Moonlight Temptation

Soul piece

The days turned into weeks, and Lily found herself falling back into a familiar routine with Alex by her side. They had been on several dates but, despite the comfort of their renewed friendship, Lily couldn't shake the nagging feeling that something was amiss. Thoughts of Ethan lingered in the back of her mind, his enigmatic presence haunting her dreams and leaving her longing for answers.

One evening, as she sat in her room poring over her notes, a soft knock sounded at the door, interrupting her concentration. With a sigh, Lily set aside her textbooks and crossed the room to answer it.

To her surprise, standing on the other side of the door was Sarah, her face etched with concern. "Lily, can we talk?" she asked, her voice tinged with urgency.

Lily nodded, stepping aside to allow Sarah to enter the room. "Of course, what's wrong?"

Sarah hesitated for a moment, chewing on her lip as if unsure how to begin. "It's about Ethan," she said finally, her words coming out in a rush. "I saw him the other day, and he mentioned something... something about you."

Lily felt her heart skip a beat at the mention of Ethan's name, a mixture of excitement and apprehension swirling in her chest. "What did he say?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Sarah sighed, her gaze flickering away for a moment before meeting Lily's eyes. "He said... he said he's been looking for you. That he has something important to tell you."

Lily's mind raced with a million questions, her thoughts swirling like a tempest in her mind. What could Ethan possibly want to tell her? And why had he been looking for her?

Before she could voice her concerns, Sarah continued, her tone somber. "He said you'd receive his message tomorrow by noon, so, I’m staying over today until tomorrow. I also want to know what he has to say.”

Lily’s mind raced inquisitively. What message was Ethan talking about? Somewhere within her, she was really happy that he still remembered her.

“Ding Dong!” It was Lily’s door. Sarah sped towards the door and opened it. There was a hefty man by the door wearing a black suit and black hand gloves with a large scar on the left side of his face. “ You are not Miss Lily Edward, where’s she? This message is for her” he said, and shoved Sarah out of his way and signaled to two men in a big black car and went out of the car, opened up the boot and got out a very big rectangular shaped thing that was wrapped in pure white cloth. Lily rushed to her living room. “What is happening?” she asked the scarred man, confused "Miss Evans, we have a message from our boss to you. He says when you lay eyes on it, you will understand. We were ordered to put it in your room. Please. Where is your room?” Lily looked over to Sarah, who shrugged, also confused. The confused Lily pointed straight ahead towards her room and the men walked into her room and locked the door, leaving both girls outside. There was a little bit of noise inside her room like something was being drilled into the walls. A few moments later, the men came out. The hefty man said “Thank you for your time, Miss Evans. My boss says you should be ready by 6pm today, you are both going out to eat.” He said and he looked at Sarah. “Don’t open the door if it isn’t for you, you might receive what’s not yours, and it might not be good. Learn to mind your business”, he concluded. The bewildered Sarah screamed after him “Who do you think you are, mate? Who the f**k do you think you are? Leave here and never come back!” She hissed.

Both girls walked into the room and Lily was left speechless, it was the art work she told Ethan that she loved and that she would love to eat popcorn whilst looking at. It was the exact artwork staring right at her. “Hold me, hold me, what I’m I looking at?” It was Sarah who said “This artwork costs five million euros. It’s an artwork titled “Sight of the Soul” by Tarca Marfetti, a contemporary Italian painterr. Wow! Who on earth is this Ethan of a man?” Lily could not believe her eyes. She walked closer to the art piece, there was a write-up written "Hello pretty, I hope you enjoy your popcorn when you look at this soul piece. No matter how beautiful this art is, you are much more beautiful, Lacriz.” She smiled.

As the clock struck 6 pm, there was a soft knock on Lily's door, signaling the arrival of the awaited evening. With a flutter of excitement mingled with curiosity, Lily smoothed down her dress and hurried to answer the door.

Standing on the other side was a sharply dressed man, his dark suit tailored to perfection, and a gleaming smile lighting up his face. Lily recognized him instantly as one of the men who had delivered the mysterious message earlier that day. He was the man with the scar on his face.

"Miss Evans, I'm here to escort you to your dinner appointment," he announced, his voice smooth and confident.

Lily nodded, feeling a rush of anticipation coursing through her veins. "Thank you," she replied, stepping out of her room and locking the door behind her.

As they made their way downstairs, Lily couldn't help but wonder what awaited her at the luxurious restaurant Ethan had chosen for their evening together. The thought of seeing him again sent a thrill of excitement through her, and she couldn't wait to unravel the mysteries that surrounded him.

