Chapter 237: Did You Get My Present?
Natalia felt her toes curl in her shoes under the table sitting behind her desk in her office as she recalled the feeling of Christopher kissing her the night before, the screen of her computer cast a warm light on her face highlighting her cheeks that had blushed deep pink.
This wasn’t the first time she had been thinking of him today, it felt like he had haunted her whole day. Earlier when she had arrived at the office she had recalled his sweet words and just that had made her heart flip, sitting behind her desk the image of his handsome face had suddenly flashed in her mind, she had to shake off the thoughts of him and willed herself to focus before she was able to get any work done.
During lunchtime when she had gone to the canteen she had gotten her lunch packed but in the end she sat down staring blankly at her plate without being able to touch the food as she recalled him sweetly deboning the fish and putting them in her plate, she had recalled how he’d gently wiped ice cream off the side of her lips and the feeling of his warm yet coarse fingers, and how they both glided down the ice with her securely in his arms, the blissful feeling that had swelled her chest.
And now, it was almost her closing hours, but Natalia was still unable to focus as the image of his toe-curling kiss came back to her mind, but then...
Just when they’d broken from the kiss, a voice had rung in her ears, it was the same as all the moments she would almost recall something while being in Christopher’s company, what happened to her memory that she had completely forgotten about whatever meeting she must have had with him in the past?
While she was still lost in her thoughts, she didn’t realize when her assistant entered her office.
"Ma’am?" The young woman called to get Natalia’s attention, but Natalia, still lost in her own thoughts, was staring blankly at the screen of her computer and didn’t hear her at all.
"Ma’am." She knocked on the desk lightly, only then did Natalia come back to her senses.
"Yes?" she asked, dazed, then realized she had been absent so she cleared her throat. "Katie, did you need something?" Natalia asked.
"No ma’am, actually this just arrived for you." She said, handing Natalia a little white gift box wrapped beautifully.
Natalia accepted the box with slight bewilderment as she studied it in her hands. "Who is it from?"
"A man, I dunno him, but he’d been here earlier asking me to give this to you." Katie, her assistant, replied.
"A man, what did he look like?"
Katie didn’t hesitate to say, "He’s very handsome ma’am!" There was excitement in her voice as if she’d already built up a crush for the said person in her mind.
Immediately Natalia heard how Katie had described the person, a smile crossed her lips. "Must be Chris." she muttered quietly with a smile.
"What was that ma’am?" Katie asked, not having heard what Natalia had said.
"Nothing, you may leave now, thank you."
"Yes ma’am." Katie walked out of the office.
Natalia held the little box in her hands with a smile on her face. "So I guess you just want to plague my day not just with thoughts of you, but with your little gifts huh?" she giggled softly to herself before slowly unwrapping the box, she opened it to find a shimmering diamond bracelet inside.
Natalia was surprised and taken aback, the diamonds were designed like charms all around the bracelet, it was really beautiful. Natalia couldn’t help but let out a small gasp as she took out the bracelet but found a small note under it.
She picked up the note putting the bracelet back in the box, however the moment she opened the note, her expression changed the minute she set her eyes on the handwriting without even reading the words themselves yet.
Natalia looked away from the note for some moments before she looked at it again to read it.
[I remember all the times we spent by the sea watching the waves until sunset, I remember how your eyes sparkle with the reflection of the sunset and the sea, just like beautiful glistening diamonds. I just want to remind you how special you are to me, and I will never forget all our moments together.
Love Peter.]
Natalia looked at the diamond bracelet kept on her table inside the box, she picked it up looking at it for a few seconds before carefully placing the note back in the box along with the bracelet, then she wrapped it up the way it had come, then she kept it in her bag.
Natalia looked lost in thought, her eyes blankly staring at the walls that had images of fashion spreads decorating all around. Being an editor of a fashion magazine she had to keep up with a lot of fashion trends, usually she would gaze at those walls when she needed inspiration of what comments to make about new styles, but at this time, inspiration wasn’t what she needed but she was caught up in the complications of her own personal relationships.
Natalia couldn’t deny that she’d had a wonderful time with Christopher the day before, and she’d definitely felt something for him, and if she was ever to completely move on from Peter, Christopher would be the first person she would want to give her heart to...
Recalling the kiss from last night, her heart skipped a beat again her face heating up. She would want to give her heart to him... if she hadn’t already.
She also didn’t know where they must have met before, but he knew her so well, was kind, considerate, sweet, he was a lot of things any woman would want in a man.
She couldn’t deny that every time she recalled Peter and how he’d broken her heart she still felt hurt, and she still didn’t want to talk to him about her past because she was afraid she’d awaken the pain once again.
Natalia sighed turning off her computer. She picked up her bag then turned off the lights in her office and left since she was done for the day.
She entered the elevator that took her to the last floor where she walked through the lobby of the company building and left, however she had just come out of the building when she suddenly stopped in her tracks with a surprised look in her eyes.
"Chris?" she called in surprise seeing as she set her eyes on the tall figure of the man standing beside his car outside the company.
Turning around to look at her after hearing her voice he smiled, in his hands were a bouquet of purple roses, unorthodox but they looked really beautiful.
Natalia walked down the steps to come before him.
"What are you doing here?" Natalia asked.
"Don’t tell me you think that was it after one magical night, my lady? We did have a deal remember?"
"What deal?" she asked.
He looked at her disbelievingly for a moment before he shook his head and handed her the flowers first. "Here, take these first."
She could perceive a beautiful fragrance coming from the flowers but she looked up at him asking, "Purple?"
"Yes, do you know what they mean?"
Natalia shook her head.
"Tsk, why are you acting so clueless?" he clicked his tongue before saying, "The deal had been one date and one date alone. The date is over, yet I didn’t get my reply."
Hearing that Natalia’s gaze which was on the flowers swung up to look at him.
"Purple flowers symbolize a heartfelt confession of love, in a literal sense they mean love itself. Take these as a token of me confessing my love for you, Natalia."
Astonishment showed in her eyes, she had known that he had feelings for her, but hearing him admit it to her face still shocked her.
"I’m not asking you to give your heart to me right away, but I want a chance to earn it..." His eyes once again showed that sincerity that always moved her. He continued,
"...will you give me a chance to steal your heart, Natalia?"
Natalia stared at his calm and handsome face thoughtfully for a while. Three years, it had been three years now and not once had anyone made her heart feel like it did with Christopher. She couldn’t deny that everything about him had touched her heart.
Just like she had said earlier, if she ever was to give her heart to someone, it certainly would be him.
A small smile crossed her lips as Natalia opened her mouth to give her reply to him, but before she could utter a word a black car suddenly drove over, parking right next to them at the side.
Both Natalia and Christopher had to look over. The small smile on Natalia’s face quickly disappeared when she saw the man who just stepped out of the car approaching them.
Peter strode over to stand in front of Natalia, ignoring Christopher’s presence he gazed at her softly with a smile. "Did you get my present? I missed you so much, so I came to see you."