Blush
1023 Words
My eyes widened slowly as my brain immediately picked up on the aroma and the delectable plating. It looked like something straight out of a three star Michelin restaurant, which was exactly what The Continental was, but it somehow still looked better than the one I had seen in the restaurant.
"Oh my God," I finally blurted out as I left my seat, then went around to where Florian was standing.
He had a small proud smile, and he gently kept the lid on the work table, and he watched me through his thick lashes.
"You made this for me?" I asked, my hands still clasped on my mouth, my eyes wide.
He didn't reply and simply leaned, his fingers pointing to the side of the round plate. Right on the side was an elegant cursive that read simply, Rox.
I broke into a laugh and turned around, blinking as I met his eyes.
"It's beautiful."
He leaned one hand on the work table, his eyes taking me in. "Is it?"
I nodded. "Can you close it back? I want to take a photo so badly, but I broke it the other night."
Before I could move, he reached to his pocket and handed me his phone. I froze, seeing his phone in front of me, my lips parting.
"You are... giving me your phone?"
He nodded as he slowly turned back to his vegetables. "You want a picture, don't you? You can take it on my phone."
My lips parted as I slowly accepted his phone. It was sleek and simple, and when I tapped the screen, his lockscreen came up.
It was a black and white photo of him from upclose, but just around his collarbone, highlighting the tattoo. His hands were clasped close to this chest, and from the strain of his neck that I could see, I could tell he was looking away from the camera.
"Your lockscreen is pretty," I said, turning briefly to him.
He turned to the phone, then shrugged as he walked to the fridge. "It's been there for years."
"I thought the tattoo was recent?"
He met my eyes, then turned back to the fridge. "No."
I swallowed, then swiped it to unlock it. There was a pin, and I turned to him again. "What's your pin?"
"Your birthday."
I bit down on my lips. "Why is it that?"
"That was the only coherent string of numbers I was sure I would never forget."
I swallowed hard, then nodded and typed in my birthday. It opened up to the same wallpaper as his lockscreen had and went straight to the camera.
I turned to the roast and took a few pictures, making sure my name would show up in the pictures. I pulled a seat and sat down, next to where Florian was working, my smile small.
Florian suddenly handed me a fork and knife, his eyes holding mine. "Try it."
I gave a smile, then collected the cutleries. I could feel his eyes on me as I slowly cut into the roast, then brought it to my lips. I turned to him, my tongue slowly running over my lips to take the small bit of gravy that had rubbed off on my lips.
He was watching me, his eyes focused on my lips, and I quickly turned away, feeling the tension in the room heighten.
"How is it?" He asked, and I shook my head, urging my brain to focus on the taste and not the way he had looked at my lips.
The flavours burst in my mouth as the meat seemed to melt, and I broke into a smile, nodding quickly as I raised a thumb.
He smiled, then moved away and brought back a glass of wine. Like it was the most natural thing in the world, he dropped a bottle of wine next to me, filled my glass halfway, then leaned to kiss my forehead.
I froze in place as he leaned away and patted my hair.
"Eat well, princess."
Like he hadn't just toyed with my ability to think and breathe, he turned away and went back to cutting vegetables. Those darned vegetables.
It took me a while to be able to focus on the roast again, and I ate it quickly. I hadn't even realized how hungry I was till it was right in front of me.
I took the last bite and leaned back, my eyes closed as I savoured the taste, my hand on my stomach. I was glad I was wearing a loose shirt because the last thing I wanted was for anything to make me uncomfortable after such a hearty meal.
Florian was mow sitting next to me, sipping wine slowly, his other hand pushing through his hair. I turned to him. The pasta he had made was mostly untouched, and the salad too, and I wondered if he was just full or had no appetite.
"You aren't eating."
He turned to me, then shrugged. "Breakfast isn't my thing."
I nodded. "I used to skip breakfast, too, until this roast came into my life."
He cracked a smile. "You liked it?"
I laughed. "I loved it. So much. In fact, marry me."
I stopped talking, and my eyes widened at what I had just said. His eyes were watching mine, his hand holding the glass of wine, his lips slightly parted.
For a long moment, none of us said a word, but the silence itself was pregnant.
"Florian, I..." I started to say, but he suddenly turned away, his eyes blinking rapidly.
I could tell he was flustered giving our rather compacted relationship, but... my eyes suddenly caught it.
His neck and his cheeks were now a very bright red, and his ears seemed like he was about to pop off.
My eyes widened even more, but he suddenly excused himself and walked away briskly as opposed to his rather unhurried pace.
I turned, watching his back as he practically ran away from me, one thought revolving around my mind.
Did I just make the Florian Hunt, Billionaire CEO of Hunt group, blush?
- Writer
