Page 25 of Natasha
Chapter 5
Natasha glanced at her phone to see that she was closer to the location pin Silas had dropped for her to find him. She stepped free of the crowd, and her heart fluttered when she caught sight of him. He stood with a tray holding two coffees in one hand, a brown bag in the other, and a bouquet of daisies tucked under one arm. He looked like the definition of a perfect Sunday morning, and she didn't miss the lingering looks women shot him. The same prickly jealous feeling she'd encountered when Tori had touched him surfaced again when one woman stopped in front of him with a too friendly smile on her pretty face.
"I'm just so new to the city, you know? Could you maybe show me?" the woman was saying, twirling one blonde lock of hair around a finger. Her blue eyes practically devoured Silas' physique, which was showcased perfectly in a grey Under Armour shirt, dark blue running pants, and a pair of athletic shoes. His blond hair looked damp, like he'd just showered before running to grab their breakfast. The delicious thought of Silas in a shower was enough to cut the glare on her face down to a slight frown.
Just barely.
Silas politely sidestepped the woman with a shake of his head. "M'sorry. Can't show you, ma'am. Having breakfast with my girl." Silas winked at Natasha when she stepped close and kissed her cheek.
"It's just down a block on the right. You'll see it easy enough," he said, still speaking to the woman, but his eyes were on Natasha's face.
"Thanks. I guess." The woman made a show of rolling her eyes, but neither Natasha nor Silas cared. Not when they had eyes only for each other. Natasha smiled brightly at the man in front of her. Silas had called her his girl. The world could go to hell around her, and she wouldn't have noticed.
"Don't think I didn't see the look on your face soon as you hit the sidewalk," Silas told her, his tone teasing. He held the tray of coffees out to her and Natasha took it with a dip of her chin.
"She was too friendly," she said with a pout.
Silas barked out a laugh. "Yeah. She was, wasn't she?"
Natasha grinned at him and elbowed him in the ribs. "Are those for me?" She nodded at the daisies.
"Of course, they are." He held them out to her. "Not as pretty as you, though."
Natasha took the bouquet with a blush. "Ohh, you're smooth."
"Might be, but it's the truth."
A feeling of pleasure coursed through Natasha faster than any alcohol she had ever sipped; it warmed her right down to her toes.
"Here?" Silas asked, nodding at a park bench that had a beautiful view of the sprawling green space in front of them. The sun was shining on them, and the little spot was picture perfect for a cheery breakfast al fresco.
"Perfect." Natasha followed behind Silas. She took her seat next to him, and she couldn't help but pull the daisies close to her chest, burying her nose in the blooms. She inhaled deeply and let out a contented sigh. The last time she'd received flowers had been before her final fated performance. She'd forgotten how much she loved the smell of fresh blooms.
Silas chuckled next to her and leaned back against the bench. "Happy?" he asked, holding a coffee out to her.
Natasha carefully propped the flowers up against the back of the bench next to her before she accepted the coffee. "Very. Thank you."
"You're welcome." Silas pulled the paper bag open and then said, "I hope you love breakfast burritos. There's a great place down the street from here."
"What kind is it?" Natasha asked, taking the foil-wrapped burrito from Silas. She couldn't remember the last time she'd had a burrito of any kind, much less one of the breakfast variety. Actually, come to think of it, she wasn't sure she'd ever been allowed to have one on her strict dancer's diet.
"Bacon," Silas replied with a grin. "Put bacon in anything, and it's instantly a hit."
Natasha unwrapped her burrito with a nod. "I do love bacon," she admitted, giving the burrito a delicate sniff.
"It's not going to bite you," Silas snorted, already biting into his burrito. "Why are you staring at it like you're not sure what to do with it?"
"I-I...well, I'm just not sure that I've ever had one," Natasha admitted before she took a cautious nibble of the burrito. She almost moaned at her first bite; the tortilla was obviously homemade and was thick and warm. The gooey cheese, crunchy fried potatoes, scrambled egg, and salty bacon were all in perfect harmony with each other, and it was topped off by what she guessed was a green chile sauce. It was breakfast perfection. How had she never had one before? Natasha thought, taking another bite, this one far more substantial than her last.
"You've never had a breakfast burrito before?" Silas had stopped chewing and was regarding her with wide eyes. "How is that even possible?" he asked in a mirror of her thoughts.
Natasha shrugged, her mouth full, cheeks puffed out like a chipmunk. She closed her eyes in burrito bliss for another moment before she swallowed. "What can I say? I lived a very deprived childhood."
"What else haven't you had?"
"Lots of things, I guess. There's just, ah, no time, you know? With dancing, well, dancing used to be everything," Natasha admitted with a frown, looking down at the burrito in her hand. Before, she would have never gone near it for fear of the empty calories inside. It had always been difficult for Natasha to be happy with her body when she danced professionally. It always felt like there were constantly areas to improve. As such, the pancakes Silas had made her the previous morning had been another rare treat. She knew that she was no longer a competitive dancer, but it was still difficult for her to fully allow herself to enjoy the things she'd kept herself from for so long.
"Was yesterday morning the first time you'd had pancakes?" Silas asked, leaning close to her. He was looking at her like she was an alien, and Natasha rolled her eyes at him.
