Raphael's Captive

Chapter 12

'Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!', Raphael scolded himself as he left to pace in the lounge room.

Why did he have to look at her breasts? Now she'll think he's perverted for sure and try to run away even more. He was well aware of his feelings for her, but his primitive urges for her weren't awake him in until now.

For sure she wouldn't look at him the same way again, and he made a mental note to apologize as soon as she emerges from her room.

"Ready?" A perky voice snapped him from his self loathing, directing his gaze to Tami as she stood at the door. The tone of her voice was new to his ears. It was almost the same as her excited one yesterday, but different.

Was she uncomfortable? She certainly didn't look so. In fact, she looked pretty unfazed as if nothing happened. Well nothing did, but he knew she saw him looking.

"Yes of course" He shook his head as he opened the door for her. They walked in silence all the way to the elevator, and he tried on numerous occasions to find the words to say to her so that she doesn't view him a different light--in a worse light.

Still, every time he glanced at her, she looked calm. She didn't stand far away from him, she didn't throw him death glares and she didn't seem upset. Was this a plan of hers to have his guard down, and once she's in the clear she makes a run for it?

Raphael didn't want to take the risk. So, he watched her like a hawk as he led her to the car. Even then, she didn't try to run, neither did she seem like she had any intentions to.

Maybe he was just a bit on edge. They are both adults, and things like that happen all the time. He was glad that Tami didn't take it to heart like he had, simply because he couldn't bare her hating him any more.

In light of her oddly calm mood, he decided to appreciate it and take his shot at getting on her good side once and for all; not only for a few moments of random conversations or car rides.

"Different ride today?" She asked, breaking Raphael from his thoughts. His heart raced at the question as he watched her in confusion.

"Pardon?"

She pointed at the car, which was Mercedes today. "The car"

"Oh that's what you meant" He mumbled to himself. "Oh yes I felt in a Benz mood today" He breathed a breath of relief and he decided once and for all that he'd take it easy.

She wasn't being sexual or awkward. Good.

He took her to a restaurant that he grew up loving because of the wonderful food, people and memories. Whenever he was having a bad day, Mrs. Garcia took him there instead of cooking at home, and he loved everything about it.

As they stepped inside, the aura of homeliness and food immediately swarmed him, and it even reminded him of the pub that Tami loved in Nassau.

Even Tami appreciated the warmth of the restaurant, and it was pretty empty too. That was another reason why Raphael thought of it first. He was still cautious about Tami being in public, and he knew the restaurant was empty around these times, as its competitor across the street got more of the lunch rush. It was more of a dinner type of place.

They kept conversation minimum as they ordered and waited for the food, and by the time it arrived, Tami was stunned.

"I cant believe I'm saying this, but this food can actually threaten the spot in my heart for Peach's Pub food" Tami mumbled through a mouth full of Jambalaya that Raphael had suggested she got.

He chuckled at her expression as he reached across to wipe some sauce from the corner of her lips. It wasn't until his hand was already there that he realized how intimate the action seemed, but her eyes didn't oppose as she gently smiled at him.