Chapter 25
Chapter Twenty-Five
Alex was leaning on the cherrywood bar top, looking between the door and his phone, nursing a whiskey. The bar was situated with a perfect view of the entrance.
The venue was a ballroom at the Grand Hotel Sant ‘Orsola. The high ceilings dotted with crystal chandeliers and exposed brick accent walls gave the feeling of old-world charm.
The party had started, and Alex tried to greet some of the guests he knew dutifully, but found himself back at his perch at the bar multiple times.
“She’ll be here, don't worry. She wouldn't say she'd come and then just not show up,” Leonardo assured him, as he walked up. “I'm so looking forward to spending some time with her tonight.”
“I know. I’m just nervous, I guess.”
“You clean up nice, son,” he joked as he looked him over.
“Me? You’re looking mighty dapper with your paisley tie, Papa.”
Sofia walked over to them, her knee-length black and silver cocktail dress flowing as she moved. Alex could see that she was leading a man in a navy suit with her.
Kissing her cheeks, Alex greeted the man.
“Alex, this is Mr. Antoni McKnight. He’s one of our favorite customers. He owns most of the pharmacies in the area,” she said.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. McKnight,” Alex said, holding out his hand after Sofia made the introduction.
“The pleasure is all mine, Alex. I've been a fan for some years now. I even own several of your pieces. I was just telling my wife—”
Mr. McKnight was still speaking, but all sounds—the music, the people—faded when Alex looked over the man's shoulder at the woman walking toward him.
Her long hair was not in its usual waves but straight.
The length of it flowed over her shoulders, one side pinned up with a gold leaf.
The gown she wore looked as if it had been woven by fairytale elves: a topaz yellow satin slip, tight at the waist with a deep neckline.
It was covered in a tulle overlay fashioned with gold flowers, giving her an ethereal look.
The soft lights reflected off her dress, making it seem as if she was lit from within.
“I'm so sorry, Mr. McKnight. Will you excuse me, please?” Alex said, leaving the businessman mid-sentence.
Aria was breathtaking. This was not a school crush, as real as that had felt.
As he locked eyes with her, he knew he’d never be the same.
Poems, books and movies had been written about moments like this.
Before Aria, he didn’t pay them much mind nor give them any credence.
But the way his heart seemed to come alive at just the sight of her had him wishing he could write her sonnets befitting her beauty and grace.
The heads of both women and men turned to admire her as she made her way to the center of the room, meeting Alex there. It only took him a few long strides to reach her.
“Aria. Wow. You look beautiful.” Realizing he was staring, he added, “Sorry, welcome. I'm so glad you came.”
He leaned in and kissed both cheeks, stopping before moving to the second one to look into her eyes up close. The yellow-gold tone of her dress revealed specks of amber in her hazel eyes.
When she pulled back, she answered, “Thank you, Alex, for inviting me. I was a little nervous about tonight, honestly.”
“Really? Why?”
“Well, you’re kind of famous, and this sort of thing is a bit intimidating,” she said waving her hands, gesturing to the ballroom.
“Other than dinner at my house, we’ve only seen each other at my office or in dressy functions like this.
That’s not who I am. I’m usually in leggings and a t-shirt or cutoff shorts and a tank top,” she said timidly.
“And you think this is my comfort zone, my ‘scene’?” he asked, his fingers gesturing, his face amused.
Looking around, then back at him, she answered, “Yeah, I guess so.”
“You must’ve forgotten what I was wearing the day we met in the cafe,” he said teasingly.
“I, I don’t remember much from that day, honestly.”
“Oh, really?” he said teasingly, making her blush.
Leaning in close to her ear, so only she could hear him, Alex said, “Aria Bianchi, I want to get to know you. The you, barefoot in your kitchen. The you, at the market in leggings and a t-shirt. I want to get to know who you are, all the sides, all the colors of Aria.”
He could smell her exotic perfume and enjoyed the look of surprise on her face when he pulled away.
“When I said ‘unfortunately’ about the dress code tonight, it’s because this is not who I am either.
Jeans, t-shirts and boots are more my style.
This is so far out of my comfort zone. Remember I told you that I gave up the idea of a corporate job to run around in the jungle.
I want to show you who I am, Aria. To know me, just as I am. ”
He took great pleasure in the way her mouth gaped open, his words rendering her speechless. She finally closed her mouth, swallowed loudly, and nodded her head in acknowledgment.
“Good, we got that out of the way.”
Aria seemed to recover when she said demurely, “I, I want that too, Alex.”
