Just Lunch
Ella chose a booth away from the window, even though she really wished she could sit where the sunshine could hit her face. She thought it was safer to sit back in the corner, though, where less people would see them. While she doubted her cousin or her stepsisters would be in this part of town, she didn’t want anyone taking a picture of Rome and posting it someplace where Tim, her stepsisters, stepmother, or her dad would see it.
She’d ordered a soda and was sipping it slowly, so glad to have something other than water. She’d drank basically all of the Coke Tim had had in his refrigerator since she’d gotten there the night before, but in fairness, he’d only had a couple of cans. Well, maybe four. But still, she had a lot of missed time to make up for.
When Rome finally arrived, she couldn’t help but jump up and smile, she wanted to kiss him right then and there, but she wasn’t sure how appropriate that would be. He didn’t seem to have the same concerns. His lips found hers, and he hungrily showed her he didn’t care who was watching. It was difficult to let go of him in order to sit back down, but she managed, and he immediately took her hand across the table. “How are you? Did you have any trouble getting here? How was your Uber driver?”
Ella giggled at all of the questions. “I’m good. It was amazing to be able to get up, take a shower, get dressed in these nice clothes, and walk out of the house.”
“I can imagine,” Rome said, drawing little circles on the back of her hand with his thumb. “You look gorgeous, of course.”
“Thank you. You look great, too. How was your audition?”
Rome shrugged. “It went well. I, uh… ran into Tim. Literally.”
“You did? Oh, wow. I had no idea he was going to the same place. I’m sorry.”
“No, it’s okay. I talked to him for a minute. He wasn’t particularly nice, but hopefully I planted the seed of thought in his head that I’m not quite as horrible as he seems to think I am.”
“Gosh, that would be nice. Well, I sure hope you get the part.”
“Thanks. He’s auditioning for it, too.”
“He is?” She had no idea what to say to that. Of course, she loved Rome and wanted him to get the part, but it was hard to think of Tim being disappointed either. “The two of you are putting me between a rock and a hard place.” She laughed, even though it wasn’t really funny.
Shaking his head, Rome said, “I’m sorry, Ella. I never meant to put you in this situation. I don’t want you to feel like you have to choose between me and your family.”
“No, don’t apologize. It’s okay. I don’t have to think about it. I’ll always choose you, Rome.” It was easier for her to say that now more than ever after having spoken to her father earlier that day. He hadn’t completely taken Teresa’s side, but he did say he thought it was more of a misunderstanding than what Ella believed. The whole conversation had been disappointing for her. She desperately wanted her dad to understand how awful living with Teresa had been, but he just wasn’t willing to accept it.
The waitress came over to see what they wanted to eat. Ella ordered a sandwich and chips, and Rome got a pasta dish she hoped he’d let her try. It had been so long since she’d had most of her favorite foods, she was sure she’d be eating like a pig for the next few weeks.
“So… did you talk to your dad?” Rome asked her.
“I did. He said he’d be back in two weeks and would talk to Teresa more about it then. Apparently, she convinced him she misunderstood that the car he bought me was for me. It’s in the garage. She says I can come by and pick it up whenever I’d like, but I know that’s a trick.”
“Sure it is. You could send Tim to get it, with a friend.”
“I think that’s what I’ll do… but I’m still scared to drive.”
“I’ll help you practice, El. It’ll be fine.” The waitress brought him a soda, and he took a sip before he said, “Might even be fun.”
She let out a loud sigh. “I guess. You don’t realize, though, I’m not a great driver.”
“I’m sure you’re better than you think.” He squeezed her hand. “What about your job?”
“I asked if I could have a few days off to look for a place of my own, and he said that would be fine, to take as long as I want. I did some work on Tim’s laptop this morning, though. I couldn’t help it. I really love my job.”
“And you’re so good at it, too. I saw the new posters you made for my movie. You’re amazing.”
She blushed. It was so sweet of him to say so. “Thanks, Rome. Anyway, I need to find my own apartment and everything a person keeps in it. That will be hard work for me. I think Tim will help.”
“I will, too, if you’ll let me.”
“I don’t want to take up too much of your time.”
“Are you kidding? I want to be with you as much as I can, Ella.”
Blushing again, she wished she could lean across the table and kiss him. “Tim suspects I have a boyfriend. I’m not sure how he figured it out. Wait--is it okay if I call you that.”
“No,” Rome said, his face perfectly straight. Ella’s eyebrows lifted, her heart freezing. “You can call me your fiancé. We’re going to get married, remember?”
A smile lit her face. “That sounds like music to my ears,” she replied. The waitress brought their food over, and she dug in, not able to control her hunger, even though she’d eaten a big breakfast.
“There’s an empty apartment in my building. Maybe you could move there. Then, I could see you often.”
Ella imagined the possibilities. “That sounds amazing to me.”
“Awesome, I’ll give you the name of the contact I have in the office. Tim doesn’t know where I live, I don’t think, so he shouldn’t try to stop you from taking that one.”
The idea of seeing Rome on a daily basis made her heart dance in her chest.
Once they were done eating, Rome helped her schedule another ride. She wanted to get back before Tim called wondering where she was. As hard as it was for Ella to say goodbye, she knew for sure it was just temporary now. She’d be moving into her own apartment soon, hopefully in his complex, and then they could be together all the time.
As the car pulled up, Rome wrapped his arms around her. “I’ll talk to you later, baby. I love you so much.”
“I love you, too.”
His lips covered hers, and Ella let herself go, showing him just how much he meant to her, oblivious to the fact that she was kissing a celebrity in public, which was sure to draw cameras. When they separated, she gave him a little wave and climbed into the car, the smile on her face brighter than the sun.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
