[Dawn]
I should have known that Sophie would plan something like this. I should have expected it when she decided to ship us up to New York. Of course she would’ve planned a little dinner like this.
Of course she knew we would’ve had to reschedule the tickets. The more and more that this trip has gone ahead, the more I’ve sensed Sophie’s touch on everything.
Hell, I’m surprised that she didn’t organize the Russians…
I’m sitting in a seat waiting for Aldo. We’ve just finished our meal at the rooftop restaurant of our hotel.
Sophie, as it turns out, had made a booking at a super fancy restaurant for us.
More than that, she’d shipped a suit and dress for both of us to wear on a date. She was playing cupid and enjoying it.
And I had to admit, I was enjoying it too.
Aldo looked damn hot in his suit, and I felt pretty beautiful in my dress. The little note attached from Sophie told me she’d designed it especially for me to wear.
Aldo comes back from the toilet and puts a hand out for me. “I just spotted a dancefloor.”
“Really? You want to dance? You’ve never danced when you’ve come out with Sophie and I?”
“I’ve been working haven’t I?” Aldo flashes his grin. He knows he looks hot in a suit. He also knows I look damn hot in this dress. We both stare into each other’s eyes for a beat and then grin like idiots.
We’re on a proper first date. I suppose you could count all the roadhouse breakfasts and lunches, or even the easy meals we’d eaten from the vending machines at the motel. But I don’t want to. I want to count this as our first.
Aldo takes my hand and pulls me up gently. He leads me through the deserted restaurant, because it’s five in the afternoon, and leads me to the dancefloor.
There’s no band playing. There’s no one else dancing because there’s no one else here. But he directs me into a Waltz Hold, and we begin rocking back and forth.
Just us.
It’s making my heart squeeze with… love.
“I’m going to have to thank Sophie for this trip,” he says. “I mean, we’ve still got so much to figure out, but, I will have to thank her.”
“For playing cupid?” I snigger.
“For making us play our cards,” he says. He pauses before going on. “How long have you had a crush on me?”
The question socks me in the gut, and I hesitate for a second. My voice sounds tiny when I answer.
“Forever.”
He smirks, and I lay my head on his shoulder to hide. But this only makes him smile more, and I hear his cheeks crease back. I can imagine his dimples too. We keep rocking.
“Forever is a pretty large time frame, though. Can you remember when?”
“I don’t want to say that.”
“Why?”
“Cause you’ll laugh.
“I won’t laugh. I promise,” Aldo pulls back slightly, making me lift my head.
“You will.” I pout.
“Okay, I will. But only if it is funny.”
I bury my head into his shoulder. “Gotta wait then, Romeo. Keep slow dancing with me.”
We keep slow dancing in a circle. We’re staring out over the skyline, away from JFK and back towards Brooklyn and Manhattan beyond.
The sun is dipping low, still a while off from setting, bathing us in golden light.
“Well, however long you liked me, I’m sorry I never noticed.”
Aldo’s voice is like warm honey. Holding onto him, swaying in our little waltz, this is all the world needs to be.
“You don’t need to apologize,” I murmur. “Like you said, forever’s a long time.”
“I just feel stupid, if you know what I mean.”
“I’ve felt stupid plenty of times in my life,” I say, tilting back and looking up at him. “Plenty of times on this road trip too.” Aldo grins. One that I could love… “But some things are worth feeling stupid over.”
Aldo nods. “I think I can agree with that.” We keep rocking, and soon he starts to hum.
“What are you doing?” I ask.
“Being stupid.”
I smile until my cheeks hurt, and we keep swaying. He keeps humming, and only after two songs do I realize he’s humming Frank Sinatra.
Once I get the song, I hum along with him. We stay like that for the next half hour. Staff move around us, all watching us with heart melted eyes, and they give us the space for us to be together.
Soon, people start coming in, and the planes coming and going become more frequent.
By the time the sun sets at six, I feel like I’ve fallen completely and unquestionably in love with Aldo Andretti.
Regardless of our secrets.
Once we finally bring our dancing to an end, we leave the dining hall hand in hand. The warmth of Aldo’s palm lingers in mine as we make our way to the elevator. The faint hum of anticipation vibrates between us, unspoken but undeniable.
We key the buttons down to our floor, and as soon as the doors close, Aldo pulls me in for a searing kiss.
He claims me with the urgency of a man who’s waited far too long, his lips devouring mine in a way that sends a shiver through my entire body. He pulls me flush against his strong frame, tucking his hands into the small of my back, anchoring me to him. His lips are firm and commanding, igniting an ache deep in my core.
Electricity bubbles between us, sparking and crackling, and I can’t help but start humming, my body responding to the rush of sensations.
He pulls away, his lips curling into a wicked smile. “Bambolina,” he murmurs, his voice thick with desire. He hums too, the sound vibrating between us, a shared secret in this small, intimate space.
The elevator for our floor dings, and we step out, still tethered by the charge between us. Our eyes lock, and I swear his gaze is stripping me bare with every step we take toward the room.
By the time we’re through the door and finally alone, the tension has grown almost unbearable.
In the soft, golden light of the room, Aldo looks even more striking. Shadows play across his chiseled features, highlighting the raw masculinity of his figure. He steps toward me, his movements deliberate, and places his hands on my hips, pulling me close.
Then he kisses me.