Next Stop: Love (11 page)

“You don’t really count, though. I wanted to date you back when you
didn’t
work for me yet.”

I laughed. “You have a funny way of showing it. I still have a clear memory of you making fun of me, you know.”

“Only at first. I was pretty quickly fascinated by you.”

I bit down hard on my lip to keep myself from grinning in delight. “But I do work for you now.”

“I could fire you,” he mused. “Then it wouldn’t be breaking any rules.”

“You really want to do that to me?” I laughed. “Throw me out on the street? That would be awfully egotistical of you.” I pouted innocently.

But if I’d expected him to laugh in response, I had another thing coming. “Sophia,” he began, and the sudden serious note in his voice told me that he had something important to get off his chest. “I can tell you’re afraid to trust me, and I’m sure you have your reasons for that, but I can’t keep treating you like just another employee. I can’t have you around me all the time but keep you at a distance. I brought you here tonight because I want you to see who I really am. My job, all the business dinners, my nice suits—those are part of me the way jackets are part of your work attire, but they’re not me. Despite my position, despite all the money, I’m still just a regular person, and if you let me, I’d like to share more of myself with you.”

The abrupt change in mood had thrown me somewhat off guard, and I nodded as if on autopilot. “Okay” was all I could say in response to his captivating smile.

“That’s great, but first I want to know more about you, too. What brought you to Berlin? What did you do before you moved?”

Despite what he’d shared, I still felt a little self-conscious about telling him my sad life story. But somehow the date wasn’t going according to plan, anyway, so why not come out with it? If we laid our cards on the table at the beginning, at least we’d both know what we were getting ourselves into, and there were certainly more screwed-up relationships out there than the one I had with my mother. So there was no reason for me to make such a fuss about it.

“Okay, well, I moved to Berlin because I was fleeing from my control-freak mother. She kept me on too tight a leash—which is still putting it nicely—and then I snuck off like a coward. All my life I did everything exactly the way she wanted. Take these classes, go to that college, study law. And eventually enough was enough. It took quite awhile, I’m ashamed to admit, until I couldn’t take it anymore and decided to do something, anything, as long as it wasn’t part of her plan. And why not? With a law degree in my pocket, I’ve got nothing to lose. Time to live by my own rules.”

“Well, then, you’re much further along than I am.” To my surprise, he didn’t sound the least bit taken aback by my failed relationship with my mother. “My father wants me to take over the company, but I don’t want to at all. So in that respect, you’re a lot stronger than I am. You stood up for yourself and freed yourself from your mother’s chains. I’m still a long way away from that.”

“Why? Just do it,” I said. He didn’t strike me as someone who was afraid to make decisions. Not if he ran half a company.

He gazed at me for a long moment, probably trying to decide whether to tell me what he said next. “The fact that my mother can’t walk anymore is my fault. When I was younger, I was kind of a hellion, and I drank a lot. One night, my mom was picking me up from yet another party; I was drunk and threw a fit on the way home, which made her lose control of the car. We skidded over an embankment, and she broke her back. Now she’ll never be able to walk again.”

“Oh my God,” I said, barely managing to stop myself from clamping my hand over my mouth. That probably would have caused him even more pain.

“I was just a teenager and didn’t realize the seriousness of what I’d done at all . . . but I felt the consequences quickly enough. First we moved to Berlin, where they sent me to rehab. I stopped drinking, and later I met Mike, who got me through those hard times . . . but things were never the same again. My mother forgave me, but my father couldn’t, and deservedly so. I’d taken away her joie de vivre and her dancing, and I’d robbed him of all his pride. A year later, they separated, and my mother moved away. She never accused him of it, but I think he just couldn’t stand to see her like that. Even though my father has never spoken about the accident since she left, I can’t shake the feeling that he would have rather lost me that night.”

I felt a tear run down my face and hurriedly wiped it away. His eyes softened, and he ran his hand along my cheek. “I’m sorry I made you cry on our first date. All I wanted to say is that you didn’t suffer the worst fate, not by a long shot. I would have much rather fallen out with my mother than have to see her in a wheelchair.”

