NERTHUS
“Don’t you look absolutely gorgeous?”
I giggle as I reach Owen, who is waiting for me outside my alibi building. “Right back to you, Mr.”
His smile is more handsome than I remembered as he greets me with a kiss on my cheek. I gasp as he holds open the passenger door of his sporty car and force a smile as it immediately makes me think of Arawn.
Damn it.
“Wow! Are you driving today? How sexy.”
“Thought I would show you that I’m not all about money.”
I laugh, as he starts the car. “By taking the Porsche and leaving your golden Lamborghini at home?”
“I would act offended,” He grins, shaking his head. “But I actually like your sense of humor very much.”
“Oh, thank you.” I smile, leaning my head on my seat to look at him.
“So, how was work in your little company in the last few days?”
“Very boring, actually. How was the bakery?”
I hum, looking out onto the street. “Very sugary.”
“Sugary?” He chuckles, and I grin. “That’s all you came up with?”
“I’m sorry, I really couldn’t help but think of something else.”
“You make me feel like I missed the chance to say that it was all sparkly.”
I crack up as he continues to joke around. “No, seriously, Aria. I failed miserably.”
“That’s worse than the feet,” he whispers, making me feel like I can’t breathe.
Oh, he is a gem.
No pun intended.
I had struggled as he had asked me on a date. An actual date, and not an appointment he booked over Luciana. I asked myself if I was even ready for it, and even if I accepted finally, I was convinced that I wasn’t ready. But maybe he will be the right start to get Arawn out of my system step by step. I even thought about spending the night with him if the date would lead to that.
Not that it would mean anything to me, but I had to replace the memory of his touches, even if that hurts me.
After a few hours of driving, we arrive at a cute restaurant situated directly at the sea. “I hope you are hungry.”
“Starving!” I mirror his happy expression as we walk down a sandy path, reaching a squeaky pedestrian bridge.
Holding my breath as he takes my hand in his, I try to overcome my discomfort by concentrating on our surroundings. The restaurant is cozy and seems to be a secret tip as it is mostly empty. It is decorated with items that reflect the sea and is built with wood elements painted in white.
A waitress brings us to our table at a large window, and I am amazed by the view of the beach and the sea.
“They make the best waffles here.” He says as if we are just here to eat dessert.
I take my seat with a broad smile. “I can’t wait to try them.”
We have barely taken our menus to choose something to eat as my attention is captured by a bulky man dressed in a black suit playing with a dog on the sandy beach. I squint my eyes as if wanting to focus as Owen gets me to look back at him by snipping his fingers in front of my eyes.
“Oh, I’m sorry.” I chuckle, blushing. “I thought I had seen someone I knew.”
“That Boris guy nearly ripping his suit while flexing his muscles?” He mocks me, and I let my menu slump surrendering.
Pressing my tongue to my teeth, I shake my head. “Yeah, yeah. Mock me all you want.”
Conversation with Owen is easy. Damn, everything with him seems so easy and not complicated as he seems as easygoing as they come.
After having eaten, and shared a waffle dessert with ice cream, I can’t seem to feel my face anymore. My stomach hurts at how much I have been laughing, and the worst thing is that we also find something we have in common.
Our love for art.
Something that disgusts Arawn.
And there he is, haunting my thoughts again.
I love that after our lunch we take a walk on the beach, even if it’s cold. I concentrate on my feet sinking into the cold sand as I think about how this wouldn’t be something Arawn would do.
And what his disgusted expression for me would look like.
“Are you cold?”
I shake my head, caressing a strand out of my face that gets carried away by the wind. “It’s alright.”
“Maybe we should head back. I would feel awful if you fell sick because of me.” He says, checking his watch.
Fighting to get another bit of hair out of my face, I giggle. “You are cute.”
“By not letting you die a gruesome death due to a painful disease, just because you look so beautiful with your hair flowing in the wind?”
“Ah, stop it!”
My heart skips a beat as he wraps his arm around me, putting his other hand on my cheek gently. He moves slowly but still too fast for my brain to grasp the situation and to react to him pressing his lips onto mine.
Oh, no.
Pushing down the reflex of wanting to get him away from me, I wrap my arms around his neck, reciprocating the kiss.
His lips feel softly against mine, and even if it is pleasurable, but missing all the sparks, it feels incredibly wrong.
“Wow.” I breathe out as he breaks the kiss, his eyes sparkling.
“It feels like an eternity that I was waiting to do that.” He chuckles, making me throw my head back in laughter.
Oh, he is cute.
***
I’m a bit uncomfortable at him holding my hand even while driving, but I guess I have to just go with it if I want to see where this goes.
Cursing myself as I can’t seem to stop to even compare his hands to Arawn’s, I look out of the window with a deep sigh.
“Everything alright?” He asks, and I nod with a smile.
Directing his gaze back to the street before us, he presses a kiss on my knuckles. “Good.”
We spend the rest of the way back in comfortable silence, and he doesn’t even have to ask about my address again before he parks in front of my alibi-house.
“Oh, no!” The words fly out of my mouth before I can even realize I was thinking them.
Owen comes out after me as Danny is already storming towards us, his eyes full of rage.
“Who the fuck is this?”
Oh, no.