Sunday Mass (2)
Like clockwork, Christian excused himself from the group that was surrounding him and walked over towards us.
Everyone watched with wide eyes as he greeted my mother and then my sister, placing a kiss on her hand.
Instantly, the crowd burst out in chatter, gossiping about the relationship between Christian and Morgan.
Morgan, of course, blossomed under the unwavering attention, throwing looks of superiority around at the other young ladies.
-
I watched from the sidelines, doing my very best to minimize my presence. This was a skill I learned from a young age. It was one of my best survival skills, as the less I got noticed, the less I got blamed.
As the crowd gathered around Christian and Morgan I couldn't help but notice a set of deep blue eyes on me, looking at me from afar.
Looking up, I met Christians eyes. His gaze was difficult to read but my instincts told me they had a hidden interest deep within. He didn't look away even after I looked up.
Why would he be interested in me? He chose Morgan…
While it only lasted a few brief moments I couldn't help but feel curious. There should be no reason for him to look at me like that, especially after I did my best to blend into the background.
I watched as Morgan beamed like a ray of white light in her sapphire dress, soaking up the attention like a dry sponge.
Christian stood firmly beside her, doing his best to attend to her while maintaining propriety. They made their way into the grand cathedral, followed by my overly happy parents.
My father was practically floating from the attention he was already garnering. I could see him mentally watching the stocks of his company rise in real-time.
While Morgan's engagement was not official yet, my parents had already made plans to discuss the date and details with Christian at dinner tonight.
-
The Cathedral was massive and very ornate, with towering spires, stone carvings, and statues of saints.
The heavy carved wooden doors finally opened, signaling for everyone to head inside.
The bustling atmosphere outside quickly turned to a quiet and reverent one the moment I stepped over the threshold.
I felt the familiar cool and slightly musty air on my skin, giving me a slight chill, as I trailed quietly behind my parents.
We made our way further inside, heading towards our usual spot towards the front of the church. The Moresi's have occupied the front pews for generations and today was no exception.
I'm not quite sure if sitting at the front made us any closer to God, but it did make the others envious.
"Oh if it isn't our most virtuous Leslie", a very familiar voice called out in front of me.
I quickly turned around and bowed down.
"Bless, Your Grace", I said gently, with a soft smile on my lips.
The bishop blessed me and then placed his right hand on top of my hand, for me to kiss.
I bent down slightly and placed a kiss on the large amethyst ring.
"Your Excellency, Bishop Dunisi", I greeted with respect and a hint of joy.
The Bishop of this Cathedral was a longstanding figure in our community, someone who everyone respected and looked up to.
Due to our virtuous reputation, we have always been close to the clergy, even someone as revered as the Bishop.
"It's lovely to see you and your family today. I see you have brought a guest today", he said with a gentle smile.
"Yes, Your Grace. This is Christian Vittoria, soon to be my sister's fiancé", I quickly introduced, stepping aside to give line of sight to Christian.
"I see, wonderful. That's wonderful news", he replied, giving Christian a nod as a greeting.
Bishop Dunisi watched me and my sister grow up, as we have never missed a single Mass.
My father walked over, greeting the Bishop, but instead of the warm greeting I received, my father simply received a polite nod.
This was the case ever since I was a young child and one of the reasons I had the unofficial title 'the virtuous'. I was the only one who he ever wanted to converse with and it always made me happy.
Never having had a decent relationship with my own father, Bishop Dunisi was always someone I looked up to.
I would have normally taken the initiative to speak with him a bit longer, but today I felt a burning gaze behind me.
In fact, ever since we arrived, I have felt Christian's gaze multiple times. Even now, I can feel his eyes still on me.
Why? Why does Christian continue to look at me like that?
We took our seats between the front two pews. The women sat in front while the men, including Christian, sat directly behind us, and to my luck, Christian was seated directly behind me.
-
The Cathedral was built centuries ago and spaces between the pews were less than what is now considered standard.
Even without turning around, I felt the scent of Christian's musky cologne envelope me. It was deep and earthy, mixed with the light scent of cigarettes from his earlier smoke.
Before I even realized it, I was subconsciously breathing the air in, trying to fill my lungs with as much of his scent as I possibly could.
I focused so much on my breathing that I didn't hear a single word of the sermon in front of me.
There was even a moment when I felt a slight breath of air graze against my shoulders, sending an unfamiliar tingle down my spine.
I couldn't tell if it was simply a slight breeze from the outdoors or if Christian was toying with me, but I refused to turn around to find out.
-
Sunday Mass has always felt like it lasted an eternity, but today it felt like it lasted less than a minute.
"Leslie, don't dally, we need to head home to prepare for dinner. We're expecting important guests today", my mother said, glancing over at Christian with a soft smile.
I quickly stood up, feeling a little embarrassed about my absentmindedness. My eyes traveled to the side, landing on Christian's navy blue suit.
Looking up, I met his eyes along with his flat, stoic expression.
Oh good. I must have imagined everything that happened.
Adjusting my posture I turned my head to look forward, facing the crowd that making its way out of the majestic wooden doors.
Chatter filled the once silent hall, as people continued their conversations from earlier, eyeing Christian periodically.
-
"Christian! How nice to see you here", Mrs. Lombardi called out from the crowd. She forced herself through the sea of people, pulling her daughter over behind her.
My father paused, standing firmly beside Christian. I saw a fleeting smirk on his face as he watched the rest of the Lombardi family come over.
Morgan took two steps forward, standing as close to Christian as she possibly could before it would seem morally unacceptable. Her chin was raised and her eyes looked at the oncoming Lombardi's with an air of authority, acting as if she was already Mrs. Vittoria.
"Mrs. Lombardi, how are you today?", asked Christian in a very professionally polite manner.
"Good, good. I'm not sure if you met my daughter, Eve", she said pushing the beautiful blonde in front of him.
Christian smiled, "A pleasure to meet you, Eve".
Morgan couldn't take it anymore and reached out to touch Christian's shoulder.
"Christian, we should get going, I see your driver waiting outside"
She positioned herself in front of Eve, blocking Christian's view of her.
"Forgive me, Mrs. Lombardi, perhaps we will meet another time", said Christian, excusing himself.
Morgan strutted ahead like a peacock, shielding Christian from the eyes of the many hopeful maidens.
Taking a deep breath, I shook my head and followed behind.
-
"We will see you tonight for dinner then, Christian?", my father asked, reaching out to shake his hand.
"I'll be there, don't worry", he replied.
Hearing the confirmation, my father led us to our limousine. My curiosity got the better of me and I turned my head, looking at the black luxury car that even my family didn't have the status to obtain.
A pair of cold, blue eyes locked onto mine.
Did I just imagine that, or did Christian just smirk at me?