Narrator-

Less than 12 hours later Lili was back in the states. As much as she wanted to stay in Rome and ask Mr. Cavalier why the sudden change in schedule, Liliana felt that it was not her place. Plus, she was glad that she wasn't going to be stuck in Rome for any extra days.

When Liliana landed, she was surprised to see Carlos there to pick her up. She couldn't help the smile that warmed her face as she descended the stairs, and Carlos greeted her with his signature charming smile, and a flirty tip of his hat.

"Good afternoon Ms. Chavez, I hope your trip was comfortable enough." Carlos greeted as he grabbed Liliana's bag and opened the door.

"Good afternoon kind sir, and it was thank you." Liliana greeted in reply with a similar light and friendly tone.

"How was your trip?" Carlos asked as he began driving away from the airport.

"It was okay, I mean besides spending countless hours staring at my ceiling." Liliana pointed, trying to not sound too sarcastic.

"So you really did nothing?" Carlos questioned, bewildered.

"Well I did get to attend a get together last night." Liliana explained carefully, as she made sure that she did not give too much detail on her outing with Mr. Cavalier.

"What was the nature of this get together?" Carlos asked casually, the mood in the car laid back and stress free.

"Hey, what happens in Rome, stays in Rome." Liliana sidestepped, hoping her comic relief was a subtle enough hint that she was not in the mood to share.

"Alright, I mean you're entitled to your secrets." Carlos raised his shoulders in sign that he did not plan on continuing.

"So how come you're back to work so quickly? I thought it would take longer for you to get back?" Liliana asked, as she noted the band around Carlos's left wrist.

"I made a deal with the doctor. If I worked harder in therapy, I could come back to work. It seems Ms. Chavez, you're not the only one who hates staring at the ceiling." Carlos pointed, and Liliana chuckled as she said "au contraire my friend, had I been home, I would've taken the chance to binge watch some of my favorite shows right now."

"I don't really like watching tv, you know? I like keeping busy and active." Carlos explained, and Liliana nodded to show interest as she asked "so what activities do you do to keep you busy?"

"Well, as much as I'd love to answer that, we have arrived at your destination. It seems you might just have to keep those questions for tomorrow. I mean, we're still on right?" Carlos questioned carefully, and Liliana smiled widely as she said "yeah, we're definitely on."

"Great, I'll see you tomorrow." Carlos stated with a smile, then after handing her the small suitcase, he left with a soft smile.

Liliana smiled and sighed as she entered her home. The moment she plopped down on the couch, she dialed her mother's number.

"Liliana Meredith Chavez!" Her mother greeted, and Lili flinched when she heard the middle name, and she knew she was in for an earful.

"Hey mom, how are you?" Liliana replied, trying the soft approach.

"Don't 'hey mom' me. I mean seriously, what does it take for a simple phone call to let me know what's going on?" Her mother snapped, and Liliana sighed as she apologized, "I'm sorry. The reason I didn't call yesterday was because Mr. Cavalier initially stated that we'd be staying for two extra days, and I planned to call you this morning, but then this morning he sent me back to the states because he changed his mind overnight, and decided on staying in Rome for a whole week." Liliana tried to explain in one breath, and for a moment the phone was quiet.

"Are you there?" Liliana asked carefully.

"Of course I'm here. So, you flew back today?" Her mother asked, as if suppressing herself from belting out a serious scolding.

"Yes, I just walked through the door." Liliana stated, hoping her mother would be appeased.

"Fair enough. So how was Rome with the handsome boss?" Her mother question, her tone thirsty for a gossip.

"Uneventful," Lili brushed, trying to keep the ball under wraps, then she quickly changed the topic, "by the way, I will be heading out on a date tomorrow evening."

"Oh? And who's the lucky man?" Her mom asked genuinely interested.

"His name is Carlos. He's one of the drivers in the company." Liliana explained, then she added "he's really nice from what I can tell, and this is nothing but a casual date, so don't start planning a wedding or anything."