The drive to the restaurant was a blur of city lights and bustling streets, the car gliding effortlessly through the night as they made their way to their destination. Lily stole glances out of the window, her heart pounding with anticipation at the thought of what lay ahead.

Finally, they arrived at the restaurant, a sleek and modern establishment nestled in the heart of the city. The valet opened the car door for Lily, and she stepped out onto the bustling sidewalk, her eyes widening in awe at the sight before her.

As she entered the restaurant, Lily was greeted by the soft strains of music and the tantalizing aroma of gourmet cuisine. The elegant decor and warm ambiance enveloped her, casting a spell of enchantment over the entire evening.

And there, standing in the center of the room, was Ethan, his eyes alight with excitement as he caught sight of Lily. He approached her with a smile, his hand outstretched in greeting.

"Lily, you look absolutely stunning," he exclaimed, his voice filled with genuine admiration.

Lily felt her cheeks flush with color at Ethan's compliment, her heart skipping a beat at the sight of him. "Thank you," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper.

Ethan smiled, taking her hand in his and leading her to their table. As they settled into their seats, Lily couldn't help but marvel at the opulence of their surroundings, the flickering candlelight casting a warm glow over their faces.

Throughout the course of the evening, Ethan regaled Lily with stories of his travels and adventures, his charismatic demeanor drawing her in like a moth to a flame. They laughed and joked, lost in each other's company as they savored the delicious food and fine wine that adorned their table.

As the evening drew to a close, Ethan reached across the table and took Lily's hand in his, his gaze locking with hers. She cleared her throat shyly. “Icecream” he said “What?” She asked, confused. “Your best snack is ice cream , is it not? Let’s go get it” he said. She was taken aback. “And how did you know that?” She asked, raising her brows. “It’s really common with females and I happen to know females,” he said. Lily looked at him doubtfully.

They stood up to leave the five-star restaurant and Lily suddenly remembered something. “Ethan, you forgot to pay for the food” she said, concerned “oh no, Lacriz, I own this place too,” he said casually, “Too? What other places do you own” she asked. “A lot of places actually, but the Art gallery. Yes, I own it ” Lily was more surprised at how casually he said it. Suddenly, he held her hand, he towered over her, and she stood cutely below. They looked impeccable.

As they walked towards the car, she stopped him, “You know, Ethan," Lily began, a mischievous twinkle in her eye, "as much as I appreciate the luxury of your fleet of cars, I have a craving for something a bit more... down-to-earth, let’s walk, I’m sure there must be an ice cream shop around here. Moreover, the cool breeze often brings interesting conversations when people walk”, she said as she smiled and looked at him. He hurriedly agreed.

With that, they set off down the sidewalk, the anticipation of sweet treats and good company filling the air. As they approached the ice cream shop, Lily's heart fluttered with excitement, her mind already racing with thoughts of the delicious flavors that awaited them.

Entering the shop, Lily's eyes widened at the sight of the colorful array of ice cream flavors displayed behind the counter. From classic favorites like vanilla and chocolate to more exotic concoctions like mango sorbet and salted caramel swirl, the choices seemed endless.

As they waited in line, Lily turned to Ethan with a grin. "You're in for a treat, Ethan. Ice cream is my weakness."

Ethan chuckled, his gaze softening as he watched Lily's eyes light up with excitement. "I can see that. Let’s get all the mango flavor if you like” he said, “Oh my! How did you guess my favorite flavor, Ethan?” He only chuckled.

Lily's face lit up with a nostalgic smile as she recalled her childhood memories of indulging in ice cream treats. "Oh, where do I begin? As a kid, I used to love anything with sprinkles or cookie dough. But honestly, I'm not picky. I'll try anything at least once, but I’m in loveeeee with mango flavor” she grinned.

As they reached the front of the line, Lily eagerly ordered a double scoop of her favorite flavors, while Ethan opted for a more traditional single scoop of chocolate chip cookie dough. With their ice cream in hand, they found a cozy corner table and settled in to enjoy their treats.

As they savored each spoonful of creamy goodness, Lily couldn't help but reminisce about her childhood adventures with icecream and late night trips to the local ice cream parlor with her parents, lazy summer days spent licking melting cones in the sun, and the simple joy of sharing a scoop with friends on a hot summer's day.

As she shared her memories with Ethan, she couldn't help but feel a sense of warmth and connection between them. Despite their differences, they shared a love for the simple pleasures in life, like good food and good company.

And as they sat together in the cozy ice cream shop, their laughter mingling with the chatter of other patrons, Lily knew that she had found a kindred spirit in Ethan- a friend who shared her love for life's sweetest moments, one scoop at a time.