Dearest Bella

Coffee for two

They arrived at a small coffee shop in town. The drive over wasn’t as awkward as Bella feared it would be. Instead he was charming and very friendly. She had learnt that his name was Damian Lorde and that he was a CEO for a multibillionaire company in Melbourne. He liked to get away from the city life and holiday in his country estate. Apparently no one knew about it so it made his life easier. Bella felt strangely familiar with Damian and found out they liked the same music Fall out Boy, Maroon five and Panic at the Disco. They were seated in the corner next to the outside window. A cosy homely feeling came upon Bella and she breathed in the smell of freshly brewed coffee. She looked across the table at Damian she noticed he was staring at her. A deep red flush started making its way up from her neck and over her cheeks. Bella looked down at the table; the rustic wood had small yellowish carvings decorating the surface. Bella began tracing the patterns with her finger. A waitress arrived smiling intensely at Damian and with a girlish voice asked; “Good morning sir. What would you like to order?” The waitress took a quick look in Bella’s direction and frowned for a micro second and then continued batting her long mascara blue eyes at Damian. Bella shuffled uncomfortably in her seat, and slowly looked up at Damian tilting her head to the right waiting for his response. Damian cleared his throat; “I’ll have a decaf dark cappuccino please. Bella?”

Bella smiled and ordered her drink; “Soy cappuccino please.”

The waitress quickly jotted this all down on her pad and then looked back into Damian’s green eyes. “Would you like anything to eat? We have a yummy breakfast menu.” She was practically drooling over him shamelessly. Bella hid her amused smile behind a extremely fake cough. 

Damian’s smile dropped and he simply asked “Do you have bacon and eggs on toast?” 

The waitress eagerly replied; “Yes, sir we do.”

Damian looked at Bella and asked “Do you want the same?” 

Bella looked a little surprised and nodded her head. Thats what she always ordered for breakfast. Bacon and eggs on toast. 

Daman finalised the order and the waitress left then alone. Bella was at a lost of words when Damian asked “So what do you do Bella?” Damian unconsciously moved closer to her. 

Bella moved her hands into her lap, talking about herself made her feel extremely self conscious. Taking a sharp breath in Bella answered; “I’m a childhood educator. I teach in the babies room at my centre.” Bella fiddled with her fingers under the table. 

Damian watched her pink lips moves as she spoke, they trembled a bit. He wished he could make her feel easier and instinctively put his hand out stretched on the table. She looked at his sudden movement with curiosity.  She reached out and touched his finger tips, an electrified energy past between them in that moment. Bella withdrew her hand hesitantly at the reaction and then pushed her hand fully into his. Bella felt the heat go through her, she looked up to see his green eyes studying her hand. Damian moved his thumb over her knuckles sending little shivers up her arm, causing goosebumps to rise and her heart to flutter. Bella smiled shyly. “That feels nice.”

Damian chuckled “Tell me what is your favourite thing about this small town? What keeps you here?”

Bella breathed in; “Well I haven’t actually left Bathurst by myself. I used to go on trips after Christmas wth my parents every year. We would go to Dream world, Sea world and Movie world.” Damian smiled and nodded encouragingly for Bella to go on. “I love my job and I really never thought about leaving before.”

Bella looked out the window into the cloudless blue sky. “Honestly, when I was a kid I used to look at the mountains in the distance and would tell myself I will go beyond and not come back. But the older I got the easier it was to forget that promise and eventually I let school and life somehow just took over.” Bella blinked a few times to get rid of the layer of liquid clouding her vision. She felt Damian’s hand gently squeeze hers. She looked back into his green eyes searching for something. She didn’t know what it was but something easy and familiar was pulling her to him.  

Damian held her eyes on his as the waitress came back over to the table carrying their drinks. “Here you go.” She set Bella’s in front of her breaking their hold on each other. She then lent forward much closer to Damian giving him plenty to see. “Here you go sir I’ll go get your food now.” She winked at him and Bella rolled her eyes. Damian didn’t even care to notice and kept his gaze fixed on his Bella. However he did notice the lack of physical contact and the vast emptiness as their mate connection was halted. Damian began to ask another question when the food was placed on the table. This time she hurriedly left them alone as more customers arrived. Bella sighed and inhaled the food before picking up her knife and fork to dig in. Damian followed her lead and began slicing an egg and piling it onto the toast. Bella paused “Thank you for helping me last night.” Bella blushed and continued cutting the strip of toast and popping into her mouth. 

Damian smiled a dazzling half smile; “It was the right thing to do. Bella why did you drink so much? You allowed yourself to be in such a dangerous position.”

Bella gulped down her mouthful of food; “I… I was reminded about s..something.” Bella  mumbled; “I was trying to forget something. I don’t like talking about it especially with people I’ve just meet.” Bella shifted uncomfortably in her chair and looked up to see Damian frowning slightly, staring at her with a fierce expression. Bella tilted her head and pondered his facial expression. She had never had this reaction before and it intrigued and bewildered her at the same time. 

Damian quickly snapped out of his trance and recovered by saying; “of course not. I was just worried you might make a habit.”

Bella blushed “No I wouldn’t normally do that I just had a momentary lapse in judgement.”

Damian nodded “I believe you. Just incase though can I give you my number so at any time call me and I’ll be there.”

Bella searched his eyes noticing the flecks of gold swirling around in the vast green. “Sure.” Bella handed over her phone to him to put in his number and take a selfie for the phone. Damian handed back the phone and Bella typed in a short message to start the texting connection. “Hi, its me Bella!”

Damian chuckled as her message was received the name “Dearest Bella.” Filled the screen and her photo from high school lit up too. 

“Got it.” Said Damian. 

The couple finished their breakfast talking about their favourite movies and playstation games. Once they arrived in the ‘Elephant and Castle’ car park Bella turned to Damian, raising one eye brow and held out her right hand. Damian half sighed “Here you go.”

Bella let out a small laugh; “See ya around.”

Damian watched Bella get out of the car and run over to her own. The tiny silver car started up and began to roll forward when Bella slammed on the breaks. She saw Damian waving something at her next to his car. Bella got out of her car and jogged back over to retrieve her purse and phone. “Thanks.” She said quickly as she jogged back over to her car. Restarting the car she gracefully pulled out onto the road and headed home. As she got to the driveway her phone began to buzz. Bella didn’t answer it till she was safely parked with the engine off. 

“Hello?” Bella asked too flustered to read the caller ID.

“Bella! You are ok. Thank God! We almost sent out a search party for you.” 

“Jane, calm down I’m fine. I home, come over if your free.” Bella grabbed her purse and shut the roller door and locked her car. She walked through the garage door inside listening to the muffled voices on the other side of the phone. 

Giggling Jane replied; “Sure, on my way babe. Do you need me to bring anything apart from the usual?”

Bella sighed; “Nope.” Opening her freezer door to reveal the ice creams and cheese cakes. “Ive still got desert covered.”

“Yas! Ok I’m on my way. Love ya!” Jane gushed over the phone as she ran around her own apartment trying to locate her shoes. 

Bella laughed in response, “love you too.”

Bella hung up and proceeded to have a quick shower.