"Hey…" Sasha's voice was low, almost a whisper carried by the gentle evening wind.
Luca turned, already standing perfectly upright by the bench where he had been watching the dhows glide across the creek.
When he saw her, the meticulous algorithm he had been running in his head momentarily stalled. She was wearing an off-white top and simple wide leg jeans. Her dark hair flowing past her shoulders. It was a relaxed, understated look that somehow amplified her natural grace. She carried herself not with the stiff anxiety of their first date, but with a quiet and composed nervousness.
"Hi Sasha" he replied, his voice a steady baritone, instantly defaulting to his usual confident, professional demeanor.
He kept his hands out of his pockets, a conscious effort to appear open, though his posture remained rigidly formal.
Sasha offered a small, awkward smile. A signature expression that made her face momentarily light up and she took a small step toward him.
"Did I make you wait?"
"No, you are on time" Luca assured her. He made sure to deliver the line Ayaan had suggested, linking her fabricated excuse to the present moment.
"I hope you didn't rush from your meeting with your friend."
"No sir, uhm… Mr. Meyer" she stammered, catching herself. The slip of the tongue, calling him 'Sir' was ingrained from years of corporate protocol. Its a habit she had picked up from listening to Sameer in the office. It was easier to think of him as her boss than as her date.
Luca did not flinch. His expression softened slightly, releasing a gentle smile of confirmation.
"It's fine sasha. Just call me whatever you are comfortable with."
The permission, delivered with such calm sincerity was disarming. Sasha felt a knot in her stomach loosen. She nodded and returned his smile. Now she is slightly less awkward, though the underlying current of nerves still pulsed beneath her surface composure.
"Can we walk…?" Sasha asked, subtly gesturing with a hand toward the wide, long path that ran along side the water. The movement was a quiet request for dynamic motion, a way to channel her nervous energy.
"Sure" Luca agreed immediately.
They started walking side by side. The path was made of smooth interlocking pavement, flanked on one side by the dark, lapping water of the creek and on the other by manicured parkland. The air was cool and invigorating, a relief after the day's residual heat.
There was a noticeable, polite gap between them. A space Luca instinctively maintained, a physical reflection of his respectful distance.
He knew he needed to start a conversation and learn about her through that as Ayaan had instructed, rather than firing off a list of questions.
"You come here often?" Luca asked, starting with the immediate surroundings.
Sasha's eyes were fixed ahead, following the path as she spoke, a gentle smile lifting the corners of her mouth.
"Yeah… When I first came here, during the job hunting time, I used to live in Ghubaiba. And this place was my comfort spot. After every rejection I got from interviews, I came here before going back to the room." She spoke easily, the memory coloring her voice with a soft nostalgia, explaining rather than just answering.
Luca subtly shifted his gaze from the path to her profile. He observed the genuine warmth in her expression, the way she was narrating a part of her past without the slightest hint of the rigid awkwardness she'd worn on their first date.
A faint, internal wave of relief washed over him. He felt, perhaps for the first time on a date, a subtle satisfaction that he had managed to elicit this ease.
"I see. This place is somehow calming, though. But aren't you currently living in Karama?" he inquired. He was paying attention, recalling the details in the employee's information file.
"Yeah. I had a roommate while I used to live here" Sasha continued.. her story unfolding naturally.
"We both were in the job hunting phase at the same time. And when she moved there, I went along with her. Without the extra luxury and huge premium living, Karama holds something else which no part of Dubai has… Something that feels like home."
She turned her head and looked at Luca, the warmth of her smile extending to him. He simply smiled back, a sincere gesture this time and he looked forward again by acknowledging her sentiment without interrupting the flow.
It was in that moment Sasha realized how easily she was opening up. She had been so consumed by her past, recounting her memories, that she hadn't felt the pressure of the date. Alarmed by her one sided monologue, she mentally slapped herself. Ask him something! Don't let him get bored of only your story.
"So.. is there any particular place you usually visit?" she asked, trying to sound genuinely curious and making sure his words would also be validated.
"Actually there is none. Most of the time, I will be at my apartment or at the office" he answered quickly and calmly. The directness was typical Luca, a concise statement of fact.
Sasha's eyes widened slightly in disbelief. "You don't like going out…?"
He understood the implied question immediately. "I'm fine with both. Whether going out or staying at home. And yes, I will be out mostly with Ayaan or with my brother."
"Oh…" she said to herself, nodding slowly as she processed this new image of the cold CEO. The simple answer made him sound less like a titan of industry and more like a regular man with a small intimate circle.
The cold breeze, carrying the faint salty scent of the creek passed, gently touching them both. They continued walking side by side. The rhythmic sound of their footsteps the only constant noise against the backdrop of the distant city hum.
Luca's hands remained inside his pants pockets, a gesture of contained power. Sasha, meanwhile, walked more freely, occasionally fiddling with the strap of her simple shoulder bag.
Around them, the life of the park unfolded.. joggers streamed past, their breathing labored. Couples sat close on benches, watching the water. Groups of friends laughed near the kiosks. They were surrounded by vignettes of ordinary, human connection.
"And Sasha…"
He spoke after several minutes of comfortable yet charged silence. She looked up at him, her attention immediately focused, waiting for him to speak. He stopped walking, turning his body slightly toward her.
"I never had any relationship before."
The words were dropped casually, a simple, declarative statement.
Sasha's legs stopped mid-stride. She stared at him in utter disbelief.
"No way," she suddenly blurted out, the filter between her brain and her mouth completely failing.
Luca raised an eyebrow, genuinely confused by her sudden, unexpected outburst.
"What?"
"Ha… uhm… I mean… Why? You-you never been in a relationship?" Sasha stammered, struggling to recover her composure.
"Yes" Luca simply confirmed, his expression one of perfect calm.
"Why? I mean… why?"
"I didn't think about that before" he said, and with that he resumed walking, leaving her to catch up.
Sasha walked alongside him in stunned silence, her mind reeling.
Never thought about that before?
An almost 30 yearold, such a handsome, successful, talented man never thought about a relationship before?
The concept defied her every expectation of a man like him. It was a bewildering piece of information that painted his professional stiffness in a completely new light.
"So what I meant is" Luca continued, delivering the punchline of his statement with the quiet pride of a student who has successfully memorized a key fact.
"you don't have to get worried about any random girl suddenly rushing in between us claiming my ex or something."
It was one of the key points Ayaan had taught him. A way to leverage his inexperience as a positive assurance.
Sasha's mouth slightly fell open, a silent 'O' escaping her lips.
God, why…? The robotic brain in work is so… innocent in relationship?
[To be continued]