Chapter 19 Come over
He looks down at my hand on his tattooed arm, then up at my face.
Something passes in the air between us.
I withdraw my hand, swallowing down, and shift in my seat.
“You should have told me we were just staying at the hotel. I would’ve come over. It’s not too far of a walk.”
He gives me a stupid but firm look. “I was picking you up, Shia.”
“Okay Mr. Bossy … I hope you’re not gonna be like this for the stay at the resort.”
“What bossy?”
“Yes.”
“Well when I know what I want I say it ... or take it.” He tilts his head to the side, staring at me for a long moment.
My legs start to tremble.
I press my knees together.
I flicker a nervous glance at Dave, but his eyes are focused ahead on the road.
I keep mine ahead too.
And we ride in silence for the rest of the short ride to the hotel. I’m at a complete loss for words after that little exchange.
Dave pulls the car into the hotel’s parking lot and then I follow him and Natte through the lot into the hotel and to the lifts.
I ride up with them both in silence, and leaving Dave out in the hall, I follow Natte into his suite.
I can’t believe it was only yesterday that I was here to interview him and now I’m going to be working for him. It’s crazy.
As I follow him I see Steve at the far side of the living room, sitting on the sofa browsing his tablet. He closes the tablet, dropping it onto the sofa table and stands at our arrival.
“Hi,” I say, feeling a little shy.
I wonder if he knows I’m going to be working for Natte. I’m sure he will, he’s Natte's PA. He’ll know everything about him.
Probably some things I don’t want to know.
“Hello again,” he smiles at me.
“Is everything ready?” Natte asks him.
“Yes.”
“Thanks,” he says to Steve.
Steve gives him a brief nod, and then heads out of the room leaving us alone.
“Come on,” Natte says to me, taking hold of my hand, giving me a fire in my belly again, he leads me across the living room and out onto the terraced balcony.
The air is refreshing on my skin, not chilly at all, and as I step through the door and out from behind Natte, I see there’s a table set up with two chairs, and it is filled with tiers of little mini cakes. So many different varieties, cupcakes, cream buns, eclairs, cheesecakes, and, oh my god, cream filled muffins, and some I can’t even identify.
I know he said there’d be anything I want, but I never expected anything like this. And there is also fresh coffee waiting.
In this moment I just love him. Not love him love him, but love him, oh you know what I mean.
Natte turns seeing my open mouthed expression and says, “Well you gave up a date with your boyfriend for me, it was the least I could do.”
“This is a little better than muffins though,” I say, my voice a little hoarse. “Is this birthday present number two?”
He squeezes my hand ever so slightly and smiles, a mysterious smile, and leads me over to the table to sit down.
In the last two days, Natte has done more thoughtful things for me than anyone has ever done in my whole entire life.
He pulls my chair out for me.
“Why thank you kind sir,” I giggle.
He sits down across from me.
I feel all fuzzy and up in the clouds here on this balcony.
And I also feel like I’m on a date. Which of course I’m not, this is a business lunch, just with lots and lots of yummy scrummy cakes.
I let my eyes roam over the cakes. They look fresh and delicious, and I literally don’t know which one to try first. I just want to take a bite of each one.
Natte laughs at my staring. “You look like how you were a kid back then in a candy store. You always did have a sweet tooth.”
“There’s just so many to choose from, and they are just so damn cute. Where did you get them from?” I ask.
“Just a little place I know.”
Unable to resist anymore, I nick a bit of cream from the cream filled muffin closest to me and lick it off my finger.
“Oh my god,” I groan. “This is gorgeous, I think I may have died once and gone to cake heaven.”
“So does this win me back my best friend status?”
“I think I might be proposing marriage to you soon, if you keep this up.”
Oh God. It just slipped out. And I can’t take it back. I know my face is bright red. Natte grins at me, obviously enjoying my discomfort.
“Shall I pour?” I say gesturing to the coffee, anything to change the subject.
“I got it,” he says taking hold of the pot.
Natte pours me a coffee. He looks so funny, sitting there in CEO clothes, pouring me coffee, while we have afternoon tea together.
“You know, Natte, afternoon tea isn’t very rock and sign business. You’re kind of killing your rock CEO image.”
“Ssh.” He puts his finger to his lips, doing a comical glance around. “We’ll just have to keep it our little secret.” He grins and hands me over my coffee. “And shouldn’t it be afternoon coffee?” he adds.
I furrow my brow in thought. “Is there such a thing?”
He shrugs, smiling. “If not, then there is now.”
“Natte and Shia's afternoon coffee, childhood star style.”
“Abso-fucking-lutely!” he laughs.
Laughing, I pick the milk up and add some to my coffee, and then help myself to the cream filled muffin I’d already started on. I pick it up and take a bite.
“Holy creaming Jesus,” I mumble with my mouthful. “This is amazing.”
If I thought that little taste of cream was heaven I was sorely mistaken, because the whole thing; sponge and chocolate chip and cream together is bliss. If I die today, then I will die a very happy lady indeed.
“Seriously, Natte, you have to give me the name of this place because I’m going to have to set up a credit account with them.”
He smiles at me, but I detect a hint of nervousness. I’m instantly curious. “Delivery might be a bit of a problem.”
“Why?” I say taking another bite.
“Because... it came in from Brazil.”
I pause mid-bite, staring at him.
“I had them flown in this morning,” he adds.
“Oh.” I put the cake down.
“It’s one of my favorite places, I always go there whenever I’m there, and I knew you’d love them so…”
“Wow, Natte … um … wow, that is so nice and incredibly thoughtful of you, but you didn’t have to go to any trouble for me.”
“I didn’t. I pay other people to go to the trouble for me, Shia.”
“Oh.”
Shit, I am so way out of my league here.
He pulls his cigarettes out. “You mind if I smoke?”
I shake my head and watch as he lights a cigarette up. I can’t exactly complain about his smoking around the food when he’s just had said food flown in on an airplane. From Brazil, right.