Chapter {5} Destiny

Deciding that cafés had a load of drama we walked to the pizza Parlor we had seen earlier.

It was bigger than the café and there was an actual pizza oven outside. Mario's Pizzeria was written with a picture of a chubby man wearing white and holding a pizza.

We walked inside and almost instantly my stomach rambled in delight and hunger. The last time I had eaten pizza was back at home so I could not wait to get some pizza from the world's masters of pizza. It did not look too full presumably because of the time of the day. I guess digestion is not that important anymore.

A man that looked to be in his early thirties with a white apron and notepad in hand stood opposite the door when he saw us he rushed over.

"Ciao. Welcome to Mario's Pizzeria," He said in a cute Italian accent as he handed us a small booklet and guided us to an open table.

After taking our seats, he promised to return and take our orders.

"All these pizzas look appetizing," I commented looking at the mini, medium and large pizzas varying in flavour.

Thato was still a bit down but coming here was proving to be a great decision as she nodded her head excitedly.

"Banana curry pizza?" What kind of a flavour is that and why are there fruits in something that is meant to be meaty?

"We are definitely not ordering that," Thato chuckled.

"Agreed," I shook my head.

Most of the pizzas looked good except for the few weird ones.

A few minutes later the waiter returned. "Are you ready to order?" He looked at both at Thato attentively like he wanted to ask her something, I thought he just had actually forgotten I was there for a minute.

"We would like a bit of everything, except banana curry pizza, squid ink and shrimp pizza and white pizza, please add some soda to that," My best friend said oblivious to his staring before looking at him as he quickly averted his gaze to me.

"And you miss?" He asked avoiding Thato's gaze at all costs.

Oh, I see you, I see you.

"Same as her's but with orange juice for me, please." I smiled as he jotted the orders down.

After her experience with a certain man today, I wouldn't want to tell her about them, maybe on another day.

Ten minutes later our table was filled to the brim with mini pizzas from pepperoni, margarita and Hawaiian to bacon, mushroom and frutti with drinks.

"We have our hands full," Thato commented taking a mini pizza and sighing in contentment after eating it, they must be delicious.

Indeed, they tasted like...like I didn't even know how to describe all of the delicate favours that were dancing on my tongue but what I knew was that the orange juice just gave the chilly pizzas a sweet-and-sour taste.

By the time we were done, we were looking like pregnant women rubbing their big stomachs.

"That was.."

"Amazing but we probably shouldn't eat so much food because now we probably will not be able to go home," I sighed.

"Yeah," She agreed.

"But wasn't it worth it?" She added with a laugh. Always the adventurer and food extrodinear.

"Uhm..." I pretended to think; hand on my head and eyes looking everywhere.

"Oh come on, this has got to be the best eating experience you have had in your life," She playfully rolled her eyes.

"It is, it is," How grateful I am that God provides me with everything I need, I can only pray that he provides for those who can't provide for themselves. I had about three mini pizzas left untouched which I would give to the needy.

After a while of relaxing, and waiting for the bill, we made some small talk until it seemed that the bill was not coming at all.

"Let me go check on the bill and get us some takeaways," I announced, standing up and then walking through the tables filled with family and friends laughing and talking about.

I got to the bar and one waitress was typing something on a computer with a name tag pinned onto her shirt reading Sarah and the other was charting information while doing some calculations with the name Jennifer on her tag, concentration written all over her face.

"Excuse me," I said to either one of them.

Sarah looked up from the laptop with a raised brow. Okay.

"Sorry for disturbing you but I just want to ask for our bill as we never got it," I explained as I saw her expression change from a get-to-the-point look to an interested look.

"Oh, a kind gentleman paid for your meals," She said nonchalantly.

"Which gentleman?" I asked, I mean who would be kind enough to pay for countless meals for a stranger?

"Him," Sarah nodded to the door which was being opened by a tall man that looked to be about 6'4. He was wearing an immaculate grey suit with jet black hair gelled to the back, he looked eerily similar but I could not make out who he was from his back view.

"Who is he?" I asked.

"He is a young businessman, well-known and very handsome," She had a dreamily smile as she described him.

I had to thank the kind gentleman after all he had paid our hefty bill for us.

I quickly told Sarah to excuse me for a minute and ran well if you consider trudging as running then I was doing so, while stopping for a moment or so to fill my lungs with some good old air. Thato and people in the restaurant gave me inquisitive looks as I made a beeline for the door. Those pizzas were making me extremely slow.

When I finally opened the door the gentleman was entering a Ferrari that would have had me drooling if I wasn't in such a hurry to stop him. I knew that if I didn't call him there would be a huge possibility that I wouldn't see him again.

"Excuse me!" I shouted but he seemed to be in his own world and everyone turned to look at the person making noise in the rather peaceful street but I could care less about what they thought, I needed to thank him.

"EXCUSE ME!" I shouted out louder and that's when he finally turned around and it seemed like the whole world just stopped.

How could it be the gentleman that

paid for our meal was none other than my mysterious yet handsome classmate? Now I knew why he looked so familiar.

He stared at me and I stared back as time seemed to pause. The wind blew on my sun-kisssd face as I looked at him with dark rims blocking the grey orbs which had been staring at me in my dreams ever since our first awkward encounter.

"Uhm... I heard that you paid the bill for us," Eventually, my mouth formed some coherent words.

"And?" His voice sounded so masculine and deep with a prominent Italian accent but what caught my attention was the tone he used. It sounded annoyed, impatient maybe? I could not tell as his expression was hidden behind his expensive-looking sunglasses.

After all, Matthew 6:22-23 says;

22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.

23 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!

"I... I just wanted to thank you. You didn't have to," I stuttered out.

"You are right I didn't have to, ma volevo," He replied as he looked at me.

"Was there anything else you wanted to say, Destiny?" He glanced at his Rolex watch.

How did he know my name, the only interaction we had was when sitting next to each other silently.

"How do you know my name?" I furrowed my brows as I waited for him to answer.

"That is for me to know and for you to find out. See you on Monday." He pulled on the ends of his suit jacket, smirked and entered the extravagant car.

I watched as the car sped down the road, making revving sounds only a car it's kind could, my mind was swarming with many questions that I needed answers to, the first one being how did he know my name, why did he pay for our meal?

And most importantly, who was this man?

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Ma volevo- But I wanted to.