Said Tess very excited already previewing the next couple. Carolina was very surprised by Tess, how was she able to know that she had already a man like Carolina described, pulling someone from her sleeve like that for her, what it really so easy?
But at the same time Carolina is so intrigued by who Tess had to introduce to her, that she would go now to the bottom of the situation, she didn’t had anything to lose as well. She was determined to move on, she needed to distract herself she needs to start to date again, and if Tess was so good to join couples as they said she was, probably Tess could really find someone who was sufficiently consistent to date and maybe even married. The next day there was Tess's e-mail like she had promised to send. Carolina read the email carefully, it was an extensive profile that Tess had sent her, and there was no doubt that corresponded to what she was looking for, and there was no harm to meet him. The profile left Carolina very intrigued and she felt the urge to meet him.
She replied promptly to Tess that she was interested knowing the man in the description from the profile. The answer came immediately from Tess because she wanted to book a date for both, she just needs Carolina’s confirmation for dinner at 20:00 at the restaurant Closs Maggiore for the next day.
Carolina confirmed that she could go and asked how she would recognize him and what the procedures for the meeting. Tess called her to explain better:
"Hi Carolina, I’m glad you accepted to meet this wonderful guy.
Procedures are very simple: I make a reservation for two at the restaurant and you only have to appear, they automatically redirect you to the table that is reserved under my name. If at any point or at the end of the dinner you want to continue to see each other you can exchange contacts. If you don’t feel you want to see him again, friends as before, no need to continue to see each other or exchange contacts if you don’t feel like.
The important thing with this date is to see if you click with each other, if there is any chemistry.
If the feeling is mutual, then you can continue see each other for a mutual discovery. A goodbye kiss is acceptable but however I would strongly advise that the evening can’t under any circumstance end in bed, because very rarely a relationship that begins in sex ends in a serious relationship. So if you want a serious relationship, both have to wait until you meet several times to confirm to each other that they want monogamy and want a serious relationship with each other. It’s important for both to work if you move forward only if both have feelings for each other"
"It sounds all good to me"
Carolina answered satisfied with the initial procedures. Wincing inside as she recalled the torment she had passed trough in the dream with JP at first, now she wouldn’t repeat the stupidity of having sex in the first minutes or the first hour or in the first few dates, that wouldn’t happen again. Now she would wait long enough until she would be sure that this person would like her, he needs to have patience to know her and to value her as a woman and human being. She knew that she needed to value herself first before she let him take the step into intimacy with her, she didn’t want to be considered a sex object again, and she wouldn’t go that road ever again.
Of course, the feeling would need to be mutual, Carolina didn’t want in any way to go out with someone who she didn’t felt any chemistry and attraction for him. He needs to have a number of requirements for her to be interested first. She found herself thinking if she would ever find someone that made her knees go weak and make her feel butterflies in her stomach when she was kissed.
"But ..."
Tess continued:
"Never forget, never delivered the gold to the bad guy, because as soon you give yourself to a man, your power ends. Remember that you have always the power"
"It makes sense Tess, don’t worry"
Carolina agreed with everything Tess told her, and she thought it was quite funny, that she give her the same advises as in the dream, all the rules that Tess liked to impose were basically the same, it was even kind of creepy, and like in Carolina’s dream Tess was bossy and knew whereof she spoke when it came to relationships.
The next day, Carolina decided to take the afternoon off and went to a spa to spoil her body with facial and body massage, to let her stress out before the date later in the evening. After the spa session, she goes to the hairdresser and spoiled herself with shopping, she needed to keep her mind busy and relaxed and this was the perfect way. She end up buying a dress above the knee in tight black lace at the top, and bought classic black heels with red soles. She didn’t want to go too provocative but she didn’t want to look like a nun, she just wanted to give the idea of simple yet sophisticated look.
Usually less was always more.
Finally the time was approaching and she starts to feel nervous and curious at the same time, she reaches the restaurant for the date on time, goes to the reception to ask for a table under the name of Tess B., the receptionist informs the other party had already arrived, giving Carolina the idea that in the restaurant they were already familiar with Tess procedures, or just proceeded without questioning anything, Carolina couldn’t quite understand what it was.
The restaurant was beautiful, giving the illusion of being in a romantic winter garden, the access to other rooms had ivy at the top of the balconies it had an inviting and a very dreamy atmosphere. The receptionist referred her to a room with a huge fireplace, ceiling of glass with flowers and tiny lights, giving the idea of leaves of trees suspended in a garden, here the tables were set only for two, stopping at a table with a board where she said reserved. At the table was already a man sitting entertained reading messages or emails on the latest phone model, when he realizes that someone has arrived at his table, he rises up to greet Carolina:
"Hi, are you Carolina my date? My name is John."
He said extending his hand smiling cordially.
