AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Ella and Antonio
A table is set for family and guests with an assortment of dishes filling the air with sweet aroma. I could feel the excitement in the air from the gates as I made my way to the inn. My eyes scanned the gathering for familiar faces. I spot Sergio seated at the head of the table with Grace beside him, then there is Grace’s elder sister, a fashion designer. Shawn is present and he leads most of the conversation while filling his plate with grilled chicken, the rest are the groomsmen and bridesmaids that had practiced with us for the wedding.
The faces I didn't recognize, I simply offer a hello to before I take a seat beside Grace, kicking off my shoes so my feet can feel the grass. No one seems to have noticed my presence yet, so I go ahead to pick up a fork, twirling it in my hands. I check my watch, 8: 15 p.m. The night is still young, we have only just arrived. Well, not all of us. When I hear footsteps coming down the stairs, I look up in search of him then I inhale, trying to catch a whiff of his scent but I got nothing; nothing that relates to Antonio.
“He is simply running late; I am sure he is fine.” Grace assured me when she noticed my unrest.
I turn to her and speak. “Oh, don't get me wrong, I am not worried about him, it’s your rehearsal dinner, I believe he should be here in an hour.”
Grace mutters “Okay, at least have a little bit of wine while you wait,” she reaches across the table and picks up a bottle of Del champagne; a brand produced by Antonio’s father. I try my best to be a part of the conversations that follow on the tables. Sergio’s parents arrive and it’s finally a full party. Well, it’s almost a full party until Antonio shows up.
My phone rings again and I curse under my breath when I see that it’s my brother, Josh. He sends me a text when I don't answer.Mum is going crazy, come home. Also, we really need money. It’s annoying how my brothers don't put in any extra effort to keep our family going financially. It's like I am the only one not afraid to take full responsibility and I hate it. I am 26 years old and I have a job that most people wish for and I try my best each day. But this seems to make Josh and Jeremy more dependent on me. I text back.Give me a minute, I will call.His reply hits my inbox seconds later.Gotcha sis. When I look up again, Sergio’s father is making a toast to the couple. Italian words flow from his lips, but I bet that none of us at the table, Sergio included, understood a word of what he said. When we get to the main meal, I decide to pick myself up to find a quiet corner to call home.
I sneak out of the yard and walk briskly though a roll of shrubs and hedges. I needed as much privacy as I could get. Absent minded, I don’t realize when I bump into Antonio. It takes me moments later to note his fragrance that hangs in the path I am taking. I turn my head in search of him, hoping to see him . There is no one in sight, it's just the wind and the shrubs playing with my senses. I brush it off and make my call so I can return to the table.
***
I find Ella standing there with her painted blood-colored lips slightly parted, her feet are unable to move. My heart missesa beat. It has been barely 24 hours and I can say Ella has occupied my mind more than the Westleys or my flight back to Seattle. I grip the fork. I have to hold back from pulling her to the table, ripping her dress away and taking her, right now with her back bare to me. I swallow, adjusting myself in my seat. She reddens. And I am satisfied with her reaction. Her shyness appears ethical, but I sense that it's something she has perfected over time. My mother taught me how to read women. I can't say I am perfect at it, but it has never steered me wrong before. With Ella though, I can't conclude her character by merely reading her body language. That would be the beginning of my failure. She sways toward her seat, and I watch how her curves move with her, accentuated by the tightness of the gown. She is wearing a white dress today, one that hugs her body to perfection. It is obvious that she has trouble walking in her red heels. They are the right size but it's not a regular habit for her. I bet she is the type of woman to take off her shoes the moment she slides them under the table.
“Hello," she says taking her place beside me. I should have guessed that the space between Grace and I was left for her. Her voice is small and shaky. I look away for a moment, so she won’t faint because of the way I am looking at her. Compared to yesterday, she had little time for fun and games.
"Hello, Ella, Sergio here was just explaining to us how vigilant you were in keeping Grace safe from him. It turns out that you became quite the cheerleader in the weeks that followed.” I begin. I have never been much of a talker, but around Ella it seems my lips never cease to move.Shit. Why didn’t I push the chair out for her or something?I glance at her.No, she wouldn't care about those gentlemanly displays.She forces a laugh and nods without contributing to the statement.I feel the urge to get her comfortable, but she denies me that trophy.
