I took a sip of my water, just as the waiter arrived. Frantz placed in his order of himself as well as his mother, and I placed my order in as well. I had been dreaming about this food since the last time I was here, and now my mouth watered just in anticipation of the delicious meal I was about to enjoy.
Once the waiter left, I allowed my eyes to wander around the restaurant, but I could feel Frantz's eyes on my face, and I glanced his way as I asked, "what?" and he simply shrugged, as he turned his upper body and asked, "what was your dream about?" and I felt my stomach drop as I gulped and my breath faltered as I blinked quickly and said, "I don't think now is the time or place for this discussion."
"True," Frantz nodded, then he shrugged casually as he added, "but you had no problem catching me off guard earlier, I just figured it meant that you were ready to discuss it." Frantz explained coolly, and I shrugged as I said, "well no, I was feeling a little too nervous, and wanted to shake off some weight, so I gave you something to think about and keep you on edge."
"So what, you wanted to make me uneasy just so that you could feel better?" Frantz questioned, and I shrugged as I laughed and replied, "well when you put it like that..." Then I trailed off, unable to keep myself from smiling as Frantz kept an easy gaze on my face, his eyes shifting between my eyes and lips.
"Mmh hmm," Frantz nodded, then he eased towards me as he whispered, "you wanted to give me a reason to squirm huh?" and I could quickly feel the tide turning against me, as my confidence began to dwindle, but before Frantz could get the chance to taunt me any further, Mariella returned with a sigh as she sat own and said, "Sorry about that," then she placed her hands flat against the table as she asked, "so where were we?"
This question led to a casual conversation with Mariella. The more time we spent talking, I realized that Mariella reminded me a lot of my mom, and she was very carefree and laid back, which helped me feel at ease. I also enjoyed seeing Frantz interact with his mother. I could tell he loved her dearly, and I couldn't imagine anyone coming and souring their relationship.
A fair amount of our conversation included Mariella telling me tales of Frantz's crazy stunts as a child, to which he would try to get her to stop talking, and she would ignore his plea, and I enjoyed the stories more than the gazes Frantz sent my way.
Even though we spent more than an hour at the restaurant, it felt as though time went by too fast. We ate the amazing food in between conversations, jumping from one subject to the next, but soon enough, it almost felt like we had overstayed our welcome. Frantz escorted both Mariella and me out of the restaurant, where she kissed me on both cheeks, and invited me to dinner once Mr. Cavalier's father returned, to which I agreed without breaking a sweat. She also extended the invitation to my parents, which I appreciated.
Once her car pulled away, Armagio pulled up with our car, and as soon as we sat comfortably, Frantz said, "we're heading to the penthouse."
I looked towards him in shock as I said, "wait I need to go home."
"And you will," Frantz explained, then he added, "after you tell me what your dream was about."
"Why can't I tell you as he drives me home?" I asked, curiously.
"Because I'd like to prolong my stay with you as much as possible." Frantz revealed, and of course my heart had to tremble in glee at his words, and I couldn't even hide my emotions from him.
I cleared my throat, my cheeks hot with a blush, and my facial muscles hurting because I couldn't stop smiling, as I looked away and questioned, "but I thought you had work to do?"
"That can wait." Frantz explained, and I simply nodded, unsure of what to say.
For a while Frantz didn't speak, in fact he simply kept studying me before he added, "she really likes you." At his statement I chuckled, relieved as I nodded and said, "I like her too. I can tell she really loves you and you love her too. Are you an only child?"
"Yes, I had a little brother, who was two years younger than me, but he passed away when he was three." Frantz revealed, and my mouth ran dry as I said, "oh, I-I am so sorry, I-"
"It's okay, it was a long time ago. It led my mom to be a little more overprotective of me, but like I said, it was a long time ago." Frantz brushed, then I nodded, as I asked, "tell me about your father."
"He is a very quiet man. Very focused, but I think he's going to like you. He might come off as super serious when you first meet him, but if he and Mr. Chavez start discussing soccer, he will be a whole new person." Frantz revealed, and I chuckled as I said, "well, it’s great to know where your soccer fanatic genes come from."
Just as I finished my sentence, Armagio pulled up to the building where Mr. Cavalier resided. The valet once again opened the door, and I exited first, followed by Mr. Cavalier.
He led me to his penthouse, and the moment he closed the door, I was suddenly well aware that we were alone.
I gulped as I made a show of looking around, just to appear occupied, as he casually removed his jack, and unbuttoned the top buttons of his shirt. He undid his cuff links, and rolled his sleeves up, as he headed to the kitchen and asked, "would you like anything to drink?"
"No thank you." I declined with a smile, as I headed to the glass wall, and looked down on the city below. I smiled as I noted the cars which travelled below, and the people who went in and out of the building. Frantz approached me, and I looked towards him as I asked, "why do you like living so high up?"
"The same reason why you're smiling right now. There is something peaceful about being able to stand on a balcony high off the ground, and look down to watch the activity below, and at night, the city lights are absolutely beautiful. The perfect setting to come home to after a busy day."
"And in Rome?" I questioned, loving his genuine smile and pearly white teeth.
"I fell in love with the city because of my mother. She often traveled there with me when I was younger, and the more I grew up, the more I fell in love with the language and the culture." He explained and I nodded in understanding as I looked back over the city, feeling a sense of serenity wash over me.
"By the way, I still haven't forgotten my main purpose for bringing you here," Frantz disturbed my peace as he continued, "what was your dream about?"
With a sigh as I closed my eyes, I decided to head to the sitting area, placing some space between him and I as I explained, "I had a dream that you and I were getting... physically involved with each other."
"You mean sex?" He questioned bluntly, and I blushed darker than a tomato as I looked away in embarrassment. That three letter word always threw me off my game.
"You had a sex dream about me?" Frantz questioned, and I gulped as I said, "yes, but can you not say that." I requested, avoiding his eyes.
"What? Sex?" he said, it again, and I almost cringed as the word entered my ears.
"You don't like the word." He observed rather than stated, and instead of replying, I simply sat down and played with my fingers.
Frantz finished his drink, then sat across from me as he quizzed, "so what exactly where we doing in this dream?" and I gulped, feeling a sudden heat flash over my body, and I looked towards the ceiling, shaking my head, feeling as though it was a task to breathe.
Maybe it was too soon for this conversation.
"Come on, I don't bite..." Frantz encouraged, and I sighed breathed through puffed cheeks as I stated, "well, eh hem, Well, I um, I was lying, on, um, on my back, and you, well you were um, you were naked, and um, um..." I found myself trailing off, my cheeks hotter than a burning star, my heart racing faster than I my lungs could handle, as I licked my lips, my eyes flashing towards Frantz who patiently waited for me to gather my wits.
"Y-you were naked, and so um, you parted my legs, and then, you- you, um, well you, oh God..." I trailed off, as I placed my face in my hands, letting out a mixture of giggles and uncertain chuckles, as I placed my covered face against my knees, hoping the floor would open and swallow me whole.
This was a whole new level of telling your crush that you liked him, and I could barely handle the pressure.
It wasn't until I felt Frantz's hands on each of my shoulders as he peeled my upper body off my knees, then he proceeded to removed my hands from my face.
He looked deep into my eyes and caressed my left cheek with the back of his hand, his eyes searching mine, as his thumbed traced my bottom lip.
He smile when I blinked away, then he ran his hand down my neck, shoulder, and arm until his fingers were intertwined with mine, then he proceeded to ask, "And then what?"