I nodded dejectedly and sipped my drink. What a sad story, especially because he was so young at the time. I mean, could anyone really blame him for any of it?

“Anyway, since then, I’ve just done everything my father wants. I know perfectly well that it’s not going to make him forgive me, but I see it as my duty to work for him. I owe him that much.” We sat in silence for a while, each of us lost in thought. Then suddenly he laughed out loud.

“What?” I asked.

“I think this is probably the worst date in history,” he replied, massaging his forehead with a grin on his face.

I agreed with him at first but then said, “Actually, I’m really enjoying it.”

A moment later, I yawned behind my hand. He raised an eyebrow. “I can tell you are.”

“Well, yeah, I’m pretty tired. But apart from that, I’ve learned a lot about you. For example, I now know that you’re actually not an arrogant snob.”

He gave me a mischievous smile. “Does that mean I can invite you out on a second date?”

“Yes.” I smiled back at him.

“Good. I’m not sure how these things go. I’ve never been on a date like this before,” he admitted.

I thought for a moment. “If I asked you what your past dates were like, would I want to know the answer?”

Smirking, he shook his head, and I left it at that. I figured I was better off not knowing some things.

Back in his car, we discussed our second date. “I’ve never been to the zoo, for example,” he suggested. “And on Sunday night they’re having a special event from six to eleven.”

I loved his idea. An evening stroll through the zoo struck me as wonderfully romantic. I couldn’t believe he’d never been there before, though. “And you’ve been living in Berlin for how many years now? You must have been to the zoo at least once,” I said reproachfully, adding, “I’ve been there twice already.”

He made an apologetic face. “I just never got around to it. Either something came up or I couldn’t get anyone else to come with me.” He didn’t say it out loud, but I imagined he was referring to his ex-girlfriends, and based on what Aileen had told me, they probably would have rather died than gone strolling past a monkey house in stiletto heels.

The drive home seemed a lot shorter, probably because one question kept running through my head, threatening to make me crazy: Was he going to kiss me? The closer we got to my place, the less I wanted the evening to end.

And then we were in front of my building. Luca came around to my side of the car to let me out and walk me to the front door. For some reason, the soundtrack to
Jaws
started to play in my head. Should I just invite him in? Lisa would be gone the whole night, so we’d have the place to ourselves. Five more steps, then we’re there. Or would that come off the wrong way? I didn’t want him to think I was easy. Four! And what if he wanted to kiss me at the door, like in some cheesy romantic movie? Would I let him? Three!

We reached my door, and when I looked up at him, he was gazing down at me with an amused expression on his face. Dammit, he’d noticed all my neurotic worrying. I glanced at his car, then at the ground, then at him again. Why wasn’t he saying anything? I rummaged through my bag in search of my keys, but when I found them, I let go of them again to stall for time. Say something already! Say good-bye, kiss me, do something! Finally, I couldn’t take it anymore. “Why don’t you say something?” I asked.

His eyes twinkled merrily. “Because I’m waiting for you to go first. I have the feeling there’s something you really want to get off your chest.” Hey, he wasn’t making fun of me, was he? If the jolly expression on his face was any indication, he sure was. He knew perfectly well that I was nervous, and apparently he enjoyed watching me squirm.

“There isn’t,” I lied. My heart was pounding in my throat, and I wanted nothing more than for him to finally kiss me, but I certainly wasn’t going to beg.

“Okay, then,” he said, stepping closer. When I caught the scent of his cologne, I nearly collapsed against him. I was utterly defenseless against my attraction to him. Automatically, I closed my eyes, then felt his lips on my skin—but contrary to expectations, they weren’t on my mouth, but on my cheek. Not that it triggered any fewer emotions within me, but I could barely suppress a disappointed groan.

“Good night. See you Sunday,” he whispered in my ear before walking away. I wanted to say something cool that would mask my befuddlement, but nothing useful came to me. So I waited until he’d driven away and then opened the door. Holy shit, I was in love.

