More Than Once by Dominique Wolf

CHAPTER 20:

“I

'll see you next week,” I said to my manager as I clocked out of my shift. I had been working the morning shift today, it was late afternoon now andI was thankful I still had the rest of my Saturday evening to myself. It was starting to get colder and I was noticing a change in people's habits. Less people were making their way to the restaurant and I spent a lot of my time at the back clearing out some old cutlery.

I pulled my coat closer to me and swung my bag over my shoulder as I pushed through the front doors. I was welcomed by the lingering heat from the sun peeking from behind the clouds. I dropped my head back, allowing myself to soak it in for a moment. It was nice to take in the little heat that we had left before becoming consumed by winter entirely. I brought my head forward again, my gaze locking with his.

“Giovanni?” I blurted.

There he was, casually leaning against his car with his hands in his pockets. My breath caught in my throat at the sight of him. He was dressed in all black except for the emerald green jersey he was sporting underneath his leather jacket. I loved him in emerald - that colour complemented his olive skin tone so well. I could stare at him for hours. He smiled a big smile and I couldn't help but mirror his happiness.

“What are you doing here?” I skipped up to him and wrapped my arms around his neck as he instinctively wrapped his around my waist.

“Hello baby,” he chuckled. “I came to steal you away.”

I was so happy to see him. We had been texting back and forth but I wasn't expecting to see him today at all. Reyna and Katrina left on Thursday and I'd been swamped with shifts at the restaurant. He had been stuck in meetings all week with his team for the expansion of Mala Mía. I was convinced I was going to have a day of binge-watching something mind-numbing on Netflix but now here he was.

“Steal me away?” I cocked an eyebrow and leaned into him. “I thought you were stuck in meetings all weekend?”

“Change of plans. You and I are going out.”

Going out?A glimmer of excitement simmered from within. His spontaneous nature excited me - there was always something unexpected to look forward to with him.

“And where are we going?”

“It's a surprise.”

I pouted. “You may not know it yet, but I hate surprises.”

“You'll love this one.”

He leaned down and his lips met mine. He smelled of body wash and his strong cologne, all mixed with his natural scent to form the smell I loved so much. I cupped his face with my hand and pulled away to meet his eyes.

“You ready?” he asked, a boyish grin spread across his face.

“I don't know,” I chuckled. “Do I look okay? You're giving me no indication of where we're going.”

“You look perfect,” he said as he leaned down and kissed my hair. “It's nothing fancy.”

I was intrigued. He excited me. We broke away from our embrace and he took my bag from me. “Let's get going.”

I walked around the car to the passenger seat as he placed my bag in the back. We slipped inside and he pulled his seatbelt across him.

“Have I ever told you I love that colour on you?” I said, allowing myself to take him in again.

“You haven't but it just might be my favourite colour now.” He winked. I smiled and fastened my seatbelt as the engine roared to life. His phone connected automatically and a relaxedreggaeton beat seeped through the speakers. He turned down the street and made his way through the city. I soaked it all in as we turned every corner. There was just something about this place that I couldn't get enough of. He reached his hand over and rested it on my thigh. I laced my fingers with his.

“How did your meetings go?” I asked.

“Pretty good actually. We're waiting for this one building in Valencia to become available. We've been hearing some back and forth from the contractors there but nothing is set in stone yet.”

I nodded and slowly rubbed my thumb over his hand, “How soon do you want to open in Valencia?”

“As soon as possible would be ideal. Our investors are itching to start the expansion but there are still so many elements to consider.” He relaxed in his seat as we headed down a long road through the city, “And how was your day?”

“It was actually really quiet. Not a lot of people seem to want to leave their houses in the winter.”

“Can you blame them? This is still bearable but let me warn you that a Barcelona winter can be unforgiving on some days.”

“Good thing I happen to love winter then.”

He turned to me, surprised. “Who in their right mind loves winter?”

I laughed. “What do you mean? It's the best.”

“Being cold is the best?” he chuckled. “Absolutely not. Summer is the way to go.”