"I wasn't going to, I'm just happy you're socializing and such. So does that mean you're no longer crushing on your boss?" Her mom questioned, and Liliana absentmindedly gulped as she remembered the evening they spent together, "uh yeah, yeah, I mean, I honestly think it was just a phase." Lili tried to convince herself rather than her mother.

"Right, well darling I'm glad to hear from you. Get some rest, and call me tomorrow after your date, I want all the juicy details." Her mom dictated, and Lili rolled her eyes and laughed as she said "of course mom. Have a good night."

"Good night pumpkin." Her mom bid, then they ended the phone call.

Once the call was over, Liliana stood up and stretched as far as she could, then she headed to the kitchen, hoping to find something to eat.

A while after, as she nibbled on a freshly prepared meal, Lili dialed Chamille's number just to check in with her.

"Heyo!" A chirpy Chamille answered on the other end of the line.

"Heyo!" Liliana matched her energy.

"Oh girl I am loving the energy!" Chamille cheered, then she asked "so how are you doing?"

"I'm doing pretty good thank you. How are you?" Liliana asked, the concern evident in her voice.

"I'm okay, getting better day by day. Hoping to be cleared to go back to work by the end of the week." Chamille explained, then she sighed.

"I mean hey, you gotta take it easy, there's no need to rush back to work, your health comes first." Liliana said, her tone nurturing and kind.

"I know. I mean even after I'm cleared I'll only be able to complete national trips. I won't be able to go international for at least three months." Chamille clarified.

"Three months?!" Liliana boomed out of shock before she could control herself.

"Hey there's no need to freak out. Three months is not so bad. I mean you're back from your solo shift with Mr. Cavalier, and there's no report of him being murdered, so I think you did just fine." Chamille tried to appease Lili who was already getting anxious.

"Or maybe I did a good enough job to dump his body in a part of the ocean that is unreachable, where they wouldn't even think to look for him." Liliana played along, needing to keep herself from overthinking about the many trips she would have with Mr. Cavalier over the next three months.

"Hey, if you're gonna do it yourself, might as well do it right, am I right?" Chamille pepped, and then both ladies broke into fits of laughter.

After a light conversation with Chamille, Liliana bid her good night, then she got ready for bed. After showering and getting dressed in her most comfortable pajamas, Liliana laid in bed, waiting for sleep to come. Except, instead of sleep, the only thing on her mind was Mr. Cavalier.

Liliana had been bothered by the possible reason why he decided to remain in Rome. She remembered just how disgruntled Mr. Cavalier appeared when it came to Christina, and after their interaction, Frantz had shut down completely.

Lili feared what the history could be between the tall blonde and the foreign handsome beau, but she tried to stop herself from obsessing about it. Liliana knew that did not belong in Mr. Cavalier's world, and if anything she didn't want to get caught in a scandal that could leave her scarred for life.

Liliana was continuously reminding herself that she was nothing to Mr. Cavalier than his employee and his next conquest. The only reason Frantz was trying so hard was because Liliana was not an easy lay, and Lili believed that of she ever slipped and gave in to Frantz, the second he got what he wanted, he would discard her like trash, and she'd be left with nothing but a broken heart and being the star of the afternoon gossip.

Lili even thought about the speech Frantz made at the ball about wanting to be with her and winning her heart. Liliana could only imagine just how long it took Mr. Cavalier to come up with that one. As Lili felt her thoughts begin to bring her mood down, she shrugged them off, she said a quick prayer, then she fell asleep.

The next day Lili woke up with a stomach full of butterflies ahead of her evening date with Carlos. Liliana had decided to keep her date a secret from Chamille, so that just in case it didn't work out, she wouldn't have to share too many details.

Throughout the day, Lili barely did anything. She cleaned around her quaint home, then decided to simply relax and mentally prepare for her date. Lili had been on a few dates before, but they all usually ended the same way. The guy would escort her home and expect to be invited inside, but when Liliana refuses, they always come up with a lame excuse as to why they couldn't see her again. Frankly, Liliana was over every man she met, given that they were all after the same thing. But she did hope that Carlos wasn't the same way. So far he seemed like a gentleman, she just hoped it wasn't a façade.

