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And I had… fallen for him

I now stared out theof his Mercedes, the night having fallen an hour ago, lanced over at hiain hard to read He’d closed off froet through A part of ht, because whatever bond I felt we’d started to share, the intiers

The restaurant Arlo was taking me to was a short drive from his apartment and still within the heart of the wealthy district of the city I was glad he hadn’t taken me back intoer side, and anotherfrom the curb to park the car Arlo placed a firm, warm hand on the sh lanced down toin the form of hard nipples

Fortunately I was safe for the ti

Arlo had told ht, so I’d picked one of the dresses he’d gotten for -sleeve dress that fell tothe clothing he’d splurged on for s protected me from the chilly, nearly winter air of New York

Vasyli’s looked like one of the many skyscrapers in this part of the city, but the brickwork and artistic flair were very much Russian The cathedral depiction etched into the massive red double doors was so detailed you could tell whoever created it had put their heart and soul into it

Rectangular ere in even intervals along the front face of the building, ornate golden wrought iron covering lass so you couldn’t see inside But the metalas so delicate and beautiful that it was almost prettier to look at than the open sky itself

Arlo opened the door for me, and I stepped inside, the war me in the best ways Traditional Russian music played softly overhead, and the scent of savory and sweet food filled my nose every time I inhaled

An older gentle even randfather than anything else, especially with his thick cable-knit cardigan over his white button-down shirt He had a full head of white hair, his eyes so blue and light they almost seemed transparent

The olderRussian, but I never felt left out even though I couldn't understand the on the s moment the olderme to his restaurant He kept a respectful distance, and I wondered if it was the way his gaze lowered to where Arlo’s hand rested possessively around my waist

We were led through the restaurant, and I took in the vibrant red booths on either side of us A row of four-seater square tables was lined in the center of the roo, and I assumed the lateness and that it ell past a normal dinnertime was the reason But I liked that it was more intimate I didn’t think I’d feel as comfortable if the restaurant had been packed

I was transfixed by the decor, at the very traditional and culturally aesthetic Russian thele was front and center on the wall, vibrant colors splashed along the wings and spread out through the wall A red and gold chandelier hung froh the interior

We were led to a booth in the back, and once at the table, the older gentleman asked me in a heavily accented voice if I cared for hi on the wall beside us, I slid into the booth across from Arlo I felt nervous over this dinner date, orI’d ad off all day

I hadn’t realized I'd been so tense, but the fact that this was a date iven all the things Arlo and I had done just the night before and the personal things I'd shared with hiht felt more intihs