It was a seven-star restaurant located at the heart of the city, yet conspicuous enough not to rouse any unwanted attention. Rina was touched by the intentionality that went into picking this place for her. The security at the gates did a light check to ensure it wasn’t a reporter or the paparazzi before letting them through.
During the ride, Rina had tried making small talk with the driver, but his replies had been so curt and polite that Rina gave up altogether. He hadn’t even looked curious when he saw her get into the car, almost like he’d expected his passenger to be the famous Rina Powers.
He brought the car to a halt at the small entrance, and said nothing else, pulling away and returning to the gates. Rina walked inside hesitantly, her eyes taking in the space, still on the lookout for another face even though Zayn had told her they would be the only ones dining.
It was a really huge space, but the dimmed lights made it appear smaller. The restaurant went with an exotic black and gold theme, and it gave the whole space such a signature look that Rina wondered why she’d never heard of it.
Perhaps, they’d only just started operating.
When the soft music started playing, Rina raised her head to check where it was coming from. She found Zayn watching her from the middle of the room. She couldn’t make out his features properly because of the lights, but she was one hundred percent certain he was the one.
Rina knew because of how she felt like she’d been placed on an exhilarating and thrilling ride that constantly kept her on her toes. That was the difference between Zayn and Joel. While conversations with Joel were easy, and hearing him talk and smile was soothing, it was something else entirely with Zayn.
His smiles and voice tugged at her heart almost painfully, and everything about him kept her on her toes. She’d read somewhere that there are two kinds of love, and even if this didn’t exactly fit the description, the comparison was almost alike.
Rina wouldn’t call it love, far from it, but the comparison was important. The book had read that while one was secure and steady, like with Joel, the other was like wild flames, lighting up at both parties and consuming them in the heat of their passion. It was fast-paced, exciting, adrenaline-pumping. While with them, your pulse constantly raced and your heart fought tirelessly against you. Time seemed to run fast then, and you’d crave seeing them as much as you crave air.
Maybe that was a little too intense for what Rina felt each time she saw Zayn, but that was the foundational idea. Eager as to what the night held, she walked over to join him in the middle of the room.
Zayn got up as she approached, stopping by the side of the table. His arms brushed her bare shoulders as he retrieved her coat, and carefully hung it behind an empty chair next to them, before pulling one out for her.
Rina shivered, but not from the cold.
“You look pretty,” Zayn said as he got back to his seat. Rina was putting on a long silk dress with an exposed back and a cowl neckline. It clung to her body like a glove and had a thigh-length slit on the side of her legs. She had contemplated hard and long before opting for it, not wanting to send a wrong message.
But Zayn wasn’t one to read meanings into anything until he was undoubtedly sure about it.
“Did you love the flowers?” He asked as he poured her a glass of white wine, and Rina couldn’t help but draw another comparison.
While Joel tended to generalize everything, goading her on to speak, Zayn was specific. He wanted to know particular details, with his cocky and arrogant air that Rina never found to be out of place.
She had to be running insane.
“You can’t keep sending flowers,” she scowled. “My whole house is going to be smelling of tulips if we continue at this rate.”
Zayn chuckled. “Then should we change flowers? I was contemplating getting you roses tonight but I wasn’t sure if you would love it. My housekeeper said ladies usually prefer lilies.” He retrieved a bouquet from the chair beside him and handed it over to her.
Rina couldn’t resist sniffing in the scent.
“Zayn…”
“You don’t want me to stop,” he said with an air of confidence. “I can see it in your eyes. But if you are bothered about the space in your cottage, I could always move you to somewhere bigger. It would have a whole space dedicated to flowers, where they can also bask in the sunlight through stained glass. Or better still, you could come live with me. I have a lot of space than I know what to do with.”
Rina chuckled awkwardly. “Don’t you think that amounts to going too fast?”
“There’s nothing like that in my dictionary, but if you’re concerned about that, we’re just back to where we started. But you know you enjoy receiving the flowers. You can’t deny that.”
“Yeah, but…”
“Hey,” he called softly, gazing into her eyes. “It’s like I said the other time. The flowers need a home. I just need to know if you don’t mind roses. Those need somewhere to go as well. Do you?”
“Ehn?”
“Roses.”
“They’re pretty.” Rina needed a minute to breathe.
“Red or white?”
“Red.”
Zayn appeared deep in thought as he peered at nothing in particular. He nodded after a few seconds and angled his head. “Where is the fashion house located?”
“Zayn, don’t tell me you’re planning on getting my flowers delivered there.”
“I wasn’t,” he mused, a smile playing on his lips. “But now that you’ve mentioned it, that’s actually not a bad idea.”
“Zayn…”
“I just really need to know, Rina. I don’t know how to stay on the sidelines for too long, but I’m willing to do that, for you. So, how about we meet in the middle? I just need to know where you are all the time to ascertain you’re safe.”