Whimsical Perfection

27. Crossroads

"She will outstrip all praise
And make it halt behind her."
          —Prospero, The Tempest

~♤ ▪︎ ♤ ▪︎ ♤~

My eyes opened abruptly, and I found myself in an unfamiliar place. Bright yellow colored curtains and a blood red cushioned chair was definitely not my aesthetic. Rubbing my eyes I got up, and found that I indeed, was in someone else's house. Who the fuck was he this time?

Getting dressed somehow, I rubbed the remaining sleep out of my eyes to make myself look somewhat better. Walking through the impressive penthouse suite confidently, I looked around but didn't find anyone. Then, I heard something from the kitchen, and headed straight towards it.

There he was, my target of last night, wearing nothing but a pair of sweatpants which drew attention towards his very muscular and toned back. Although I was about to leave, it wasn't a sight I would want to miss. Leaning on the side of the wall in silence, I continued to stare at his back and how gracefully he worked until he said,

"Are you planning to drill holes next?"

His back was still towards me, how could he know? Feeling myself get hot in the face, I cleared my throat and walked inside confidently, wanting to do this the less tiring way.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

He turned around at that, smiling at me so brightly, and I was taken away by his beauty. Just how did I land such a gorgeous man?

"I'm pretty sure I wasn't scared by your attention. It was, if I may say, quite flattering and a boost to my ego. Anyway, just wait a little bit, I'll be done with our breakfast."

His voice flowed so well. It was a unique timber, not too high pitched, or not too low, but the perfect blend of voices and it had a really good impact on me. It made me crazy enough to agree to him and join him for breakfast. I never knew I would yearn to be in someone's company so bad, until I met this guy. But who was he? Did I already forget his name?

Minutes later, he came to the table with a full English breakfast, and I was stunned yet again. Do people usually put in so much effort for their casual one night stands? I looked at him in confusion, not understanding this kind of man, and he smiled, realizing my inner turmoil.

"I know it seems a bit extreme, considering we just met last night, but please don't be burdened by it. I just love to show off my cooking skills."

I cracked a smile at that, and proceeded to take a bite out of the fancy eggs cooked in the shape of a rose. He was indeed right. The moment the fluffy eggs touched my tongue, it was a whole different feeling that entered my heart. The soft texture and the perfect taste of them felt like homemade food which I hadn't eaten in a while. It was so scrumptious that I couldn't help but moan at the delicious spices and flavors exploding in my mouth.

"This, this is delicious," I said between bites and he chuckled, the bright sound mixing so well with the food in my mouth.

Who was this God again?

"I can see that Scarlett. I love it that you appreciate my cooking so passionately, even though you're a woman of few words."

Shit, he knew my name? How come I don't remember anything about him, but he's speaking as if I've known him all my life? This is a disaster already.

I gave him an awkward smile in return, not knowing how to respond to this. I tried hard to put the searing headache behind me and remember who this man was, but I still couldn't think of anything. I must have blacked out yesterday, was all I could think of as a conclusion.

Breakfast was over, and I was ready to go out, when he stopped me at the door. Standing way too close to me, he gave me a soft smile, his beautiful light brown eyes twinkling.

"Are you going to leave just like that?" He asked me as I looked at him in confusion.

"Um, so what exactly do I have to do?"

"Please give me your number. I know it's not what we agreed on, but I can't seem to keep a beauty like you off my mind, and I think only your number in my phone could help." He said, flashing me yet another dangerous smile.

I contemplated for a bit, and drawing a conclusion from all that I had seen today, I was sure that he was one of the most genuine people I had ever met, which weren't a lot to begin with. My mind briefly traveled to another gorgeous man, who made me want to worship this guy in comparison. This anonymous man was so much better than Isaac had ever been to me, so I complied to his request.

Giving him a slight smile, I started to leave, when he pulled me back again, and left a chaste kiss on my lips. It wasn't very intense, or suggestive, but it brought a warmth to my body I couldn't explain. Staring at him dumbfounded, I tried to find reasons and logical conclusions to why he did that, but came up empty handed.

He then came closer and whispered in my ear, "Don't overthink everything dear. Sometimes, you don't have to do things for a reason."

And his words kept ringing in my ears for a long time after I left. I never knew that a mysterious night with an anonymous man would bring me here, to an emotional lake where I would be told to confront everything I had been throwing off for later. It brought me to a crossroad, where I was forced to make a decision – where should I invest my emotions?

In the man who never seems to put me at ease, or in someone who seems impossible of doing a single wrong thing in his life?

~♤ ▪︎ ♤ ▪︎ ♤~