I was at my apartment. I got ready for the date and waited patiently for Dante to pick me up. This date is meant for the public eye, which I don't mind, and I am sure we will need many more like it in the future. Which I definitely don't mind. Now, other things were bugging me; for example, what next? Already there is so much on my plate, and from tomorrow more will be added.
Everyone was eager and, in a dilemma, not knowing how to react to the news. No one was satisfied with a one-sided announcement, and Dante was neutral, adding more spice to the juicy gossip that circulated. Now, Dante would confirm things, and this would be a huge turning point for both of us, which he could handle, and I am a little worried about myself. I am acting like a virgin letting a date get into me. This is not new for me; I have dealt with gossip before, but the situation never came where I had to deal with dating a guy. Never once, so yeah, it was a completely new path for me, and I don't know how to act in this kind of relationship. Fake or not, I need to play my part, and that's the problem.
How should I act?
I can skip the sex part completely, but I don't know about the kissing part, which may become necessary at a certain point.
Am I ready to kiss a guy? The thought of kissing is somewhat unsettling, so I prefer not to delve too deeply into it yet. When I was dating Isabella, I was like, Ready to go, guy-caring, too lovely and sweet, adorable too. I was an all-in-one guy and still got cheated on. That's beside the point for now. So, now, who is playing whom? I am playing the Rowan part; that's not debatable, and Dante can play his. That's that, right? I sighed, not getting how other things work. Like, opening the car door—that's too much; we can skip the part. Pulling out the chair, that's a sweet gesture, so Dante should do it as he is pursuing me. Right! Dante is pursuing me; that solved the problem. He should be an all-in-all guy for me, so I think that's settled then. I hummed in excitement. I am being pursued by Dante Morris. My adrenaline pumped for an entirely different reason, and my heart skipped a beat at the level of excitement I am feeling right now.
The doorbell rang, causing me to come out of my dreamy world. I rushed toward the mirror; once again, I checked myself. After giving the thumbs up to my outfit, I walked to open the door.
As I opened the door, I saw Dante was typing furiously. This is not how you greet your date for the first time while going on a dinner date. "Hi, shall we?" For a brief moment, he faced me and was back to texting. I was annoyed watching him. "For the past 30 minutes, I had a monologue about the whole thing," I stated, and he paused whatever he was doing and arched his eyebrow. "This whole dating thing," I stressed the words. "Ok, but why?" He was still perplexed. "Because I never dated a guy." I gave him a duh look. His eyes were focused on me, studying, probably. "I have not dated any guy either." He stated. "But I don't find any big deal in this." Wow, I couldn't believe he just said that. "Dating is not a big deal?" I shouted at him, and he smiled in return. "Rowan, it's a fake date; relax." I huffed at that. "Fake or not, it's a damn date, and you are pursuing me," I stressed the last part so he gets my point. "We were friends once, so this is easy to deal with; relax, ok? We can do a catch-up while having dinner." He answered my questions, pouring water on my imagination. "Oh." I was really taken aback by his explanation, not getting what I was expecting exactly from him. "Whatever." I passed him, and he started following me. He chuckled behind me while following.
We were in the elevator, and Dante spoke. "It's our first date; you are already annoyed." He stated the obvious. "It's just, I don't know how this whole thing works." "Rowan, you are making a big deal for no reason." Why is he taking this so lightly? "It is a big deal for me. There is so much tied to this, and you know it." "I will guide you with everything; just follow my words that's not that hard, right?" "Yeah, I guess," I murmured. "It's a fake date, Rowan, so chill, will you?" "Hey, fake or not, pursuing matters, and you want me; it does matter." I was stunned, and Dante was in shock. Things went completely silent as the words left my mouth. We stared at each other, and our breaths hitched at that in unison. Things turned too much; I am definitely taking this whole thing to a different level. "You should woo me," I spoke to break the awkwardness, keeping my face serious. He chuckled at that. "You are taking this whole thing to a new level." He smirked at that. I hummed at that; for sure, I am.
We entered a classic five-star restaurant, and we were guided to the reserved table. The ambience was marvellous and welcoming. It was a little crowded; as we entered, all the heads turned to us. Suddenly, it felt overwhelming once again, not knowing how to take or act in this type of situation. "You should try to smile." I nodded at him, trying to mimic what he told me. "And relax." Once again, I nodded, trying my best to go along with this date.
As the waiter arrived, we placed our order, and Dante ordered the wine. We didn't speak for a while, and I tried my best to relax and enjoy myself. The waiter arrived with the wine; after pouring, he excused himself. I started sipping, and Dante did the same.
A few minutes and a few sips- that's all it took me. Sure, the wine did its magic. I exhaled a slow, relaxing breath; my nerves were loosening up. I took the privilege to break the silence. "You cut the ties between us, completely." This question was always bugging me. I even asked him before, but he didn't give an explanation. "It had to be done, Rowan." I nodded, trying to buy his reason. I had follow-up questions, but I held back because I knew he wasn't going to give an honest answer, just a vague one to cover up the truth.
Our order arrived. As I saw chicken-related dishes, my hunger kicked in double, and greedily I served more than necessary on my plate. Dante watched my every move, amused and chuckling when he saw my plate. I am diet-conscious, but once in a while, I tend to skip it, but I do cover up my extra fat consumption while working out. I watched Dante as he served only half of the salad that he ordered and two chicken pieces along with green leaves. He started chewing the food, and I did the same, but the amount of enjoyment while eating was different. He didn't enjoy eating.
