The Dark Side of the Moon

Chapter 41: Florence

-Florence’s P.O.V-

The scene was perfectly romantic, with candle lit booths lining the walls. Joullian sat across from me, donned in a crisp, clean suit that hung off of his tall frame. I was dressed formally myself, a silver dress that I’d bought the month before had been dragged out of the closet. My hair had been washed and curled, adorned with silver clips and my necklace had been borrowed from my mother’s collection. All in all, I was very out of place and nervous didn’t begin to describe what I was feeling right now.

We were at Pacino’s, an Italian restaurant in the heart of Banff. The seats were comfortable wooden chairs that looked as if they were antique, and the tables were decorated with white tablecloths and a single red rose. In my opinion it was very cheesy, but I couldn’t exactly turn Joullian down on this one. He’d looked so earnest when he’d asked, telling me that it was time to have a proper date, dinner at a fancy restaurant in town. 

Not that this wasn’t enjoyable, it just wasn’t me. While the food was exquisite, the expense made me nervous. I felt horrible choosing a plain spaghetti bolognaise, for the price had me cringing as Joullian had opted to pay for the night. My fingers curled and toyed around the hem of my dress and my free hand was swirling my fork around the plate trying to uselessly catch a strand of stray pasta.

Joullian though – ever the gentleman – was keeping the conversation steady by asking about my family. “So your parents, I haven’t seen or heard of them?” he asked.

“They’re avid travelers unfortunately for us. This has been their biggest trip yet. They’re discovering the nooks and crannies of Europe – their words not mine – at the moment, but they’re having fun and that’s important,” I finished and looked over at his features.

He gave me a warm smile. “You’d think they would want to bring the children along too, or do they believe they don’t have any?” he joked.

I laughed and shook my head. “Not at all! My older brothers are applying for jobs now, and travelling would be inconvenient. As for me, well I have to finish school first.”

“Well I’m glad that you weren’t whisked away to Europe this year, because then I would never have met you,” his hand slid across the table and grasped mine. He was so sweet, albeit cheesy. I smiled and poked his arm.

“I bet you use that line all the time you big cheese ball,” a blush spread across my cheeks.

“Only for you babe,” he laughed, repeating his words from when we’d met. I was surprised that he remembered, but when I look back we’d only known each other for less than a month. Time flies.

I checked my watch and my eyebrows shot up in surprise. It was already twenty past at night, I needed to get home! I looked up to Joullian, ready to tell him exactly that, but he had already motioned the waiter over.

“We’ll have the bill, please.”

I averted my eyes as Joullian signed off the large sum of money for tonight, but he waved my unease away, saying he had a steady job that would easily allow for this kind of thing. We left the restaurant and drove back to my house in his cute, little blue car. By the time he cut the engine at the curb I was a jumble of nerves.

I’d watched too many romance movies; you know the ones where the male love interest kisses the girl at her door before saying good night? Would it be rude to wish him goodnight and then high-tail it up to my room? Should I make the first move? Oh God, this was more complicated than I had thought!

It seemed as if time had slowed down as Joullian opened his door and got out of the car. He walked around the bonnet and opened mine, then helped me out. We walked to the front door, and I wished that my brothers weren’t watching. Somehow sensing my distress though, he gave me a smile and pecked me on the cheek instead, saying goodnight and a thank you for coming. I surreptitiously exhaled a lungful of air and said the same, before stepping inside and pressing my back to the closed door. My sensitive hearing picked up the thrum of his car pottering down the street and slowly fading, and it wasn’t until then that my heart beat calmed down.