I snorted. “So you enjoy being sweaty and uncomfortable? And it being so hot that you can't sleep because you're practically stuck to your bed?”

“I don't think I want to sleep next to you in summer,” he teased. “How much do you sweat?”

“A normal amount,” I chuckled. “I just hate the feeling of being sweaty. It makes me all sticky.”

“That's the best!” he exclaimed. I turned to him and cocked an eyebrow playfully, “Absolutely not! And summer clothes suck. Winter fashion is on another level.”

“Okay, I can't disagree. Winter clothing is elite but c'mon, you can't hate a perfect summer day at the beach catching a tan.”

I scoffed. “There's the problem of being sweaty again.”

“That's what the ocean is for. You know if you go in, it cools you down.” he joked, peeping at me from the corner of his eye.

“Is that what the big body of water is for? I had no idea.” I mirrored his playful sarcasm.

“Surprising isn't it?” he smirked.

He had such a care-free energy to him again and it made me relax instantly. I always felt so calm around him. He was smiling, his dimple on full display and my heart swelled at the sight of him. I loved seeing him like this. We sat comfortably together, our fingers intertwined the whole way. He indicated and turned down a quiet street.

“We're almost there.”

He found a parking spot available and maneuvered his way into it.

“I am so glad I don't drive in this city,” I commented.

“How come?”

“I am terrible at parallel parking.”

“Okay, Olivia Rodrigo,”

I couldn’t help but laugh at the unexpected pop culture reference, “Is this the part where you tell me you actually listen to her album when you’re alone?”

He chuckled. “Yup. I wallow in sadness when you’re not around,”

I giggled as he turned the engine off. I glanced outside and the streets weren't giving me much of an indication as to where we were.

“So what are we doing?” I asked.

“They've got a show in a couple hours at the Magic Fountain of Montjuïc and I happen to know the best spot to watch it from.”

The Magic Fountain of Montjuïcwas a fountain located below the Palau Nacional in the Montjuïc neighborhood. It was a major tourist destination as it displayed a beautiful water acrobatics show with lights and music. I had passed it once or twice in previous months but had never actually sat to enjoy a show.

“Is this a date?” I mused.

“Of course it is,” he scoffed. “I thought that much was clear.”

I chuckled. “I'm just making sure. This is my first time meeting romantic Giovanni.”

“Well, let's see how he does ‘cause I don't think he's ever come out to play.” He joked. I laughed as we stepped outside the car. Giovanni locked it behind us and reached for my hand, intertwining his fingers in mine again. It was such a natural thing to do now. We moved together as if we had been doing it for years. A level of comfortability surrounded us and I relaxed. He was making an effort to be romantic and I couldn't help but smile. I felt like an idiot with a huge smile plastered across my face but I couldn't control it. I was genuinely happy. He led me through the streets and as we turned, there ahead of us was the fountain with The Palau Nacional behind it. The iconic four pillars stood behind the fountain that remained off for now. The show was a night-time only event and the sun still had a couple of hours left until it’s full departure.

“So, where's the best spot?” I asked.

“Patience, mi hermosa,” he squeezed my hand and smiled. “We're using this time to get to know each more since, as you pointed out the other day, there's still so much we need to learn about each other.”

“You're right. We have to see how compatible we really are.” I joked.

He smirked, “Favourite sport?”

“Football.”

“No way!” he chuckled. “Are you just saying that because I like football?”

I laughed “How would I have possibly known you liked football? I grew up in the UK, Giovanni, football is like a religion there.”

“You're right. Now the important question is what team do you support?” He eyed me playfully.

“Tottenham Hotspur,” I answered proudly.

“What? Tottenham? Why?” he laughed.

I tapped his arm playfully. “Don't laugh. They're a great team. I grew up watching them cause my dad was a huge Spurs fan. He never missed a match.”

“Okay I'll admit, your answer could have been worse. You could have said Liverpool and then that would have been a deal-breaker.”

I laughed. “Don't tell me you're a United fan.”

“Of course I am but if we're talking football, I'm more into La Liga.”

“Let me guess, you're a huge Barcelona fan?” I smirked.

