Oh mon Dieu! - Damiano David

3｡◕‿◕｡

May 2018

     To kill time, Margot went around the back garden that was kept tidy thanks to Vittoria. She went over and watered all the plants in the vicinity of the mansion and when she was done, she lounged by the pool with her book and a glass of Bellini, tanning in the process. When it came time to go over for dinner at her new friends' place, she took a shower to wash off the sweat from the sun and changed into some yellow linen pants paired with an off the shoulder white shirt. Her curly hair was left wet to dry as the night continued. She took two bottles of her grandparent's finest wine and hopped in her car to her friends' place that was not far away.

As soon as she parked her car, Victoria ran out of the house with a fluffy white dog following her, and after the dog a grey cat. "Welcome, welcome! Please come in!" – Victoria greeted the girl by giving her a big hug while the animals entangled themselves at their feet. Behind Victoria, she noticed Thomas waiting for her by the door, waiting for the group to come closer so he can greet her, as well! "And who might that be?" – Margot questioned as she bent to pet the cat and the dog. "That is my dog Chilli and Damiano's cat Bidet" – Victoria answered. "I see you come bearing gifts!" – Victoria pointed out to the wine bottles in her hands. "Only the finest from my grandparent' winery!" – Margot answered with a kind smile. They all walked together, and Margot greeted Thomas with a hug.

The house smelled just like her house smelled when Vittoria was cooking. Notes of basil and thyme could be smelled all over. After the animals were inside, and the door was closed, Ethan popped out from an archway on her right and greeted her. Only one person was missing now, and that was Damiano which made her wonder where he was. Her thoughts were interrupted when Ethan spoke up. "Damiano is finishing cooking. He should be done any minute now." – He kindly smiled at her. "Why don't we give you a Maneskin house tour?" – Thomas offered. With Chilli in Victoria's hands and Bidet in Margot's, all four went around the house. First was the living room that was on the left of the front door. Cosy couches in different colours were around a fireplace and a coffee table in the middle. Big windows were everywhere, just like in her house. Next was the recording studio that was down in the basement. This was Margot's favourite place so far in the house tour.

Next on the tour was the upstairs where their respective bedrooms were, including a guest bedroom. And finally, last was the kitchen and dining room. There was a huge door leading to a well-lit backyard where they would enjoy their meal prepared by Damiano. Damiano had spent the whole day preparing delicious dishes, wanting to impress her was on the back of his mind. He went above and beyond to make sure every single detail was perfect. When she walked through the kitchen door, following right after Thomas, Damiano was not expecting her to walk in with his cat in hands. The calm cat seemed to enjoy the head rub it was receiving form the girl. She looked heavenly to him.

"And this is the kitchen where our chef prepares all our meals, a.k.a. Damiano David." – Thomas joked. Damiano scoffed at that statement towards Thomas and went to greet the girl with an open embrace. The Italian part of Margot enjoyed all the affection she was receiving from people in Italy. French people were usually very cold before you get to know them, so being in Italy around warm people was a refreshing sight for her. Damiano had the chance to change and shower before she showed up, so he does not smell like cooking oil and sweat when she arrives. He wore his brand-new dress shirt and wore similar linen pants to Margot's, his being olive coloured.

Keeping one arm over her shoulder, Damiano guided her to the backyard where a pool and a bunch of lounge chairs were scattered around. Under the gazebo was an already set table full of food.

"So, Margot, tell us more about yourself." – Damiano asked her when all of them were seated, and drinks were given. The bottles of wine were saved for after dessert that according to Damiano was the best panna cotta she would ever have! Victoria was sat at the head of the table and on one side were Damiano and Margot while on the other were Thomas and Ethan. Damiano turned his body towards her, longing for that eye contact that they held before. Dishes were passed around and drinks were poured while Margot started talking. "Well, as I told you before, I am born in Paris, I grew up in Paris and I live in Paris. I still live with my dad, but I am planning to move out when I go back. This was his test to see if I am ready to move out on my own. He had some separation issues when it comes to me leaving." – she joked which earned a chuckle from the band. "What about you guys?" – she asked. "Vic and I met in high school, and we have been friends for ages. We met Thomas there, as well! And Ethan we met after we were looking for a drummer. After that we became Maneskin!" – Damiano explained. "A perfect quartet" – she filled his sentence.