A WALK FOR LOVE

Thank God it was the weekend—I doubted I’d have been able to see him the very next morning at work without thinking about our date. I probably would have attacked him right there on his desk. At least, that was what I’d done in my dreams the previous night. Several times! Luca knew exactly how to drive me out of my mind: by not kissing me yesterday, he’d fired me up even more. Annoying, but also an unbelievable turn-on. So much so that I decided I was going to kiss him even if I had to make the first move.

“I can’t believe you ran into him there,” I said to Lisa on Sunday morning, shaking cornflakes into my bowl. “It must be destiny.” As fate would have it, her secret supermarket crush had been at the gaming convention the day before.

“Trust me, I can’t believe it, either, especially the fact that he came up and talked to me. I mean, he picked me out from among thousands of attendees, which means he must have been checking me out at the supermarket, too.” She grinned from ear to ear.

“And how’d it turn out?” I asked as I poked around in my bowl.

“We’re meeting up next week for coffee. Unfortunately, he doesn’t have a lot of time because he’s also in school, but that doesn’t matter. I’m fine with waiting.”

“That’s really great; I’m happy for you,” I told her, and then we ate breakfast together, both of us smiling.

I started to get ready as evening approached, not wanting to make the mistake of waiting till the last minute a second time. It was cool outside, and we were going to be walking around outdoors, so I put on a long jacket. I pinned my hair up loosely, then grabbed my purse, and Lisa wished me luck as I left the apartment to meet Luca.

“Wow, this looks fabulous,” I said as we approached the front gates to the zoo. There were colored lights and lanterns all over the place, and romantic music was drifting out from within the complex. As we got closer, I saw that the lights were tiny hearts, and there was an inscription over the archway. “ ‘A walk for love,’ ” I read aloud. “What exactly is this?”

“A couples’ event,” he whispered in my ear, and I looked up at him in confusion.

“And . . . um, what are we doing here?” I asked, heart fluttering.

“You’ll find out soon enough,” he said with a mysterious smile as he led me inside. At the entrance, he pulled out a pair of tickets that he’d apparently bought in advance. The sun hadn’t set completely yet. It would be dark in half an hour, and then the lanterns hung in the trees would probably bloom into a romantic symphony of light.

It was wonderful being so close to Luca, not only because his touch set my body vibrating but also because he radiated a comforting warmth that I found particularly welcome in the cool air. I already felt like we were a couple, even though we hadn’t even kissed yet. Would he do it today? Kissing was all that I could think about.

“What did you do today?” he wanted to know. We’d just arrived at the monkey area; while most of them were already asleep, we spotted a couple still swinging about, watching us curiously. They probably didn’t get visitors often at this time of night.

“Not much, actually,” I said. “Did some cleaning, went shopping with Lisa. What about you?”

“I spent”—he said dreamily, pulling me close to him—“the entire day going over every single minute of our first date.”

I grinned up at him. What a charmer. He winked at me before tugging me onward, as though he were suddenly in a hurry.

“Where are we going, anyway?” I asked a few minutes later as we climbed a hill. The steps leading up were steep, and it took awhile before they were behind us. A few other couples were already at the top, looking down at the rest of the zoo.

“Here,” he finally answered, grabbing my shoulders and spinning me around.

“Oh,” I breathed excitedly at the sight of the complex stretching out below us. We could see almost the entire zoo from there, and as though Luca had timed everything precisely, the entire park suddenly blossomed into a veritable festival of lights. I felt like I was in a fairy tale.

“That’s crazy,” I whispered and felt him wrap his arms around me from behind. Was this all too cliché? I didn’t care; I was happier than I’d been in a long time. Actually, happier than ever before—no man had ever conjured up something so beautiful for me.

“Well? Appropriate for a second date?” he asked, kissing my neck. Because my hair was up, he had unhindered access to my skin.

I suppressed a moan and closed my eyes, then grinned. “Somehow I’m still missing the heart-shaped hot-air balloon, but other than that it’s just fine,” I joked and turned to face him. His arms were still wrapped around me, and our faces were close. If he wasn’t going to make a move, I would. We needed to kiss. Now. I couldn’t take it anymore.