He stopped in his tracks, “Absolutely not!” I burst out laughing at how insulted he looked.

“I'm from Madrid so don't ever classify me as a Barça fan.” He pretended to be insulted again but I could see the amusement in his eyes and it made me laugh again.

“Real Madrid it is then.” I giggled. “Probably a bad time to tell you I'm the biggest Messi fan.” He turned to me with a shocked look on his face and I couldn't control my laughter. He was way too easy to make fun of.

“Oh Gio, you're too easy to fool.” I nudged.

“You were about to ruin the perfect image I have of you in my head.”

“You don't think I'm perfect,” I retorted.

“I think you're pretty close,” he leaned down and kissed my forehead. “How do you feel about getting ice-cream?”

At first my mind wandered back to the last time Giovanni and I had ice-cream. I wouldn’t mind doing that again. He must have picked up on the change in my expression as he chuckled and cocked an eyebrow playfully, “I know exactly where your mind just went,”

I tugged at my lip. “I didn’t say anything,”

“You didn’t have to. I can see it in your eyes. I know you enjoyed that,”

Hell yes

“Don’t worry, we can do that again. Just not now while we’re out,” He winked at me.

I liked the sound of that but for now, I pushed the lascivious thoughts out of my mind. “You really want to get ice-cream in this cold though?”

He scoffed, “It's really not that cold.”

He was right. The sun was assisting with keeping the lingering cold air from taking over. If Giovanni was going to be spontaneous and make an effort then I was going to go along with whatever he had planned.

“You're right. Let's get ice-cream.”

We strolled over to a casual vendor along the walkway. Giovanni paid for two chocolate ice-creams and handed one to me. I removed the packaging and started enjoying it. We continued to stroll down the path leading up to the fountains.

“Harry Potter? Do we love or hate?” I asked playfully.

“Oh, we love!”

I laughed. “Yes, we do love!”

“Are you going to ask me if I'm on Team Jacob or Team Edward next?” He squinted his eyes at me.

“Well, of course I am. I need to know your taste in men.”

He chuckled. “Now's probably a good time to tell you that I think those movies were really bad.”

I gasped. “How dare you say that? And right when I was going to ask you to have a Twilight marathon.”

“I'll still do that, but only for you.” He winked.

“You probably secretly love those movies but you had to act cool back in the day.”

“You caught me.”

I was enjoying our date so much. Every moment with him was so easy and care-free. He was so attractive but also incredibly funny. He made me laugh so much and I loved it. I loved being around him. I was completely enthralled by him.

“How come romantic Giovanni has never made an appearance before?”

“There was never anyone I wanted to make more of an effort for.” He said with a matter-of-fact tone. The butterflies inside me fluttered and I couldn't hold back my smile.

“You know everyone warned me about you,” I admitted.

“Who's everyone?” He lifted an eyebrow.

“Well, Reyna did but also Sergio. He gave me quite the briefing on how I should stay away from you cause you aren't a relationship person.”

He chuckled. “That's cause Sergio knows me well enough.”

I was dying to know more about the reasons for his commitment issues. I was already falling for him. How could I not? Especially when he made such an effort with things like this. I was getting to know all the sides to him and I was intrigued by everything about him.

“So, you're telling me that you've never ever been in a relationship? Like at all?” We climbed a few steps and Giovanni led me down a path moving further from the fountain itself.

“So we're going to have that conversation now?”

I shrugged. “I'm just trying to get to know you better. You know all about my previous relationships. All one of them.”

“Your almost engagement.”

“That's the one.”

There were empty concrete benches along the side against a short wall. He stopped by the wall and he pulled himself onto it with his feet resting on the bench in front of him. It overlooked the road below and in the distance was the perfect spot to get a full view of the fountain. I stood on the bench and allowed one leg to hang over the wall while the other leaned against the bench. He sat in front of me with both feet on the bench. I continued to enjoy what was left of my ice-cream.

“Are we really supposed to talk about our exes on a date?” he mused.

“So there is someone?” I probed.

