Chapter 185

Chapter 185
Once they were settled, Felix raised his hand, signaling the waiter to come. The waiter appeared with a polite smile on his face.

“ Good evening. My name is Chase and I will be the waiter accompanying you for the evening.”

With that, he opened the bottle of champagne and carefully poured a glass for each of them.

“ Please enjoy a glass of champagne while dinner gets ready. In a moment, the first course will be brought out.”

Felix thanked him. Once that was done, he stepped away, back to his position.

Felix picked up the glass of champagne and raised it. Mercedes placed her bouquet aside and raised her glass as well.

“ To us,” he started in a low, husky voice.

“ To this moment, our love and our future.”

Mercedes felt tears well up in her eyes. She clipped her glass with his.

“ To us,” she said, her voice trembling. Both of them took a sip of their drink. Soft classical music started playing in the background, adding to the romantic ambience.

Felix placed his glass on the table, reached out, taking her hand in his, and his thumb caressed her skin.

“ Did I tell you how incredibly beautiful you look tonight?”

Mercedes's face flushed. She could never get used to his compliments.

“ You just said it now,” she whispered.

“ There is no need for you to say it. The look on your face when you look at me speaks volumes.”

Felix chuckled, his cheeks turning red.

“ Well, I am glad that you can see how much I love you. I want you to see that and feel my love for you all the time.”

Their moment was interrupted by the waiter. He returned pushing the cart with food on it. He cleared his throat to get their attention.

“ Dinner is served, Mr Ransom. I brought the first course.”

Felix nodded his head, his not leaving Mercedes.

“ Alright. Please go ahead.”

The waiter took the bowls of soup from the tray and placed them on the table. He placed the cutlery on the table as well before leaving. In front of them was a light, appetizing starter for them to enjoy. At that moment, Mercedes laid her eyes on the plate, her stomach started grumbling. She froze, her face flushed, cheeks turning red in embarrassment.

There was an awkward moment of silence before Felix couldn't hold in his laughter. He looked at Mercedes, whose cheeks were as red as a tomato. But she still looked adorable, her face taunted by a lovely shade of crimson.

Mercedes didn't have anything to eat since morning. She was so excited and nervous and her mind was all over the place, and she didn't have the time or appetite to eat anything at that time. She didn't realize how hungry she was until food was in front of her. Her stomach simply couldn't help it. She bit her lip, avoiding Felix's gaze.

Felix reached out his hand and gently lifted her chin, making her meet his gaze. A small smile was on his lips as he looked at her like she was the most precious thing in his life. She was indeed.

“ Listen here, my love,” he said, his voice soft, as he looked into her eyes with a tender expression.

“ With me, there is absolutely no need for you to be embarrassed. You must have been so hungry. Had I known, I would have told the kitchen staff to make haste with the food so you could eat. Now that it's here, please enjoy it. Don't be shy.”

Mercedes smiled with appreciation. His words put her at ease, once again. She relaxed and started to eat. Felix dug in as well. Mercedes was enjoying her meal and she made happy noises as she ate to express that. Felix smiled, content to see her enjoying herself. That is what he wanted after all. For her to enjoy herself without restraint and relax.

The rest of the courses were gradually brought out. The awkwardness between Felix and Mercedes faded as well, though sharing a delicious meal, a good conversation and laughter. Felix's eyes were fixated on Mercedes's face, watching her every expression and her dazzling beautiful smile. He was captivated by her. Throughout her meals she never had any complaints. Her remarks were only good and she was very satisfied. She especially enjoyed the chocolate mousse cake. Her eyes lit up as she swiped her tongue over her lips with anticipation. Felix was amused by her enthusiasm for food.

After she gobbled up her cake as soon as it was placed in front of her, Felix caught her eying his cake as he ate it. Even without asking, he could tell that she wanted it, so he had no qualms sharing his piece with her. He even fed her the cake as he ate it as well. At that moment, their eyes locked intimately. At that instant, everything was perfect. Felix's heart was full of love and adoration for Mercedes. Once they were done eating, Mercedes relaxed back into her chair, full and satisfied. Felix called for the waiter to clear the table. The waiter brought out a bottle of red wine Felix ordered and took the plates away.

“ The food was so delicious. I'm so full. It's a shame I can't eat anymore. Compliments to the chefs.”

“ I'm very glad to hear that, love. Remind me to give them a generous tip for providing us with tasty and delicious food. Not to mention the great service.”

Mercedes smiled, nodding her head. Felix turned to look at his watch. The hour he was waiting for was approaching. Only half an hour left before things kicked off. He once again reached for his pocket just to make sure the ring was still there. He felt the leather box was still in his pocket. Now he just had to prepare for the scene. It was only a matter of time.

Felix took the bottle of wine, holding it up.

“ Do you want some?”

“ Yes, please,” she replied.

Felix poured the wine into her glass and into his own. While sipping their wine, the silence between them was comfortable. They gazed out into the night sparkling with city lights. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stop his nerves from surfacing. He was ready to go through it all, but he wasn't going to turn back. Mercedes meant the world to him. He was going to do anything to have met in his life, for as long as they both shall live.