Love Unexpected

Chapter 6: Edward

The lift was a train-like cabin with the top mainly made of glass and the bottom was steel with carpeted flooring. we got to admire the view of the river and the skyline on the other side and took some pictures while going down the hill. The lift dropped us off across the road from another bridge, this one was different from the one we used on the way here, it was a yellow tied arch bridge that accentuated the backdrop of the skyline beautifully. We took another round of pictures, then went back up to where the car was parked. we drove down the street a bit and parked where there were decks protruding out of the mountain. I could see three of the decks spaced out in front of us and i could already tell that the view would be beautiful. we walked to the closest one, and damn was the view breathtaking. I pulled Alex between me and the railing caging him in my arms and proceeded to rest my chin on top of his head.

-what's happening?

- My neck is tired from holding my big head up and you're the perfect height for a headrest.

he just laughed and leaned back against my chest. Sophia did the same, leaning against me, and for a while there, everything was quiet until the couple a few feet away laughed at something. Alex startled and I just felt him grow rigid under me, he extricated himself away from me, shoving his hands in his pockets. And my brain, which'd been lulled into a false sense of hopefulness since they'd both been pretty okay with holding hands and hugging so far, flashed warning signs at me. I inwardly groaned at the complication Alex's behavior indicated, even if I didn't let it show. Today, the ease with which they accepted my touch had me thinking that they might, at the very least, have some experience with casual threesomes. But I didn't think so anymore, Alex looked like he was about to jump out of his own skin, not once did he meet my eyes again the whole time we were there and he kept trying to hide behind his wife, unsuccessfully since he was half a head taller than her. I let it all happen and refrained from pushing him into a conversation he didn't seem to want to have, because, I too didn't think I had the right to shake-up their lives because I was thinking with my d**k. I was only here for five days, despite the hints I was getting that they wouldn't be opposed to me sharing their bed. They were just that, hint, and I only met them yesterday. Chances are I'm the one imagining things because my d**k wanted to explore. Hence I reminded myself that my genius IQ didn't account for the human experience and accepted that I might have read the situation wrong and they were just kind people who didn't mind skinship.

We walked the strip district next and stopped at a diner Sophia said had the best burgers. we let her order for us since she'd been here before

- So Eddy, since you're starting your undergrad at twenty, what did you do during your gap year?

- Masters and I went traveling for six months and the rest of the year was spent starting a business with my best friend Nathalie.

- Masters? at twenty? he asked finally emerging from behind the menu.

- yes, I have a genius IQ, quite useless when dealing with people but it serves me well in school.

- what's your undergrad degree about? she asked.

- computer science, finance and engineering. Robotics more specifically but I'm only doing my masters on finance and engineering.

-wow! they both said.

- How about you two? What do you do?

-we aren't geniuses, that's for sure! Sophia said. I'm just an interior designer.

-don't belittle your achievements because I benefited from a random alignment of genes at birth. I said frowning. you must have worked hard to get were you are now?

-i did! she smiled.

-That's impressive Princess, how about you Alex?

-I'm an architect.

-commercial?

-mostly but i do design homes sometimes

- Is that how the two of you first met each other? working at the same project. I asked biting into my burger and crispy French fries.

- no. Alex said at the same time Sophia that said yes.

-Alex, you forgot how we met? Sophia asked scandalized.

- no, the first time i met you was at Moss Arch, you were coming out of a meeting with the client for that mall project we worked on were you met me for the first time.

-oh!

-did someone took part in a little bit of light stalking? Eddy smiled

- I did, that's why I was a structural engineer on that project even if I was an architect.

-oh, you stalked me like a baby serial killer?

-no, I'm way too cool for that, I asked, Brad who you were and got him to let me work on that project with you guys.

- And here I thought I was the one to make the first move.

-when? I asked you out!

- did you really, I caught you looking at my boobs and said you should at least by me dinner first.

- I still asked you first!

- nope, why did you think i wore the damn shirt? they stared at each other for a moment then they both smiled digging into their foods.

- so for the first date was it just dinner or dinner and a movie, i asked. you both seem like the dinner then a movies type.

-I'm offended, are you calling us basic bitches?

-those are your words Sophia not mine, so was i right?

-yeah, she said defeated. We're those basic bitches

-i said that because you both seem like comfort creatures. i smiled. and food plus movie will often be safe and provide many topics for conversation, just like now!

- I can be daring! Alex said, and both me and Spohia frowned at him.

-How so, do you mean like at work , or at home or outdoors? Sophia asked

-Are you doubting me right now?

-I think we just need some clarification, that was just such a blanket statement. I explained. Like do you mean sexually, or do you go to dangerous place or maybe you eat dangerous food

- I feel like your both ganging up on me

-we're not sweetheart! Sophia and I said in unison, i just want to know what is considered daring in that beautiful mind of yours, and I want to go with you and see you do those daring things i added.

- well, i went bungee jumping when I was at Uni, and my parents initially didn't like Soph but i stayed with her anyway.

-your parents didn't like me?

- Remember the first time you met my family you had that disagreement with Pavel.

- Who's Pavel?

- my older brother

- a sexist toxic masculinity having narcistic pig!

