Chapter 224 - Date Night (2)
The Medallion screamed luxury dining experience. From the lavish decorations to the extraordinary service, the patrons definitely got their money's worth.
The corner of Angela's lips were upturned as she went deeper into the private room. A romantic table for two was at the center of the room. Two sides of the walls were covered with tall wine racks, while the other sides were floor-to-ceiling windows that had a view of the twinkling lights of Mayne City. Glimmering tall candles decorated the place, a flattering combination with the charming low and soft glow from the ceiling. To complete the ambiance, a soothing piano instrumental of a modern song played in the background.
"How did I do so far?" Gael asked as she walked towards the windows. "Not too bad, huh?"
"Are you kidding?" She whirled around to face him, smiling so sweetly. "This is amazing!"
He placed a hand on her waist, and she instantly leaned into his touch. "I'm glad you think so."
Gael was so handsome tonight. He cleaned up so nicely that when he appeared at her doorstep, her heart skipped a beat, and she'd been so giddy since. Being in his arms like this was so comforting that it made her feel that he cared so much. She could feel it in the pit of her stomach, and it was both nice and worrisome. Because she had been having a really good time with him these past few days, she couldn't help but be concerned about what could happen.
Angela had this belief that everything would never be always good in life—that in one way or another, nature would find a way to balance itself. She just hoped that whatever was in store for her in the future, she'd be able to take it.
"Where'd you go?" He pushed a lock of hair behind her ear, wondering what she was thinking just now.
She shook her head, a small smile forming on her lips as she tiptoed and kissed his cheek. "Just happy."
Gael led her to the table where the chef placed dishes in front of them. They opted for the menu-free dining experience where they wouldn't know what to eat until the chef introduced the food to them. All they had to do was to tell them in advance if they had any allergies or food restrictions. The two raved about the exquisite gastronomic delights that were served before them. And he loved the fact that she wasn't picky with her food at all, which only made their fine dining experience even more pleasant.
As they enjoyed the main course, she thought about his past. Had he also brought his exes in places like this before? It was a silly thought that she shouldn't even be bothered, but she couldn't help getting curious about how he was with other women in the past. Obviously, she wanted to feel special—and it was hard not to wonder what he was like when he dated other women—when he's being so romantic like this.
"Wine for your thoughts?" He cocked a brow, holding a bottle of white in his hand.
Angela let him refill her glass, her cheeks blushing as she hesitated on admitting to him. Then she said, "It's a silly thought. I was just curious how you were with your past dates."
"You want to know about my past relationships?" he probed. When she shrugged her shoulders, he decided to open up a little. "There's nothing special about it. But I'll tell you what you want to know."
"Have you been in a serious relationship before?"
He nodded. "My longest was nearly a year. We dated while I studied at NYU Florence."
"Oh, you attended the Florence campus of NYU. When you mentioned it, I thought you meant the one in New York."
"I did in the first year, but then I had to move back to Italy. So I finished my course there."
"I see… Why'd you break up?"
"We wanted different things. It was okay after a few months, I guess. But then we began to argue a lot about the little stuff. It was exhausting. So we broke it off."
Angela tried to imagine a younger version of him arguing with some pretty woman who probably looked like a model, and it was a bitter thought. She ignored that image in her head. "I see… And you dated after that too? What about Becca?"
"I was still 20 around that time. God, I feel so old now." He chuckled. "I thought I was pretty much done with relationships. I went out on dates, but they were casual and didn't last longer than two weeks. I met Becca about five or six years ago, I think. We dated for five months. I haven't really been dating much after that."
"So...your relationship with Becca was serious?" Her voice sounded hesitant. "Did you love her?"
Gael paused from slicing through the mutton chops. He looked at Angela with an unreadable expression as he contemplated. Then he looked back on his plate. "At some level, I did. I was in a dark place when we got together—my grandfather just died then. I wasn't looking for anything serious, and she wasn't either. The way she was made it easy for me to stay with her because she didn't care about a lot of things. Basically, she was so carefree that she didn't ask what I did, so I didn't have to tell her. I guess that's why we lasted for that long. It was only after many months later when I realized that I didn't really know her that much."
This was the most that he talked about his past with Becca, and Angela didn't know how to feel about it. Part of her wanted to know because she had connections with the woman now. "She seems like a free-spirited woman. What happened?"
He chuckled, but there was no humor in his eyes—as if whatever memory he had in his head wasn't amusing for him. "She found out about who...what I am, and she didn't want to have anything to do with it."
For some reason, what he said caused a prick in her heart. It was difficult to explain, but she had the urge to get up and hug him. The way she imagined his past with Becca, whatever happened to them, seemed as if it hurt him that he wasn't accepted.
And here she was still confused as to whether she could handle being with a man like him. All she knew was that even though she was already aware of who he was, she wasn't scared of him.
Without thinking much, Angela reached for his hand and squeezed, smiling at him. He clasped her hand and kissed the back of it, curling the corners of his lips to return her affectionate gaze.
Gael took a sip of his sparkling water. "Anyway, that's pretty much it. This part of my life isn't exciting. I've met some in the past few years, but nothing serious. What about you? Any more asshole exes than those two guys you told me about?"
Angela shook her head. "No. Mine didn't last long either. Evan ruined it for me, I guess. They weren't all assholes, but I always found something—even just the tiniest thing—and it would already be enough of a reason for me to end it. Like I don't like the way he eats, or talks, or walks." She laughed.
"For what it's worth…" He gazed up at her. "I'm thankful you weren't with anyone then." When she raised her brows, he added, "...else I wouldn't have met you."
A fluttering feeling overcame her stomach. What he said wasn't anything overly dramatic. They were simple words, yet they had so much effect on her. A soft giggle escaped her lips, and she rolled her eyes to brush off the seriousness. "You're such a smooth talker, Mr. De Luca."
Gael chuckled at her trying to make things light, but it wasn't lost on him that she blushed at what he just said.
The rest of their meal was terrific, finishing it with a gourmet chocolate tartlet that just hit the right spot to end their delicious dinner. After thanking the chef for his service, they were alone in the private room. But their date wasn't over yet as they moved to the two-seater modern sofa facing the window with the night city view.
With her second glass of wine in her hand, Angela was cozy with Gael. He had his arm around her, his hand settling on her waist while she leaned into his side. Mayne City looked beautiful before them—tall buildings with grand architecture mixed with several lands of greenery, pretty twinkling lights, busy streets, and the sea at the far end.
She let out a sigh. "This is nice."
"Mm." His hand gently caressed her side, and he kissed the top of her head. "Can I ask you something?"
"What is it?"
"What were the best and worst dates you've ever had?"
Gael's question threw her off for a second that she snapped her head to face him. Angela didn't expect him to ask her this, but it got her thinking, and she found herself digging through her brain for some personal things she would share with him. Leave it to Gael to make a date really interesting with his questions.