At 24 years old, Liliana was ready to start building a serious relationship. She loved her parents' story, and though she didn't want all their troubles, she'd hope to find happiness like they did.

By the time the hour 7:00 PM rolled around, Liliana was nothing but a bundle of nerves. She tried to keep her appearance simple. She curled her hair, and simply powdered her face and applied a little bit of gloss and mascara. She wore a cute blouse she scored at the mall, and a pair of dark blue pants, and heels. Liliana looked in the mirror and hoped she didn't appear too overdressed.

When the doorbell rang, Liliana felt her heart jump to her throat, but she told herself to keep it together, and she breathed as she headed to the door. When she opened the door, the look on Carlos' face was priceless. He seemed somewhat shocked, but the smile that formed on his lips couldn't be ignored.

"What?" Liliana asked carefully.

"Nothing, you look amazing, Please." Carlos invited her, and Liliana followed after him to his car.

He held the door open like a gentleman, and once she was settled, he closed the door. During the car ride, both Carlos and Liliana seemed nervous. Carlos was dressed in a long sleeve dress shirt, and jeans, and though he tried to appear calm, he kept tapping his hand against the steering wheel in a soft but noticeable manner.

On the other hand, Lili felt how sweaty her palms were as she played with her fingers. She felt every nervous breath that entered and exited her chest. And her stomach just wouldn't stop with the butterflies.

The music playing in the background was the only sound in the car, and Lili knew that there was no way she would be able to stay in the silence, or else her nerves would just take over, and the date would be over before it even started.

"So how was your day?" Liliana decided to break the ice first.

"It was okay. I woke up, headed to therapy, then I came home had something to eat, and then took a nap before preparing for tonight." Carlos explained, then he looked her way quickly before looking back on the road "you?"

"My day was good. I did some cleaning around the house, but mostly prepared for tonight." Liliana admitted.

"Were you nervous?" Carlos asked, seemingly interested in everything that Lili said.

"Honestly? Yeah, I still am to be honest." Liliana stated, not even bothering to care about what Carlos would think about her honesty.

"Well, just so you know, I don't bite, my momma taught me well." Carlos chuckled and Liliana giggled as she said "I'm sure she did. So where are we going?"

"We are going to one of my favorite restaurants. I am telling you, after tonight, your life will be changed forever." Carlos stated, his tone excited.

"I think I should be the judge of that, don't you think?" Liliana laughed as she shook her head.

"Well you're right, I'll let the food speak for itself, plus I don't think you'll have it wait long because, we're already here." Carlos pointed, as he pulled up to a restaurant called "Angel's Palate".

When Carlos parked the car, he was quick to head to the other side and open Liliana's door, an action which caused her to smile, and her cheeks to warm up with a blush.

Carlos walked close to her and led her to restaurant, but he did not touch her.

After so many close encounters with Mr. Cavalier, Lili half expected Carlos to place his hand on her lower back or something, but of course Carlos was a total gentleman whereas Mr. Cavalier forgot manners and just did whatever he wanted.

Carlos opened the door for Liliana, and led her up to the Maître D. Once they approached the uptight man who seemed to be holding his breath, Carlos cleared his throat as he said "Carlos, reservation for a table of two." Carlos explained, and after a quick check off his clipboard, the man spoke in a strict manner "follow me." Then he turned sharply, and led the couple to their table. The man walked taller and straighter than a pole, and Lili could only imagine just how seriously he took his job.

The restaurant was warm and cozy. The dimmed lights allowed for a comfortable mood to set in the atmosphere. As they headed to their table, Lili noticed everyone enjoying their meal, and engaging in soft conversation. And she smiled. This was her kind of crowd. Everyone was on the same level, everyone seem down to earth, and no one was overdressed or scouting out the competition.

Once they were seated, Carlos smiled as he said "alright, besides him," Carlos pointed to the retreating Maître D, "everything here is awesome."

Liliana giggled and prepared to reply, when a young woman with a bright smile appeared "good evening, My name is Maya and I will be your waitress this evening. While you look over your options, what would you like to drink?"

"I'll have a glass of sangria please." Liliana chose first, and Carlos smiled as he said "make that two."