He sighed. “I wouldn't even call it a relationship. It was a messy situation.” Now I was curious. This is the first time I had heard anything about Giovanni being in anything remotely close to a relationship with someone. No one had mentioned it up until he did just now.

“I'm not going to judge you, Gio. I just would like to know,” I said softly. I wanted him to open up to me. He finished the last of his ice cream and tossed the stick into the trash can by the bench. He ran his hands through his hair and looked over at me.

“Her name was Maya and we met when I was in my second year at business school. We started off as casual friends but the more time we spent together, the more I started to like her.”

I couldn't help the annoying pinch of jealousy that lingered at the mention of him with someone else. It was dumb, I knew that but I didn't want to think of him with anyone other than me.

“So did you date?”

“It wasn't that simple.”

“Why not?”

“She was already dating someone else.”

My jaw dropped. “She was with someone else?”

He nodded. “I'm not proud of the decisions I made with Maya. No one even knew what happened between us and I regret a lot of it.”

I was taken aback. I didn't expect him to share that his one and only relationship situation was with someone who was already taken.

“What exactly happened between the two of you?”

He leaned back against his arms. “First you have to understand that I was in a really bad space. I wasn't sure what I wanted out of my life but I knew I wanted someone. It was the first time I actually wished I had a girlfriend so a part of me was desperate for it.”

My face remained unchanged as I allowed him to continue. He was opening up to me and I was in no position to judge his actions.

“Anyway, Maya and I started to see each other more and more. She started making flirty comments and passes at me. I didn't care that she was in a relationship at the time - I just wanted to be around her. We were friends at first but then she started to want to see me without anyone else around.”

“Did you know the boyfriend?”

He nodded. “He was a dick, might I just add, and they fought all the time. It was one of those toxic relationships that migrated from high-school to university.”

I finished the last bit of my ice-cream and tried to toss my stick into the nearest trash can. I missed horribly and Giovanni burst out laughing.

“You're terrible at that,” he chuckled and got off the wall to pick it up for me. I smiled and he continued his story.

“I don't want you thinking differently of me because of this,” he said sheepishly and came to stand in between my legs.

“I don't.” I reached for his hand.

“Maya kept telling me that she was going to leave him because she loved me. I genuinely thought that I was in love with her too, at the time. We would sneak around and the deeper we got, the more it started to drive me crazy.”

“How long did this go on for?”

“A few months. As I said, I'm not proud of it but she had me wrapped around her finger. I wanted her to leave him for me. I thought I loved her but I quickly realized that it was toxic and I knew what we were doing was wrong.”

“Did the boyfriend ever find out?”

“I'm pretty sure he knew. Even when he was around, she didn't hide her interest in me. It was fucking messy but after her sister caught us together, it was like a lightbulb went off inside and I realized what I was doing.”

“Did you really love her?” I wasn't sure if I wanted to know the answer to that question but I knew I had to ask him.

“I thought I did but thinking back now, there was no way that was love.”

I remained silent, taking in everything he said.

“Since Maya, there's been no one else. I didn't trust anyone. I couldn't. There was no guarantee that someone wasn't going to do to me what she did to her boyfriend. I decided it was easier to just fuck around instead.”

I understood his reasoning behind keeping things casual. It came down to him not wanting to get hurt. I was apprehensive now. He spent so much time being single and jumping from woman to woman, why would he suddenly want to be a one-woman kind of man with me? My insecurities started to creep in.

“So, you've never been in love at all then?” I asked as casually as I could. He thought for a moment before answering. “No. Wasn't even sure I believed in love.”

That made me sad to hear. No matter what happened in my life, I had always believed in love. I was a hopeless romantic. Thinking back to my relationship with Nate, there was love there but not the all-consuming love that I believed you're supposed to experience. The kind of love that took your breath away and made you want to be better for that person in every way. I still believed in that. The idea that he wasn't sure if he believed in love brought on a rush of disappointment. Would he ever be able to love me?

“Please say something,” he murmured. “I don't want you thinking differently of me, Isabella.”

