Studying Dante, chapters 3 and 4

Chapter 3

July 28, 2008, Santa Cruz

Fiona knew she had to see Dante again. It was not only inevitable, but necessary for her sanity. Dante had always confused her so; when she was with him she was euphoric and when they were apart she felt inconsolable. It went against everything that made any sense to her in this world. She found the nearest payphone, pulled her only remaining quarter from her pocket, and as always, checked to see which state was represented. She smiled; it was from New York, the city she used to call home before it had all gone wrong for her.
Fiona popped the quarter into the slot on the front of the phone and dialed. Her heart sped up as she waited for him to answer. Without realizing it, her right foot tapped impatiently on the sidewalk. What seemed to be a lifetime turned out to be four rings, and he finally answered in his own way:

“Dante.”
Her heart skipped a beat when she heard his voice. She had called him from a payphone so that he would have to answer. She knew that when he didn’t recognize the number he would pick up, in case he was being given instructions on a job.
“You know who this is.”
She realized she sounded somewhat breathless, but it couldn’t be helped. This was the effect he had on her.
“I was waiting for your call. I wondered how long you would wait.”
Dante had an amused tone to his voice. Fiona knew he was only teasing, but still played the game right along with him.
“Well, the wait is over. Where are you?”
Dante chuckled as he answered, “On my luxury yacht, sailing, drinking; leading the life of a millionaire. Where are you?”
Fiona paused, unsure of how much she was ready to tell him. “I had a …job. I’m finished with that now. What are you doing tonight?”
“Wishing I wasn’t thinking of you…your long hair, sinfully soft skin, those green eyes..” Dante trailed off, and it was clear he was lost in thought.
Fiona began to get a little anxious. “When can I see you again?” She knew what his answer would be, and suddenly wasn’t sure she should have called him at all.
“Meet me for coffee in ten minutes around the corner.”
Fiona was taken aback as she asked him, “Around the corner from where?”
“Around the corner from where you are standing right now.” Dante had a hint of a smile in his voice now, and Fiona whipped her head around to see where he was. Dante laughed out loud now. “I don’t know why you bother with that. You’ll never find me. See you in ten.”

Fiona would never get used to his ability to find her, no matter where she was. During their four days together, so many ideas had been discussed. Not the least of which was the idea of running off together. The very thought of it made her heart skip a beat. She had brushed it off at the time, laughing it off as if it was the silliest thing in the world. The sun was setting and a light rain had settled in as she looked for the coffee shop he spoke of. It was that time of day that makes it quite hard to distinguish the features of faces passing by, which made Fiona even more anxious. The street began to fill with people heading out for late meals, and the fluttery feeling in Fiona’s stomach was mirrored in the buzz of new activity. One by one, light from the streetlamps landed on a tall figure heading toward her. Their time together suddenly seemed as though it had been a lifetime away, and now she wasn’t sure she could believe her eyes. Was this really him, walking toward her? After all they had been through, would this really be so easy? This man, who had been more perfect than she had thought possible, was getting closer and her stomach lurched a bit with every step. Her excitement grew by leaps and bounds, and for a brief moment she doubted he would stop walking when he got to her.

