PEPPERONI PIZZA

PEPPERONI PIZZA
Dante

“I’m sorry for keeping you waiting.” Viviana says and I simply nod my head. I waited for five years for her, what was three measly hours in comparison. “I hope you got the dress you liked?” I ask in a hope to strike a conversation. She responds with a perfunctory nod. 
I open the door to the car for her and when she gets in, I walk to the other side of the car and drive us out of there. As someone who doesn’t talk much, I try to think of other things to say but nothing comes into my head. I simply enjoy her presence- although there is nothing simple about it. I do not take it for granted in the least.
I know Viviana- at least the accurate nineteen year old version of her. The one who uses music to replace uncomfortable silence and it’s because I do that I stretch my hand to play some music and simultaneously she asks, “Can you-“ 
When she sees where my fingers are, she pause with a small awkward smile. “Yeah I was just about to ask if I can play some music or if you are one of those drivers that do not like music being played, just the wind and your thoughts. Good to know that’s not the case although it’s almost as if you can read my thoughts.” 
I smile but say nothing. “Go ahead and choose something you prefer.” I urge. Her eyes widen a little in surprise. Why is she surprised? Does she think I am in capable of asking her what she wants. Who knows what more she thinks of me? I don’t even want to think of what she might do or say when she finds out that I am in fact the Dante whom she knew when she was eighteen and nineteen. The Dante she had let down when she had not kept her promise. After choosing a song and leaning back to the window, I listen as she hums to a particular chorus of the song that is something like - I got it, I want it. I want it, I got it by a female artist. 
When the song ends another starts but I don’t think she knows that one and gradually I glance toward her and see her rub the corners of her eyes. She wants to sleep and she’s trying to fight it. She does this for about three more times at like five minutes interval before she finally succumbs to the pull of nature and sleeps.
She has been working hard and has been under a certain pressure, I am not surprised it was that easy for her to fall asleep. When I get to her hotel, she is still fast asleep with her lips slightly patted and hair fanned on her face. Her head is propped on her hand and I’m not certain if that’s a comfortable way for her to rest. But still, I don’t have the heart to wake her up. 
She wakes up sometime later and I immediately pretend to be very concentrated on the bore that is my phone. She pushes her hair back and looks outside to see the darkness that has been cast and the other cars in the garage. Then she takes out her phone and checks the time. 
“Why- is my phone broken or something? Please tell me, what’s the time on your phone?” She asks. “Fourteen minutes past seven.” I respond. She draws a sharp breath. “I know the distance from here to where we are coming from is about forty five minutes. Which means you have been here for about two hours. Why?”
Immediately I respond. “I could t bring myself to wake you up and Mr Bianchi has visitors and will not be needing my presence for the rest of the day.” 
I hope she gets the meaning behind the ‘visitors’ Mr Bianchi has. Perhaps the reason he asked me to go with her is so she would have no need to come to his hotel to thank him or give him any information. 
Viviana blinks in bewilderment. “Is this because of what I said to you about staring at me so much that I noticed?” She probes. “No.” I reply. “This is.” I say as I stretch to retrieve the pepperoni pizza and strawberry juice I got for her on the way. 
She looks at it as I hand it to her and I immediately see my error and the likeable wheels running in her head. This is her favourite thing to have after a very long day. But since the both of us haven’t shared a meal before - as per what she thinks, how do I know?
“I hope this is alright. The last they had is this pepperoni pizza and I asked the lady to give me any drink she could grab. If this isn’t to your liking, I could get another.”