Goodbyes for Never

2

"Ma'am your table is this way."

I followed the waitress as she led me to the table reserved for Benson. I decided to go with a full-sleeved white ribbed bodycon and my brown leather boots, finishing the look with a high ponytail and subtle makeup. I had considered a T-shirt and jeans but I was worried the casual dressing thing would turn out to be something like a trick question. I didn't want to take even the tiniest chances of losing this project. I searched for a blonde head in the direction I was headed.

"Here, Ma'am. Please excuse me."

My eyes fell on a head full of thick black wavy hair, longer at the top, faded on the sides and back. He was wearing a black t-shirt and his biceps strained under the sleeves. The man had very broad shoulders and was currently looking at his phone. I felt some uneasiness as I looked at him. Like I was missing something very important.

I looked around just to make sure I wasn't accidentally taken to the wrong table. As far as I knew Samantha Benson was a slender blond woman and not a dark-haired hunk. However, I wouldn't put it past people nowadays to modify themselves. The table was placed more privately as a wall of fake hanging ivy stopped any prying eyes.

"Excuse me...Are you here instead of Ms Benson?", I asked going around the table to face him.

Am I hallucinating...?

Why am I seeing him?

What in the actual HELL is going on??!

What on earth is he doing here?!

I couldn't even bring myself to form any rational thought after my initial surprise as we looked at each other. He was always good at shielding his emotions. But I could see the smoulder in them. The intensity that could turn me on and frighten me at the same time. It didn't help that he was the most good-looking guy I'd ever known and he was currently standing in front of me hotter than ever before. I could feel the tumults below my belly as I looked at him. How was it humanly possible to have a glow-up when you were already perfect, to begin with?

"Natalia", he slid his gaze over the length of my body and I almost shivered.

The dignity of New York's favourite architect just withered and died at the sound of a man's voice.

His voice always affected me so strongly. With time, it had gained a prominent bass undertone that sent vibrations straight to my core. It has been nearly 6 years since I last saw him.

"Alessandro."

PLAY IT COOL.

"Looks like you weren't expecting me," he said, still looking intensely at me.

Yea, no shit.

"What's with you and Primo Capo?"

"I thought you did your research before you came here? You used to be that type before."

"Stop beating around. I don't have much time. And where's Ms Benson?"

"I'm the CEO. I did everything under Samantha's name because I knew if you knew it was me, you wouldn't come. Weren't you ever curious about me, at least to know what I'd been up to?"

I was. But I stopped myself. I didn't want to think or see anything related to you. It was the only way.

But I was dying to know how he got there. That too in six years. I've been living under a rock. I wish I'd told Lucy about this. I wouldn't have been so caught off guard. 

"No", I didn't say anything else. This man could unravel me like no one else.

"Liar. I thought we'd established we would value honesty."