Chapter 572
She had left the office almost an hour ago. She was bound to be home at this time. Yet, he had continually checked his watch, and she was already late by more than a quarter of an hour.
He was about to call his bodyguards, but luckily she answered on the second ring. He was not anxious because he feared that something might have happened to her. He had a different reason.
“I am just a block away. There was a traffic build-up not far from here because of a car accident.” Dani answered him, explaining why she was still on the road, staring at the street outside the window of the backseat.
She knew she was capable of driving herself to work from home to her office. But Alex insisted that one of her bodyguards chauffeured her around.
Although, she would admit that she was a little shaken by the scene on the street, seeing the mangled bodies on the metals of the car wreck.
Under normal circumstances, it should not affect her since it was a usual sight in the street of New York. But after all that happened to her, the car accident, then the abduction, she could somehow picture herself in that situation.
.....
“I am just wondering what was taking you so long,” Alex replied as he breathed deeply, slightly relieved that she was ok.
He finally admitted that he was still affected by their experience, just like her. He still worried when she left his side and was on her own.
Although he believed that she was more than able to defend herself, as proven by what she did on the island. Still, he could not help but think of her safety.
He had doubled her security, especially when Tim and Ben were still on leave, recovering from their injuries. He could not take any chances when two of his best man was not around.
“We are just entering the building. I will see you in a bit.” Dani informed him, not wanting him to worry about her.
She could sense, just like her, he was still thinking of the incident. The therapist who was working with them informed that it would take time before they could fully recover from the trauma of the entire experience.
However, they should not worry. Every day it would get better as long as they worked together. Having a support system helped speed up the healing process.
“I love you, Alex.” She quickly added in a whisper, suddenly recalling that she had almost lost him.
It still made her shiver recalling her horrible experiences. But she had to push through the pain and the horrific images that popped up in her mind.
At least she had something to be thankful for. She did not witness the shoot-out on the camp where they were taken. She heard that the aftermath was horrendous.
“Ok. I will see you soon. I love you.” Alex said, hanging up the phone.
He immediately dropped the phone on the kitchen counter and busied himself. It was the only thing that would occupy his mind until his wife walked through the door.
Since he took over the operation of the business of his father-in-law. He rarely stayed at his apartment anymore, doing what he loved to do in his spare time.
He had been busy juggling the business and spending time with Dani. His apartment had been a refuge for taking a bath and sleeping for the time being.
A few minutes later, he could hear the door open then close gently. He already knew it was Dani, hearing the steady tap of her heels on the marbled floors.
“Hey, are you in the kitchen?” She asked, seeing that the living room was empty. But she heard something moving in the other room.
Besides, her nose had already picked up the delicious scent of food cooking. It had been a while since her stomach had growled in excitement.
Her body was already looking forward to dinner just by the aroma enveloping the entire room from whatever he was cooking. She sometimes prepared dinner for them, but she just was not as good as him.
“Close your eyes. I don’t want you to see my surprise.” He quickly showed up before her, stopping her from proceeding to the kitchen.
He held her by the shoulder, turning her around to avoid her from peeking inside the kitchen. He did not want to ruin the surprise.
He had already set up the table for his prepared dinner for her. All he had to do was heat up the food and put the final touches. But dinner was just half of his surprise for the night.
“Wow, this sounds exciting.” She said, giggling like she was about to receive a Christmas present. “I can already smell the delicious smell.” She sniffed through the air, trying to get more whiff of the delicious aroma.
When it came to surprises, she could count on Alex to create something extraordinary. As much as she wanted to best him, she always came short.
She did smell something she liked. It reminded her of something, but she was not too sure. But it did seem to be her favorite. She wondered if Alex cooked it or just ordered it from her favorite restaurant.
“You have to close your eyes first before I show you my surprise.” He ordered, not allowing her to move from her place until she complied with his request.
He would have loved to bring her somewhere very special, but their current situation still limited his options. For now, he was happy to serve her with whatever he believed would make her happy.
Fortunately, it did not take much to make Dani happy. Doing simple things for her was more than enough to make her smile. She did not ask much from him. His love had been all she ever wanted.
“Fine, but promise me that I will have the first bite.” She demanded, having some difficulty controlling her hunger.
She suddenly remembered the lunch she had with Gerald. She admitted that his boss brought some delicious food, but it had nothing compared to this one.
She had declared even without seeing or tasting that whatever was served on their table would be the best meal she ever ate in her entire life.
“Of course, I made it just for you.” He encouraged her to close her eyes so they could proceed with his plans.
He waited until she had closed her eyelids shut. He waved his hand in front of her face to assure himself that she was not cheating. Not that she would intentionally do that.
“Let’s go. I am already starving.” She complained when he kept stalling her.
The delicious food was calling to her as if they were begging her to eat them. She could feel her stomach protesting from the delay.
“Come on.” He guided her towards the table and helped her on the chair. When she was comfortable on her chair, he finally served the plate of food in front of her. “Bon a petit.”
It was the signal that it was time to open her eyes. As soon as she did, her eyes lit up, and her nose pointedly sniffed the scent coming from the plate before her.
He opted to cook her favorite instead. He just chose something that would remind them of their first meal. They were not even a couple then. Actually, they were not even friends.
They were two people thrown into a situation where they needed each other. Fortunately, that was the start of their beautiful romantic affair.