Chapter 823 - A perfect fit (1) (1/2)
~ Downtown Los Angeles ~
Ellie is working on her dinner slowly while trying to grasp the sequence of events that brought her into Jasper's hotel room.
The note he left her that morning told her to wear red shoes which are comfortable. She spent the second half of the morning in her design studio downtown Los Angeles, and few of her designers who are local to the area told her that LA is known for hidden hiking spots. So even if he gave her a residential address, it can mean anything. They checked the address and saw that it's in the hilly area of an older neighborhood, and general consensus was that Jasper is taking her hiking.
Jasper was unable to hide his amazement when he saw Ellie exit the cab while wearing red running shoes, comfortable t-shirt and shorts.
”I feel overdressed…”, he said with a charming smile, and he didn't seem to mock her at all. He looked pleasantly surprised. He wore a dark gray blazer over a white shirt and black fitted jeans. Nothing too fancy, but definitely smart-casual.
Ellie observed with interest when he gave his blazer to the cab driver and asked him to drop it off at a hotel downtown LA. She approved Jasper in that short sleeved shirt which didn't cling onto his body, but it didn't hide much either. She could clearly see that he takes care of his body... by frequenting the gym, probably.
Even with the blazer off, his style was few notches smarter than hers.
Well, she was ready for a day outside with hiking in mind. How was she supposed to know that he is taking her to a landscaped garden filled with art installations inspired by the movie 'The Wizard of Oz' ? But the yellow brick road was there, and he was happy that she understood why the red shoes are important. When they reached some point in the garden which he found to be appropriate, he encouraged her to, just like Dorothy from the movie, close her eyes, click her heels together three times and repeat the famous phrase: 'There's no place like home' . Red shoes were very important at that point, because they hold the magic. But she chanted the phrase only two times before his lips locked with hers.
Ellie was not surprised that he has the power to transform almost any situation into a kiss-appropriate one, because since last night's kiss, even when he is not in sight, part of her is thinking about kissing him.
Breathlessly, she reminded herself not to close her eyes when he is close by… unless she wants to give him an opportunity to kiss her. Luckily, it was not a deep kiss, so she was able to stay aware of her surroundings, but it still made her feel like she is walking on the clouds for the next few minutes. Jasper can do that.
They spent the rest of the afternoon on the Venice beach boardwalk. She liked it. Relaxing. They walked and held hands while blending with the colorful crowd around them. Numerous stores offered everything you can wish for. They got hot-dogs and shaved ice and found a bench with a view of a street performer who was balancing on a unicycle while Pomeranian dog did tricks on his shoulders. Both Ellie and Jasper got messy from ketchup and mustard and they wiped each other clean. Jasper proved Ellie's earlier point that he can transform any situation into a kiss-appropriate one, and she was slightly embarrassed that she dropped the napkins. Jasper swiftly picked up few unruly napkins which were carried few feet away by the light wind and other than showing his wicked smile, he didn't tease her about it.
Ellie was checking out one stand filled with handmade necklaces and bracelets when Jasper got into a nearby store. A minute later he came out with two keychains that are shaped like jigsaw puzzle pieces. One had engraved 'perfect' , and the other one 'fit' . He handed her the one with 'perfect' .
”Separately, you are 'perfect' , and I am 'fit' … and together…”, Jasper showed that two pieces can be interlocked, ”…we are a 'perfect fit' .”
Her eyebrow arched. ”Are you saying that I'm not fit?”
”Don't tell me you want to compete with this?”, Jasper asked with a straight face while raising his arm and flexing a perfectly shaped biceps.
She laughed. ”I give up. You win.”