NINTY-ONE

Yalda could hardly remember what had happened after she had managed to get back to her room. It seemed she had climbed into bed and had fallen into a deep and dreamless sleep which had her feeling numb when she woke up. It was bright already and the city outside was alive and bubbly.

She groaned quietly as she made her way out of bed slowly. Glancing around, she found Loki sleeping on the pillows next to hers, a faint smile curved her lips. She had been unable to get some decent sleep since.....

She didn't want to think about it still. But the fact that it had taken only one glass of cocktail to completely numb her and put her to sleep made her inclined to indulge in another glass this evening.

The warm water from the shower had washed her sleepiness away, not just that, it had washed the numbness away and had left her raw to the point that she had resulted to sobbing uncontrollably. She wasn't sure how how she had spent in there, she wasn't sure how long she had cried for, but she had eventually pulled herself together and left the shower.

It had happened like a blur, she had fed Loki, gotten dressed, applied her makeup to hide the fact that she had been crying a lot lately, and had headed downstairs to have breakfast. She wasn't sure where she intended to visit today but she wasn't certain she had to go somewhere else she'd end up crying.

It wasn't just crying; there was this pain that enveloped her, it was firm and unyielding, it broke her down, whispered words in her ears which made her want to hurt herself.

'What's the point of going on?'

'What are you living for?'

'End it.'

She had never been one to have thoughts about hurting herself regardless of how bad and messy things got, but lately, she couldn't quite control herself, she couldn't control her thoughts. She felt empty as she made her way towards the breakfast lounge, like a shell, she felt completely detached.

The warm glow of the chandeliers and the gentle hum of conversation couldn't dispel the intense melancholy that had woven itself into her soul. The elegant decor seemed just as uninviting as the long tables, laden with an array of golden-brown pastries and steaming breakfast dishes.

She felt almost nauseous, the smell of scrambled eggs, bacon, coffee, tea and everything else mixed together and lingered in the air, it should have been tantalizing but she felt completely nauseated and uninterested.

Not sure about having breakfast anymore, she decided to turn around and leave when she bumped into someone; a hard and firm chest that had her staggering back slightly.

"Sorry." She said quietly.

"Are you alri.....you again?" A familiar deep voice with the underlying hints of Greek accent spoke. It had her gaze snapping up to face him immediately.

Like yesterday, he looked clean and immensely good looking in a black suit which fit his frame perfectly.

"You." She said, it was all she could say.

She hadn't expected to see him again. What was he even doing here? Was he also staying at the hotel? That was logical.

"I'll call you back." He said before lowering his phone which she hadn't even noticed had been held against his ear. His gaze raked over her quickly before settling on her eyes.

"Good morning to you too." He greeted easily. "Did you sleep well?"

She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. There was something about him that unsettled her; perhaps it was his eyes, how they appeared to see through her own eyes, or perhaps it was the way he carried himself with an air of confidence and dominance, or perhaps it was the entirety of him.

"Good morning." She replied.

"Why were you leaving in such a hurry?" He asked her. And it was only then she realized that the fragrance of his cologne had soothed the nausea away.

She cleared her throat quietly.

"I...I was a little nauseous." She replied.

"Ah, nothing a good cup of coffee can't fix." He said. "Come, let's have breakfast."

She began shaking her head but he simply disregarded her by ushering her further into the lounge. They settled at a table and a waiter came to take their order immediately.

"I'll have a cup of coffee."

His brow arched at her order.

"Just a cup of coffee?" He asked her.

She nodded.

He shook his head.

"She'll have a cup of coffee and a bougatsa." He told the waitress. "I'll have a cup of coffee and a donut."

A frown creased her face as a pain stabbed at he heart. Him ordering breakfast for her so authoritatively reminded her of Alexander. And though she wanted to complain and make her displeasure known, she found herself unable to say a word.

"Are you alright?" He asked her.

She blinked a couple of times and she realized tears had began welling up in her eyes. Dragging in a deep breath, she nodded.

"You go around ordering breakfast for everyone?" She asked him.

A curved his lips and he shook his head.

"No, just interesting women I know nothing about." He replied.

Something about the way he looked directly into her eyes bothered her, it had her lowering her gaze to her fingers.

"The coffee will help with the nausea, and the bougatsa is a must-try." He told her. "You'll feel more alive when you're done eating."

She merely nodded, and nothing more was said till the waitress returned with their order.

"Will that be all, sir?" She asked him.

He nodded.

"Yes, thank you." He replied before his gaze returned to hers. "Time to dig in."

Saying nothing, she took a sip of the coffee which was rather rich and tasty, it dispelled the fuzziness of her head and the nausea that plagued her. She went for the first bite of the flaky, golden-brown bougatsa and her eyes widened in awe.The delicate phyllo pastry shattered in her mouth, releasing a rich, creamy semolina custard that coated her tongue. The sweetness was balanced by a hint of cinnamon, leaving a warm, comforting sensation on her palate.

Her gaze snapped back to his at once and she found he had been watching her quietly, observing her like she was a mystery to him.

"Tastes good?" He asked her.

She nodded immediately. It tasted amazing, she couldn't begin to express how much she loved the taste.

"Good." He said. "Let's eat."

And nothing else had been said till they were done eating and their table had been cleared. Glancing at his wristwatch, he rolled his eyes subtly.

"It was a pleasure having breakfast with you." He told her as he signaled for the bill. "But I'm afraid I must leave now, I'm running late for an appointment."

She merely nodded.

"Thank you." She said.

As much as somethings about him unsettled her, she couldn't term his company as distasteful.

He shook his head.

"Thank me by telling me your name, Piantí." He said.

She leaned back into her seat as she thought it through for a second. What did she stand to lose by telling him her name?

"Yalda." She replied. "Yalda Harris."

"Yalda." He repeated eloquently. "Beautiful name."

"Thank you." She said. "May I know yours?"

The waitress arrived at that moment, and he settled the bill before returning his attention to her.

"Ioannis Andreas." He replied. "Pleasure making your acquaintance, Ms. Harris."