CHAPTER 25

After a short while. Julia felt bored and so was Dante'.

" So what do you do aside working at the bar? "

She asked, wanting to start a conversation with him to erase the boring atmosphere.

" I fix things, sort of like a, handy man, but I don't know yet, I'm thinking of quitting my job at the bar so I can work as a laundry Man or Maybe a truck driver. " He says in an honest, almost sad tone.

" Oh. " Julia says with a frown, she hadn't pegged him to be such an ordinary man.

" Yeah. " Dante' replies with a tired sigh. He opened the remaining buttons of his sleeveless shirt as if he was aware that she liked the view of his muscled chest.

She smiled at his simplicity. She couldn't help but admire his handsome, sweaty, face, gorgeous, simple outfit, and exposed, firm, torso. She looked at his thin lips, wondering what it tastes like.

With a swift sigh, she shakes her head, thereby shaking the thought away.

She tried to act normal and not stare at him too much but she noticed a stain on his shirt, cheek and forehead. So she brought out something from her purse.

" Here. " she says while giving him a handkerchief.

" Thanks. " He replies as he collected it and bent down to do something.

Julia watched him as he did so,

Despite all the sweat and stain, Dante' still miraculously looked handsome. Her heart melted at his kind gesture, her brain couldn't understand how a good looking, average, man could be this nice and friendly. Which made her wonder if he was in a serious relationship.

" Do you have a girlfriend? "

Julia heard herself ask him out of the blue.

Surprised by the random question, Dante' asked in a confused manner.

" What? " He straightened up from what he had been doing, and gives her a questioning look, unusure of what he heard her say.

" Nothing. " Julia says with an awkward smile, as she bends down to collect something from a huge, black, bag.

Dante' smiled, he had heard what she said and he was pleased to hear it.

" I'm single. " He says in a calm tone without looking at her.

" Oh. " Julia says casually, slightly angry at herself for asking him such a question. She takes a quick glance at him to see his facial expression. Dante' looked at her, so she looked away and got up. She climbed a stool and was about to hang some picture frames on the wall.

" Careful " Dante' said with warning,

julia was about to fall so he held her waist for support.

Julia stopped what she was doing and turned to look at Dante', she looked at his hands as it held her waist firmly, her gaze slowly shifted to his eyes and she gave him a questioning look.

He looked into her starry, green, eyes, thinking they were having a moment untill he saw the strict look on her face.

" I'm tryna help you. "

Dante' says defensively as he removed his hands from her waist.

Julia forced a smile and continued hanging up frames.

He gave her one frame, she looked at it and smiled. It was a picture of the first dress she designed, many years ago, she hanged it on the wall.

Dante' eyes studied a frame on the wall, It was a Halloween picture of julia and a tall guy, dressed as superheroes, with their hands on each other's shoulders and a big smile on their faces, Which added to their striking resemblance.

Dante' wondered who Julia was with in the picture, he couldn't help but ask.

" Boyfriend? "

Julia giggles and says.

" No, that's my brother Carlos"

" Oh. " Dante' says with a nod and a sigh of relief.

"He was supposed to help me organize some things in my apartment. "

Julia revealed.

" So why didn't he come? Was he too far away?" Dante'asked.

" Not really, he's just busy with his work, but he had other personal issues to handle."

Julia answered.

" What personal issues. "

Dante' foolishly asked.

Julia frowns and rolls her eyes.

" You ask too many questions. "

She says with a frown

Dante' laughed and said.

" I'm just curious. "

Julia paused, she felt the need to say.

" Carlos is a medical doctor, Just like my father. " She says proudly.

Dante's face lights up with a slow smile.

" Wow!" He exclaimed, almost impressed.

" You guys are really ambitious in your family. " Dante'mused.

" Yep! " She says as she surveyed the walls with her eyes looking for the best spot to hang a picture frame of her father.

" Can you help me with that table over there ? " Julia asked, pointing to a small wooden table at the corner of the room.

" Sure. " Dante' says as he carried the table and placed it before her, she stepped on it and looked up, placing the photo frame on a free space on the wall.

Dante' looked at the frame on the wall and asked.

" Is that your Dad? "

" Yes. " Julia answered.

"You look so much like him. I'm guessing you're a daddy's girl. "

Dante' says with a teasing smile.

Julia smiles and says in a sad tone.

" Yeah, he's my only parent. My mum died of cancer, five years ago, so he's the only one I've got left ."

" So sorry about that. "

He says sympathetically.

His tone changes to a consoling one as he says.

" I'm sure she's so proud of you, your achievements and how far you've come."

On hearing these words, Julia smiles and says in a nostalgic tone.

" Thanks, I love her more than anything in the world. "

Dante' looked around the room, with a warm smile on his face.

" Wow, your living room is decorated with thirty percent picture frames"

He says teasingly and she laughs.

He lets out a deep sigh.

" You're really lucky, I've always wanted to have a sibling but I've got none, I'm all alone in this world. " He says dramatically in an almost sad tone.

Julia laughs as if not believing him.

" How about your parents? Uncle? Cousin? Aunt? Grandparents? Don't you have any relatives? "

She asked teasingly.

" Sure I've got relatives, I'm not an orphan. It's just that I wish I had a sibling like you. I'm the only child of my parents."

Dante' says with a sad smile and Julia rolled her eyes.

" That guy in the picture is actually my cousin, I just like to call him my brother because we're as close as twins. I have a half sister in Korea, but we barely talk to each other, let alone see eye to eye, we don't relate, because we didn't grow up together. "

She revealed.

" Wow, I feel like there's just so much about you that I don't know. You're like an entire universe that I wanna explore."

Dante' says in an honest, slightly teasing tone.

Julia laughed, half-heartedly, not understanding what he meant but liking his sense of humor.

" But seriously, I gotta say that I've noticed something. "

Dante' begins in a serious tone.

" What's that? " Julia asked curiously.

" I feel like, there's a special connection siblings have that is missing in many relationships. "

Dante' says, expressing his thought.

" Hmm, good observation, I agree with you on that. "

Julia says with a smile, slightly impressed by his words.

Now she was done hanging up frames, Dante' held her hand so he could help her come down. She carefully stepped down from the high stool.

As soon as they were done arranging the room, they sighed in relief and sat on a big couch.

" Can you please get me a glass of water ?" Dante' requested.

" Sure." Julia answers as she walks into the kitchen.

A minute later.

"Here. " She says while handing him a bottle of water.

" Thanks. " Dante' says in a tone of gratitude. He opens the bottle and in one gulp, he finished all the water in the can.

" You must be really thirsty. "

She says with a simple smile.

" Which way is it to the restroom? "

He asked her .

" The last room inside."

Julia answered.

He got up and walked inside her apartment.