Sasha settled back into the passenger seat of the luxury sedan, a genuine, relaxed smile curving her lips. The awkward tension that had clung to her like damp fabric had finally been wrung out by the easy conversation and the shared warmth of the tiny bakery.
She turned slightly toward Luca, who was now navigating the quiet evening traffic.
His focus, she noted, wasn't purely on driving. He seemed preoccupied, his knuckles resting lightly on the wheel, his gaze occasionally drifting, perhaps still recalling the conversation in the tunnel.
"So.." she began, her tone light with curiosity. "You have any idea how our families brought up this blind date? I mean, my side of the story is pretty standard. My mom and my aunt." She paused, amused by the sheer randomness that had thrown her, the interior designer, into the path of her boss, the CEO.
"Honestly, I have no clue how my aunt even knows anyone related to you."
Luca's expression was thoughtful, a slight crease forming between his perfect eyebrows. "My mother explained it very simply, which is how she explains most things." He turned his head briefly to meet her eye.
"She said she ran into an old friend at a old classmate gathering. She must have been your aunt, right? She sounded quite enthusiastic about the introduction."
Sasha nodded, the pieces fitting together perfectly. "Hm... yeah, now I got it. So your mom and my aunt were classmates. That explains the extreme enthusiasm and the utter secrecy."
Just as the topic closed, Luca's phone rang. The call was automatically routed through the car's system, the sound filling the quiet interior.
"Tell," Luca answered, his voice a simple, low command that was characteristic of his professional self.
The voice that answered was unmistakably Ayaan's, vibrant and slightly muffled, as if he were speaking with his mouth full.
"Yeah bro, your neighborhood aunty again brought some sweets. I know you are on your strict sugar-cut diet, so I am taking this for the team" Ayaan announced with exaggerated martyrdom, followed by a clearly audible, satisfied chew.
Sasha's eyes widened, and she involuntarily turned to stare at Luca in undisguised disbelief.
A strict sugar-cut diet?
The question screamed silently in her head.
Yet he just ate a cream bun, two layers of cake, and half of my sesame snaps that i recommended?
Luca meanwhile, remained utterly unfazed.
"Did you just call me to tell me that?" he asked, his tone flat.
"Nah. I got a call from your dear brother. He is leaving tonight-.."
"I know" Luca interjected smoothly, cutting him off mid-sentence.
"Yes, ofcourse you know everything under the sun except roma-.."
Before Ayaan could complete the word, which Sasha was certain was going to be romance, Luca's thumb stabbed the end-call button on the steering wheel.
The sudden silence was punctuated only by the low hum of the car engine. Luca focused back on his driving, appearing completely unbothered by the abrupt termination of the call or the preceding interruption.
Sasha couldn't hold it in. The question was too pivotal to the evening's experience.
"You were on a sugar-cut diet?" she asked, her voice a mix of astonishment and faint accusation.
He looked at her, his expression neutral, and simply nodded.
"Then you should have told me!" she exclaimed, a flicker of guilt crossing her face. "Why did you eat that cream bun? You don't have to-.."
"Sasha. Sasha, relax.." he said, the sudden use of her name sounding like a gentle, logical command. He slowed the car slightly, giving her his full attention for a moment. "I ate it because I wanted to. Not to be humble or to impress you or something."
His voice dropped to that direct, serious tone she was beginning to recognize as his emotional sincerity.
"When I said that I am interested in knowing about each other, I meant it. I want to try to work this out, and that means experiencing things with you, even if they aren't on my usual agenda."
He paused, then added, with a characteristic touch of his corporate mindset, "And about the cream bun... if I can't break a little calorie rule and then burn it off, what is the point of working on my body's efficiency? It's a calculated risk, Sasha."
Sasha was dumbfounded. She stared at him as he seamlessly resumed driving, having just dismissed a strict diet rule with the logic of a man analyzing a quarterly report.
Oh God... again... she thought, feeling a dizzying warmth spread across her face. How come I never knew this side of my boss all these years?
I think I'm going to fall for him anytime now.
Was i blushing? For him breaking his strict diet rule just to share a sugary pastry with me? Really?
Sasha, you are so crazyyy...
Lost in a whirl of internal panic and sheer happiness, she was content just staring at him, or more accurately, peeking at the strong line of his jaw and the intent concentration in his profile.
A few minutes later, the car pulled to a smooth stop right in front of the building where she lived.
"Uhm... would you like to come inside?" she asked hesitantly, suddenly anxious about the state of her small apartment. "It's not that nice... yet."
"I will" he said simply, turning the car off. The small gesture of stopping the engine felt significant. "But not now. Thank you for asking. Actually, I want to drop my brother off at the airport."
"Oh..ok.. Bye then" she said, feeling a familiar pang of awkwardness returning now that the second date was officially over. She offered a quick, simple wave of her hand before opening the door.
He watched her enter the lobby, waiting until the main door clicked shut behind her.
Sasha walked into the elevator, her cheeks now definitely sporting a slight blush. The evening had been perfect, strange, and entirely unforgettable.
Meanwhile, Luca restarted the engine, he made a calculated three-point turn and drove back, heading directly for Al Ghubaiba.. back toward where his brother stayed.
He had just driven to drop Sasha off, thus extending the date for one more unnecessary, wonderful hour.
[To be continued]