Carolina was so amazed with the restaurant environment around her and she hadn’t noticed that she had arrived already to the table, only when the man started to talk to her, holding out his hand to greet her, waiting for her hand.
When she finally looks at him, she opens and closes his eyes as if she was seeing a ghost, she continues to open and close her eyes several times to make sure it was not having a mirage. She was so astonished with the image that was in front of her, she was absolutely speechless.
He exists! It was JP in front of her!
She was in a complete shock staring at him, open-mouthed unable to say a word. With her mind running in autopilot she squeezed his hand wordless.
She touches his hand to give him a handshake and she felt instantaneity the electric shock going through her body making her shiver slightly. He looked at her with his intense blue eyes, direct into her eyes giving her butterflies in her stomach and he said delight smiling at her:
"I have given the most varied reactions to women, but your reaction is actually the first time I watch someone who seems genuinely surprised to see me. You look like you’ve seen the devil."
He said in a calm and seductive tone never ceasing looking into her eyes almost intimidating her.
"I guess you were expecting to see someone else?!"
He continued, trying to bring her to speak. Carolina was completely messed up, shook his head no, shook her head yes, she blinked, she wanted to talk, she tried too, she opened her mouth but no sound would come out, she gesticulate at the same time she tries to get any word out of her, she closes her mouth again, shrugged her shoulders, but she was speechless. She looked at the table to see if there was something she could drink, saw on the table there was a bottle of water. With a trembling hand she poured some water into the glass and drank visible shaking a little bit. He sees her reaction, he starts to be concerned, nobody had ever reacted to him like this, and she had a face as she had seen a ghost or the devil:
"Are you sure you are okay? Do you need anything?"
She shook her head no, motioned with her hand that she needed only a little bit.
&nb
sp; After few minutes and a full glass of water later, she could finally speak.
She was so embarrassed already:
"Please excuse my reaction, but you look exactly like someone I knew long ago, the resemblances are absolutely remarkable, you caught me completely out of guard"
"Well, I just hope that this person was a good person"
He said in a calm tone.
“The best, I need to apologize for my reaction, I’m so deeply sorry”
She said smiling but sincere.
“Don’t worry I’m not use to give that kind of reaction to women”
He said smiling too, clearing the air in complicity. They smiled to each other as if they knew each other for long time already.
"Well let’s dinner, after all Tess joined us for some reason, and it will be interesting to see what she saw in each of us to think we're compatible for a serious relationship, and this is, if you’re able to put up with me until the end of dinner of course and you will be forgiven"
He said teasing her smiling looking back at her with his intense blue eyes trying to read her thoughts.
"Of course we need to have dinner that’s the idea, right?"
Said Carolina also smiling already very animated, gradually recovering from the initial shock, but still a little bit nervous.
It was the same smile and the same intense look as she remembers from her dream, those blue eyes where she lost herself again and again.
Carolina couldn’t avoid keep slide to her memories and find the similarities from her dream. After the initial shock the dinner went extremely well, Carolina talked a little bit about her, about her sons, the new life she had found in London, the new job, new friends. He tells her that he had never been married, but he had a relationship for many years, from that relationship he had a daughter, but unfortunately he doesn’t see her much as he would like because of professional obligations. Even told Carolina that he has several companies, all linked to the fashion business. He confided to her that he has a very hectic professional life, but little time to devote to find the right woman for him.
“Now I’m with a certain age where I feel the need to settle down, I’m ready to have a relationship again, maybe even to get marry and I would love to have children.”
He explained that it was important for him to have a family. Carolina was having déjà vu again with John, and just to make sure she asked:
"Just out of curiosity what is your full name?"
"John Philipp Bennett. But my friends and family call me JP"
Carolina would swear that her heart had stopped this very moment, beyond being a photocopy of her JP, the JP from her dream and he also had the same name.
Would it be possible that I was living my dream?! But how was that possible?
And how was it possible to dream with someone and then he appears later in real life?
She thought intrigued to discover more about him. But he was there in front of her, with the same name, with the same intense gaze, the same physical aspect, the same professional activity and the same desires for the future and most importantly it give her the shivers she was looking for.
He was now real, very real! It must be my JP!
Does he have the same smell and does it make wonderful sex as in the dream?!
Getting slightly excited at the thought of wanting to feel him only to find out, but she knew she couldn’t give in to temptation, she had to wait to be sure that he wanted her the same way.
Maybe if I could get just close enough to be sure if it was really him.
She tried to put off all her thoughts that assailed her to find out, but she was so intrigued to know to what extent he could be the real one! She composed herself mentally to continue the vibrant conversation that unfolded pleasantly until they finished dinner. The way they were speaking to each other and everything they said to each other it looked like it had already happened in Carolina’s head, looked like they had already spoken in another dimension, or in another world. It seemed that they knew for long time and not just a couple of hours.
