Entice the Moon to Fall

On the Way to Elisa's

Their driver stopped the car upon reaching an intersection and waited for the cars in front to move. They were near the center of the city and the traffic had become quite heavy even at that late hour.

“How are you feeling now, Dr. Garcia?” asked Red, his handsome face slightly lit by the streetlamps outside. He moved closer to Ella to see her more clearly.

Ella could almost feel Red’s warm breath as he leaned his body closer to him. She was glad to have left her handbag between them which acted as barrier between her and the attractive man beside her. She felt uncomfortable and wanted to look away, but Red’s intense gaze held her and she felt that she could not move. Sensing that her body was only reacting to Red’s magnetic personality, Ella blinked her eyes and broke her connection with him. She managed to look in front of her at the translucent privacy screen through which she could barely see the outline of the driver and the red tail lights of the cars in front of them.

The traffic light changed and driver moved the car forward. Ella felt uncomfortable and wanted them to reach their destination soon where she hoped the bigger space would help her to relax and be in better control of her senses.

“Why do keep calling me, Dr. Garcia?” Ella asked Red as she placed her hands flat on her lap.

“That is your title, isn’t it? And I wouldn’t want to impose too much by calling you by your first name,” said Red.

Ella realized that she never did tell Red to call her by her first name or even her nickname. She also found it somewhat pleasing to hear her title which she did earn over four long years at the university.

“You can call me Ellanor,” she said glancing briefly at Red’s smiling face. “Or, Ella. My colleagues at the lab call me Ella or Elle.”

“Nice to meet you, Dr. Ella,” said Red, offering a hand to the scientist.

Ella was not sure how to make of it. She had shaken his hand earlier that morning when he introduced himself to her. Reluctantly, she raised her hand towards Red’s.

Red immediately took Ella’s hand but instead of shaking it, raised it to his lips and kissed it lightly. “It’s indeed a pleasure to meet you.”

Ella wanted to quickly withdraw her hand but Red held it firmly and tapped it gently.

“I do like intelligent women,” said Red. “Intelligent and beautiful women,” Red corrected himself and emphasized ‘beautiful’.

Ella did not see herself as beautiful, at least not in the world’s usual definition of beauty. She was not as tall nor as slim as the models whose faces and bodies were printed on magazines and billboards. She was also not as interested in fashion and felt comfortable wearing her cotton shirt and pants. Ella gasped as she realized something. She was wearing her street clothes when they were about to go to a classy restaurant.

“Oh!” gasped Ella and she quickly withdrew her hand from Red. “I realized just now, Red, but I’m not properly dressed for this. I am most probably out of place at Elisa’s. I’m sorry…” she said.

Ella felt Red’s gaze on her and she wanted to cover herself as if she was naked in front of a man she hardly knew. She placed her arms over her body as if to conceal her nakedness.

Red was silent for a moment. “You have nothing to worry about, Ella. They have a dress code at Elisa’s but they can lend you a coat as soon as we get there.”

Ella felt slightly relieved, but it was short-lived as she remembered that she would be alone with Red at the restaurant and she could not think of anything interesting to talk about. She was never been good at conversations. The only times she could think of that she was able to talk hours at length was when she was talking about her research.

“What are you thinking about, Ella?” asked Red. “You’re always deep in thought.”

Ella turned to Red. “Nothing. I’m just thinking about my research and the additional runs I need to do tomorrow.”

Red smiled at Ella as he locked eyes with her. “You think too much, Ella. Tonight, you don’t have to think about those that are bothering you.”

Ella took a deep breath and tried to clear her head. Red was right, she was thinking too much. She needed to unwind and relax. She just needed to enjoy the night and be herself. After all, Red did not invite her for a business meeting or a presentation.

Not before long, the car they were riding rounded up the curve and entered a circular driveway. As soon as the car stopped, a tall man in light brown uniform opened the door for Ella. Ella thanked the man who smiled back before shutting the door of the car. He then stepped to the side and with a broad sweep of his hand, welcomed Ella to a magical sight.

The tall trees around her had spherical lanterns that gave out soft light over a path lined with small round stones. Curtains of white flowers cascaded from the hanging vines that bordered an artificial water fall that provided the refreshing sounds of splashing water. The cool night air was scented by the jasmine that were blooming along the stone path.

Red quickly came to Ella’s side and offered his arm. Ella, not knowing what else to do, held on to Red’s arm as they walked along the path. A female attendant waiting for them smiled broadly and made a slight bow before ushering them onward. Ella noticed as they passed the concierge that there were several other customers in elegant suits and evening dresses waiting for their turn to confirm their reservations. Ella wondered how often Red came to the restaurant that he was allowed to walk past the concierge without being stopped by the staff. Instead, the restaurant staff greeted Red and seemed to know him very well.

As they passed the other guests who were waiting for their turn, Ella noticed some of them giving her a sharp look while a few ladies held their chin up as they held on to their partners. At once, Ella felt that she was out-of-place with her shirt and jeans and avoided looking at the guests queueing up to the restaurant. She wondered if the other guests would mind that she was wearing casual clothes when many of them had probably spent hours in front of the mirror, dressing and applying their make-up, or perhaps, even went to the parlor to prepare for tonight.

Ella stopped thinking about the other guests when she saw the table reserved for them by the restaurant.