Accept My Baby

“New Jersey,” she said in a soft voice.

“New Jersey?” he smiled. “You seem like more of a New York kind of girl.”

She smiled and shrugged.

“I was…I think I still am. But…” her voice trailed off. “It’s a long story, one that I don’t want to get into right now.”

“So are you here doing a piece on the life and culture of Italy?” he asked and she nodded.

“Turin to be specific. I did a piece on Rome and The Vatican but this time I am solely focused on Turin.”

“Sounds great. You know, if you want I could show you around.”

“Thanks, but you don’t have to.”

“Just hear me out. I think I can take you to places you wouldn’t be able to see without my help,” he said and she laughed. This guy was slowly but surely crossing over from confidence to arrogance and she was almost sure that he didn’t even realize it.

“I still believe that you don’t have to,” she said.

“Well, I insist,” he said, smiling. “You never know, I might just be able to take your mind off whatever it is you are avoiding in New Jersey.”

Amanda smiled and took a sip of her lemonade again, wondering how she was going to respond to that. But she could not think of saying anything that would ensure she didn’t divulge everything she was running away from.

“So how long do you plan on being here?” he asked and she shrugged.

“I don’t know. I’m not sure really…a couple of weeks. A month maybe?” she said.

“That’s barely enough time to see all that Turin has to offer. Maybe you could extend your trip?”

She smiled and shrugged.

“I don’t know. I’ll see how everything goes.”

Rafael looked at her for a long time before he finally spoke again.

“That’s too bad because I was hoping to see you again. To have you all to myself away from all this music and people, away from all this mayhem.”

Her lips were slightly parted as he looked at her. She did not know what she was supposed to say to him. She had a million thoughts running through her mind.

“What?” she asked, surprised at what she had heard.

“You heard me,” he said as he looked into her eyes. “I would like to take you out sometime. Dinner maybe.”

“Dinner?” she asked.

“Dinner,” he echoed. “We could go to a restaurant but I am one hell of a cook and I would love to show off my culinary prowess.”

She forced out a laugh.

“I literally just met you.”

“Yes, it’s been a good half hour and if you say no, you will just be delaying the inevitable,” he said and she took another sip of her lemonade.

“You sound pretty sure of yourself,” she said.

“That’s because I am,” he pointed out. “And I would follow you out to New Jersey too…or New York. Wherever you decide to go.”

Amanda put her glass down and stood up. She wanted to say what made her suddenly get up but her throat was dry. Her glossed lips were slightly parted as she tried getting the words in her mind out but she couldn’t quite find her voice.

“Hey,” Rafael stood up. He was standing close to her, a little too close for comfort. She could smell his breezy cologne, that was how close he was to her at that moment. “Did I say something to upset you?”

“No, I just…I think it is just better if I head home…I mean back to my friend’s apartment,” she said in a low voice.

“I’ll take you,” he said but she shook her head.

“No, I’m fine. I’m fine.”

“No, Amanda.” He took a step closer to her, getting himself right in front of her. “You are the first person I have met who I can actually talk to and I know that it has been just a few minutes but that is enough to make me realize that I want to see you again.”

“See me again? Really?” she asked. “I don’t think it would be a good idea to…”

She never had a chance to finish what she was saying. He slipped an arm around her waist and pulled her close to him. She gasped silently as he held her against his body.

“I don’t know what you have heard about me, Amanda. But I can tell you one thing. I like you. I like how simple you are, how natural you are, how mature you are.” He pulled away and ran his eyes down her body before he looked into her eyes. “I haven’t met anyone like you in a very long time and I want to get to know you better.”

His arm was still around her waist and subconsciously, her hands were on his shoulders.

“Let me show you around,” he said in a soft voice. “And let me wine and dine you like the sophisticated woman you are.”

Amanda was not sure whether it was his upfront Tony Stark personality that appealed to her so much or the fact that he seemed to believe in himself more than anyone she had ever known. There were two conflicting voices in her head. One screaming to her that she should have pulled away and just walked off but at the same time, there was something about being in his arms. Some sort of comfort that she just had not felt in a long time.

“Even if you don’t agree to dinner, then let me take you around town,” he said, softly.

She did not know how but the next word out of her mouth surprised even her.

“Okay.”