-okay! I looked hesitantly at Alex but all he did was shrug and grimace.

- Pavel can be a bit much sometimes. Alex said, Sophia hid her face from Alex to mouth 'most times' at me, and I bit my lip so I didn't burst into inappropriate laughter again.

- so you just have that one brother? I asked trying to steer the conversation to safer topics

-I have two older bothers, Pavel and Igor.

-How about you princess any other siblings except for Gabriella?

- you remembered! and yes I have two younger brothers Mateo and Juan. you, is it only Tristan and Celest?

-there's also another older brother Charli and our youngest Olivier. back to daring Alex what else was there?

-I used to go to the gun range for a while when i first started working because the site was in an unsafe neighborhood.

-So you have a license to carry?

-no i never went that far, the gun range also offered some class on how to defend yourself in case you have a gun pointed at you and right around that time the era of mass shooting started and it felt irresponsible to add to the problem.

-that's great, and what daring do's do you have planned for us when we're done eating?

-I thought we could hang around point state and wait for six o'clock, that's when the football match starts if you want?

-I'm game if you are princess?

-i am, who's playing?

-Cincinnati Bengals and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

-ooh, I'm routing for the Bengals! Sophia said

- You're from Pittsburgh! Alex said

-That doesn't stop me from having good taste? the Steelers have been stuck in limbo for a while now, they probably are going to loose this match!

-they definitely will, princess, they can never surpass the Bengals! I agreed

-I'm surrounded by traitors!

- no, you're surrounded by very intelligent people who know to jump ship when the boat is sinking! i said pushing my plate empty away.

-how dare you! the steelers are not a sinking ship, they are just going through a rough patch right now.

-for three year? Sophia asked

-yes!

For the rest of the meal we kept the conversation light and just got to know each other. point state was another sight for sore eyes, the park was beautiful and so was the fountain. I had a bird eye view of point state when we were at the incline, but it was quite something up close too.

we walked around for a bit and sat on the steps that let us see the river and the fountain, while we waited for six to roll around. Alex was still a little wary of me, he made sure to wait until we were settled to sit next to Sophia. We sat like that in silence just taking in the scenery until some guy showed up with a big wireless speaker and started blasting very good music. some people started singing along and some even started dancing, it started as just a few people dancing peppered around the various groups. It wasn't until the DJ played Jerusalema that the various little groups consolidated into one, so of course Sophia and I joined in, Alex categorically refused to put one foot on the makeshift dancefloor, so we went without him. Sophia was a very good dancer, she was on rhythm and a little silly, so it made for a very fun time dancing with her. I too, didn't take myself seriously on the dancefloor. Serious dancing was no fun! our Dj cooled it down on the fifth song with "On Fire" by Andy Bumuntu. I swept her in a Zouk-Kizomba hybrid winding, twisting an grinding around each other. I knew the song, it was easy for me to keep us on beat and she followed my lead beautifully. she would pull when I pushed, snapping her hips forward to meet my thrust. And damn did her hips not lie! She was looking up at me, her eyes so open that I couldn't stop myself from grazing her cheek and leaning down to kiss the bridge of her nose while we wound her hips together. The way we moved got a lot more sensual as I lost myself in her eyes, in the back of my mind i knew we were straddling the line of not safe daylight outdoors but i couldn't bring myself to care that we were moving like we were seconds away from ripping each other clothes off. It startled me when I heard very loud clapping, my lips were mere inches away from Sophia's. One second more and i would have kissed her, I took a deep breath, steeling myself for the right thing to do. I kissed her forehead and looked up at the crowd. I hated and loved them equally, I didn't have the right to put my lips on that woman without hers and her husband's, a title I better remember, consent. i hugged her to my chest and bow at the crowd, Alex emerged from the crowd walking toward us at a fast clip, the expression on his face unreadable. I had an 'oh s**t' moment and braced myself for the fireworks.

- you guys! that was like so hot! he said surprising the s**t out of me

-really? she asked peaking at him from under my arm.

-yes love. I took a video of you two dancing, I'll show it to you later. He startled and looked up at me. i hope you don't mind that I videotaped you without asking first Eddy?

-Oh no, I'm not... you... I should... I stammered. I did not expect him to react like this at all. I was sure he was going to punch the daylight out of me. I don't mind Alex.

-oh good. Shall we go? It's five thirty and we should head to the stadium.

-ok lets go! Sophia said pulling me at run in an effort to escape the crowd of people that were still staring at us. I followed, running with her toward the bridge. She stopped when the last of our fanclub were far from us.

-Are we just running away or do you have a plan here?

-we have to walk along these steps chair things to those stairs over there that lead to the bridge.

-okay.

Sophia climbed one of the step to walk along still holing on to my hand.

-look, I'm taller then you!

-hum, I rarely look up at people. I grinned, how the view from up there i must look devastatingly handsome!

-Eddy? She said cradling my face between her hands. Narcissism is the wrong color on you!

I was laughing at her dig when Alex managed to surprise me again, he took my hand and started pulling me toward the stairs.

-come on guys, I don't want to miss the players entrance. There'll probably be a s**t ton of people to wade through. You two can flirt later! I hung on to Sophia's hand and off we went all the way to the stadium, and not once did he let go of my hand.