the Devil and the Sea

52| Dinner

Nerves are twitching: I just invited Vincent to a family dinner. The day after I sent Ricky away. I'm just terrible.

Vincent finishes his coffee in one gulp and gets up from the table, winks at me, then says goodbye to the guys and leaves.

Joan finishes fixing the car and leaves for training. Adriana and Lewis leave for home, as does Ricky. Fortunately, he decided not to stay, although I could well feel his hesitation. Of course, I didn't say goodbye to him. He just left, and I just found out about it from Joan.

As a result, I am so immersed in the joy of cooking that I do not notice the passage of time. I've fixed a vegetable salad and my special pizza recipe is already in the oven.

Feeling someone's presence, I glance out the window and see Vincent's pleased face. I freeze in place, but quickly come to my senses, do not hold back and show him the middle finger, and he laughs.

"Come on in," I nod towards the front door.

If a month ago they told me that I would call Vincent home for dinner like this, I would have sent them to hell.

I remember how I look and feel embarrassed: an oversized black T-shirt covered in flour, a messy tuft of hair on my head, and no makeup.

Vincent enters the house, and I timidly step towards him, but stop right in front of him, not knowing what to do next. Now everything seems different. I feel uneasy and tense, as if every bundle of my nerves has turned my body to stone. Vincent smiles and, to my surprise, pulls me towards him, hugging me tightly. Hugs. Me. For the first time. Just hugging like it's nothing special. It's like we do this all the time because we're close to each other. It's like we've been together for a long time.

Oh my God.

I inhale his scent. I would never have thought how nice it is when he just hugs me like that.

"Careful, I'm in flour," I warn, without closing my hands behind his back.

"So what?" He gives me a look, "You look great."

Oh.

His words immediately remove all nervousness. I lower my head to keep from smiling. I turn around and go to the oven and check the pizza for doneness.

I continue to cook, and Vincent is looking at me, as if for the first time he sees a girl in this form, or for the first time he sees me in this form. I do not immediately notice that he does not have glasses - today he preferred contacts.

Vincent reaches out his arms and draws me back to him. The aroma of cologne mixed with a pleasant smell - the smell of Vincent - hits the nostrils, dizzy, quickens the heartbeat. A strange feeling of warmth and comfort spreads through the body when Vincent presses me to his chest, how can you feel this with a person you don't know?

Vincent pulls away, but doesn't let me out of his arms. I lift my head and meet his eyes.

"You're too beautiful," he says and looks like he still can't believe it.

I'm thrilled and at the same time I realize that I'm not letting go of Ricky, only because Vincent is uncharted territory, and also temporary. And if something happens, it will hurt me too much to fall alone.

It's just the way it is, my brain always clings to the old. We love to sail in charted waters.

I can't stand his gaze, it's too embarrassing.

"Come on in," I push him into the living room, where my mother and Marina are already sitting.

My mom already knows Vincent, so there's no need to introduce them to each other. I immediately leave the kitchen and try to stop my cheeks from blushing. I fail. What the hell? I have to carefully achieve my goal step by step, but something inside me reacts strangely.