Seven

"Hello to you too Marcelo. Could you move your car? I'm trying to get a taxi." Jasmine faked a smile. It wasn't entirely fake. She was thrilled to see him again but she didn't have to make it obvious, did she?

"but I am offering you a ride, aren't I?" Marcelo brought off his eyes a pair of dark sunshades.

"Thank you but no thank you."

"Oh andiamo Jasmine! Don't be like that. I'll just take you home. If you say no, I'll follow you to your house anyway."

"what? You're crazy! Get out of my way Mars;"

"Mars? Look at that! You already found me a cute nickname too. adoro."

"Not amused! Get out of my way Marcelo, my mother's waiting for me at home." Jasmine grumbled. She already felt super embarrassed about her appearance and now he wasn't really given her breathing space.

"I'm serious. You can be stubborn about but it won't change a single thing."

"Well I am not being stubborn; just reasonable,"

"Oh! Se solo tu sapessi quanto la tua testardaggine mi eccita!"

"I didn't get a single word of it and i don't want to. Just let me be Marcelo. All transactions between us is done and over with. We don't have anything else to do or talk about." Marcelo's eyes never left her lips as she spoke. He stepped out of his car, glorious Adonis he was.

"No-no no principessa, we have way to much to talk about. You can't turn my world upside down with a kiss and just go free. It's not enough for me chicca. I want more. Don't make me beg; I'll go down on my knees right here, right now."

Jasmine eyes were almost falling out in shock. It's like he was speaking Shakespearian but she understood every word. Her sweaty palms grew sweatier, did he really mean that?

"you will not do that!"

"is that a challenge?" Jasmine knew there that he wasn't joking. If she mistakenly joked about it, Marcelo will prop to his knees.

"I'm not. Okay? I'm not. I just am not ready to talk about what happened. Yet!"

"That is good because you don't have to say anything. You just have to listen to me do all the talking," he pulled open the doors to the front seat, "I promise,"

With a heavy breath of frustration, she climbed in knowing very well what a reckless decision she was making. She thought after all this, he'll be off her back and life for good.

"Do you have a feast or something?" She asked as she examined the backseat of his car,

"Just a little mood lightening shit,"

"Scented candles?"

"What? I like them." He reared his engine to life and stepped on the brakes.

With her mind not fully and completely at peace, she kept checking out the stuff in the backseat.

"You like flowers too," she asked as she noticed a bouquet wrapped up roughly amongst the stuff.

"No! It was a complementary gift from the mall."

"You got all these stuff from the mall?"

"No Jasmine, Santa missed my address and dropped them elsewhere so I had to go pick them up," he replied with a cheeky grin. Oh how she wished she could just spank it off his stupidly handsome face. "I'm just joking chicca! You can be so serious at times."

The drove on in a comfortable silence, with Jasmine constantly glancing back at his backseat, her nails digging into her thighs. Every now a d then she'll give him a direction on how to get to her house.

"Do you want to ask me something chicca?"

"Like what?"

"You keep looking at the back,"

"I'm a little curious as to what all those stuff are for,"

"Then ask me,"

"Take a left here. What are all these for Marcelo?"

"For our date, tonight!" Jasmine almost choked on oxygen entering her system.

"What?"

"That or I'll just follow you inside and introduce myself to your mother." He added with a wink.

That's hot! Jasmine thought.

"Stop there. Right in front of that scary building." Marcelo parked in front of what looked like a synagogue.

"What is this place?" he asked,

"It's a very noisy church. Inside this street is called Campsite." Jasmine pointed out to the road that stretch inwards into the street. She brought up her market bag and was about opening the door when he grabbed her softly by the hand,

"I'm not joking this time about what I said Jasmine. Come on a date with me, tonight, please," two words that never came out of his lips: date and please. He always just had to wink and smirk and his bed was loaded. But Jasmine was one soul that was compelling him to do bigger and better.

Jasmine's index finger immediately ran in between her teeth.

"Are you chewing on your fingernails?" She threw him a dirty glance, "Just I've never seen you do that." He seemed at once fascinated and amused, "Is it new, or are you always doing this?"

"It only happens when I'm nervous."

"Has no one ever asked you out on a date before?"

"Not like this. We don't do a lot of that here. What we consider dates are clubbing or ice cream treats. No one goes out and buys stuff for a date."

"But you must have been asked before,"

"A few times,"

"Well, I can promise you that none is going to be as great as this one, tonight!" He brought her hand away from her mouth and placed a soft kiss on it, a gesture Jasmine had only ever dreamt about and saw on screen. He brought his eyes back to hers, "I promise you'll love it,"

"But Marce-"

"And I'll be a perfect gentleman." He stared at her with pleading eyes. Jasmine knew she was doomed. Nothing could convince or force her to say No.

"What time?"

"How does eight sound?"

Eight was a time she'd never permit herself to go out with a guy, unless in company of her friends. But for this one, she preferred her one on one.

"Great! I'll be there."

"Promise?"

"Promise." She turned on the door to leave again but he gels get background again,

"Not even a goodbye kiss?"

"I'll be seeing you again in a few hours Marcelo, don't exaggerate." She playfully poked his forehead, "see you later," Before stepping out of the car,

"Not even hug? Common Chicca,"

"Bye guapo,"

Jasmine rushed away, leaving Marcelo stunned and marvelled at the miraculous beauty she was, even the most unconscious manner. She was very different from the majority of women he'd had ever been romantically interested in. She was young and beautiful, she was innocent. She was a complete opposite of who he was. But too, she made him forget about who he was, his problems; the fact that he was a fugitive. And for just this one reason, he couldn't bring himself to stay away from her.