narrow hallway just as a tall figure exited the men's bathroom and ended up bumping into him full-force, bouncing off the hard wall of his muscled chest. I swayed and would have fallen if the man hadn't reached for my shoulders and steadied me onto my feet. Then, long fingers closed around the sensitive skin of my chin, and I turned into a pillar of salt when he lifted my face and my eyes collided with that dark, piercing gaze.
The man inches away from me in this half-darkness was none other than the beautiful stranger. Suddenly, the spicy scent of his cologne spread through the air and claimed my senses. His closeness made me weak in the knees. I clenched my fists, trying to make sense of these incomprehensible feelings. I had never dated. I was always guarded and kept to myself. I had never been this close to a boy, let alone a man. And this stranger was no ordinary male, but one who exuded nothing but beauty, power and confidence.
His gaze fell on my lips, and my body started shivering. I wanted to bolt, but couldn't move, so I stayed frozen and completely at his mercy. When his eyes returned to mine, heat flamed my cheeks. This experienced man was well aware of my reaction to his presence because he smirked like my turmoil amused him.
“Okay?” he whispered.
I parted my lips, but was unable to speak. All I could do was offer a shaky nod. That was how much he affected me. Dark eyes flashed with a flicker of light, and he smiled, murmuring something soft in Italian. As his knuckles brushed against my cheek, an electric shiver rushed through my entire body. I couldn't understand a single word, but the sound of his gentle voice made me forget how to breathe.
I just stood there, dumbfounded and silent as he strode back to his table. It took me a few minutes to regain my composure, and I fled to the bathroom to splash my face with cold water. The stranger's touch awakened something within me I never knew existed, and the fact I had such a powerful reaction to someone I had never met, scared me senseless.
Reemerging back into the restaurant, I was determined to block out the stranger's presence, but could feel him watching with naked, unashamed interest. His undivided attention left me a complete and utter mess. I kept tucking a strand of hair—that wasn’t even there—behind my ear, and I messed up customer orders, and kept fixing my uniform, even though there was nothing wrong with it. Never in my life had I been so self-conscious, so clumsy...so ridiculous. All because I felt so...scrutinized and assessed. Nevertheless, I endured it, and refused to look his way even though I sensed him somehow willing me to do just that. I was secretly proud of my resilience, but when the beautiful stranger and his entourage got up to leave, sheer instinct made me glimpse in their direction. I was instantly confronted with that dark, inquiring stare.
The beautiful stranger's lips twitched into a brief smile as he gazed intently from the other end of the room. I glanced over my shoulder, but there was nobody else there. Could it truly be me he had smiled at? When I returned his gaze, it was too late, he already sauntered toward the door with the other three men.
As the men in dark suits left the restaurant, I wondered if the beautiful stranger would ever come back.
CHAPTER FIVE
The Past (5 years prior)
Mangiare remained busy for the rest of the evening, but I struggled to focus on work. I was restless after what had happened and still unable to believe a mere stranger could affect me to such an extent. No matter how much I pushed the thought aside, I couldn't and continued working with an absent mind. When we finished serving the last guests and cleaned up after them, it was later than usual, and I was so exhausted that I was happy for once to go home. After saying goodbye to my colleagues, I collected my belongings and left the restaurant.
As I walked down the street, I removed the band to my ugly ponytail and let my hair fall over my shoulders in a long cascade of waves that reached my lower back. The light summer breeze felt good on my skin, and helped me clear my thoughts. But very soon, the wind turned harsher, and the first raindrops tapped