chapter five

chapter five

Helped by a stranger

Hazel's pov

The waiter drops the printed bill on the table in front of me and looks at me expectantly. Or rather we both stare at ourselves expectantly, only mine comes with a little of helplessness.

How the hell did I forgot to come with my purse.

"It seems- I think I left my purse in the office" I stammer

The waiter looks at me with an odd expression. His nose is scrunch up in disgust as his whole features stares bleakly at me in disbelief.

"Is it possible I go get it and come back? Please?" I can't believe this is happening

"I am sorry ma’am; I can't allow you to leave without paying company policy." The waiter informs me with a blank face.

"Don't you get it? I can't pay you! I left my wallet and phone in my office" I am careful not to raise my voice, people are already staring at us as it is.

" That is my office building across the street" I point desperately at the building across the street, hoping he would grant me the one time big favour of going to grab my purse.

" I will be back with it soon; I promise" I stand up to leave, but he blocks my path his eyes scanning the restaurant, probably trying to catch the eye of his other colleagues to help in dealing with this nuisance of a customer.

“I am afraid I can’t let you do that Ma’am”

The restaurant became a little quiet and a lot of heads  turned our way watching the little display.

I’ve never been so embarrassed in my entire life; how do I clear up this misunderstanding?

I will have to borrow a phone and call Maia to come bail me out. I turn around looking for, perhaps a familiar face of whom's phone I would use to reach Maia, but the stares I'm getting from this people are no where friendly. They are looking as though I'm a thief caught in broad daylight. Get busy with your lunch dumb heads I almost scream .

"Good day, how much does my friend owe you mister?" A feminine voice inquires in a silky French accent. A very beautiful lady that has been sitting alone in the next table asked when she walk up to the waiter and I. Man does she stench elegant and rich?

I noticed her earlier when she walked in, she has been sitting alone with a glass of white wine on her table, it looked like she was waiting for someone.

She is impeccably dressed, in a black one-shoulder cocktail dress that shows off her tanned body, muscular and slender that came from hours of running and self-denial.

The waiter stare between us and wordlessly passes the bill to her.

She open her blue Dior saddle bag and give him her gold card, her diamond bangles jangles noisily on her skinny wrist as she extends her hands towards the waiter.

She looks so familiar. Vaguely familiar.I wonder where I have seen her before.

The lady turns her swanlike neck to me and smiles, I feel so relieved and embarrassed at the same time, I must look like a beggar standing next to such elegance.

The waiter return the card to her with a printed receipt and with a curt nod in he move to the next table.

"Hi, my name is Hazel, thank you so much I really appreciate your help, please let me have your number so I can pay you back as soon as I get to my phone" I implore, trying my best not to show how embarrassed I am. In doing so, I might have raise my voice with an octave or two. My voice suddenly dosen't sound like mine.

"There would be no need for that Hazel, I am happy to have been of assistance" she flashes her pearly white teeth.

" I insist, I really work at the building across the restaurant so you could just come with me, miss -?"

"Natalie, and there would be no need for that, I am waiting for someone here, I wouldn't want to miss him, here is my card” she extends a dark blue complimentary card with gold design to me. “give me a call about the payment, if you must" Natalie glides back to her seat.

I wave at her on her way out, and thank the stars’ good people like this still exist, I shudder to think what would have happened if Natalie hadn't stepped in to save me. I’d probably be mopping out the floors right now.

Natalie Portman is the name on the card. She sounds famous. I bring the card to my nose it smells like apricot and plum peach.

Damn! I hit a wall, oh it’s not a wall but hard-toned flesh, my eyes peeks at the face and see that the body belongs to Andrea Giovanni.

My mind goes numb, could this day get any worse? I freeze rooted to the ground as different emotions hit me all at once.

Amidst the tangles of this imbroglio, his musky aftershave scent fills my nostrils. My mouth waters instantly as I lean even closer, suffocating myself with this fragrance.

His hard lean chest pressing against my palms, which I used originally to braze myself. We are so close now, I could feel his breath break as it touches my forehead slightly, I couldn’t see his eyes, but I know he is staring.

I want to see, I must! is he staring out of disgust, or does his senses default to desire so close to me? My fingers twitched slightly on his broad chest, not fully sure how to drop them.

Damn it! I pull my head up slowly, his jaw filled with the tiniest bit of stubble, developing a five o’clock shadow, through his face I gulped softly, realizing myself. As my gaze settled on his.

I stood my ground and meet his eyes boldly, fully aware that I am still easily within the reach of his strong arms. That knowledge sent a startling jolt of excitement through me, I feel my cheeks start to burn.

I will not allow him to have the upper hand, he just stared at me wordlessly, I am desperately trying to ignore the way my pulse rate was suddenly responding to his physical proximity.

My body might be attuned to his—every inch of my skin tingling with a growing desire to feel his hands on me again. But it was just hormones.

It is impossible to think with his penetrating gaze holding me captive. my heart is racing and my skin feels hot and sensitive.

I try to look stern and come up with an apology, but the feel of my hair brushing my shoulders felt like a caress, sending a ripple of sensual anticipation through me.

Did he just smirk? Heaven did Andrea Giovanni just smiled at me? Oh well, I guess not. Maybe I imagined it. I must have imagined it.

“I am sorry, Andrea- Mr. Giovanni”  I stammer. His whole demeanor makes me confuse. I go to walk through the left side but I bump into a wall I didn't see. This time a real wall. "Argh" I groan and presses my hand to the swollen spot on my head."shit"

"Clumsy much" He grunts, before holding me by my shoulders and presses his hand to the swollen spot on my head. I really don't know why but that one gesture sends a ripple of emotion all over my body. I'm suddenly very hot. Even venus doesn't come close. His stops massaging my head but his hands still lingers lazily on my head. With every ounce of strength I can muster, I move back a little and hid hands falls to his side.

Somehow his sleeve rolls up and the veins in his hand pops out—oh, blessed mother of God. You aren't supposed to be swooning over the man you betrayed and lied to, you fucker. My subconscious wickedly snaps at me, which wakes me up from my slumber.

"Thank you and I'm sorry for bumping into you like that" I say to Andrea not meeting his eyes.

“it’s ok, just watch where you are going. And please treat that, it's already forming a big bruise. You don't want it to get infected” Andrea says then arches his brows high, as if telling me something.

Then it hits me, my hands are still on his chest, I peel them off from his chest immediately and begins to fiddle with them.

“I am sorry” I say avoiding his gaze.

“its fine. Get it treated, there's a lot of work to be done in the office. I don't want any excuses, most especially not the ones from your silliness and clumsiness” he says again.

We move to the direction at the same time, again. Oh fuck!

I softly chuckle our another “sorry” humorlessly.

I glimpse a faint smile on his lips.

He clears his throat and moves to the side, waiting for me to go by.

I muffle a quick “thank you” and scurry away.