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She gritted her teeth pushing away those memories.
“Fine,” she said and ignored him again.
Hoping he’d be bored out of his mind since it was classical music that only she enjoyed, she followed behind the hostess who led them to the reserved balcony seating. There were five other couples seated in the balcony, but the seating was made in such a way, it offered privacy to each of the couples.
She sat down and pointedly tried to ignore him, but it was hard. She was too aware of him. And the long, shimmering emerald green dress she wore had a thigh-high side slit. Their seats had no divider between them, which meant that her bare thigh brushed against his trousers.
She resisted the urge to shrink away as she didn’t want to make it obvious to the jerk that his presence impacted her.
“Madam, sir… would you like some champagne?” a uniformed waiter asked while holding a tray with the drinks.
Murmuring a thank you, she grabbed a champagne glass.
She took a long sip, hoping the alcohol would distract her from feeling angry and drawn towards the man next to her.
Over the next three hours, Aarav sat through the musical show without fidgeting or checking his phone. But she not only fidgeted a lot, she had a few more glasses of champagne.
The alcohol did help in dulling down her senses. She only vaguely remembered the show coming to an end. Controlling the slight sway, she followed him out of the theater.
“What would you like to have for dinner?” he asked, watching her.
She wasn’t particularly hungry, but she didn’t want to go back to the cabin suite and be alone with the man who broke her heart.
“Anything is fine. You pick,” she murmured, trying hard not to slur.
She saw his mouth twist in amusement. She vaguely recollected that she had kicked up a fuss earlier when he chose outside seating for their lunch without checking with her first.
All the lifts looked crowded and had long waiting lines since the shows ended and a big crowd was let out. But he led them to the special access lift which they had taken earlier.
They went to the topmost floor again, and this time, they sat in indoor seating at another restaurant. It was a two-level open restaurant with a live orchestra band playing at the center under a massive crystal chandelier. It was a fine dining place where everyone was dressed up and food was served in silver and crystal ware. The place was crowded, but they had a reserved table on the second floor next to a large porthole window. She could see the live band below as well as enjoy the ocean view outside with added privacy since the tables on the second floor were placed far away from each other.
When they sat down, her stomach continued to flip with awareness once again. It was too intimate a setting.
“Good evening, madam and sir. What would you like to have?”
She ordered just a salad since she wasn’t hungry after the late lunch. And he took the chef’s special for that night.
“Any drinks to go with the meal?” the waitress asked.
“Just water for me,” he said.
“And for you madam?”
“Red wine.”
She knew she had enough champagne during the show, but she once again wanted to numb her senses before the feeling of awareness along with nostalgia and memories of heartbreak got overwhelming.
For the rest of the meal, she drank two glasses of wine while barely touching her salad.
“You are going to turn me into an alcoholic,” she accused, her words slurring slightly.
His eyes flashed, but he didn’t say anything. He watched her while quietly eating his food.
The alcohol worked like a charm. She no longer cared that the guy who broke her heart was back into her life again. She began to feel free of any worries or tension.
“Are you done with your meal?” he asked when she finished her third glass of wine.
“Yes.”