There was something different in the way she spoke from their last conversation, but he wasn’t sure what it was. Their attraction was undeniable. He could only hope it would continue.
Alex knew he needed to bring her to speak to his family, but neither of them seemed to want to move. He felt like everything had drifted away and he was lost in her orbit.
Sofia walked up to the couple, her arms open to hug Aria, Leonardo following behind.
“Aria, I’m so glad you could make it,” Sofia said as she reached for a hug and a kiss to both cheeks. “I'd like you to meet our father, Leonardo Rossi.”
Aria reached for Leonardo's hand to shake it, but he brought her in for a hug instead.
“Aria, it’s so nice to see you. Forgive me, I'm a hugger. I’ve heard so many wonderful things about you.”
“Mr. Rossi, it's so nice to see you again. I think we may have met once back in school. I did meet your sweet wife several times, though. Please accept my sincerest condolences,” Aria said. “She always made me feel at home.”
“Please, call me Leonardo. And may I extend mine to you as well, Aria. I'm so very sorry for the loss of your husband,” he said as he reached for her hand.
A dark look crossed Aria’s face.
“Alex, why don't you show Aria where the refreshments are?” Sofia said, helping Alex lighten the heavy mood.
“Yes, let's get you something to drink, Aria.” He put his hand on the small of her back to guide her away. “Papa, we will catch up to you soon.”
Once at the bar, Aria asked him for a white wine spritzer.
“I love this venue. The decor reminds me of the Bancaccio theatre in Rome,” she said as she looked at the ornate ceiling.
“It’s very beautiful.”
When she looked back, Alex was staring at her, his eyes taking her in like he was memorizing all the details. She dipped her head and took a sip of her wine.
Peering over her glass, she said, “Alex Rossi, you’re making me nervous again.”
Alex laid his forearm on the bar top and leaned closer again.
“Aria Bianchi, are you flirting with me?”
Flustered, Aria tipped over her wine glass and Alex caught it just before it hit the bar top, but not before it spilled.
“Oh, Alex. I’m so sorry. Did it get on your suit? I told you I was clumsy,” she said, grabbing napkins to soak up the spill.
Stopping her frantic motions, Alex said, “No, no, you didn’t get me. Don’t worry about it. It’s only a little wine. Can I get you another one?”
“No, I think I’ll stick to water,” she said with a sigh, wringing her hands.
They turned their attention to the stage that was set up as Leonardo and Sofia gave speeches, congratulating their team on the great success of the past fiscal quarter. A few other executives spoke about projections for the coming year.
When Leonardo returned to the stage to thank their clients for their loyalty, Alex and Aria clapped loudly for him at the end.
“Want to see if any of this fancy food is any good?” Alex asked.
“You don’t have to ask me twice.”
He led her to the catering tables and teased her about her towering plate. Sofia and Leonardo joined them briefly before heading into the crowd for more mingling.
The DJ started playing an upbeat dance song just then, welcoming the guests to the dance floor. People started moving toward the middle of the ballroom. Alex started tapping his foot to the beat, but Sofia caught his eye from across the room.
She shot him a warning look that read clearly, “Don't even think about it.”
Alex laughed and looked away, shaking his head.
“What’s wrong?” Aria asked, her head tilting up toward him.
“Confession time. You said you were nervous about being here, all dressed up. I was nervous too.”
“You? Nervous? Why?” she asked, clearly amused.
Leaning down again so she could hear him over the loud bass, he said, “You were so excited when Sofia mentioned dancing, that I had her and the guys give me some lessons. She thought I should warn you about how many times I stepped on her foot.”
Aria’s face lit up and she laughed so loud, her head fell back. Alex was brought back to those days in school and took it all in, once again under her spell. It would be his mission in life to hear Aria laugh like that every day.
Recovering, Aria laid her hand on his arm and said, “I'm sure you dance just fine, Alex. You don't scare me.”
Right at that moment, Alex the DJ switched to Mazzy Star’s “Fade Into You”.
Aria started to sway back and forth, singing along.
“I love this song. It’s one of my favorites,” she said.
Setting his drink down on the counter, Alex stood in front of her and extended his hand. “Would you like to dance with me?”
Aria hesitated for a moment but then put her tiny hand in Alex's large one.
“I'd love to,” she whispered.
Alex led her to the dance floor, the words of the haunting tune reverberating in him. It was one of his favorites too.
Gently leading Aria toward him, Alex paused, making her eyes slowly look into his with a questioning gaze. It was a moment he’d been waiting years to experience, and he didn’t want to rush it.