Chapter 35 34
Soraya's POV
“Do you like ice cream?” Darius suddenly asked.
I blinked, caught off guard by the question. Ice cream?
“Uh…yes,” I said, turning to look at him. I did like ice cream… a lot, actually. The question felt random, but also strangely exciting.
“Okay.” He nodded.
We kept driving in silence, and I thought that was the end of it. But then, the car slowed down and stopped. I frowned, glancing out the window. The area looked unfamiliar.
“This isn’t the house,” I said, confused.
Darius glanced at me then smiled. “We’re here to get some ice cream.”
I blinked.
“You said you liked ice cream, didn’t you?”
“I did, but I didn’t think you meant—”
“What?” he cut in teasingly. “You don’t want to get some?”
“I do,” I said quickly, a bit flustered. “I just didn’t expect—”
“Then it’s settled.”
As Darius moved the car to park it, I looked through the window, my eyes widening at the huge building before us. It looked so elegant, like something out of a movie. I had never seen anything like it before.
It wasn’t just an ice cream shop. It was one of those elegant dessert lounges you only saw on TV. The kind with velvet chairs, soft music, and waiters in white shirts.
“Do you like it?” he asked.
I nodded slowly, my gaze still fixed on the building. “It’s beautiful.”
“It’s one of the best luxury dessert lounges in the city,” he said.
“Luxury dessert lounge,” I mumbled quietly to myself, still staring.
The huge sign in front read La Crème Lounge. I was so lost admiring the place that I didn’t even realize Darius had already stepped out of the car. The next thing I knew, my door opened.
“Are you going to keep staring,” he teased, “or are we going to go inside?”
My cheeks reddened immediately, and I quickly unbuckled my seatbelt and stepped out of the car.
“You can leave your bag,” he said.
“Oh,” I said softly, placing my bag back on the seat before stepping out properly.
He closed the door, pressed a button on his key, and the car made a small beep as it locked. Then he began walking ahead.
I followed behind him, and the next thing, he turned slightly and stretched out his hand toward me.
For a moment, I froze. Then, slowly, I placed my hand in his.
The instant our hands touched, I felt my heart race so loudly in my chest.
He didn’t say anything. He just gave my hand a small squeeze before leading me toward the entrance.
As we walked into the huge, magnificent building, still holding hands, my eyes widened as the glass doors opened by themselves. I stopped for a second, blinking. I’d heard about doors like this, they were called automatic doors. But I’d never actually seen one before.
The air inside was warm and sweet, carrying the scent of vanilla and coffee. A piano played softly somewhere in the background.
We were greeted by a woman in a white shirt tucked neatly into a black skirt. She had a bright smile, probably the hostess.
“Good evening, sir, ma’am. Welcome to La Crème Lounge. Do you have a reservation?”
“Yes, under Darius Dovenia.” Darius said confidently.
“Perfect,” she said, smiling. “Right this way.”
She led us to a booth by the window, and I nearly gasped. The view was breathtaking, the city lights shimmered through the glass, glowing softly against the night sky. Everything about the place screamed luxury.
A waitress appeared soon after, handing us a sleek menu. It wasn't even made of paper, it was glossy, with golden lettering that reflected the warm light. I turned the pages slowly, my eyes landing on words I didn’t recognize.
“You can go through it,” Darius said casually.
I nodded, scanning through the list, but the more I read, the more confused I became. There were so many flavours I’d never even heard before.
Mocha espresso crunch. Coconut almond delight. Blueberry cheesecake dream. Hazelnut praline gelato. Mint chocolate chip élite.
I blinked. The only ice cream flavors I’d ever known were chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry. I looked at the menu again. Was all this really ice cream?
“Give us a couple of minutes to decide please.” Darius said to the hostess.
“Of course, take your time” She smiled, before walking away.
“Which one do you like, Soraya?” Darius asked softly.
I bit my lip as my eyes scanned the menu again. “I think I’d like to try the Madagascar vanilla bean gelato,” I said softly. “But… I don’t know. I also wanted to try something else.”
Darius tilted his head. “You want to try two flavors?”
“Yeah, but it’s okay,” I said quickly, closing the menu. “I’ll just pick one.”
His lips formed a faint smile. “If you like three flavors, you can try them, Soraya. You can get any ice cream you want.”
I blinked, surprised. “Are you sure? I think they’re really expensive.”
He chuckled. “Expensive?” He leaned back in his seat, his eyes filled with amusement. “Who do you think your mate is, Soraya? I’m Darius Dovenia.”
He leaned a little closer, his voice lowering into that deep tone that always made my heart race. “Listen, baby. I’m a billionaire. I don’t spend recklessly… but for my mate?” He smirked slightly. “I’ll buy you anything you like. I want you to relax. I want you to live freely. Don’t limit yourself. Choose whichever you want, however you want.”
Before I could even respond, he clapped his hands lightly, and right on cue, the waitress returned with a warm smile.
“Are you ready to order?” she asked.
Darius nodded. “Yes. We’ll have the Madagascar Vanilla Bean Gelato, and another specialty dessert. What do you recommend?”
The waitress thought for a moment. “Well, if you like something classic, I’d suggest the Belgian dark chocolate truffles. They’re one of our bestsellers, and they pair beautifully with the Madagascar vanilla bean gelato.”
Darius nodded once. “It’s settled, then. We’ll have those.”
“Excellent choice,” the waitress said, jotting it down. “Would you like them in our crystal glass bowls or waffle cups?”
Darius turned his gaze to me again. “Which one do you like?”
I smiled shyly. “The glass bowls.”
“Glass bowls it is,” he said.
“Of course, sir. I’ll have them out in a few minutes,” she replied, before walking off.
When I looked back at Darius, he was still smiling at me and even though I said I wasn't going to, I blushed slightly.
Shortly after, the waitress returned with our bowls and carefully placed them on the table. Each dessert looked like art. The ice cream was topped with delicate edible flakes, chocolate shavings, and slices of fresh fruit.
“Here are your orders,” the waitress said with a polite smile. “Please enjoy.”
I blinked, honestly amazed. “They look so pretty to eat,” I murmured without thinking.
The waitress chuckled softly. “Thank you.”
And then it was just us and the ice cream.
“Why don’t you try it?” Darius said.