“I don't,” I answered quickly. “I'm just trying to understand you.”

“Understand me?”

I stared down at my hands. “Yeah, you've been hooking up with women for years now, Giovanni. It just makes me a bit scared. What if you want to do that again?”

He grabbed my hands and my eyes met his. “Trust me, mi hermosa, I don't want that anymore.”

“How do you know that?”

“I know that because I've never met anyone like you before,” he murmured. “I can't explain it but there is something about you that makes me want more. It's actually fucking terrifying.”

I smiled. “Tell me about it.”

“You're like sunshine to me.” He leaned his forehead against mine.

My heart grew and a warm sensation washed over me. I leaned forward and wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him closer to me. His lips reached mine and I felt him smile against me. I was consumed by him.

He pulled away and asked, “So you've never watched one of these shows?” I shook my head as he brought himself up onto the ledge next to me. He leaned back and I positioned myself between his legs, my head resting against his chest while we overlooked the fountain in the distance. I was soaking in every moment with him and I didn't want it to end. This date would be ingrained in my heart for the rest of my life - no matter what happened between him and me, I would always have this day.

We spent the next few hours exchanging random facts and interesting information about each other. I learned about his OCD tendencies while I shared my messy habits. Favourite colours, favourite shows, pet peeves, embarrassing moments - we exchanged it all. Every little bit of random information that we could and I was falling deeper into him. I watched him throw his head back in laughter and the way in which he ran his fingers through his hair as it kept falling forward. His dimple deepened with each smile and his eyes holding an intensity to them that wasn't there before. It made me nervous - it felt as if he was looking straight into my soul and I felt vulnerable.

“I got arrested once,” he shared casually.

My jaw dropped. “You did not!”

He chuckled. “I did. For speeding of all things.”

“Yeah, well given the car you drive, I don't exactly see you driving around like an old lady,” I quipped. “So, what happened?”

“Well, I was going a hundred in a sixty mile an hour zone and I didn't see the cops as I came around the bend so I ended up getting locked up for the day.”

I turned to him, shocked at how blasé he was about this story. “You're a criminal!”

He burst out laughing. “I am not a criminal, it was just really bad timing.”

“That would have terrified me. Going to jail is not something that's on my bucket list.”

“I should hope not,” he joked. “So, what is on your bucket list?”

I pondered on it for a moment. “That's a really good question. I don't even think I have one.”

“Everyone has to have a bucket list,” he retorted. “We're going to have to think of some things to add to it.”

“I'd like to get a tattoo.”

He raised an eyebrow. “You would?”

I shrugged. “Could be fun.”

I would never have thought of getting a tattoo or anything spontaneous before I met him but his nature was contagious. He made me want to take risks and try new things out. I craved the adventure that he brought into my life.

“We could make that happen. I think I know a guy,” he joked.

I smiled. “What was the first tattoo you got?”

He pulled his right sleeve up to display an intricate rose tattoo he had on the inside of his arm. There was not a blank piece of skin available on his arm, it was filled with markings. The rose was big and went all the way up to his elbow. Tons of thorns were drawn around it, in between all the other tattoos he had.

“My mother's middle name is Rose and I wanted something to represent her so that was the first one I had done back when I was 18.”

I ran my fingers slowly up and down it. “It's beautiful.” He leaned down and kissed my hair.

“Are you and your mom close?” I asked.

“Very. We've always been that way.”

“That's good. I'm sure she appreciated the meaning behind the tattoo.”

“She wasn't a fan of me getting any at all,” he chuckled. “But she quickly got over that.”

I leaned back into him and soaked in the night sky. The sun had set already and we were waiting for the show to start. He wrapped his arms around me and I smiled to myself.

“I think my mom would love you,” he murmured.

I leaned my head back to face him. “You'd want me to meet your mom?”

He kissed my forehead again. “Of course.”

Oh, I was falling for him.

Harder and faster than I ever thought was possible and that terrified me. Once the show started we enjoyed it from our spot, wrapped up in each other's arms. I had never experienced bliss like this before but I wanted to hold onto this feeling for as long as possible.