Dante gave his signature half smile when he was close enough to be sure that she would see him. Their high-velocity relationship had been a little much for him at times, but as Fiona came into focus so did his purpose. A sense of calm filled him for the first time in his recent memory. Only when he was with her did his jaw unclench, and his eyes soften. He stood very close to her now, and after leaning in for a soft kiss he said,
“I’m so glad you could meet me. Our time together got me thinking…”
Fiona looked lost in thought for a brief moment, and within that instant shook away whatever was distracting her.
“You’re up to no good again, I’m sure.”
Dante smiled, and Fiona was certain she saw a twinkle in his eye. He reached into his inside jacket pocket and pulled out two pieces of thick paper. Fiona saw the small print on one of the papers, and wondered what Dante was up to.
“I have a surprise for you, sweets. Can you leave town?” As he spoke, he handed her one of the papers. It was a plane ticket. Her eyes attempted to focus on the words despite the darkness surrounding her, though her heart began to thud so loudly in her chest she couldn’t read a word.
She looked deeply into Dante’s eyes. Was she sure? She had given this a lot of thought over the years, and while she was absolutely petrified, she knew she had to do this. She slipped a hand softly into his, gently caressing his fingers with hers. No, she was absolutely certain of this.
Fiona nodded at him, all the while matching his gaze. His eyes spoke volumes of what he had gone through for her, to bring her to this place. The scars he bore would be his burden forever, and for that she carried tremendous respect. She had a hard time deciding whether she would ever see him the same way again. He was finally ready to give her everything she had been hoping for. For that matter, he was actually able to show her the attention she’d been craving. The day she hoped for was finally here.
Yet, as much as she wanted this to happen there was a voice in the back of her mind reading her the riot act for what she was preparing to do. There was a reason they had met, she knew that to be true. But had she forgotten what that reason was?
Dante watched as Fiona fought her emotional battle in front of him. His brow furrowed as he began to question whether she would come with him after all. He had moved mountains to make this happen, and now it seemed to teeter on the edge of possibility.

Chapter 4
Several hours later, on a boat near the Caribbean, Fiona had forgotten all of her concerns about her future with Dante. She stretched out on the deck, in a bikini she bought on the way to the airport. Dante hadn’t told her where they were headed, just that she would need the bathing suit.
Dante watched her with adoration and a touch of alarm. It still amazed him that she could make him feel this way. What he didn’t know is that he still had the same effect on her. He would never know that whenever they spoke, she had butterflies in her stomach. That she was constantly terrified of making some silly mistake in front of him, that she wanted to always be perfect for him. She put an immense amount of time and energy into her appearance, her mannerisms. What she didn’t realize, and wouldn’t for several years, was that her quirky behavior still came through, and Dante adored it.
Dante watched as Fiona put on suntan lotion. He had always enjoyed watching her perform her various little rituals, though he never told her this. Why hadn't he, he wondered. After everything they'd been through, after she left her job for him. Maybe in not telling her how he felt, he avoided getting too comfortable with her. He’d loved the secrecy of it all, and was pretty sure he would miss that part of who they were. But here they were, together forever. They were sailing around the world, and at some point he would have to let down his guard.
From Fiona's vantage point on the deck she can see Dante watching her. She carefully, artfully applied tanning lotion they'd picked up on the way. She made sure to slowly stretch out each leg as she seductively applied a layer of lotion. When she finished, she leaned back in the chaise, and looked up at him. Her smile went on for days. Thinking of their plans together, she realized that she had given up her entire world for him. A job she loved (meeting all those movie stars was a perk), friends, family. But they were soulmates. Soul mates who, among millions, somehow found each other. When others had tried and failed, somehow Dante, International Spy, could behold Fiona Patrick’s perfect face and feel as though her were holding a cherished Michelango. A work of art.
As Dante’s attention returned to the helm, he gazed upon this long-lost treasure.
(to himself)
“Miles of ocean. Years of counter-terrorism ... is this where it all leads?”
Fiona glanced back to Dante, her smile accented by a small, unrubbed amount of sunscreen.
Dante’s world seemed to lurch at the sight of her smile. He would never be prepared for that feeling. He couldn’t help but mutter to himself,
“When it all seems to level off. when the sails are set and the rudder seems to have found its way. How can one small island, a peninsula, as it were, so disrupt my journey?”
As if to accent the thoughts in Dante's mind, Fiona made her way to the back of the boat and settled into the warmth and security of the helm. She looked at him and gave a serene smile, and a deep sigh.
“A penny for your thoughts.”
Fiona wrapped a towel around her shoulders as she said this, absent mindedly twirling a section of hair around one finger.
“A million pounds would not suffice.”
Dante’s response caused Fiona’s head to snap toward him, and she raised one eyebrow at his response. She had always had difficulty reading him, and now was no exception.