Alana sighed and stretched, extending her arms up to the ceiling of her hotel room. She usually felt very unhygienic after getting off planes; it didn't matter that she was in a private jet. As soon as she had gotten to the hotel, she disappeared into her room to wash her face, take a quick shower and brush her teeth, with Gino in the room right next to hers.
She walked out of the bathroom and emptied the clothes in her suitcase, laying them out on the couch and smoothing any wrinkles she found. She was doing this for the business deal, obviously. This had nothing to do with Gino at all. Nothing whatsoever.
Once Alana felt that everything was in proper order, she checked to make sure her outfit was presentable before walking out the door with her handbag and laptop case as she finger-combed her hair. She blinked in surprise to see Gino waiting patiently in the hallway; he looked so handsome and professional in his suit.
She swallowed rather uneasily and made her way towards him. He flashed her a grin that made her heart stop.
"Hey. We've still got a few hours before the meeting starts, so I was wondering if you'd like to join me for lunch, just to save time?"
"Sounds good," she smiled back at him.
To be honest, Alana had been a little worried that the whole ordeal might have been a little awkward because of their past history with one another. But Gino made a good effort to strike up some small conversation while they lunched on ramen together. She appreciated and applauded him for it. If he barely batted an eyelash at how often they had to spend time together because of this business deal, then neither would she.
Eventually, the pair finished and went back to the hotel, where they got into a car provided by Sakura Corporations, the company they were meeting with, to their building for the meeting.
The ride was rather quiet, but when Alana and Gino emerged from the car and walked towards the double glass doors, she felt him gently place a warm hand on her back. Her breath hitched and she swallowed, her heart rate increasing. She distinctly remembered a similar situation when they were going to Sophie's Sweets for the new gelato-and-crepe dessert.
No, she thought firmly, pushing the thought from her mind.
Alana twisted the hem of her dress shirt around her fingers and pursed her lips. She was itching to reach into her bag so she could put on some chap stick, but at the same time she was afraid she would be clumsy in front of Gino. There was no way she was going to let that happen. She was a graceful young woman now. She ended up putting on some chap stick anyway.
"How do you like Tokyo so far?" she asked, in a last-ditch effort to prevent the silence from stretching too long. They were waiting for another car to take them back to the hotel after all. It was already past seven, but the day's events and stress were getting to her empty stomach.
"It's really clean," Gino remarked, turning to look at her with a smile. "And the people are really polite. I don't think I should say a whole lot yet because we're just here for business." He took a step closer but she held her ground.
He doesn't affect me. He doesn't affect me---- Oh my God. Why is he standing right in front of me?
"We talked about this on our first date, remember?"
"What?" Alana widened her eyes and looked up at him. Her heart was pounding so hard, and she could feel her face heat up.
He chuckled and bent his head lower so that his thick, soft hair brushed against her forehead. The skin tingled from the contact as a sense of nostalgia seemed to wash over her.
YOU ARE READING
Because I Love You
Romance(Sequel to I Love that You're in My Life) It's been three years since Alana and Gino last kissed and parted on that beach. Gino's business in New York and constant absences led their relationship to break off. Since then, Alana has focused on her...
