บท 21: Dinner By The River

Stella stepped out of the car and was completely stunned at the sight. Before her was a restaurant with 'Charlotte and Fritz' written in bold letters. It had a garden before the main entrance door. The hedges were covered with tiny fairy lights, glowing in the dark.

Adam handed the car keys to the valet and guided Stella inside.

Stella was stunned again on seeing the interior of the place. It was not too much, but still had the touch of stateliness. Dark wood shades paired with golden, gave the place a tinge of royalty.

A waiter came forward and bowed his head before them slightly. He guided them to the second floor to a private room. They entered and took seats opposite to each other. The waiter scurried out the room.

Stella couldn't help but look at her surroundings in awe. The room's interior was kept minimalistic but still had its own charms. Moreover, the room was more like a balcony, looking over a river which flowed next to the restaurant.

A breeze of fresh air entered the room, making Stella smile. "When did you make the reservation?" She asked him.

"I didn't." He replied looking at her deeply.

She frowned at his answer. "I just have to inform them beforehand. So I just left a text before leaving the office." He explained to her.

"Oh!" She replied after registering his answer.

The waiter entered the room again, with their menus in his hand. He offered them those and waited patiently in the corner of the room as they decided their orders.

Adam looked at Stella who was going through the menu. He couldn't help but admire her more. The way her brows scrunched up when she was deciding what to eat.

"Why don't you let me decide your meal?" He suddenly asked her. "Have some faith in me, you will definitely like it." He continued when he saw her confused expressions.

"Okay." She reluctantly agreed

Adam went through the menu once again. "Beef steak for the lady with tomato, bulgur salad and avocado. Make sure it's completely done but not overcooked. I will have beef fillet served with vegetable confit and potato waffle." He spoke elegantly.

Turning to the wine section he said, "Get me a Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Romanee-Conti Grand Cru 1990." He said closing the menu.

The waiter wrote down their orders and went back.

While they waited for their order to arrive, Stella gazed outside. The beautiful weather paired with the night sky filled with clouds was a sight to behold. Along with that, the sound of water gushing was mesmerizing for her.

All the while Stella was looking outside, someone else was looking at her. Carefully taking in every single description about her and saving them in his memory. This was his most favorite room in the entire restaurant because of the beautiful sight it provides. One could just sit here for hours and admire the beautiful scenery. But to him it had never looked more beautiful before than it was right now.

Soon their orders arrived and they dug into them. The waiter served wine in their glasses and left.

They ate their dinner in silence, enjoying each other's company along with their food.

Adam glanced at Stella once in a while. 'How good would it have been if it wasn't just a dinner? He could have booked the entire rooftop for her. But he still had a long way to go before that.' He heaved out a long sigh.

'Why can't she just like me back? Why is it so hard to even have her attention?' He thought to himself.

Adam drank only a few gulps as he had to drive Stella and himself back.

After eating their dinner, Adam paid for the bill even though Stella insisted on splitting it up.

Adam glanced at her as they headed downstairs. Her pale cheeks were now tinged with a shade of pink because of the wine she had had earlier.

The valet brought out his car, Adam gave him a huge tip and drove the car to Stella's apartment once they were seated in it.

When they reached her apartment, Adam turned his head sideways to see her off only to find her sleeping peacefully.

'No wonder it was so quiet during the journey.' He thought.

Instead of waking her up directly, he parked the car on the side and turned off the ignition. Turning his head towards her again, he gazed at her petite features. She looked so fragile as if one harsh blow would shatter her into tiny pieces.

Adam was sure by now that he liked her, damn too much for his own good.

"I have to make you mine, or else I will completely lose my mind." He thought out loud.

He couldn't help but lean towards her slowly. Their faces now merely inches a part. Adam leaned in a bit more, his lips hovering over hers, his eyes looking intently at her face to monitor even the slightest of movement. His gaze fell down to her lips again, his throat running dry and his heartbeat became erratic.