SPEED DATING WITH A MAFIA KING

3. LOVE HABBITS

Love is so stupid in the way that I found myself dazzling even over the city lights I had seen a million times, but just that night, they seemed so magnificent, them shining over the glass of the stores and blowing my mind away.

The car came to a halt right before a large glass building and my hands could not stop shaking. My head turned, Azrail sliding out of the car and turning with his hand held out.

It was like the lord himself was holding his hand out to me with how glorious it seemed in my head. I slid through the seat, my teeth all out, taking the offered hand and jumped to the ground.

Azrail’s arm quickly went around me, making sure I did not fall. He took a step back, me following as he closed the door of the car.

Our bodies turned. I was not used to being tucked under his wing. For all I know, he did not have a wing before then. I was thinking stupid things, forgive me. My body was hot, my hand in the air, scared to place it on his back.

He took a step forward and I followed.

It was Saturday night, in a street that was supposed to be busy since there were high end restaurants lining through the street. They should have been packed with so many people but they all were dark.

Were they all closed?

I shook my head, impossible.

He was leading me to one of the restaurants which I knew very well. It was the very best in the area. The chef had so many Michelin stars, the crew from the Iron chef show couldn’t even get an email in. The street was just known for the best restaurants in nearly the whole world. They all did different styles of food and cooking, leaving the street one of the most visited in the whole world.

My face burned so hard.

The door was suddenly open. A man walked out, wearing his uniform which was white and black. He walked up to us, doing a head bow which I just wanted to wave at him, but since it was all formal, I was left just clinging to Azrail.

I just knew it was going to be amazing and I was already at the end of my mind blowing scale.

“ Good evening, we thank you for gracing us with your presence and we hope you enjoy your night. Please, follow me.” The man said, him bowing his head again and turning. His voice was so warm yet calming, as if he was trained for this. My toes curled, uncurling them to push myself to continue walking before I fainted.

Three more men held the door for us as we walked in and, oohh my, it was amazing. I had been to that restaurant before and they had totally redone it.

All the tables and chairs were gone, leaving just one, just one at he centre of the restaurant. The floor was covered by rose petals, having my hand to move to my face. I could not believe it, the tears just peaking up with me pushing them back.

There was a whole band and a singer, singing such sweet and romantic music and I knew he was just someone famous. I could not believe it, shaking my head to turn around and stare at Azrail.

He was going to make me cry so much.

My heart would kill me. I opened my mouth to close it, trying to rail my emotions in but it was hard. There were so many rose petals on the floor, my shoe just sank in. Ivan had been right, Azrail cleaned out the flower shops, probably.

His arm held me even tighter, a sweet melody playing at the background.

Azrail led me to the table and thank heavens because I needed to sit down or I would just faint. He pulled away from me, pulling back a chair.

“ Thank you, thank you so so much.” I said, fumbling with my words. I sat down, him pushing the chair in.

He had blown my mind away. I had not even thought something that romantic could happen.

He walked around, pulling his chair and sitting down. There were about five males, bringing out a bottle of champagne, glasses and ice. Another came carrying a paper bag, which he handed to me.

“ Thank you.” I said, my hands dabbing on my eyes. Dad’s lashes literally wanted to drop off. The tears weren’t helping at all.

I chuckled at my thoughts, the men all bowing and moving back after pouring us the champagne.

I shook my head, him having gone over and beyond. Even if we just turned at that point and did not eat, I would have had the best date of my life.

“ Thank you so much Azrail. You just blew my mind.” I said out with him sitting up from his chair.

“ Please, open the paper bag.” He said out with me smiling and staring at the paper bag I had sat just besides my chair. I picked it up. It was matte red in color, stunning itself. I stared in, pulling out what I knew was a case of jewellery. My heart drummed so hard, so hard my chest would just rip apart and explode.

My hands shook so much. I giggled, my voice shaking.

I was so scared because soon I would die.

My eyes went to him then back to the case in hand.

“ I am so scared, my heart is already just hammering against my chest.” I said back, feeling as if my throat was closing.

“ Maybe let us eat first, talk and relax, then you can open it.” He said with me nodding my head.

“ Yes please. I am so nervous my hands are shaking. Please tell me you are nervous too?” I asked, putting the case back in the paper bag and lowering it back down.

“ I don’t get nervous.” He said to me as I chuckled, pulling the glass of champagne to take a sip.

“ Seriously?” I asked, narrowing my eyes at him.

He shook his head then let out some air.

