Chapter 324 - A Date In The Park
Learning that Gael planned to take her to some of his favorite food places, Angela decided to just drink the coffee and skip the pastry. After being cooped up in his apartment for the past two days, she was excited to venture into the city with her handsome tour guide.
She decided to wear something similar to what he wore to match with him. The closest she could find from her clothes was a pair of black leather pants and an oversized white sweater. She completed her look with a pair of black ankle heeled-boots and a black purse that she slung across her body.
A huge grin crossed Gael's face upon seeing her outfit, seemingly entertained that they matched. He wasn't into matching outfits until his relationship with Angela. Before leaving his apartment, he wrapped a dark grey thick scarf around her neck, telling her she wasn't warm enough and that it was too cold outside. Then he slipped on a dark grey long trench coat.
The couple left the building at half past one in the afternoon, their fingers linked together as they walked towards Central Park. It was indeed colder than Angela thought it would be, but with Gael next to her to keep her warm, she didn't have any complaints as to wherever he took her.
It felt great to be outside despite the cold winter season. For the first time in weeks, walking out in the streets, hand in hand with Gael, Angela was content. They were like normal couples who were on a date, spending the whole day together just because they wanted to; their problems brushed off and forgotten.
On the first day that they stayed in his apartment, Angela asked Gael if he was missing work because of her. She didn't want to keep him from his responsibilities. But he assured her that his work was taken care of and that he had the rest of the week off. He made sure of it when he brought her back to New York because he wanted to spend time with her before throwing himself back to whatever it was he needed to do.
She was a little concerned that his family would be onto him while he spent his time with her, especially that they were in the middle of the war between the Morellis. She did catch him on the phone a few times when she got woken up in her sleep, and she could tell that he was talking to either Giovanni or his father. And when she told him that she was okay if he had to leave for work, he reassured her that everything was okay and they were still on track with what they had planned. She trusted him.
So with all of those worries pushed aside, Angela enjoyed the afternoon with Gael, strolling through Manhattan and visiting some of his favorite places. Their first stop was an Italian Deli place called Frankie's. Everything looked delicious, but she didn't know what to get, so she let Gael make the order for her. It seemed as though he frequented this place whenever he was around because he spoke to the man named Frankie like they had been friends for a while.
He introduced her to Frankie who told her something in Italian. She obviously didn't understand, but Gael translated it and said that Frankie thought she was too beautiful to be with a schmuck like Gael—and that she should go for men like him, Frankie, instead. The old man was such a ladies' man even at sixty years old. His wife apologized for him as they wrapped their sandwiches in a white paper. Angela knew Frankie was only joking. The older man appeased his wife and kissed her after telling her she's the only love of his life.
The deli place made their own mozzarella fresh daily and cured their own meat. It was a popular spot for locals. Normally, they'd have to wait in line, but Gael brought her directly to the kitchen where all the action was and got special treatment. It was a side of Gael that she enjoyed watching—him interacting with other people.
They walked out of the deli place with a white paper bag and two bottles of water. Gael brought her to Central Park where they chose a bench to sit and eat their lunch—or brunch; it was the first meal they had that day. She didn't know what to expect from the sandwich. It was like a half-foot-long baguette with deli meat, greens, mozzarella, and other stuff she didn't know, but it looked delicious.
"Try it." He nodded at her sandwich as he opened his own and waited for her to take a bite first.
Unsure of how she would attack the food as it looked huge, she tilted her head, started at the end, and took a huge bite. The freshness of the ingredients hit her taste buds and a moan she couldn't control escaped her mouth. "Mmmmm. Oh my god. This is friggin' amazing!" She chewed, took another bite, and then moaned again. The flavors burst in her mouth, her eyes closing involuntarily.
Gael's lack of response made her open her eyes, and she met his dark gaze. "What?" she wondered.
His jaw clenched, and he let out a long exhale as his eyes dipped to her lips and the sauce on the corner of them that he wanted to lick clean. "You have no idea, do you?" he questioned.
"What? What's wrong?" Angela lowered her food and sat up straight, worried that she unknowingly made a mistake. Had she eaten it in the wrong way? She looked at her food, thoroughly confused, and then back at Gael's frustrated expression.
"Nothing." He looked away with a crease between his brows.
That was weird.
He put down his sandwich, opened a bottle of water, and gave it to her. His voice was low and tense as he told her, "Don't do that."
"Do what?" she hesitated as she received the bottle.
"Take a bite and then moan." He shifted in his seat and cleared his throat. That's only when she realized that he was adjusting his pants because he was sporting a hard-on. "Seriously, woman. We haven't been out for that long, and you're already making me want to drag you back inside my apartment and lock us up again."
Angela swallowed. For a second, she thought he was really mad. But, boy. 'Something' else was mad. She burst out laughing, throwing her head back.
Gael shook his head in disapproval and began eating his food. "You're crazy."
"You're insatiable."
"And that's my fault?" He cocked a brow. "Look at yourself."
"So it's my fault that you have the hots for me?" she teased, still laughing. "I can't help that you like me so much."
A small grin threatened to show on his face. "Laugh all you want, Angel. I'm already counting all the punishment I'm gonna do to you later."
Angela wiggled her brows. "Can't wait."
"For fûck's sake. Just eat your damn food." Gael shook his head again, his voice sounding half-annoyed and half-amused. The playful banter between them was one of the highlights of his days with her. He was glad that she was smiling and laughing again after the depressing news she got earlier.
After eating, they walked around for a few minutes until they reached a large fountain and decided to sit on a bench. They were sitting very close to each other, holding hands as they watched some kids running around the fountain. He talked about his life in New York and the things he missed in Italy while Angela spoke about some memories from her childhood. Their conversation flowed nicely.
At one point when no one spoke for a minute, Angela decided to ask him about what's been bothering her the past couple of days. "Did you bring women to your apartment?"
Gael was taken aback by the sudden shift in topic and a direct question she threw at him. He furrowed his brows, and then he realized something. "Have you been thinking that the whole time?"
There was no point lying now, but she couldn't look him in the eyes, so she lowered her stare and nodded. "I just don't get why you kept that place when you have a home in Brooklyn."
He turned his body so that he was fully facing her now. Then he lifted her chin up until their gazes met. And he studied her worried expression. "And you thought I used that for…extracurricular activities?"
"Forget it. You don't have to answer." Angela looked away as she began regretting even bringing that up to him. She thought it was silly and immature. Why did that even bother her? But it did...because she didn't want to be one of the women he brought there for whatever reason.
Gael turned her face back to him and held her gaze firmly. "No. Only family is allowed in my home."
Her bottom lip curled inwardly, and she bit on it, feeling relieved by his answer.
Then he continued. "I bought that place using my mom's money." He took her hand again and held it tight. "I was twenty-one when I learned that she set up a trust fund when I was a child. Well… She and my father. Then I invested that money a few times until it was enough to buy a place of my own. I was a grown man and thought I wanted one. You know…not the house I grew up in. Long story short, I bought it. Lived there for a few months. Then I realized it just wasn't the same. So I moved back to Williamsburg." He chuckled. "I love the apartment, but I loved living in the brownstone more."
The worry on her face was gone as she slowly nodded. "Okay."
Gael let out a sigh, snaked a hand behind her head, and looked her in the eye. "Next time, don't let anything that's bothering you marinate in your head. I'd prefer you ask me directly."