!'. Thank God I found out about him cheating right away."

Gael stopped in his tracks and looked at her. She thought he was concerned if she also got chlamydia from her ex, but she quickly shook her head and clarified, "I'm clean. I told you. Remember?"

"You did. I believe you." He nodded as they entered the private luxury dining room. "I just thought you'd have done more than just ruined his car."

She giggled, squeezing his hand as he brought her inside. Then he told her, "Let's enjoy the rest of the evening, Angel."