The Goddess of Don Pablo
Chapter 29: First Date Princess

Carlo is arranging a minimalist square-shaped dining table in his home. A few candles were lit and gave off a delicate lavender scent along arranged on the table.

He went back to the kitchen and prepared dinner for tonight. The best imported beef steak he could get from the fresh market at Bellarose he bought and his own concoction. Carlo peppered with the secret recipe he got from the head chef of the Nina family. In the past when he was a teenager, young Carlo once helped his employer's family chef. Until he mastered a special recipe of the chef. Steak is tender with spices that soak into the meat. Spicy taste typical of spices with tender meat and a little savory salty from the sprinkling of parmesan on top and burned with a certain temperature is a unique blend of flavors that can tempt every who sees. The special aroma of savory and juicy tender beef is a perfect steak to be served at night especially with Nina.

For Carlo tonight was his first time as a grown man, he invited a woman to his house for dinner. Nina is the only special woman. Carlo himself looked at it as his first date with this girl. Although Carlo understood his position with his employer's son. But for her, she has gotten the blessing of the Don to date her only daughter. Charles was not a man who thirsted for property and power to own the wealth of his master. He himself felt that it was enough with his position in his employer's family. As Don Pablo's right-hand man, he earned no small salary. For him it was more than enough to finance himself or just to build a simple household with a woman. However, Cupid indiscriminately releases his love arrows on Carlo and Nina. Until Carlo as an adult man wanted to get the woman in his own way. He wanted to be a real man for Nina. Getting that woman is not by force. But with the dignity, honor, and elegance of a real man. She wants Nina to return her love for her own desires so as not to make her love clap one hand.

While arranging and decorating the serving dishes that have been served beef steak that gives off an amazing aroma is appetizing. Carlo prepares a stainless bucket of ice cubes and a bottle of white wine labeled "Chateau La Androa Classy R" . Best local white wine in class 1. His mind was wondering what he was going to talk about during the dinner with the girl. Carlo is not a man who is good at making small talk with a woman. His job requires him to always be serious, observant, aware of the dangers that may be facing and strategy maker when needed to take important decisions when he must replace Don Pablo with his men.

Carlo is not a man who is stupid in choosing and judging a woman, but he is too stiff to face them.Carlo is weighing with his heart..Should he express his feelings to Nina to the point ? But Carlo was worried that if the girl rejected him, his relationship would be very complicated. Wasn't he assigned to look after and supervise his master's son ? They also live side by side. 24 hours Carlo time for the girl. He could not imagine if his relationship was broken with Nina. While he was imagining his wishful thinking, the sound of the door being knocked from the outside was clearly heard.

Carlo immediately rushed towards the door. Tidy his clothes. He wears a collared branded shirt suit neatly inserted into the classic jeans of the Armani brand in black. A genuine serpentine leather waist belt seemed to adorn his slender, muscular waist. Makes the man look casual elegant. He cleared his throat before finally opening the door in front of him.

Nina looked very graceful. A transparent brown knee-length canal dress resembles skin color. A golden ribbon coiled around the bottom of his chest revealed a slender, filled curve of his body. A strappy sandal shoe with a height of about 7 cm makes the girl more visible. His long hair painted in natural curls was left to decompose with a small pinch on the left and right sides in gold. Thin makeup strokes make the girl look perfect. Not much knick-knacks but able to make it look graceful and perfect. It was as if the usual stubborn Nina Dimata Carlo turned 180 degrees.

Carlo was amazed to see the girl's appearance. The man was used to seeing Nina everyday in her home clothes or with the extreme appearance of thick makeup as she exited her house. But this time, Carlo was like seeing a female angel incarnate before him.

"You look beautiful tonight...Please come in", Carlo told the girl in front of him . Nina smiled blushingly walking in. His eyes wandered around the house.

"Your house looks comfortable Carlo..You designed everything ?" ask Nina.

"Hmm.yes.I decorate it myself. You like her ?" carlo answered the girl while pulling a chair at the table that had been neatly arranged. The smell of flowers covered the entire room. Carlo was decorating every corner of the table with a vase of fresh red roses inside. Plus the scent of lavender that smelled from a candle that lit on the table. The fragrance of the fragrant flowers spread throughout the room. Sweet and soft smell.

Carlo came out of the kitchen carrying a tray of steaks he had prepared. The savory smell of bacon instantly flashed across Nina's nose.

"Hmm.the smell has been enough to make my hunger come, Carlo.." said the girl praising the man who was putting a steak plate in front of her. Not forgetting he opened a bottle of cold white wine, which was poured into the girl's glass.

Shortly after, Charles sat back at his own desk, in front of Nina.

"It's for the first night you came to visit my house." said Carlo raising his wine glass towards Nina.

