Your Boyfriend, My Mate

. Eleven .

"Please let me help you." I said to Florence as she began collecting the dishes.

"Thank you sweetheart," she smiled. "Oh I just love everything about the holidays, except doing the dishes."

"Well if it's alright with my mom, I'd be more than willing to stay and help you clean up."

"Oh Lina honey, I promised I'd cover for one of the nurses so she could go early black Friday shopping." Mom said.

"I could give her a ride home." Cesare offered, I couldn't help but smile at him.

"That settles it then" Florence smiled a bit knowingly.

My mom came over and hugged me, "well we're off then, don't linger too long, I wouldn't want you to be an intrusion." She said before handing me her cellphone and then walking towards the front door.

I nodded and then Chanel stepped forward, "I have to get going as well, we have class again come Monday and haven't even begun reading the assigned chapters Ms Hertz gave us." She said before hugging me.

I hugged her back, "call the house to let me know you made back to school safely."

She nodded and with that she and my mother left.

"I'll be upstairs in the room." The Alpha Grumbled as he walked passed us.

"I should probably go and talk to him." Florence said before disappearing up the large staircase.

"Looks like we're alone." Cesare smiled.

"Looks like you're helping me with the dishes" I smiled in return, it grew when I saw his crestfallen face. "Hey, I did offer to stay and help clean, so the faster we get it done-"

"Well what are we waiting for?" He asked as he lifted the pile of plates I had set down to say goodbye.

I giggled and took it upon myself to collect all the silverware. I passed Cesare on my way out of the dining room and into the kitchen (I only knew where it was because I caught a small glimpse of it on my way to the backyard earlier), and soon he returned by my side with his arms full of the delicate wine glasses. "Cesare be careful with those" I gasped.

He dropped them in the sink filled with water and a thick layer of soapy foam before he shrugged, "I can always purchase my mother another set if I accidentally ruin one."

I shook my head but began grabbing the soap and a dishbrush.

"You know, we could always just load them in the dishwasher." He suggested cutely.

I shook my head, "nope, these all need a little more love and care than your average dishes I said as I put a very beautiful china plate into the warm water.

He nodded and I couldn't help but find myself staring in awe at him, he had removed his suit jacket and placed it on one of the tall bar chairs before rolling up his shirt sleeves and then throwing his tie over his shoulder. Cesare seemed so much more calm and down right relaxed than any other time I've seen him, and he was simply putting dirty dishes into a dishwasher.

I turned away before he could catch me eyeing him.

Once all of the dishes were cleaned we both knew it was time for me to leave. But neither one of us wanted to bring it up.

With a final sigh, he began to speak "I should probably-"

"Yeah" I sounded, I felt more saddened by this than I should have been, and I didn't want to hear him finish the statement.

He grabbed his jacket but didn't put it back on instead he draped it over his forearm and pulled his keys from his pant pockets.

I picked up my purse from the coat hanger by the front door and we both headed outside.

"What time is it?" I asked.

He pulled out his cellphone and saw the time "5:20 pm, Seems dinner was cut a lot shorter than I thought." He said before grinning, "do you want to go home?"

I knew I should just go home, but with the freshly cleared air between us I found it impossible to even think about being away from him, so I shook my head no.

"Good, there's somewhere I want to take you." He said before placing his hand on my lower back and leading me to a shiny black car. He opened the passenger door for me and I got in, after he closed my door and raced over to his side we took off.

We drove in a comfortable silence through town, the whole while I silently wished he would just reach over and grab my hand.

Suddenly we pulled up to a tall building and my heart began to race, this was either a fancy hotel or luxury apartments. We went around the parking garage until we found ourselves up quite high and a few other cars were also up here.

"Do you, live here?" I asked.

"I do" he smiled.

"Is this what you wanted to show me, your apartment?"

Now he chuckled, "no, but I can if you'd like."

"Maybe next time." I said without thinking. But as the words left my mouth they hit my own ears, I had basically given him an open invitation that I would willingly go into his apartment on another occasion.

That familiar mischievous grin slowly spread across his face, "I'll keep that in mind...actually I came to swap cars."

"Of course all of these are yours." I shook my head.

"Hey there's only three of them." He smirked as he feigned being hurt by my words. "The Mercedes is for work, the BMW was the first car I ever purchased and then there's this." His smile was on full display once more as he approached a vehicle under a cloth like tarp. "This is my pride and joy."

He carefully removed the tarp and revealed an older car, I should say a classic car.

"What is it?" I asked as I gently ran my hand across the side of the vintage cream colored convertible.

He gave a soft and understanding smile, "it's a 1957 Chevy, it was my grandpa's. When he passed everyone thought it would go to my dad or even his younger brother Luca, but in his will he left it along with just about everything else my grandparents owned to me stating they had done so since I was the only one who ever bothered to visit he and my grandma from time to time."

"That's so sweet Cesare." I said of his actions toward his grandparents.

"They were my grandparents," he shrugged, "of course I visited them."

I simply nodded.

"Enough about me for now." He stated, "we should get going if we want to make it on time." He stated.

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A/N:

Car: 1957 Chevy Bel Air convertible top