Damiano's hand was resting on Margot's chair as he continued his questions. "I see Bidet really likes you" – he pointed to the cat that was still calmly sitting on her lap. "Do you have any pets?" – Ethan asked. "I have a cat; he is a little older. My dad got him for me on my 3rd birthday. His name is Diggory or Diggy for short" – Margot smiled and showed pictures of her cat to the table. "I have another cat, but its not very good with meeting new people. His name is Legolas." – Damiano informed her. Margot was familiar with where the name Legolas came from and immediately asked if the cat's named after the famous elf from Lord of the Rings which opened another conversation between Damiano and Margot.

The other three clearly could see the attraction Damiano felt towards the girl; he did not need to tell them that he fancied her. Anyone with a pair of eyes could tell. For Victoria, it was the way he looked at her and his body language while he was talking to her. For Thomas was the conversation that Damiano constantly kept going. While, for Ethan it was the small gestures that he was doing, from the way he held eye contact with her to the way he always made sure that her plate and glass were full. He could tell that Damiano genuinely cared for the girl despite knowing her for less than a day.

"... So, we did not know where he was, we tried calling him, but he wasn't answering. Where could he possibly go, we wondered? It was a house party! At our own house!" – Victoria was telling the story about how they lost Thomas after he was drunk. As she was talking, what everyone fell to notice was another grey cat joining the table, sniffing around Margot's eyes and soon after jumping over on her lap, nestling herself in closer to the girl's abdomen. Damiano noticed his cat and was surprised. "Wow, Legolas never comes to sit on anyone's lap" – he whispered in her ear. She turned around towards him and their faces were centimetres apart. She flashed him a smirk and whispered back "I guess, it likes me more than you" – a playful grin was on her face. Her eyes challenged him, and they kept eye contact for a few seconds, until Victoria's loud banging on the table startled them and the animals around them. "BANG, YOU WILL NEVER BELIEVE WHERE WE FOUND HIM! You see those bushes over there, RIGHT OVER THERE BEHIND THE BUSHES!" – Victoria exaggerated the ending which made Thomas blush, but still tried to play it off as something that was cool.

"Do you have a boyfriend or a girlfriend, Margot?" – Ethan asked the question that he though Damiano was probably dying to know about. He could read his face when she was telling them a story about some male friends she had. "Currently, I don't. I had a long relationship with a guy from my neighbourhood, but it turned out he was gay. Now he is my best friend." – she told the story about her ex with happiness, because even though she lost a loved one, she gained a platonic soulmate that was her best friend. "He was the only guy my dad approved off. When my then boyfriend came over for dinner to officially meet my dad, my dad burned the food on purpose and made it too salty to play with him, but he still chowed down the plate like a champion, not complaining even once. So, my dad respected him after." – she told the story to the group. Damiano felt a pang of jealousy fill him up slowly seeing how she smiled while telling the story. He decided to get her attention back and make her smile himself.

The night went on, and Damiano flirted indirectly some more with her, and Ethan continued to ask questions Damiano was dying to know about her. The cats sat on her lap the whole night as they drank drink after drink. Margot had to admit, Victoria's bartending skills were too good to be true. As the night went on, it got chillier outside, so Damiano being the gentleman that he is, went to his room to grab her one of his zip up hoodies. Victoria and Thomas tidied up the table and dishes, even after Margot protested and wanted to help, as well. In the meantime, Ethan lit the fireplace and brought the two wine bottles from Margot and five glasses. She was chatting with Ethan on opposite sides of the fireplace when she felt a presence sit beside her and drape a soft material over her naked shoulders. She looked at Damiano and gave him a soft thank you while looking in his eyes. He replied with an equally soft no problem while stealing a glance towards her full red lips.

The atmosphere from the fire contributed quite well with their stare off. It was safe to mention that the alcohol was making things more interesting for both. Before things can escalade, Ethan offered them both a glass of wine and a cheeky smile, knowing that would irritate Damiano. His arms did not move from Margot's shoulders from the rest of the night. One of his hands held the glass of delicious wine while the other rested on her shoulders. Margot could not help but sniff the jumper he draped over here. It smelled like him, an expensive cologne mixed with fresh detergent and a hint of cigarette smoke.

She never wanted to stop smelling that...