-8-
Rafae l
The city lights shimmered below as I ascended the elevator to the penthouse, anticipation building with each floor I passed. I wasn't sure what I was thinking when I suggested a double date with Roman and his girlfriend but the thought of eating dinner with just the two of them was not appealing. I hadn't seen Yasmin all day, and I was curious to see how her hair looked if she truly dyed it.
The elevator chimed, and the doors slid open to reveal the penthouse. I stepped out into the spacious living area, taking in the stunning view of the city. It was then that I caught sight of Yasmin emerging from her room.
My breath caught in my throat as I took in her appearance. She was radiant, her now black hair cascading in waves down her back, the color so deep it brought out the green flecks in her eyes. Her dress molded to her curves perfectly and I couldn't help but wonder how she would feel wrapped around me. I must have stared for a moment too long because a playful smirk danced on her lips.
"Like what you see, Rafael?" she teased, a twinkle of amusement in her eyes.
"Absolutely," I managed to reply, my voice huskier than intended. "You look incredible, Yasmin. Black hair suits you."
"Thank you," Her smile widened, and she linked her arm with mine as we made our way out of the penthouse. Daniel, my trusty driver, was waiting for us downstairs.
Daniel opened the door for her before I could stop him, she hastily shuffled in, releasing my arm to do so. With a quick nod in Daniel's direction, I walked around to the other side, opened the door, and got in.
"So, how was your day?" I asked, glancing at Yasmin. Daniel pulled onto the road, heading to the restaurant.
"It was okay. My sister stopped by, she helped me dye my hair and we went shopping," she replied with a shrug. "I got a dress for the gala. How about you?"
"It was a busy day, my best friend stopped by, he's the one who invited us to dinner," I said, leaning back in my seat. "This is the perfect time to practice our fake dating skills. He doesn't know we're faking it so let's be convincing."
"Looking forward to it," Yasmin nodded, a smile playing on her lips. "Oh, by the way, my sister knows the deal between us. Is that okay?"
I turned so I was facing her. "Sure, as long as she doesn't tell anyone."
"She won't."
Her phone buzzed before she could say anything else. I shifted so I was looking out the window, giving her the privacy she needed. Her sudden gasp had me spinning around to face her, only to find her glaring daggers at her phone.
"Can you believe this?" she grunted as she showed me what made her so angry. On her phone was a picture of Ethan with a blonde who I was pretty sure I'd seen in a magazine before.
"Who's that?"
She rolled her eyes. "Probably the woman he dumped me for."
"Oh," my eyes widened as I glanced at the picture again. "She's nowhere near as beautiful as you."
She paused, her frown lightening into a soft smile. "Flattery will get you places," she smiled, stuffing her phone back into her purse.
"He's going to regret ever crossing you," I assured her, my tone firm. "We'll make sure of it."
We arrived at the restaurant, and I got out and held the door open for Yasmin. I couldn't help but admire the way she carried herself with confidence. She linked her hand around mine, falling in step with me as we entered the restaurant. We walked up to the hostess, a brunette with dull brown eyes.
"Hello, welcome to Evita's. How can I help you?"
"Hello, we're joining the Vitale table."
"Oh, of course," she forced a smile. "Please follow me."
We quietly followed the hostess who led us into the restaurant, past a handful of other guests. "Here we are," she spoke quietly pointing us in Roman's direction. "I'll have a server bring you menus shortly."
"Thank you," Yasmin replied but she was already walking away, likely to find a server. Yasmin turned to me. "That poor girl needs sleep."
I nodded, not knowing what else to say to that. I guided her over to the table where Roman and his girlfriend were sitting, Roman spotted us immediately.
"Rafael, so glad you could make it," he grinned as he jumped to his feet, eyes locked on Yasmin. "And who is this?"
"This is Yasmin, my girlfriend," I rushed out before Yasmin could get a word in. Yasmin raised a brow at me but didn't argue with what I said. Instead, she extended a hand to Roman.
"It's nice to meet you," she smiled politely, shifting her attention to Emily, Roman's girlfriend. "And you."
Emily rose to her feet, readily shaking her hand. "Likewise. I love your hair."
"Aw, thank you so much."
"Sit, sit," Roman smiled widely. I pulled out Yasmin's chair allowing her to be seated before me. Just as I took my seat the server showed up presenting us with the menus.
"I didn't know you had a girlfriend," Roman gave me a pointed look but I just shrugged him off.
"We're fairly new," Yasmin chimed in, giving my arm a gentle squeeze. Roman's eyes locked onto the interaction, his eyes widening with interest.
"Stop being rude," Emily smiled as she nudged him with her elbow. "We're here to eat and have fun, not to be a part of an interrogation."
"You're right," he mumbled, offering her a soft smile. "I'll drop the questions."
"Good," I sighed dramatically, earning a glare from him.
"This all looks so good," Yasmin grinned, as she continued to eye the menu. "I'm not sure what to order."
"You could get one of everything and decide which you like best."
She gasped softly, glancing over at the couple to make sure they weren't paying attention to us. "I couldn't do that."
I turned to her, her sweet smell drawing me closer. "Why not?"
"Because that's too much work for the staff and unnecessarily expensive."
"I highly doubt this would dent my finances."
She rolled her eyes, pulling away from me. "I think I'll have the chef's special. What about you Emily?"
"The chef's special does look good," she continued eyeing the menu. "But I'm a sucker for a good steak."
Yasmin's eyes lit up in delight at the mention of steak. I couldn't help but admire how beautiful she looked in the dim lighting of the restaurant. Her dress hugged her body, leaving her curves on display for me to ogle. I couldn't even deny that that's what I was doing. It would have been obvious to anyone with eyes. As far as I was concerned it wasn't my fault, such beauty needed to be admired.
"Will you be attending the gala with Rafael?" Roman asked, his question forcing me back to the present.
Yasmin looked at me, and for a second I was lost in a world that only I could see. "Yes, of course," I answered. "I hope you don't mind me bringing a plus one."
Roman laughed. "Of course, I don't mind." His gaze shifted between Emily and Yasmin, and he gestured for them to lean in. I mentally rolled my eyes, already aware of what he would say. "You ladies might not know this but Ivan Rashid will be there."
"I already knew," Yasmin blurted before he could continue. I could only stare at her in surprise. I was surprised she knew who Ivan Rashid was much less that he would be attending the gala. I exchanged a glance with Roman who continued to stare at her in shock.
"It's all over the news," she rushed out when nobody said anything. "He said he was attending an event here, I assumed it was the gala."
"Where did he say that?" Her eyes snapped over to me and for a brief second, I wondered if she was sweating.
"I heard it on Sensational Scoops," she spoke quietly. "It's all they could take about besides the actor they caught streaking."
"I saw that video, it was so funny," Emily laughed loudly, breaking the ice that had settled over us. "Especially when he tripped and fell on his dick."
Roman joined her. "That's nothing. They say his wife cheated on him and it triggered some sort of psychotic break."
"I thought it was because his side piece left him," Yasmin, piped up, her earlier nerves seeming to have disappeared.
"That might actually be true," Emily laughed again. "Did you see the story about the guy who dated twins and the twins found out?"
"Oh my God! Yes!" Yasmin grinned widely.
I looked at Roman hoping to have someone to talk to, but he was just as engaged in the conversation. I sighed, hoping to find a server to take our orders and put me out of my misery.