“Aria Bianchi, are you flirting with me?”
Flustered, Aria tipped over her wine glass and Alex caught it just before it hit the bar top, but not before it spilled.
“Oh, Alex. I’m so sorry. Did it get on your suit? I told you I was clumsy,” she said, grabbing napkins to soak up the spill.
Stopping her frantic motions, Alex said, “No, no, you didn’t get me. Don’t worry about it. It’s only a little wine. Can I get you another one?”
“No, I think I’ll stick to water,” she said with a sigh, wringing her hands.
They turned their attention to the stage that was set up as Leonardo and Sofia gave speeches, congratulating their team on the great success of the past fiscal quarter. A few other executives spoke about projections for the coming year.
When Leonardo returned to the stage to thank their clients for their loyalty, Alex and Aria clapped loudly for him at the end.
“Want to see if any of this fancy food is any good?” Alex asked.
“You don’t have to ask me twice.”
He led her to the catering tables and teased her about her towering plate. Sofia and Leonardo joined them briefly before heading into the crowd for more mingling.
The DJ started playing an upbeat dance song just then, welcoming the guests to the dance floor. People started moving toward the middle of the ballroom. Alex started tapping his foot to the beat, but Sofia caught his eye from across the room.
She shot him a warning look that read clearly, “Don't even think about it.”
Alex laughed and looked away, shaking his head.
“What’s wrong?” Aria asked, her head tilting up toward him.
“Confession time. You said you were nervous about being here, all dressed up. I was nervous too.”
“You? Nervous? Why?” she asked, clearly amused.
Leaning down again so she could hear him over the loud bass, he said, “You were so excited when Sofia mentioned dancing, that I had her and the guys give me some lessons. She thought I should warn you about how many times I stepped on her foot.”
Aria’s face lit up and she laughed so loud, her head fell back. Alex was brought back to those days in school and took it all in, once again under her spell. It would be his mission in life to hear Aria laugh like that every day.
Recovering, Aria laid her hand on his arm and said, “I'm sure you dance just fine, Alex. You don't scare me.”
Right at that moment, Alex the DJ switched to Mazzy Star’s “Fade Into You”.
Aria started to sway back and forth, singing along.
“I love this song. It’s one of my favorites,” she said.
Setting his drink down on the counter, Alex stood in front of her and extended his hand. “Would you like to dance with me?”
Aria hesitated for a moment but then put her tiny hand in Alex's large one.
“I'd love to,” she whispered.
Alex led her to the dance floor, the words of the haunting tune reverberating in him.It was one of his favorites too.
Gently leading Aria toward him, Alex paused, making her eyes slowly look into his with a questioning gaze. It was a moment he’d been waiting years to experience, and he didn’t want to rush it.
He placed one of her hands on his chest right above his heart, and covered it with one of his.
Courage seemed to flash in her eyes as she slid her other hand up his arm, coming to rest at the top of his shoulder, not losing eye contact. She was so close he could feel her body's heat and hear her breath intake. When her fingers flexed and touched the stray hairs at the back of his neck, goosebumps were set alight all over.
He slid his free hand around her waist, swaying them both gently side-to-side. He was lost in the music, the words, and her intoxicating scent.