“ Okay, you make me nervous too, just a little.” He said out, and it took everything in me not to fan myself. Like, I could not breathe. When he said things like that, I just melted away.

He was so cute.

I was sure I was so red at that point.

“ I am not sure if it’s a good thing or not. But I think it’s a good thing even though I am barely functioning right now.” I said out with him staring at me only to chuckle.

He actually chuckled!

I was freaking out.

“ I can see, you are so red I am afraid you will faint on me.” Azrail said, having me giggle.

“ Don’t laugh at me, this is your fault.” I said out, my hand over my mouth, laughing. I was so shameless.

My glass was picked up again before I said anything else to embarrass myself. I froze, recalling that I had not eaten yet and I had already drank half a beer at home. I took a tiny sip then lowered it back down.

“ I think your lash is coming off.” He suddenly said with me frozen where I was. I found myself blinking over and over, so embarrassed. Oohh my, dad!

My hand quickly went up, wanting to rip them away but at one end, it was holding on.

“ Let me.” He suddenly said, pushing his chair back and standing up. I was left all red like a tomato, cheeks so high they hurt from smiling so much. My head was buzzing, I might have been drunk already, drunk on his love.

He walked over, my eyes following his every move with him lowering down in front of me to turn and pull my chair to him. He shifted up a bit, his hand over my eyes, pulling the lash carefully.

“ I should take it off?” He asked, me not hearing anything. He was just on my face, his scent taking over all my cells, filling them with so much live. There were very few times we were that close, it seeming like a normal occurrence in our new relationship.

He pulled the lash off.

“ The other one too, please.” I fumbled out, him moving to it and pulling it away.

“ I did not know there were fake lashes.” Azrail suddenly said, standing up straight.

I burned so hard, feeling so embarrassed. Could the ground just open up and swallow me, please.

“ Do you want to keep these?” He asked, standing up and turning around to see where he could put them. I shook my head, not wanting to even see them ever again, so embarrassing.

One of the waiters ran over, taking the lashes and running off with them.

Azrail walked back to his chair, sitting back down.

“ I think you are stunning either or.” He said, wiping his hands on the napkin which was taken away, another brought forward. My head bent down shyly, him melting all my embarrassment away.

“ Thank you.” I said back.

My head picked up as feet were heard.

Four women and three men walked up, wearing chef uniforms.

My eyes went wider with each standing just before our table. I could not believe it, my head turning to Azrail then back to them again.

All the chefs from all the restaurants in the street which were closed, were lined up before us.

I would faint.

How?

Not even my father could pull that off, no one I knew could pull that off? These were renowned chefs, standing before me.

How?

I wanted to scream and jump around. My brain cells dying one by one as I stared with wide eyes.

One by one they introduced themselves, saying which restaurant they owned and how we would be eating a dish from each of them.

They wished us a good night, bowing and turning.

The words were just flying in one ear, leaving out the next, too stunned to process.

“ Oohh my God. What are you doing to me Azrail?” I cried out, hands on my face.

Imagine how bad I would be feeling if I had worn the ripped jeans.

My head shook, what was he doing to me?

“ I realized that all the things I had in my life, I never really wanted them. There is nothing that I could be proud of. There is nothing that would make me feel better about myself and the life I have lived except for you. I want you Masha, and I am willing to do anything to have you as mine in the way which would make you happy for the rest of your life.” He said with me having my hand over my mouth to not laugh out loud and dance.

My fingers moved, dabbing under my eyes. I felt as if my nose was getting blocked from all these emotions.

What was he saying?

“ I can’t take back time, but I can try to rewrite our story.” He said back, his face serious, seeing that he was not joking with me. Who was teaching this man poetry?

I swallowed, sniffling, damn him.

My head shook, dabbing my tears again.

The napkin was picked up and held out to me.

“ Thank you.” I said to him, slowly dabbing my eyes with it. My head tipped to him, taking him in.

“ But, do you want me because you feel something for me or do you want me because you think you can be happy with me? Do you want me because it will be easy building a relationship with me since you know me already and I know everything about you?” I asked, turning as the first chef came, placing dishes down before us. She did not even get to explain the dish, I could see that she wanted to, but I just needed to hear what Azrail would say, my eyes on Azrail as I proceeded dabbing my eyes.

“ Thank you.” I politely said, smiling at her.

She bowed her head, turning and making her way back to the kitchen.