It was too strange for Carolina, but she felt good about it and she asked JP a little bit apprehensive because she didn’t know what his opinion could be. Maybe it was just imagination from her head but she needed to be sure from his side as well:
"What did you think about this dinner? And about Tess work?"
"Dinner was absolutely fantastic, Tess picked a great place, but the company is the cherry on top of the cake, you are the best part of all. I think she made an excellent choice for both: She picked the right restaurant and ideal person to introduce to me.
I genuinely loved meeting you and I hope this day can be the first of many days to enjoy together"
He said looking at her seriously with exactly the same eyes where she remembered getting lost in them and where she had fallen in love in a parallel world.
I could fall in love for him in the real world for sure, he is the real thing, he is my JP.
Her mind was swirling. That moment made her happy and filled her with hope. Without noticing her distraction he kept talking:
"You know, to be very honest with you, I didn’t give much thought about our dinner, to be frankly I didn’t believe that Tess was hitting the kind of woman that makes me feel myself. I contacted Tess a while ago because I don’t have time and the patience to look for the right woman for me, but months had pass by and I lost hope that she would ever introduce me to someone.
Until she calls me 2 days ago completely unexpected saying she had found the right woman for me and would like us to meet.
What I mean is to be here with you tonight was magnificent and completely unexpected. And this dinner was absolutely wonderful you didn’t make me feel like it was the first time we were together. There is something about you that makes me feel real good and its like if I know you already for a long time.
Please don’t understand this as to convince you to something else, I know Tess rules and I will follow them strictly.”
He took a minute and continued:
“But tonight it was like...please again don’t interpret that as if I’m some lunatic or a great esoteric believer…it’s nothing like that...but sometimes people show in your life in all different ways and for so many reasons...and if I believed that there was life after death or souls from the past could jump from one body to the other or if there is a parallel life somewhere, I do not know... I can’t explain. But I feel we lived a life together already, it is like we had felt in love in another life. Now you will think I’m crazy."
Carolina interrupted him:
"No, no, not at all. I feel the same. Maybe we meet already in a parallel world? Or maybe we had the same dream?!"
She questioned him, maybe he had the same dream as she had, could that even be possible? She was determinate to find out.
He went on:
"Yes, something like that. I could have sworn that our souls have already been together in the past and they met today again.
I know this sounds absolutely ridiculous and you'll still think I'm crazy and you will probably never see me again, much less going out for another date. But I felt the need to share my thoughts with you. Excuse my outburst."
Carolina smiled kindly at him and said:
"You don’t have to apologize, I feel the same, it seems we know each other forever, I feel I have lived a life with you already"
He nodded in accordance with her. She didn’t wanted to say more about what she experienced, she couldn’t say for now what had happened to her, that she had dreamed about him, it was too early to tell him everything. Maybe she can confidence him everything one day.
She couldn’t tell him, she didn’t want to scare him because it would be too much information to soon and scare the poor guy to death and he would never want to see her again. He looked at her, and saw she was playing with her finger tips on the table, he looked at her hand and put his hand on top of hers, stroking her. She felt electricity run again through her ve
ins running through her body uncontrolled, accelerating her blood flowing and increasing her heartbeat.
Before they stand up from the table in the restaurant they exchanged mobile phone numbers. JP made sure to schedule another meeting to go to the theatre with Carolina the next day. They went out from the restaurant together and Carolina asked a taxi through a mobile application while JP did the same. They had about around two more minutes until the taxi arrived and it would be the time they had to say goodbye. They started talking about the restaurant how wonderful and romantic it was, perfect for a date.
When Carolina was taken by surprise with a kiss from JP, the touch of his lips lingering longer than necessary on her lips caused in Carolina butterflies in her stomach, her legs weaken and the desire for him increasing it was exactly the same touch that she remembers feeling in her dreams, he awakened all the sensations she had lived in her dream with him.
She is now sure it was him. They were very close together, and she feels for a moment his unique smell, that smell that made her vibrate all inside her.
She felt it just like in her dream.
And he was now real.
They got in the taxis at same time with the promise to return to see each other again the next day. Inside the taxi on the way home, Carolina could not believe what had happened tonight, she was an incredible night, unforgettable.
She was about to give up on searching for him, when he materialized in front of her tonight, it was something made out of destiny.
She was still in ecstasy with the date.
Her dream seemed to come finally true, she felt she was facing a second chance that life had given her and this time she wouldn’t make the same mistake of giving herself to soon, she needed to protect herself, make herself valuable specially for her and to let him know that too. She would now have the merit and she had to be sure that he would have her only if he develops some feelings for her as well. Spending the last hours going through everything mentally, on every word they said to each other and she suddenly had a bad shiver vibe, remembering how he expressed how important it was for him to remarry and have more children.
THE DEAL: Novel Page 30