Pic: Dani Brasserie – Four Seasons Madrid
* Music during reading (to feel better the atmosphere of this chapter I recommend this song in the background)
Since the last time I saw Sommer, I had imagined this moment dozens of times, but not even in my most creative fantasies I could think that it would be under such a circumstance. When someone gains our attention, we want to show them our worth, but sometimes this opportunity comes when that attention no longer belongs to them.
“When someone gains our attention, we want to show them our worth, but sometimes this opportunity comes when that attention no longer belongs to them.”
The more I knew Alex, the more I forget about Sommer, or so I believed until the moment he walked through the door of Four Seasons Hotel. He was returning into my life the same way he arrived: racing my heart and awaking that feeling in the stomach. The closer he got to me, the biggest was the effect of this return.
“The closer he got to me, the biggest was the effect of this return.”
“Michael?” I said when he stopped by the reception.
“Do we know each other?” He looked at me confused as if he had never seen me before, and he hadn’t; That accident erased me from his memory.
“I thought you remembered me … I’m Ava,” puzzled, I replied his question. I could have sworn that when I called him last night he knew who I am.
“Oh, sure, you are Alex’s girl… Excuse me, please,” he said, giving me his hand to say hello. “How are you? I’m sorry, I’m sure you already know that after the accident I have some problems remembering things … or people. Did Alex introduce us?”
“No, he didn’t. We met after all of that has happened…” I lied, lamenting, but at the same time, relieved, as this diminished the chances of falling into temptation.
“Excuse me for a moment, I’ll finish with this, and we’ll talk about everything,” he smiled at me while taking out his passport.
“Yes, of course, I’ll be waiting for you at the restaurant, upstairs,” I answered, heading to the elevators, crossing the hotel lobby decorated with fresh purple lilies.
Going to the rooftop, where the three Michelin star new restaurant by chef Dani Garcia was located, I was trying to divert my concern from the present to what was the important thing: to find Alex, but it seems like my mind wanted to be selfish for a few more minutes.
I was on the top floor of Four Seasons Madrid, but in a certain way I felt on the Boulevard Saint-Germain in Paris, the place that for more than a hundred years has hosted the most emblematic brasseries in France, the same where for decades illustrious cultural figures were looking for inspiration and politicians met to create history. «Dani Brasserie» was making a clear nod to one of those traditional and welcoming places where ratatouille or a good French omelette could not be missing from the menu. Martin Brudnizki‘s team was responsible for creating this French atmosphere that perfectly fused the simplicity, but also the glamour of an authentic Parisian brasserie.
The wallpapered walls, the predominance of greenish tones in velvet sofas, and leather and wood chairs in this vantage place, made me think that perhaps in a similar environment Ernest Hemingway had created his most emblematic works.
“Can I take a «Féten«, please? I will be waiting outside” I asked the waiter, who smiled at me and gave me his nod of approval while cleaning the glasses in the middle of a large central marble bar, which also reminded me of a past when I never lived.
I went out to the terrace with stunning city heart views. Unlike yesterday, not a cloud hindered the sun that was already eager to illuminate every corner of this place. Here the words “From Madrid to the Heaven” took on their greatest meaning. Sometimes, you need to climb to the top to understand how high you have reached and that the world belongs to you, but also to see how easy it is to fall into the abyss.
“Sometimes, you need to get to the top to understand how high you have reached and that the world belongs to you, but also to see how easy it is to fall into the abyss.”
I sat at one of the tables on the terrace of «Dani Brasserie» and closed my eyes feeling how the sun caresses my face. I adored that feeling, it made me forget everything and feel that there are no problems in life. Sommer was watching me a couple of steps away, wishing he were the sun, my sun. He remembered me, of course he did, but he decided to hide this information for the same reason that I was relieved to discover his forgetfulness: the temptation was too strong.
“Everything is OK, sir?” The waiter who brought me my cocktail of Alkkemist, Italicus, cardamom and soda, asked Sommer, interrupting my minute of relaxa.
I turned and saw the Nordic, our eyes met again like that day. We both knew what was happening, but none of us dared to say it.
“We both knew what was happening, but none of us dared to say it.”
“An espresso, please.” Sommer sat next to me on an Art-Nouveau design chair overlooking the Four Seasons clock tower, which was already announcing lunchtime. “Tell me, what happened?”
“It’s Alex … he’s involved in something…” I start, still not assimilating in my head what was happening.
“Listen to me, don’t worry. It’s Alex. He is always involved in something, it is part of his life,” Michael leaned on the back of the chair, thanked the arrival of the coffee, and continued, “the thing is, he has been too distracted to look for new problems since is with you. Do you want to eat something?” He concluded, looking at the brasserie menu.
“I don’t know how it used to be, but now it’s dangerous, yesterday there was a shooting at our place and some Asian men took him to God knows where!” I answered in an altered way, so that Sommer would take my words seriously, ignoring his question.
“Okay, I’m listening…”
I began to tell him everything that had happened last night;
“I was avoiding looking into his eyes because I knew the consequences of that gaze.»
“Do you have the key and the watch?” He asked me, assimilating that this time Alex has got into something critical.
“Yes,” I opened the bag taking out the clues to locate my boyfriend, while Sommer ordered an omelette with blue buffalo cheese and a lobster salad.
The Nordic took the objects and with confusion answered me:
“But … this belongs to me, I left it to Alex because …”
“Ava, look who I bumped into!” Marta’s voice, who appeared in “Dani Brasserie” as we had arranged, interrupted my companion’s confession, “My sister Regina, she has come unexpectedly from London because her boyfriend has a business trip here!”
Marta was approaching us with a brunette girl who was wearing a trench coat and carrying a Hermès bag in her hand. Regina’s smile disappeared from her face when she saw that Sommer was the man sitting by me.
The Nordic stood up and gave her a kiss.
“Oh, do you guys know each other?” Marta asked, smiling and looking at us confused.
*Due to the measures taken in relation to COVID-19, the schedule and access to some spaces may change.
TOPICS: ONLINE NOVEL – ROMANTIC NOVEL – 5 STAR HOTELS MADRID – FOUR SEASONS MADRID – LUXURY HOTEL MADRID – DANI GARCIA FOUR SEASONS – ROOF FOUR SEASONS MADRID – DANI BRASSERIE – CENTRO CANALEJAS MADRID
TINA KEVICH 