LONELY HEARTS (COMPLETE)

Chapter 6: The Date

After stopping by the bar for a couple drinks, Gemma reaches her apartment door and fidgets for the keys in her purse. She unlocks the door, kicks off her heels, and turns on the lights. Gemma lights a few candles and places one on the dining table. Upon setting it down, she's shaken as she sees the black box sitting on the table. Gemma can now feel a presence in behind her in the living room. The lights weren't on there yet and there were still some shadows preventing her from seeing clearly. She kept a gun in one of her kitchen drawers and quickly reaches for the handle.

Gemma pulls out the gun with one hand and flips the living room lights with the other.

"Matteo!?", Gemma shouts at him as he's sitting in one of her chairs.

"What are you gonna do, shoot me?", he laughs, standing up.

"Maybe", she replies, cocking the gun. "What are you doing in my fucking house".

"You said if you wanted a gift delivered personally, it should be given by the actual person", Matteo answers.

Gemma is floored at this point by Matteo's actions. "This guy is unbelievable", she thought. Yet for some reason, she was a little happy to see him again. Matteo was now standing closer to Gemma, right in front of her. His broad self towered over her. She smelled that familiar scent of cigarettes and cologne and she somehow still found it intoxicating. It was like masculinity and danger all at once. Gemma shakes her head out her trance and focuses on the current situation.

"Why are you here, Matteo", she asks, annoyed.

"I'll cut to the chase, I'm here to take you out tomorrow night".

Gemma scoffs. "I don't think so".

"And why not"?

"Let's see: you send me gifts I don't want, you stalk me, and now you've broken into my house and you want me to go out on a date with you"!?

"Maybe I just want what I can't have", Matteo chuckles. And it was true, it made him angry and frustrated that a woman was saying no to him. He was more so using this date to try and prove to himself that he could get whatever he wanted, he didn't care much about Gemma or her brash personality at this point. "I'll pick you up tomorrow night at 8pm". With that, Matteo calmly opens the door and leaves like everything that just happened was completely normal.

"What the fuck", Gemma mouthed. "She definitely didn't want to go, absolutely not... right? She couldn't actually be contemplating on going on a date with Matteo Ciccone, was she?

"God, that guy is such an asshole", she tells herself.

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It was noon the next day and Gemma had the day off. She had just finished cleaning around the apartment when a knock on the door interrupted her. Gemma opened the door only to see no one there. She looked around until she discovered a package at her feet. Grabbing the item, she shuts the door and pulls out the card hanging off the ribbon.

"Wear this tonight" it read. Gemma opened the package to reveal a beautiful silk gown. It was rose gold with thin straps. She really did love the dress, but hated that he was trying to tell her what to do.

"Is this guy for real"? she scoffed. "Who does he think he is to dress me?" At that moment, Gemma made the decision to go on that date.

"I'm gonna give him a piece of my mind", she thought.

It was 7:55 that evening as Gemma slipped on her nude strapped sandals to pair her with light yellow dress. It was a floaty chiffon that hugged her curves just right. She glanced at the box of earrings on the dining table and purposefully didn't put them on.

A knock on the door came through and Gemma opened it to reveal Matteo in a black suit. He was in the middle of tightening his tie, his tattooed hands clenching the knot. This action only made Gemma daydream about those hands on her, but she quickly shook them off.

"Hello... Matteo...", she grumbled.

Matteo caught sight of her and was immediately floored. He thought she was beautiful. The shine of her glossy lips, the way her hair curled loosely at the bottom which allowed it to flow down the sides of her breasts.

"You're not wearing the dress", Matteo cleared his throat. He felt a little disappointed.

"Thank for the dress, but I prefer to make my own choices", she replied flatly.

"Fair enough. Shall we?" Matteo points her towards his black Mercedes. He opens the door for her and she glides in effortlessly. "Wow, he's actually driving himself this time", she thought.

"So, where are we going"?, she asked.

"I know a great Italian place a little ways from here, you'll like it".

"This guy think he knows everything, doesn't he"

They arrived in midtown Manhattan to the most elegant Italian restaurant. It was a sleek building with wide glass windows and the people inside it were just as elegant. Matteo opened her door and she stepped out into the cool summer breeze. He hands the keys to the valet and they walk inside.

"Why am I here", she said to herself again. That question kept racking her brain. She originally set out to annoy Matteo. But even so, why was she going to such great lengths to do it? "Oh my God, I'm really on a date".