"Alright, I'll be back with your drinks soon." Maya stated, then she turned away and left.

Liliana looked over the menu and felt her mouth water just at the names of delicacies she spotted on the menu, when she looked up, she noticed Carlos simply watching her with a smile, as he leaned back in his chair, his arms crossed.

"What? You're not going to choose?" Lillian asked, as she looked between Carlos and the opened menu in her hand.

"Nah, I already know what I want." Carlos shrugged, and Lili played along as she asked "oh yeah? Care to share?"

"Nope. I'm going to wait and see what you decide to choose first." Carlos shrugged, and Liliana rolled her eyes as she said "alright, I see how it is."

Just as Liliana finished her sentence, Maya returned. She placed two glass of water on the table, then she placed their wine glasses, and easily poured their drank, and in that instance Lili was reminded of the first time she poured wine for Mr. Cavalier, and she giggled softly, which caught Carlos' attention.

"What's on your mind?" Carlos asked his tone intrigued, and Liliana shrugged as she said "I just remembered something."

"Are you ready to order?" Maya asked, while she pulled out her notepad.

"Yes, I'd like to try the spaghetti with lobster, the surf and turf and the coconut crème brulee." Liliana explained, then Maya turned to Carlos who smiled as he said "I would like the scallops, the steak burger, and triple chocolate cake please."

"Very well, I'll take these." Maya stated as she collected the menus, and left the table once more.

"Steak burger and triple chocolate cake?" Lili questioned, surprised.

"Yeah, Its sort of a regular for me when I come here." Carlos bragged, and Liliana shook her head, "but I have to commend you for your choices. I think you're really going to enjoy them." Carlos assured.

"Yeah? Alright I'll hold you to it." Liliana smiled, then she sighed as she felt herself relax, as the evening continued.

"So how do you like our company so far?" Carlos asked, as he sipped from his glass, along with Lili.

"I like it a lot. You were right about the Dunns." Lili pointed out.

"Of course I was right, and from what I've heard you crushed your first trip with the man who writes our checks, so how did it feel?" Asked Carlos.

"Good. But that's only because I had Chamille by my side, she gave me the boost of confidence that I needed." Liliana testified, and just as she finished, Maya arrived with their starters.

The moment Liliana took a bite of her food, she closed her eyes and sighed as if she was in heaven.

"Right?" Carlos supported, and Liliana nodded as she blocked her mouth to speak, "this is so good." And she was not over exaggerating.

"You're welcome." Carlos smiled, and Lili simply busied herself on cleaning out her plate.

Before she was done with her appetizer, Maya had already arrived with their entrees.

Liliana couldn't help but let out a soft sound of pure indulgence as she tasted the well seasoned, well done steak, and the lobster which melted in her mouth was absolutely delicious.

"Seriously how did you find this place?" Lili just had to ask.

"A friend of mine invited me here, and when you said yes to our date, I just knew that I had to bring you here." Carlos replied, before he took a hefty bite from his burger.

"Well I thank you. Remind me to say yes to you again for future dates." Liliana spelled out before she could stop herself.

Carlos gulped quicker than he should have as he asked "wait, is that a proposal for a second date?"

"Only if you planned on asking me at the end of this evening." Liliana replied confidently, and she had to mentally thank the sangria she had been drinking, which allowed her to feel comfortable enough to make such a bold statement.

"I planned on asking you from the moment I saw you earlier." Carlos admitted, and Lili chuckled softly as she looked down and blushed.

By the time their dessert had arrived, Liliana wasn't sure if she had room for more.

"Want a bite?" Carlos offered, as he pushed his plate towards Liliana, who greedily dug her fork into the slice of triple chocolate cake, and when she brought the fork to her lips, and enclosed the piece in her mouth, Liliana wanted to melt.

"Oh God, this is..." Liliana trailed off as she enjoyed the last bits of her food.

She looked up at Carlos, her eyes thankful, as she said "this was amazing. I had a great time."

"I'm glad. Are you ready to go?" Carlos asked, and Liliana nodded.

In the car ride back to her house, Liliana felt a lot more comfortable.