The conversation flowed; we spoke about everything wisely, not touching the major subjects. He spoke about how he was handling the company, the major issue, and his plan. He was far ahead of me in everything. In return, I shared what's really happening at my company and my status within the company. He didn't show pity or a concerned look, just listened. That's the major thing on my plate. I don't know how I am going to handle and come out of the web that was created within the company. Sure, the problem with Shreya might be solved because of Dante, but the issue may increase within the company. Dating Dante would give me some leverage; I really hope so. That's really stupid to think of taking advantage of him, but I really can't help it. I need a strong hand to use, and Dante is the one. He volunteered after all, so it's ok, I guess.
We were done with dinner and started walking out of the restaurant. As we stepped out, flashes started coming from everywhere. I closed the distance and glued myself to Dante, who took a hint; his hand moved toward my waist, guiding me toward his car, along with his guards. I hated the flashes my whole life, especially when they were covering the negative part. Today, I fell in love with them; they were everywhere, like we were surrounded by them. As we entered the car, I sighed in contentment. Thank God, things worked out as per plan. Now, I am eager for the reactions.
We reached my apartment. I got out of the car, and Dante did too. We stood there, and his eyes were observing the surroundings of the apartment. "Is this a secure place?" It was one of the richest neighbourhoods. "Yes." He had a displeased look on his face, clearly not liking the surroundings. "Ok," he answered. "I had a good time," I spoke too softly. God, what's with that voice? "Good night," I spoke with a hurried tone and started walking. "I will walk with you." I halted my steps in shock. He was beside me in no time, and we started walking together. We stayed silent all the way, not discussing anything. As I reached my flat door, I faced Dante, who was already facing me. "Do you have guards?" He was still stuck on the same thing. I nodded at him. Once again, his eyes scanned the floor, and he grumbled something underneath. "It's already late; take care, ok." "Yeah, you too." I returned his gesture, to which he nodded his head. I entered the flat and was about to close the door, but Dante still stood there. I arched an eyebrow at him. "Night, close the door, it's ok." I nodded and closed the door. I kind of liked it. That's odd; everything is so odd about this dating.
As I entered the mansion, Thomas greeted me with a wide grin, and I rolled my eyes at that. It's late; this man doesn't know the meaning of the word rest. "I presume the date went well." His grin turned wider. "Yes. I never thought dating was this easy-going." "If you are only dating the right guy." He added his insight. I hummed at that. "Dad." "On vacation, removing his stress with his lover." I snorted at that. "I can't believe he retired so early for this purpose." Thomas chuckled at that. "Let them enjoy Dante. Both are widows one way or another." I chuckled at that.
We occupied the couch, and Thomas's eyes were fixed on me studying. He always does that, and I hate it. "Is everything ok?" Everything that happened from the evening until now started hitting my mind. I am not getting how to take this date thing, knowing it's a fake one, and Rowan's acting is on another level.
"We had been on only one date, and it's already stressing me out," I spoke. Thomas chuckled at that. "I am not able to differentiate whether Rowan is acting or into this dating. " I pointed out the obvious, which was bugging my mind. "Apparently he likes that I am pursuing him. " I sighed and leaned on the chair. "Well, just enjoy; that's not that hard." Well, he had a point. "Before it lasts, grab as much as you can and store it in your memory. After all, you have been into him from a young age." I hummed at the idea, as I don't have any option other than enjoying the thing while it lasts. "Please be careful." Well, he never forgets to remind me of the same shit. "I know," I grumbled. "It was one time, and I was stupid." "I know, but I am cautioning you about something else. This date is just for the show; just play along. Don't ever fall even harder."
I shut my eyes at that. Everything in me stood straight; anger penetrated through my skin. I clenched my hand into a fist to control the overwhelming sensation once again, hitting me. Rowan would never be mine, no matter how much I try, try and try. There is a line between us, a thin line, and he stood on the opposite side. I can't pull him, can't drag him, nor can I force him. The line meant something: his happiness, and I should respect that, and I will throughout my life.
"We should arrange security around Rowan." That idiot is taking everything so lightly, not knowing the outcome of what we are doing. "He is living a blissful life, not aware of things going on around him and the consequences for the stunt that we are pulling." Thomas nodded in understanding. "It will be arranged." "I need someone to install a tracking device on his phone for the time being."I further added. "Someone needs to guard him 24/7. " "Don't you think it's a little bit too much? Rowan may become suspicious." "I will inform him if it's necessary. For the time being, let him be in the dark and enjoy his life." I clarified, and Thomas nodded in return. "Plus, trust me, I don't think he would notice anything. Ignorance is bliss for him, but it's really a bitch." Thomas chuckled at that.
We started talking about the company stuff, the recent acquisition that we were planning and an investment plan that's still in process. It always amazes me how I gain my energy when it comes to discussing stuff related to work. I can manage anything at the given point. I should really thank my dad for pouring so much into me at a young age and carving a strong path for me. At present, I can't be shaken in any circumstances.
"Speaking of Meredith, Dante, you should meet Shreya." I chuckled at that. "She is getting on everyone's nerves to meet you," I smirked at that. "It's time I should really meet her." "I don't know why you always poke the classy bitches, and Shreya is a top-notch one," Thomas grumbled. "She was a good distracter until things got ugly." "Seriously, ugly!" I chuckled at that. "Hmmm, ugly. I think tomorrow is possible, right?" "If you want." I thought about that, delaying only irks her, as much as I enjoy that I am not alone in this. I should think of Rowan. "Tomorrow." "Tomorrow, it is then." We bid goodbye for the night, and I started climbing the steps.
I am looking forward to this meeting.