19 And it begins...

'It shows about ten more minutes, Sir.' Richard said, looking at his lone passenger through the rear-view mirror.

An unknown eagerness gawked at his chest as his Audi neared her hotel. How was she going to dress up for tonight? Shawn was excited to find out. One look at her choice of outfit could show her intensions for the night. Peering down at him-his neatly ironed moon blue shirt and a black blazer atop assured him he was at his best. The top two buttons of his cotton shirt were purposefully undone which had little to do with the heat underneath the thick blazer and more to accentuate his game.

The little game he played to woe someone. It usually varied from a girl to another but Shawn had cracked a pattern - the flavor of mystery and a taste of what she was missing, what she had said No to. He couldn't help but flash a grin, less evil more happy. It had felt right. This date was overdue, and it was finally happening.

'Did you make a call to Miss Gomes?' Shawn caught Richard's face in the rearview.

'I certainly did, Sir.'

'I assume you didn't mention I was with you?'

'No, Sir.' Richard answered almost robotically. 'We're here.'

'Hmm. Escort Miss Gomes from the lobby.' Shawn had an unspoken understanding with few of his staff and even though Richard wasn't his full-time driver, he had figured out Shawn's dating maneuvers. It was a rare occasion for Shawn to be in the car that was sent to pick up his date, but it wasn't new to Richard. His quietness was still trapped in an air-tight contract-something Silvers had insisted upon.

Richard got out of the car in the front parking of the hotel and straightened his bow-tie and receded into The Vallore.

Two minutes later, through the purple-tinted window, Shawn saw a figure approaching his Audi alongside Richard's burly body. Her torso was hugged by an A-line dress with its flounce right above her knees. She was wearing not more than three inches in her shoes, her flowy hair trailed behind her with an idyllic bounce. The scene would have been perfect in slow-motion for a romcom, minus the huge man matching her steps. With her just a few feet away, Shawn could see the color of her unrevealing dress - raven-black; his favorite color on a woman.

'Here, Miss.' Richard was heard right outside, unlocking the other door of the back seat.

A click and he saw her shiny left leg first then her butt and then her head swooping onto the seat right next to him.

'Careful!' He screeched even though it was Itika who got hurt when the door pushed her from behind before she could even adjust herself on the seat.

'Richard?' Shawn shouted out to him. 'Was the door not serviced this morning?'

'Haven't had the chance today. I will get it checked tonight itself.'

'Good.' Shawn looked at Itika now. Her face. Her neck. Her lips. They were all so sparkly. Was it the no-makeup makeup look that they do nowadays? He hoped it was natural. He wouldn't want to have foundation in his mouth when he sucked onto that gorgeous face.

'Hi?' He finally said.

'Hi. I didn't think you'd be coming along.' Itika replied as she pushed back a lock. The shyness was there again. But she didn't look surprised.

'There was a change of plan and I asked Richard to pick me up on his way to you. I hope you didn't mind waiting for a few minutes.'

Itika's knees were closed in together instead of them being one over another. The next second, she gracefully aligned the bottom of her dress and said, 'Not at all.'

'Good. Are you okay, though?' He bobbed his head at her elbow. 'Did it hurt a lot?'

Itika shook hers. 'Don't worry about it. I'm anyway not used to getting into SUVs. It was partly my fault.'

'What do you drive back home?'

'I don't drive.'

'You don't?' Shawn's head wrinkled up.

'No. I rent a cab for every month and that's enough for me.'

'I see.' He took a moment, and then said, 'You look great.'

Itika beamed coyly, 'You too' and looked away from his protracted gaze.

Even under the dull, gold light inside the car, her skin glimmered like it was glazed by the Caribbean Sun. The thin straps of her slim fit dress hung stout without any shift, not giving a peek of her cleavage. But, the fullness of her breasts, its shape molded by her outfit ascended with a squishy bounce every time the car overran a speed breaker.

After exchanging a few awkward words for about fifteen minutes, Shawn held silence for another few and then said, 'So, what do you have in mind? How do you suggest we get to know each other?'

Itika instantly replied, 'Umm… we can just talk about ourselves, ask questions and learn things about each other.

'Yeah we could do that, or... maybe we can play a game to break this thick ice wall between us.'

Itika gave out a laugh. It was the sexiest sound he had heard in a while. It descended with an almost invisible roll of her eyes. 'You're right about that.'

Shawn's laugh followed.

'What kind of game?'

'Something like I say a word and you say the first thing that comes to your mind and vice-versa.'

'Oh, like rapid fire?'

'What's that?'

Itika added, 'The same thing basically but back home it's known as rapid-fire. They do that in celebrity interviews, you know.'

'Ah. Okay. I'll go first. But you can't cheat. You have to say the very first thing that comes to your mind.'

'I can do that.'

'Alright…Food.'

'Necessity.'

'That's… boring.'

'What? I was being honest. I wasn't trying to be interesting.'

Shawn tittered. 'Okay… umm… Passion.'

'Dance.'

'Money.'

'Hard Work.'

'Love?'

'Home.'

'Home?'

'Yeah. Why?'

'Nothing. Boring is all.' The answer had made him happy. But he didn't show. Instead, he grinned. 'Sex.'

'Personal.' Itika said, raising her eyebrows.

'Sorry.'

They both chuckled. Itika however, turned her head to the side, looking out the window. Her discomfort surfaced.

Shawn intercepted that. 'Are you always this shy?'

Itika's head took a sharp turn. 'No. But at first, yeah… Especially when someone puts me in a spot like you are right now.' She smirked.

'I'm sorry. I thought if we move past these awkward questions, you'll be more comfortable.'

'Hmm... I'm getting there. Okay… so what about your turn? Are you ready?'

'Always.' Shawn said with a wink to which Itika squinted. The few seconds that lingered between them had tension that filled his heart with warmth. Not heat. It was more than sexual. It was intimate. It was deep. There was instant chemistry between them. This could go long, Shawn thought. He could see himself falling for her. He had long waited for that to happen for once.

'Stop that!' Itika's command snapped him out of his thoughts. He realized he had been staring.

He grinned and looked away.

Itika did the same, with a soft smile.

'Best Friend.' She said out of nowhere, taking him by surprise. Shawn didn't think any of his friends fit the description of a best friend. He knew the people he worked with were not someone he could trust. And Shawn wasn't one to trust anyone. He knew his friends hung out with him mostly because of the endless parties he paid for and having a famous guy as your friend did them little favors in their own lives as well. In return, those friends were always available for him if he needed something, more often than not it involved arranging beautiful women, drugs, and getting rid of both if or when necessary.

'You're taking your sweet time.' Itika commented with a mock frown and crossed her arms and leaned back.

'No one.'