" And for the first time you asked me out with you, Carlo.." said Nina replied to Carlo by complaining about the glass with Carlo's wine glass. A toast sign. Carlo was a little surprised by the girl's words before him. The shock that was mixed with pleasure in his heart. The sign of the girl understood the dinner invitation she had given to Nina.

Nina downed the white wine in one throat. The taste and aroma of wine was on his tongue.

"Hmm.you're a guy who has a good taste for hosting a girl, Carlo.." Nina said back to him.

Nina blushed red at Carlo's words. He lowered his face while cutting the steak in front of him. Covering the hue of his face that changed because of the man's speech.

"Hmm.your steak is delicious, Carlo.must believe you very much...You can be his right hand.even I think if he tasted your cooking, he will also make you his personal chef.." said Nina again praised the man in front of him. Carlo just smiled at the girl's words.

Hm..I know you're not a man who can be this romantic with a woman.I'm used to seeing your cold face with me...Is there anything until you invite me to dinner at your house ? Nina suddenly started talking. The girl was indeed quite open to Carlo. Because he was the only man other than his own biological father who had been together since childhood with him. Nina was used to talking unabashedly towards the man in front of her at this moment.

Carlo who was chewing on the meat steak in his mouth was quite shocked by the girl's spontaneous question to him. But he had prepared everything very maturely.

"Hmm.Welcome to be the only woman who sees the other side of my cold attitude towards you, Princess...surely Mr. Pablo wouldn't have made me a guard to watch you 24 hours..So, preferably, Princess do not let your guard down and think with my romance tonight, one day you intend to seduce me into disobeying the order that Mr. Pablo gave me for you..." carlo replied calmly as he looked and rolled one eye at the girl. Nina spontaneously laughed at Carlo's reply to her.

"Oos...Carloku.turns out you understand me very well.It's fitting that Papa never takes your place.." Nina replies to the man. Carlo knew, Nina had actually suspected the man's feelings for her. But the girl was well aware of her position. Carlo smiled at Nina's words to him.

"Carlo, I've never seen you ask Papa for leave while you're working. Don't you intend to go on vacation ? Or just a short break from your job ?" tanya Nina shifted her conversation to the man.

" I don't have anything special as an excuse for me to take my leave, Nina. I don't have any relatives to visit. After all, work is fun for me and I really like my job, so there's no reason for me to take time off..Why are you suddenly asking this matter ? " Carlo replied as he bribed the last mouthful of his steak meat.

"No. I'm surprised to see you.you look like a hard-working man.I just want to know.do you have no dream to go somewhere just for a vacation, or,or other dreams besides being a cold guy who's been working beside my dad for years ?"

"Hmm.I'm a man.actually the same as Nina's other men..I also have a dream as a man, but I am not a man who likes to go somewhere without a purpose..I'm lucky with my life. You see I have a house with a beautiful view and a pleasant job. For me, it was like a vacation..And I don't have to wander aimlessly just to find entertainment." replied Carlo casually staring at the girl. He poured a bottle of white wine back into his glass and downed it in a gentlemanly manner. Nina returned Carlo's eyes. This time he dared to look at this man without blinking. He smiles. Nina understood why her father trusted her so much to take care of her 24 hours. Carlo is a man who has maturity in thinking and acting.

"What is your dream as a man, Carlo ?" asked the girl still staring at Carlo who was in front of her.

"You really want to know ?" reply this man as he advanced his sitting position and put away the empty plate before him.Carlo's face looked so close to Nina's face. He leaned over his hand to support his chin and raised his face until he looked closer to the girl. This time it was only a short distance away from Nina's face. Nina could feel Carlo breathing in front of her. His heart was actually pounding at that moment. But Nina was curious about the man. He nodded his head looking at Carlo. Carlo regressed his position slightly after staring at the girl for a few minutes.

" I'm just a regular guy Nina.I mean my dream is just like any other guy.have an established career.and later have a woman next to me to build a happy little family.." said Carlo flatly staring at the girl.

"Did you not have an established career to fulfill all your dreams, Carlo ?" ask Nina back.

Carlo smile. He understood where Nina was going. But, he did not want to lose the chance on the girl.

"Hmm ..for myself, I view myself as already quite established at the moment, Nina. But I don't know for a woman who will be my next door..I can't force my dreams on a woman I love unless she's me. Not happiness for everyone is not necessarily the same. Like your question to me. For me with my current situation I do not need a vacation to a place without a destination because for me what I have has become a pleasure for me that may others do not look at it like that, Nina.. You understand what I mean ?" carlo said calmly to the girl in front of him. This time Carlo looked deeply into Nina's eyes. I don't know why it's like there's a swish in that girl's chest. This time Nina understood. It was fitting that her father believed in the man so much and this time Nina felt the same way for the man before her. Could it be that he has really fallen in love with Carlo ? His heart seemed to have found the right harbor for him to lean on. Without Nina realizing it, Cupid's arrow had stuck in the chest of the girl on her first night dating Carlo.