“ I will be honest with you. I don’t know how to love someone. I have never been in a relationship with someone before. I have never been even friends or partners with someone. The only person I know, is myself and even I am not in a good relationship with myself. I have a dark past, a dark heart and a dark soul. But you were willing to accept me with all of that. I want to try and build something with you.” He said with me nodding my head, understanding, yet still not the answer I would like to hear. The food was brought forward, picking the spoon and eating.

“ So, what happens when, through trying, you still are not in love with me? I don’t think it’s fair being in a relationship just because it is convenient. I think we both know where I am when it comes to our relationship. It feels as if I would be taking a chance with you again, a chance where I could get really hurt, again.” I said to him, the food done, not even knowing where it went. The dishes were picked up, another plate placed down.

I took a sip of the champagne.

“ I don’t want to hurt you. I think I have done enough of that, you don’t deserve any more hurt from me.” He said back, staring right at my face with me paused where I was.

My hand moved, lowering the glass to graciously place it down and tip my head back up to stare at him.

My eyes locked with his, my lower lip trembling with my jaw as if to snap. Chills ran up my body, leaving me raw, with him not even blinking, seeing deep into his dark soul that would consume me completely.

Everything fell away, a shaky breath escaping me.

“ Can you dance?” I suddenly asked, sure he could hear my heart even with the music. He seemed taken back, frowning, but none the less he pushed his chair back.

He stood up and I wanted to do so too but I just could not move. I don’t even know why I wanted to dance because I knew my predicament.

He came over, pulling my chair for me to stand with his hand held out to me.

My hand moved up to his, placing it with his soft hand engulfing mine.

My eyes closed, it deadly for me to be so close to him. My body pushed up, moving forward with him leading the way to gently turn me around to face him. My hand fell on his shoulder with his running on my bare skin, having me jump where I was.

“ Are you feeling cold?” He suddenly asked. I could not even open my lips, just shaking my head side to side. He pulled me even closer, skin all covered with goosebumps, trembling against him. His grip was tight and firm, gripping me with such aggression, such possession that just killed me even more.

I would die young with him in my life.

His feet moved, moving slowly as I followed after him. My head tipped up as I stared at his face, wondering how I ever thought I could live my life without him in it. His head tipped down to me, staring at me as we slow danced around the floor.

It felt like something we were born to do, our bodies in tune. It felt so right, so flawless. I felt so warm and so safe in his arms.

I was spun away only to turn back into him, locked in his arms. My back was to his front only to be spun around, coming face to face, my breath knocked out again.

His eyes were drilling into me and shedding all my walls as if they were nothing but paper.

I slowed down until I just stopped dancing all at once, staring at him with me shaking so bad it was exercise on it’s own.

My other arm slipped higher and higher until they were both on his shoulders. Our eyes never parted, drowning me more and more, ripping me apart.

“ I will always take a chance on you, on us.” I lowly said, my voice one I did not recognize.

My hands moved on his neck, them brushing on his jaw, loving the feel of his skin against my touch. They froze as he lowered down slowly but surely.

I could not believe it, feeling so faint, feeling as if I was going to black out. I inched closer to him, basically to melt into him soon as he lowered down until he was just before my face. My eyes were shut already, buzzing, feeling his warmth against my skin, thinking he wouldn’t do it. I kept telling myself he wouldn’t do it. He was Azrail, he would never do it.

His forehead lay on mine, it like magic, feeling the tears swell in my eyes.

What was happening? Shaking my world all around and leaving me revolving around his, like the moon to the sun.

His nose pressed on mine, the first tear escaping.

He knew exactly was he was doing to me. He knew how he affected me and damn him for being my weakness.

A cry pulled from me as his lips sat on mine. They were trembling just as mine. The tears flowed, holding on closer only for his lips to move against mine, taking a kiss. He was the only man I had kissed in my whole life, the only man I wanted to touch my lips, the only man I wanted to brush my lips with his.

His were soft, my toes curling, my legs shaking so much. He moved his lips again, mine sparking as they glazed against his. It was the sweetest thing ever, flooding me with sweetness as I dug my fingers into his hair. I pushed against him to deepen the kiss because it felt as if I was pouring myself to him. It felt as if I was connecting with him in levels I never thought were possible with him.

His tongue slipped in and I moaned into him, lips glazing through each other with me feeling as if I was flying. I thought I was in the arms of an angel, flying around the sky, seeing the clouds behind my eyes.

My head felt faint, feeling myself drift away as my legs became weaker and weaker.

My body felt light, clinging onto him with all I had.

“ Azrea…”

Everything turned black.