His eyes drifted to my lips, and a grin spread across my face; then he tugged me closer, laid a hand on the back of my neck, and kissed me. When his warm lips met mine for the first time, I couldn’t suppress a quiet sigh. Although I’d been almost desperate to kiss him, I’d never imagined that it could feel
this
good. Every cell of my body was on fire; my knees had turned to jelly. I felt my body floating away, and yet my senses were so keyed up that I felt like I was about to snap. When his lips parted and his tongue entered my mouth, I thought I was losing my mind. It was too much, and still I clung to him more tightly, not wanting him to ever stop kissing me. I smelled his delicious cologne and the spicy scent of his skin, felt his warmth, tasted his lips. There was no saving me; I was done for.

Panting, I pulled away and gazed into his feverishly glowing eyes. His lips were swollen, as were mine, and his breath was ragged. “What’s wrong?” he asked, visibly confused.

I buried my head into his shoulder and closed my eyes. “Nothing, it’s just . . .”

“What?” He gripped me by the shoulders and held me away from him so that I was forced to look him in the eye.

“Um . . . it’s just . . . it’s been so long since I’ve been with anyone that I think I’m going to explode if we keep on kissing.” I felt my cheeks grow hot.

“I see.” He grinned, running his hand along my reddened skin. “I can help you with that, you know?” he said with a devious smile. I wanted to gasp in outrage, but he pulled me close, laughing. “Just joking,” he said, turning me around again so that I faced away from him. “Let’s enjoy the view instead.”

Really?
Just joking?
I was disappointed because I genuinely wasn’t against sleeping with him. It had been too long, and I was pretty sure—
oh, I have to stop thinking about this right now!
—that Luca would be a wonderful lover. To his credit, though, he hadn’t immediately dragged me back to his place but preferred to enjoy the view with me. A true gentleman, and one to whom I was finally prepared to give my heart.

But if I thought that would be the only surprise of the evening, I was mistaken. As the lights gradually began to wink out again—presumably so that the animals wouldn’t get too confused—I suddenly felt something heavy around my neck. I flinched, then felt him fiddling around with something at the nape of my neck. When I looked down, I saw a pendant dangling at my throat. The chain itself was thin and plain, but the black stone in the center of the pendant was set in silver and reflected the moonlight.

“Luca,” I said, flabbergasted, and turned to face him. “It’s beautiful, but I can’t . . .”

“Yes, you can,” he broke in. “I want you to.”

Dazed, I shook my head. A man giving me expensive jewelry? This was too familiar. Still shaking my head, I removed the necklace. “I’m sorry, but I don’t want this. I can’t accept it.”

As I put the chain in his hand, he said, “I think you’re misunderstanding me. I’m not a guy who just throws expensive jewelry around. To be precise, I’ve never given a woman jewelry before, and this necklace belonged to my mother. It’s one of a kind, and she passed it on to me. She said I should choose carefully when deciding to give it to someone, and I want you to have it, Sophia.” He put it back in my hand. “Take it, please,” he pleaded. “I didn’t spend any money on it.”

I regarded the necklace, pondering it for such a long time that he began to get uneasy. Finally, I nodded in resignation. “Okay, I’ll take it. But only if you promise not to give me any more gifts,” I demanded sternly.

He nodded, relieved, and put it back on around my neck.

We didn’t sleep together that night, which wasn’t my doing, but Luca’s.

“And you really don’t want to come in?” I asked. Dammit, was I actually begging him to come upstairs with me?

He laughed. “I have an important meeting tomorrow, and I need to have a clear head. Besides, we haven’t even been on a third date yet,” he said with a wink. He leaned toward me and gave me a long kiss, then stepped back as though reining himself in.

“You enjoy torturing me, don’t you?” I gave him a severe look.

“Trust me, it’s just as difficult for me,” he said, revealing a row of white teeth. “See you in a couple days. I can hardly wait.” With that, he went to his car and sped off.