Passion Abroad – A Billionaire Romance Novel

Chapter 9

When they finally got down from the mountain, Erica had a rush like she had never had before, but she was also hungry. They had left the hotel without having any food. She noticed a man standing at a corner selling what looked like croissants.

“Oh those look so good…” she started as she walked towards the man. Daniel held her hand and pulled her back.

“Actually, I know just where we are going to get a perfect American snack,” he said as he led her to the opposite direction.

“But they look so tempting,” she protested.

“More tempting than a hot dog on a stick?” he asked as he looked at her.

“Hot dog on a stick? Seriously? Here?”

“I picked up a few tricks last time I was here. As it turns out Ramon’s sister went to school in the States and she picked up a few tricks while out there. So when she found this place down here she was over the moon,” he said as they walked towards a small diner.

“Oh my God, I feel like I am right back at home,” she said with a smile as they walked into the small diner and took a seat at the counter. “This is so exciting,” she said in a low voice. Daniel smiled at her as he placed their order.

As Erica looked around, she couldn’t help but notice how similar the diner was to the Hot dog on a Stick joints she knew back at home. “Oh my God. Hot dogs, fries, large frizzy drinks? I’m definitely not feeling homesick,” she said as she bit into a crispy French fry.

“I knew you would like it,” he said as he looked at her. “So, tell me about your sister? Apart from the fact that you are fraternal, what else do I have to know?” he asked. She bit into another fry and shrugged.

“A whole lot,” she said as she looked at him. “For starters, I was the more laid back one, have always been really. She likes the outdoors and strange things like yoga and stuff.”

“What do you mean strange things like yoga? Your body screams yoga and Pilates. It’s hard for me to believe that you don’t like it.”

“No I love yoga. I actually do yoga stretches twice a week,” she smiled and shrugged.

Daniel shook his head confused. “I don’t get it.”

She smiled as she picked up her hot dog.

“What I mean is, she is the kind of person who would rather do unassisted water births and stuff like that while I would definitely opt for an epidural,” she explained. “I don’t even know how she ended up in accounts. Given her personality I was sure that she would end up selling her homemade jewelry.”    

Daniel looked at her and laughed. “Accounts?”    

“Yeah. I think she only puts on formal wear because she can’t go to work in weird tribal paint and beads,” Erica said before she took another bite of her French fries.

“Oh come on. Aren’t you being a little hard on her?” Daniel asked before he took a long sip of his cold soda. She shrugged and then took a sip of her own drink.

“No, I’m not. I love meat, she is one hundred per cent vegan. I mean, she loves tofurky and soy meat. Honestly, I don’t understand how she lives on that tasteless food.”    

“Hmm, there is something she has in common with my sister,” Daniel said. She looked at him and raised an eyebrow. “The vegan thing. Actually, my sister is a vegetarian.”

“Is there a difference?” Erica asked.

“Well, a vegetarian can have some animal products like milk and eggs but a vegan abstains from all kind of animal products. I had to learn the difference when I met one of my sister’s friends. I was kind of into her.”    

“Ah,” she said before she took another bite of her hot dog.

“What?” he asked as he looked at her.

She shook her head and shrugged. “Nothing. I just said ‘ah’. Nothing more.”

“Well, I could have sworn I heard something in the ‘ah’.”.

“Maybe there was,” she said as she took another bite of her hot dog.

“Erica…” he started again before she pulled her hand away from him. She took another bite of her fries and looked at him as she took long sips of her drink.

“So, what are we going to do after Caracas?” she asked. Daniel knew what she was doing. She was trying to get his mind off everything so that he could at least walk back to the car. “And you can’t go to work this time. It is purely for fun,” she said.

“Look at who cannot get enough of me,” he looked at her and smiled. Erica felt her cheeks flush. She had just told him that she wanted to spend more time with him without even realizing it. Damn, she never thought she would feel this close, this attached to anyone.

“Unless of course you have to go back…” she started before he leaned in and kissed her, silencing her.

“I want to be with you. Pick a destination and we’re there,” Daniel said in a whisper.

“I can’t really decide between two places. Equally rich in culture and scenery…” she started.

He raised an eyebrow and shrugged.

“Just say it, Erica,” he said as a few strands of her hair fell out of place. Erica was thinking of Athens and Morocco at the same time. She didn’t know what she wanted between the two.

“Athens,” she said without thinking.

“Good choice,” he said as he pushed her hair behind her ear.

She smiled at him and took another sip. She couldn’t wait for her next adventure with Daniel.

                                                            *****

It was almost eight in the evening when they finally got back to Daniel’s suite. She didn’t expect that they would be out that late. She looked at the time and wondered if it was an appropriate time to call Emily. Chances were she was still at the office anyway and Cassandra would probably be at the bakery catering to the people who walked in for coffee after work. She sighed and sat on the edge of the bed as she composed a new email to her sister and Cassandra. She just couldn’t wait to share the photos of Mount Avila.

“So what am I supposed to say without sounding like I’m trying to rub it in,” she wondered as she started the email.

Hey guys. Check out how I spent my day. Miss you guys. XOXO.

She smiled as she began uploading the photos to the email. She thought the one sentence was enough to express her excitement without making her sound like a jackass. She looked up at Daniel as he walked into the room just as the last photo uploaded.

“Talking to your peeps at home?” Daniel asked. “What the hell was that?” she eyed him curiously.

“Trying to blend in with you and your culture,” he said.

She raised an eyebrow. “Oh you mean the fact that I’m black?”

“Is that a bad thing?”

“Don’t ever do that again. Ever,” she said with a smile as she looked at him.

“Well, you can’t blame me for being excited that I have an African American girlfriend,” he shrugged.