Right after she finished her meal, Ariane paid for the food she ordered and left in a hurry afterwards. And when she was already outside the restaurant, she searched for her next destination using the Google Maps app on her phone.
Ariane was busy comprehending the graphics on the map displayed on her phone screen while walking with no destination in particular. So apparently, she did not notice the person walking towards her and ended up bumping into that person. And a few moments later, she just found herself wrapped around the arms of a man with a pair of green almond-shaped eyes, natural red goldilocks lips, and a well-defined celestial nose.
Ariane can’t help but admire the man in front of her. His arresting eyes are really hard to resist, to the point that they are already enchanting. And because of that, she can’t take her eyes off of him... and so is he. So basically, they were just staring at each other for a couple of moments until Ariane’s eyes widen in shock when she feels the loud beating of her heart. But she can’t think of anything at the moment. All she could see was the person holding her waist, and she couldn’t hear anything aside from the loud and fast beating of her heart, which was equivalent to music to her ears. But she was brought back to her senses when she heard the man’s baritone voice, which completely wrecked her whole being.
“Are you on your way to Ponte Vecchio?” the man asked casually, as if they were not in an awkward situation.
Ariane can’t stop herself from frowning at the man’s question.
“H-How did you know?” Ariane asked, stuttering due to the little distance left between them.
“It shows there.” The man pointed his finger at Ariane’s phone that was lying on the ground.
With that, Ariane immediately straightened her back and altered her stance as she set herself free from the arms of the man who was still staring at her.
“Aren’t you going to pick up your phone?” the man asked in a friendly and concerned manner, which made Ariane stare at him even more.
Ariane feels like she was bewitched and hypnotized, and she can’t do anything against it.
“H-Huh?” she asked subconsciously.
The man chuckled at her reaction. “I’ll do it.” The man picked up the phone from the ground and handed it to her while still wearing his signature smile. “Here.”
Ariane was still lost in her thoughts when she accepted her phone. “T-Thanks.”
“My pleasure.” The man smiled at her. A kind of smile that can make a woman’s knees tremble, and that’s what Ariane felt at the very moment.
“I’m Matteo Emanuele Toscano, by the way. And you are?” the man introduced himself as he extended his hand to Ariane.
Ariane cleared her throat, trying to pull herself from her reverie before accepting Matteo’s hand for a handshake. “Ariane.” She awkwardly smiled before introducing herself properly. “Ariane Nabor.”
“Nice name. It suits you,” Matteo commented.
“T-Thanks,” Ariane awkwardly replied.
Ariane wanted to scold herself for acting like a teenager. She can even feel her face heating up, so she had no choice but to avoid Matteo’s gaze so she could calm herself... especially her heart.
“So, what brought you here? A tourist?” Matteo asked casually, as if it wasn’t his first time befriending a tourist he just met.
“Yeah. It’s my first time here. And I’m from the Philippines, by the way.” Ariane felt relieved when she was able to answer Matteo’s question without stammering this time.
YOU ARE READING
In Between
RomanceAriane Nabor is a Filipino citizen who loves to travel. She began traveling back and forth when she was twenty-seven. She doesn't settle in one place. It was her first time being away from her hometown, and she's very satisfied that she's been able...
