21. Chapter Twenty-One
Would things have been different if Damien and I had accepted our feelings for each other? I might never know.
Instead of thinking of the ‘what ifs,’ I focus on the scintillating moment before my eyes.
The most thoughtful, handsome, and insanely loving man on earth is in love with me, and I love him, too. It feels like we’ve been in love for years, unconsciously, anyway.
I stare into the mirror as I twirl in my mini-length white dress to the music playing in the background.
Damien had suggested that we go out on a date instead of staying in to celebrate the coming victory on my parents’ estate and the mending of our relationship.
Relationship? Well, we have not been official yet, but yes, we have a relationship.
I had refused the idea of dinner at first, but my face looks better now that I have applied my mild red lipstick and a little blush on both sides of my cheeks.
My smile is so bright, and I step forward as the song changes its beat.
I pack my hair into a bun while allowing some curls to fall on my face just the way I like it. This reveals my dainty chain, the key holder on my neck, and my pearl earrings.
I adorn my finger with my mom’s trinket. This is a good day to wear such a jewel of inestimable value. She would be happy that I’m finally putting the pieces of my life together again.
She was probably teasing my dad about how I was finally finding my way around and doing well without their help. My dad always wanted to help in any and every way.
He didn’t mind picking up my lunch, driving me to work, picking out my clothes, even massaging my feet when it hurt. He said, “My Princess is not allowed to be stressed for any reason when I am right here.”
I always had to sneak around to seemingly get difficult things done for myself, even when I knew he would run to me at the buzz of my call.
My parents loved my brother and me so dearly, and we would make them more proud of us than they ever had been soon when we got the good judgment for their estate, which they had been fighting to get for almost three years.
The government had seized a large expanse of their land for a facility, claiming it was government-owned property and not for personal use. However, this land was an inheritance passed down to my father for generations and now belongs to our family.
My parents had all the documents to prove the land was theirs, but the government agencies only had measly claims about their ownership.
They had sued for the rights of ownership of their land to be returned to them and the government’s possession revoked.
However, they died just when they were about to be given a verdict. Hence, my brother and I had to continue from where they had stopped while needing to prove that we were the personal representatives of the deceased.
Like the good old days, I focus on strapping my heels firmly to my ankle and throwing a little catwalk show in my room.
Downstairs, I turn off the music from the speakers almost at the same time Damien knocks on the door. I hold on to my clutch purse and swing the door open.
His head goes up, and his eyes widen like he has seen something, a wonder he had never seen before.
“You look breathtaking, Lea.”
“I mean, every color suits your skin, but this white blends in perfectly.”
He holds my hand as he pulls me out and gives me a twirl outside.
We laugh, and I turn to turn off the lights and shut the door.
“You look dapper yourself, Mr. Stone.”
He had a blue tux on with a white shirt inside and the first button was undone, which put his chiseled chest on display. He wore luxurious leather boots on his feet that were shiny enough to reflect one’s image.
“Going on a date with a lady as stunning as you are, I had to make an effort in the best way possible.”
“You flatter me, Mr. Stone. Your compliments warm my heart.”
“I can’t help but appreciate what I see” He says as we walk to a car that is not his own. A Mercedes-GLE parked outside the driveway, flashing its bright white lights on the road.
I placed my hand on my left chest like I was preventing my heart from bleeding.
He rolls his eyes and laughs.
He leads me towards this new car and sparks my curiosity.
“What’s going on, Damien?”
“I want us to have fun on this date with no distractions, which include driving or even our phones. I want us to feel every part of this date and embrace the moments. So, I called for one of my cars in the office to be sent with a driver. You, my lady, deserve the very best things in life.”
“At this rate, my heart might turn to jelly if you continue being this sweet. Thank you, Damien.”
“Even if your heart was like jelly, I’d still love you.”
We smile at each other as the chauffeur gives me a hand into the car’s back seat.
Damien gets into the other side of the car.
