Demitri showed the picture to Nora, but before he could stop her, she pressed the delete button.
"Hey! That was a good picture," he protested, pulling the phone back from her grasp.
"No, I didn’t like it," Nora insisted, shaking her head.
"Then let’s take another one," Demitri suggested, stepping back to fra the shot again. This ti, he guided her on how to pose.
Nora followed his instructions, relaxing a little. When she finally smiled brightly, Demitri snapped the picture. He turned the phone around to show her. She examined it, still not entirely satisfied, but decided to keep it this ti.
"Fine. But delete the first one," she said, handing the phone back. "Now, it’s your turn. Stand here."
Taking the phone from him, Nora watched as Demitri removed his glasses and struck a few effortless, confident poses. She was surprised at how naturally he carried himself in front of the cara.
"You’re surprisingly good at this," she admitted, clicking a few shots.
"Of course," he smirked, taking the phone back. Scrolling through his pictures, he nodded approvingly before suddenly pulling her close. His arm rested firmly on her shoulder.
"Let’s take one together," he said, switching to the selfie mode.
Nora hesitated for a second but eventually leaned in, her head slightly tilting toward him. The glowing Christmas tree behind them added a magical touch, casting a warm light around them. As they both smiled, Demitri clicked the picture.
"Perfect. I’ll send them to you later," he said, tucking the phone into his coat pocket. With that, they turned toward the café.
"Two hot chocolate fudges, please," Demitri ordered, paying for both before leading Nora to a window seat quickly.
As she settled into the chair, Nora debated whether she should give him the present now or wait until Christmas Eve.
Her thoughts were interrupted by Demitri’s sudden question.
"Are you free on Christmas Eve?"
She blinked, slightly startled. "Yes."
"There’s a party at my friend’s place. I’d like you to co with ," he said casually.
Nora hesitated, shifting in her seat. "I... I’ve never really been to anyone’s party before. Are you sure it’s a good idea for to co?"
"That’s exactly why you should," Demitri countered. "I want to spend Christmas Eve with you."
A soft blush crept onto Nora’s cheeks, and she quickly lowered her gaze to hide it.
At that mont, the waiter arrived, placing their orders on the table. "Here’s your hot chocolate fudge. Please enjoy."
Nora lifted her cup, the warmth seeping into her fingers. As she took a sip, the rich, velvety chocolate lted in her mouth.
Across from her, Demitri watched with a small smile.
"Nora, it’s okay to enjoy yourself too. You don’t always have to hold back when it cos to happiness," Demitri said, his voice gentle yet firm. His gaze lingered on her, filled with sincerity.
She hesitated, stirring her hot chocolate with her spoon.
"I don’t know if I’m your perfect ideal type," he continued, his lips curving into a small smile. "But I’ll try my best to be soone good for you. I won’t let you feel lonely."
His words, so simple yet heartfelt, stirred sothing deep within her. A warmth spread through her chest, different from the heat of the drink in her hands.
"Thank you, Demitri," she whispered, lowering her gaze. "That ans a lot."
Lost in the quiet comfort of the mont, she didn’t notice the sar of chocolate on her lip. She continued to enjoy her fudge in silence, savoring each bite, until Demitri leaned in slightly, his eyes twinkling with amusent.
"You’ve got chocolate on your lip," he pointed out.
Nora blinked in confusion. "Huh?"
Demitri chuckled. "Here," he said. Without thinking, he gently wiped the smudge from the corner of her lips and licked his thumb.
"Nora? Is that you?" A familiar voice chid in, making her stiffen.
Nora’s eyes widened in surprise, and she instinctively bit her bottom lip.
She lifted her head, only to see Maya, her office colleague, approaching with a bright smile. A wave of discomfort settled over her as she forced a polite expression, though she couldn’t hide the unease in her posture.
Demitri imdiately noticed the tension in Nora’s deanor. The way her fingers curled slightly against the cup, the way her smile didn’t quite reach her eyes.
Maya’s gaze flickered between the two before settling on Demitri. Her eyes widened in recognition, surprise flashing across her face.
"Oh! You’re here with your boyfriend," she teased, her tone dripping with curiosity. Then, taking a closer look at Demitri, her expression shifted into astonishnt. "Wait! I’ve seen you at the office before!"
With a confident smile, she extended a hand. "Hi, I’m Maya Rossi. It’s nice to et you properly this ti."
Demitri remained composed, his expression unreadable. He glanced at her outstretched hand but made no move to shake it. Instead, he offered a simple nod.
"Hello."
He didn’t introduce himself since he saw no reason to.
Maya hesitated for a mont before retracting her hand, letting out a soft chuckle to mask the awkwardness. "Well, this is a surprise. I had no idea you and Nora were dating. Nora kept refusing that there’s nothing going between you two."
"I didn’t ask her out before. Maybe that’s why," Demitri said. "If you could excuse us, we want to finish the fudge." Though he sounded rude, but it was the only way to send away Maya from there.
"Uh... Of course!" Maya said and walked away, feeling agitated.
"Now, she will tell everyone," Nora murmured.
"Is there any problem with that?" Demitri asked her.
"No, but..." Nora sighed before continuing, "they may gossip a lot about us."
"Then, ignore them. You can’t hold everyone’s mouth," Demitri said, pushing the spoonful of fudge in her mouth with a smile.
Nora chewed it and smiled back. She felt a bit comforted. "You are right. By the way, shouldn’t you be going on Christmas to your grandma’s ho?" she asked.
"I will. Do you want to co with too? Grandma is going to be happy," Demitri said.
"I’ll be glad to visit your grandmother on Christmas," Nora stated with a smile.
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