“Ella always worried so much about me. I met Sergio on the phone, you know, and Ella was there with me the day he called. He needed to purchase some accessories from Reggit.” Grace starts.
“She never gets bored of telling the story,” Grace’s sister, says. She tastes the salad in her mouth and licks her bottom lips while watching me from across the table.
"Well, I can never get enough of it.” Ella injects. And there she is again, the daring little lady I met on the first day. She tries to reach for the salt, but I stop her with the wave my hand. I pick up the salt and pass it to her, grazing her fingers as I do so. There it was again, the same sensation that we both felt the first time our hands touched. She straightens and swallows before muttering a “thank you.”
The butler appears from behind the curtains and says a greeting before he goes ahead to serve another round of the meal and pour the wine. We are having an Italian rice dish; a risotto served with crispy chicken thighs and a bowl of caprese salad. The butler leaves and we are left in awkward silence. Ella fiddles with her fork and stares at the plate. I take my first bite and the rich taste of the Italian floods my mouth.
Grace’s sister doesn't take her eyes off me as she eats, I am afraid I'll lose my appetite for food if she keeps ogling me that way. Ella scoops some salad, presses it on her lips before she chews and swallows. Her face brightens. She digs into the rice next and takes a bite. Satisfied with her food, her shoulders relax. “You were late today?” she says quietly. It takes some time for it to click that she is speaking to me.
“I had some business to attend to,” I lie to her while taking a sip from my glass. "I didn't see you seated either when Iarrived.” We will start with light conversation before I freak her out. Her lashes flutter as she begins to say something but stops to snatch her glass. She downs the entire content and reaches for the bottle of champagne to pour herself another drink. I wait patiently, amused by her decision to get intoxicated before facing me head on. Her expressive eyes raise to meet mine. I am the one who is most likely to end up intoxicated.
“I had some business to attend to," she smiles back.
I lift a brow in silent skepticism. "I see." The heat in her cheeks deepen. "
Yes." Then we go ahead to discuss the safer topics that are being contributed now and then to the conversation that went around the table. She talks about her education; she studied to become an accountant but ended up taking online courses in business. After that she went ahead to get a role as a sales agent for an online shopping platform. I am curious about all her past, her present, and her plans for the future but I don't probe her. She speaks and lets someone else lead the conversation, occasionally she would divert the topic back to Sergio and Grace. I think I may just like Ella Miller more than I intend to. When we get to dessert, I finger the cuffs on my sleeves and decide there is no need to beat around the bush anymore.
“Is someone bothering you, Ella?" I keep my voice low so only she hears me. She hasn't taken more than three bites from her plate, and she reaches for her glass again. The crescent moon above casts a shadow on her face. Her hair has been bunched into a bun, stray strands fall around her forehead and it’s hard for me to watch her facial appearance as she sits beside me. I am annoyed with the seating arrangement. I should be facing her and not having to face the persistent woman with the fake blonde colored hair and fake boobs that sits before me.
"What makes you think that?" She laughs and the rich sounds vibrates through my body, making me ache to have her face in my palms while I swallow all the sounds with my lips. Her fingers snake around the glass and I speak hastily to stop her from losing all her senses.
"I walked past you earlier, while you were on the phone with someone and you didn’t sound pleased.” She scoffs. "I'm bloody sure that whatever issues I have can be solved by me and me alone."
“Do you wish to be here?", I don't give her a chance to reply. "I wouldn't be surprised. your job must be very demanding."
“With so many bills to be paid,” she adds dryly. “That's where you are wrong." She appears bleak so I choose to clarify my statement.
“What if I told you, I can make all your problems go away?”
"Enlighten me." She leans forward, the loose neckline of her dress plunges down and I get a glimpse of her cleavage. I don't look for more than 5 seconds though, as I try to keep my interest in her words.
"Walk with me before the final toast,” I say as I stand. Sergio eyes me from across the table. “I’ll only be a minute.” I mouth to him and leave the gathering, walking toward the gates.
I hear her heels clicking solidly behind me and I slow my pace. I want to replace all her thoughts of pain with happiness, but I doubt I am the right person to do that. I am bad for Ella, and I need to let go of my selfish desires for her, but when she lifts her head and slides me that daring look, my brain stops working and all I think about is having her in my bed.
