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Xava looks as radiant as ever.
Her deep hazelnut hair is in long, soft curls falling to her mid-back. She’s wearing a soft baby pink dress that stops a few inches above her knees. It molds to her body like a second skin yet isn’t too revealing. The arms are made up of a see-through material, and the wrists pinch in, almost as if they’re form-fitting. A portion of her dress cinches along the stomach into a bow, which only accentuates her natural curves. She knew this dress would compliment her body type. I don’t have one doubt about it.
“Ambros, it’s so great to see you.” Xava wastes no time stepping toward me, and I pull her into my embrace.
She wraps her arms around me like we’re long-lost lovers who have gone weeks without seeing each other. I hold onto her for as long as I can before I notice her driver, who I’m certain is more than likely security, giving me a dirty look.
I’m not buying the fact that she’s just a cousin of Ruslan’s. Xava seems much more important, and I’m sure, at some point, I’ll start to figure it out.
“Likewise. How have you been?” Xava and I have been texting back and forth since I got her number, but it’s been small talk. Tonight, we’ll really have the time to catch up.
“Good, actually. Things have been busy, but that’s nothing new. What about you? How are things?” Xava smiles softly, and it’s one thing that makes me feel great. It’s not like she’s being fake. Every word she utters feels like it’s authentic and genuine.
“They’re good. Same as you, busy. Want to get going so we can go grab some food?”
“Yeah, that sounds great.” I could have just met her downstairs in the lobby instead of her coming all the way up here. It makes me feel like I’m the woman, and she’s courting me. I have an internal chuckle about it, and we leave my suite.
We leave the hotel and walk toward Xava’s car, which is a blacked-out SUV. I can immediately tell it’s bulletproof, and again, I have this gut feeling that she’s far more important than she makes herself out to be. What don’t I know? My curiosity is going to kill me if I don’t find out soon.
Within twenty minutes, we’re on the other side of the city, and Xava’s driver pulls up to the restaurant. He puts the SUV in park, and when he does, I open the door and hold my hand out for Xava. She graciously accepts it and slides out the same side as me.
Her driver narrows his eyes on me. He thinks I’m trouble, and I can be… but I’m not going to hurt her. “Is your driver joining us, too?” I cock a brow as I ask Xava.
“No, not unless you want him to.” Xava’s giggle is carefree.
I shake my head. “I’ll pass. Shall we head inside then?”
“Yes, let’s do that.” I shut the door to the car, and we head inside.
We greet the hostess, who takes us back to a small, secluded area of the restaurant. This place is unlike any other restaurant I’ve been to before. There’s barely any lighting in here at all. It’s extremely dark, and the only light comes from small, delicate bulbs along the walls. There’s one exception in the center of the room where there’s a chandelier, but it’s very dim lighting as well.
Xava and I take a seat. I sit across from her, and there’s a sole lit candle in the center between us. “This place is very unique.”
“It is. It’s… different. Thank you for agreeing to come here with me. I haven’t had the opportunity, and I thought it would be fun to experience this together.” Even though I can hardly see Xava, her pearly white teeth are bright enough to be noticed in the darkest of rooms.
“I’m sure it will be. What made you want to come here?” I’m very curious. This place must have some sort of theme behind it or a unique experience that patrons crave.
“So, it’s pretty cool. The reason it’s so dark here is that they want customers to fully experience the food we’re enjoying. The concept is that in almost complete darkness, it helps refresh our senses, and I’m looking forward to seeing if there’s any truth behind that theory.”
“Ah, so this is an experiment of sorts?” I cock my brows.
“Pretty much, yeah.”
The waiter comes up and asks us for our drink order. Xava and I both get the house recommendations and end up choosing the same thing for our appetizers, entrées, and dessert items. It seems like we both want to have a great experience here, and I’m excited to be sitting across from her.
This woman has been plaguing my mind since the wedding. Even in moments where I don’t find myself thinking of her, my mind slowly drifts to her. She’s the kind of woman I want to spend time with. The type of woman who can have long, easy conversations with you. I don’t find myself growing bored of her company. It very well could be because I haven’t spent a lot of time with her, yet there’s some feeling I have that’s telling me it isn’t the case.
Xava and I make some small talk, but when the waiter brings out our drinks, we start chatting a lot more. “So, what have you been doing since the last time I saw you?” Xava asks before she takes a sip of her fruity wine drink.
I inhale deeply through my nose. “Honestly? I’ve been working for the most part. I traveled for a bit, then went back home to Greece. Now I’m here to take a break for a couple of days. What about you?”
“My life isn’t nearly as exciting as yours. I’ve been here, but I don’t do too much. Spend time with family, keep myself occupied with family activities, that sort of thing.” It seems to me that Xava doesn’t want to talk about her family too much. She keeps looking down at the table every time she mentions them.
I decide to change the subject to something different. Xava’s mood changes almost instantly. She’s calmer, peppier, and seems a lot happier.
In no time, our food is brought out to us, so we enjoy our meals. Mine very well might be one of the best I’ve had in a very long time. Maybe this darkness thing isn’t just a load of crap. Maybe it actually works.
Our waiter brings out our desserts, and then the two of us are ready to get out of there. The waiter brings the check, and Xava tries to grab it, but I’m stronger and take it right from her hands. I slide my card into the booklet and wait for the waiter to return, but I look right into her eyes. There’s one thing I have to say to her. “When I take you out on a date, I will always be the one paying for it.”
