ARTHUR
Adam and Kornelia stared at me in silence, and under their piercing gaze, a certain anxiety began to grow inside me. Enhancing this atmosphere, the interior of the restaurant in the distance seemed dull and hazy.
"I would be very grateful to you," - Adam said after a pause, his voice sounding thoughtful, as if he was carefully considering how to respond to my offer correctly. Suddenly, he kissed Kornelia gently on the cheek, as if conveying his love and confidence to her, and left the restaurant with a carefree smile, leaving me confused.
A deep breath filled my chest, but with it a strange feeling of jealousy arose inside me. Kissing, touching, loving glances â all this penetrated into my soul. The whole world around us went dark, and only we remained here, in this restaurant, as if in our own private world.
"I'll take a taxi,"- Kornelia said after a while. I felt like I wanted to object, but I caught a glimpse of her displeased frown on her forehead. "Don't complicate it, remember," - she added, emphasizing her position. I have no more words left.
"I think it's time for me to go," - Kornelia said after a while and started fidgeting in her chair to pack her things. At that very moment, the waiter came over, bringing dessert. Her eyes darted questioningly from the waiter to me. "I ordered this for you,"- I said hastily, anticipating the question she could only ask.
"Why?"- she came with a short remark, full of bewilderment.
"You used to started with dessert before, remember. You said you didn't want to put off something that could make you happy right now. That's why you always ate dessert first and then the main dish," - I said. After a short pause, I added, "This is teramisu, you like it."
There were notes of regret in her gaze. As if she missed her old self. As if she didn't like who she had become.
"I don't eat sweets anymore," - she shrugged.
"Why?"- I asked.
"I've changed, Arthur. A lot," - she said in a serious tone, a sense of deep loss in her voice. I heard regret in my voice.
"Yeah, I can see,"- I whispered, trying to hide my disappointment. "What have happened to this woman?" - a thought flashed through my mind.
"This is life, I suppose," - she whispered softly, but I could hear. She got up from the table and headed out of the restaurant. My hands trembled as I left the money on the table, paying for dinner, and hurriedly followed her.
Outside, she stood by the side of the road, her flowing dress and hair blowing in the cold wind. She was waiting for a taxi.
"Let me give you a ride," - I shouted after her, my pleading sounding nervous in the air. She turned in my direction, her face was marred by sadness, and she just shook her head negatively. I moved closer to her, closing the distance between us.
"What are you doing tomorrow?" - I asked after a moment. She rolled her eyes irritably, as if my questions were unnecessary. "Please, Arthur, stop..." - she started.
But I didn't let her finish. I interrupted her and said with determination in my voice, "We still haven't been able to discuss your project. Come to my office tomorrow, I have a few questions."
She nodded sheepishly, confirming her agreement when her taxi pulled up. She reached for the door handle, but I took the initiative and helped her open the door. She got into the car, silently, and carefully picked up her dress, which was dragging on the ground.
I closed the distance between us, my lips leaned to her ear, and I whispered "You were beautifull today." A faint but visible smile appeared on her face, which I could catch. It was the first time she had smiled this evening.
I closed the door of the taxi and watched it drive away down the road.
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Thank you so much for finishing this chapter. I really hope you like it.
I'm looking forward to see you in the next one!
~ NALI
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