The scent of the car is crisp and you can tell it hasn’t been used for a while. The car’s ceiling has starry lights attached to it, giving it an enigmatic ambiance.
He takes hold of my hand and gazes into my eyes.
“You are the best thing that has happened to me in a long while, Lea. Thank you for coming into my life.”
“Thank you for coming into my life, Damien.”
He kisses my forehead, and we face the road, our hearts speaking loudly and our hands submerged into one.
We arrive at our destination, and the chauffeur opens Damien’s side of the car door; he steps out and gives me a hand as I step down after him.
The restaurant looks like a place out of an ancient Babylonian novel. The walls are made of stone, and the chairs are carved uniquely, like nothing I have ever seen before.
The doorkeeper opens the door to usher us into an overwhelmingly dazzling room filled with flowers, Egyptian paintings, and lights that swing from side to side.
“This place is so beautiful. How did you find it?”
“Wait till we get to the table,” he said, holding my arms from behind and leading me to our table.
He pulled out a chair for me. I thank him with a smile.
He sits. At the snap of his finger, the white lights turned to dim yellow, making the paintings more apparent.
My eyes can’t stop looking around as I hear soft jazz music playing around the area.
“Damien…” I struggle to be audible because this scenery is taking my breath away.
“Sometime last year, Selware was contracted to build this place. It is in the suburbs of Los Angeles, and they provide private dining options for registered members.”
“I called in that favor today because I wanted us to spend quality uninterrupted time together.”
“Wow. This is divine,. I’m speechless, to say the least.”
“You are special to me, Lea and I want to always give you the best things in life as much and as often as I can.”
“I love this, Damien. I’m happy. Thank you so much.”
“You’re always welcome. I’m glad you love it.”
He gives me a few seconds to scan the area and feed my eyes with its beauty.
“Now, let’s not forget why we came out in the first place, your growling stomach.” Right on cue, it made another sound.
He taps a bell, which I presume is underneath the table due to the position of his hand. A waiter comes to serve us, carrying a bucket of champagne in ice.
He pops it open and pours it into our glasses.
While we wait for our appetizer, he receives a call that makes him run out of the room.
The waiter rolls on the tray filled with different soups from chicken to seafood soufflé. He drops them and asks if he should bring a second bottle of champagne, but I decline as the one on the table is not even halfway through.
Where is Damien?
He strolls back in after the appetizer has been served and takes his position opposite me.
“I’m sorry. I had to put some last-minute checks in for our trip tomorrow.”
“Oh, that’s fine. I waited for you to come back before diving into this savory charcuterie.”
“Your stomach must hate me right now.” We laughed at the body part that didn’t mind being embarrassed until we fed it.
“Let’s dive in!”
We eat slowly as we catch up on more things that happened during our three-week imposed break from each other.
The waiter returned with the main dish, a platter of lots of seafood and pasta. One thing Damien and I shared was our taste in food. We loved almost the same food except pepperoni. Why did anyone like pepperoni, anyway?
“Does Kelvin know you are coming to San Antonio with me?”
“Nope, and I don’t intend to tell him.”
“I’m mighty glad we are on the same page on this one.”
I stretch my hand out to give him an official handshake, and he takes it, turns it, and presses it to his lips, leaving a mark that I never want to fade away.
We continue sipping our glasses of champagne until we notice how late it is already at night.
“I’ve had such a lovely time here, DM. I wouldn’t want to end such a day in any other way.”
“I’m happy that you are happy, my lady.”
He holds onto my hand as if searching for more confirmation that this entire experience is real.
After eating dessert, which was filled with doses of sugary delights and chocolaty, exactly how I like it, we moved back to the car we came in. We headed home to prepare for our trip.
As we approach the bend to our homes, I take a few minutes to savor his presence again.
The way his hair is swerved to the left side of his face gives me an uninterrupted view of his clear, milky skin and sparkly eyes as he stares into the starry sky with his hand on my thigh.
Right here, at this moment, I acknowledge how happy this man makes me feel.
I am definitely in love with him.