Chapter 2

Markus

We head to the movie theatre and she watches the movie with so much awe in her eyes, it is contagious, making it seem as if these characters are all real. “I took her to the movies” I say on the phone, I know I’m going to be in trouble for doing it again but I can’t help it and I don’t care. “Markus! What the hell dude, I told you not to give her everything that she asks, it’s for her own good” Lucas yells at me through the phone, “you know I can’t resist, she was smiling so wide at me I couldn’t say no and besides its already too late now” I say. He is quite for a moment and then he says “my little girl has you wrapped around her tiny fingers with just a smile? Who are you? What’ve you done to my all ‘business’ and ‘no play’ brother?” he asks and laughs to himself. I’m annoyed now, what does he mean ‘no play’? I get my fair share of pussy and I’m content with the life I’m living. Falling in love and settling down was never my plan and it never would be, I am not the type and besides, why settle for one when you can have it all?

“You know what? The next time you send me to pick her up I’m going to take her for a vacation out of country, goodbye big bro” with that, I hang up on him and give my undivided attention to ‘Em bear’. The movie ends in two hours and we go to her favorite restaurant for some Italian food. She does all the talking, telling me about her best friend Sarah and a guy named Smith who helped her draw, I feel a little pang of anger surge through my body for the boy. I know he helped her, but if she ever gets hurt because of him, ugh! ‘He’s just 5 Markus, get it together’. After we’ve eaten, she insists we go to the shop with pink and brown strips to have chocolates. I’ve seen the place but I have no clue if their chocolate is worth a while. Yet, I find myself in front of the shop named ‘Golosi’ hmmm…. interesting choice, because I love my niece too much to not give her exactly what she wants.

I open the door for Emily to walk in first, she is looking at the place with the same awe and smile she had while watching the movie and I immediately appreciate my choice to bring her here. The place is elegant and modest not too flashy, I like it already. There are no customers in site considering how late it is but the shopkeeper isn’t there either, strange. Emily is looking at the place, mesmerized so I walk towards the counter “excuse me? Is anyone here?” I ask and immediately a blonde-haired girl pops her head up and stands. I breath hitches when I look at her delicate feature and I go very still, I stare at her emerald green eyes and into the depths of her soul. She is a specimen of pure beauty and grace, I’ve never in my entire life seen a women without artificial beauty products but this lady right in front of me is so natural and open, I wonder if she has a boyfriend? Wait what?

***

Lizzy

I was packing last of the leftover chocolates when a deep masculine voice called out, “excuse me? Is anyone here?” and I was shocked, his voice was smooth as honey and commanding as hell, as if he is the ‘king’ of the world. Other part of me was startled because it is too late for a customer to be here so I jump, and my eyes meet his steel grey one’s. He is in an impeccable three-piece suit looking every inch the king he is, he is so handsome I know every women within fifty-meter radius would salivate over him. That tan skin is so perfect with chiseled jaw that cuts like a knife I feel so ugly in front of his put together demeanor that I blush at the thought, out of embarrassment.

We stay like that, silently looking deep within each other’s soul when a soft voice breaks our little bubble, “hi, pretty lady” she says and I look down at her. The small angle is so beautiful, I reach down and pull her plum cheeks and say “hey there princess” her smile widens “you think I’m a princess? Which one do I look like?” she asks with so much enthusiasm my heart swells at her innocence.

“Judging by the color of your hair and eyes, you definitely look like Elsa” I say with a wide and genuine smile plastered on my face, I hazard a glance at the handsome stranger, he is looking at the little girl with so much love in his eyes just like a father would look at his daughter. Father. My heart shatters at that thought, if his daughter looks so beautiful, I wonder how gorgeous his wife must be, a light frown replaces my smiling face and I don’t know why? ‘He is a stranger, Elizabeth! Get your feelings under control!’

“Uncle Mark, she called me Elsa! She called me Elsa!” the little girl squealed excitedly “she did, didn’t she?” uncle Mark says in his deep masculine voice, wait Uncle Mark? I visibly release a sigh of relief. He is her uncle, yes!

My mood immediately lifts up, “now princess why don’t you tell me which chocolate you would like to have and I can pack them for you?” I ask, excitement over the stranger getting the best out of me. “I want 12 filled with caramel, 12 with strawberry essence and 12 with nuts” she says with a very serious tone. My eyes widen, no one asks for so many chocolates, they are expense so I look towards the hot stranger for permission, “just give her what she wants” he says with a cool tone as if buying expensive chocolates doesn’t puncture his bank account.

More money to me I guess, “okay” I say and get to packing the order, after 5 minutes I give her the packet and she ‘thanks me’ for it, after that she is gorging on the chocolates as if they were heaven for her, and I feel proud for being the reason for that smile.

I go to the cash counter and start making the bill, I look up at Mark and ask “don’t you want something for yourself?” he replies almost immediately “I’m not a chocolate person” I scrunch my nose a little in disgust and a lot in surprise, and say “that is not possible, every person has a favorite chocolate flavor even if it is just dark chocolate” he looks at me with an amused expression, then he shrugged and said “maybe, but I don’t” with that he pays the bill and starts to leave.

Perhaps I won’t be able to meet him again, so why not take my chances? I call out to him “sir?” he looks back at me with curiosity dancing in his eyes, I wrap one of my favorite chocolate and walk towards him, “complementary, try them I know you’ll love it”. He looks at the packet and takes it, “thank you” he mumbles under in breath and leaves abruptly. I look at his retreating back and wish, only if I could meet him one more time.