Relief

Roman smiled at me, not fazed by my orders. On a good day, I ate more than him.
Albert gulped. “And for you, Sir?
Roman scowled up at him. “Hmm... I'll have this." He pointed to the menu with no interest. "I'll have the crab and shrimp melt.”
He picked the first thing on the menu. I frowned. He was usually very fussy about what he ate. The strange cold chill shiver from before made its way down my spine again.
"And drinks?" Albert asked.
"Coke?" I asked Roman. He nodded absentmindedly.
"Two cokes, please," I said to Albert. Still worried. Something was wrong.
“I’ll be right back with your order,” He whispered.
I nodded, even though Albert wasn’t looking at me.
As Albert walked away Roman turned his gaze to me. “You feel it too, don't you?”
I swallowed, trying to dislodge the sudden lump in my throat. So I wasn't paranoid. That didn't calm me at all. It made the current waves of panic bubble higher.
“Excuse me for a second,” I said pushing against my chair as I stood.
He didn't answer, and I could see that he was trying to stay calm for my benefit or was it because he was in my presence that he was still so strangely calm on the outside. His eyes were hostile.
Before I could reach the door leading to the bathroom, two girls blocked my way.
“Excuse me,” The blond with spiked hair said. “Are you an actress?”
I shook my head and frowned.
“Hello,” The girl in all ridiculously bright pink said. She pointed to the blond. "Sorry about that, Flora's just really excited. She's absolutely in love with Roman. I'm Andy."
“Is that your boyfriend?” Flora was pointing in the same direction I'd come from. "OMG, its Roman frickin Reeves."
I looked back at the table, Roman was typing into his phone, his fingers barely lingering for a millisecond on the same button. The anxiety sprung forth.
“I think I saw him in the front cover of People magazine last Thursday,” Andy gushed. Her clothes were too small for her body. I tried not to cringe.
“We want to ask him for an autograph,” she continued. “But he looks intimidating.”
“It wasn’t in the People magazine,” Flora protested quickly. “We saw him on forbes under thirty billionaires.”
I was still tongue-tied.
Flora's eyes were wide with the sudden rush of excitement. “So can we go talk to your boyfriend?”
I blinked, stunned. “He’s not my boyfriend.”
“We weren’t going to say anything to the media,” Flora reassured me with a nervous laugh.
“I… um,” I sighed in defeat. “The media?”
“Yes,” Andy gasped.
I didn't respond.
Andy smiled. “We know how cruel the paparazzi can be.”
“Your movie is coming out next week,” Flora said.
“It is?” I was surprised, shocked.
“Oh,” Flora perked up, her eyes lit with recognition. “I remember now, she’s the lead girl in Valentino.”
I whirled, stunned. “I am?”
A dark chuckle came behind us. Roman’s body shook as he laughed and at the sound my heart softened. Would I get used to this man? Would my love for him ever cease?
“O.M.G,” Andy said. “I think I just died and went to heaven.”
I groaned. “Heaven you say.”
“I can hardly keep my eyes off him,” Flora whispered in an admiring tone.
“He’s a cool guy,” I said, no need to tell them I was just as obsessed with him as they seemed to be. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I really need to use the bathroom.”
I was worried that when I came out of the bathroom, Roman would be gone. With a deep groan I pushed against the bathroom door, ready to face disappointment. But outside the white door leading to the bathroom, leaning against the wall opposite the door — looking more like the angel he was — Roman was waiting for me with a smile that had a family of butterflies setting up camp in my stomach.
His eyes were almost glowing in the dim lights. I gulped. What right did he have to be so perfect?
“Stop staring,” he said, clearing his throat. “You’re making me nervous, as you know.”
I looked at him for a while longer, and then cleared my throat.
“What are you doing here anyway?” I whispered.
His eyes got all dark, and he sort of grimaced. “I was scared you’d run off on me.”
I spoke quickly. “I think you’d do the running and I’d do the chasing when it came down to it.”
I peeked up at his face, hoping I hadn't alerted him to my sadness.
“I wouldn’t leave,” he said in an even voice but then stopped, his eyes darkened further. “Except, if it was for your own safety.”
My heart sank. I didn't like the turn our conversation had taken. “I thought my happiness mattered.”
“But your safety matters more.”
I met Roman's gaze; surprised when an electric shock made me shiver, I thought I saw Roman shiver too, but it was over before I could be certain. The feeling to reach over and caress his perfect face was so ridiculously overwhelming that I had no option but to ball my hands into hard fists.
Roman shoved his clenched hands into his pockets and peered at me under his long lashes. I quickly looked away before I did something stupid.
The walk back to the table felt very long. I wasn’t watching where I was going –— instead my concentration was on remembering how to breathe –— I was suddenly more aware of him than ever before.
I peered up at Roman again and he groaned, biting his bottom lip. He had never looked more alluring. I was overly relived when we reached the table. I sat down cautiously, nervously and tried to relax as he slid next to me. Impossible. His presence was impossible to overlook.
My sigh was huge, and I suddenly realized what the girl from earlier had meant when she said he was intimidating. Roman chuckled. He sounded oxygen starved. He swiftly stood up. I glanced at him sideways. He cleared his throat.
“I think it’ll be best for everyone concerned if I sit here.” He slid opposite me.
I breathed a sigh of relief.
Albert brought our order.
I thanked him. He gave Roman a meaningful look before he walked away.
"Seems you have fans," I muttered as I dug into my soup.
He grimaced. "I’m not the one they mistook for an actor.”
“That’s because you can’t exactly compare a Greek god to anyone on TV,” I groaned, cursing myself for my inability to lie to him.
He didn't answer, and I absentmindedly played with my hands on my lap.
It was quiet for a brief minute.
When I looked up and his face dazed me –— his dark eyes were cautious, his lips parted, he was so painfully beautiful that I was too late to stop myself from inhaling sharply.
Embarrassed I looked down again but then felt a tingling sensation on my left cheek and glanced up to see his hand, slow, tender, hesitant, run leisurely over the outline of my face.
I was very still.
“Breathe,” He said quietly, anxiously.
When he dropped his hand, his eyes were hesitant, his expression twisted in conflict, indecision.
“The way you touch me...” I said softly, hesitating, terrified my sense of speech might have been affected by the strong chemistry between us. “You can’t possibly imagine how good that felt.”
"Where did I go wrong?" He asked in astonishing regret. "I made sure that I did absolutely everything I could to make you hate me."
"Why?"
He smiled half-heartedly as he pushed the food around on his plate. "I fell in love with you the second I was able to meet you," he confessed. He groaned and stared into the crowds around the room. "I wasn't supposed to be feeling anything towards you. I'd just broken up with my girlfriend. It shouldn't have been so easy for me to fall in love with you."
"It doesn't make sense," I agreed. "I keep thinking it's going to get better, I keep telling myself I just need some time to get used to the idea of having someone love me so effortlessly, the most amazing thing about having someone fall in love with you... the way you have fallen for me... is that..." I hesitated, searching my brain the the right words. "My mother had to love me, I mean, though, if she really didn't love me no one would force her but mothers have a special bond with their kids. That sort of love is almost always guaranteed but you Roman... you love me voluntary. Now, that is something very special."