Have you ever lived a perfect day? That special day when every second feels so fulfilling, pure joy rushes through your veins from dawn 'till dusk. Tears fill your eyes when you lift your head to the sky and say; 'I'm happy to be alive and in this moment.'

That's today.

The universe started favoring me the moment I left Roman's apartment in the morning. A cab pulled over as soon as I hailed one. The driver was in a great mood, which was a miracle in itself. He offered me doughnut holes as we made small talk, and was excited to hear that I'd edited his favorite ads.

After giving him a generous tip, I left the car. My building had all those pleasant smells of Saturday—curry and soap. I rushed into the shower and then got some editing done before Roman called.

He sounded groggy, and wasn't too happy to wake up alone. I giggled. It's been a week since our first date, but we're already like a married couple.

"No, I didn't bump into anyone when I left your place," I assured Roman on the phone. I can't care less about Nate or him seeing me leave Roman's apartment.

I dolled up as soon as we finished our call—put on a new, sexy summer dress. The tight, dark blue fabric hugged my hourglass figure, and the low shoulders revealed just enough skin to pique Roman's interest. I knew it would tease him. After all, if anything, Roman loved a good tease.

When we met for brunch, Roman smiled his restrained smile. We sat by the window, and the world around us disappeared. I noticed that we were in the dining room of a super fancy hotel only after a waiter in a bowtie interrupted us. Covering my legs with a napkin, I gingerly took my coffee cup and brought it to my lips. My pinkie finger flew up and my lips pursed as I drank it, like I'm the queen of everything.

The King of Smirks smirked again.

Rome's polo t-shirt matched the blue of my dress—oh—and I call him Rome now. Yeah, it's a thing. A funny story about his family taking him to Milan when he was fourteen, then losing him at the airport. To board the next plane to New York, Roman had to catch the train to Rome and arrange tickets all by himself. At fourteen. He was that smart.

I told him a similar story of me and my dad. "I was sixteen when he took me to Switzerland to one of his conferences. I didn't see him for four days! And Dad only realized I hadn't been around when I sat next to him on the flight back home."

Roman set down his coffee. "Didn't you see him at the hotel?"

"No," I confessed, stifling my laughter. "We were staying in different rooms and he was always in a hurry. He gets nervous at these conventions. Anyway, I met some people and hung out with them. Drank lots of wine, and stuffed my face with fondue. Don't tell Dad if you ever meet him. He hates fondue."

Roman laughed his heart out.

He loved my childhood stories. Like the time Olga and I broke into the jocks locker room and saw weiners for the first time. "Tiny, wrinkled ones. They were nothing like the anatomic photos in our text books."

Lazy new years eves I spent on the couch in Philly, watching rom-coms with my dog. "He is perfect. I swear he knows when I'm down. His puppy eyes have the power to turn everything broken into whole again."

Rome listened to my stories with a know-it-all grin. I felt like his favorite movie that he enjoyed watching over and over again. He guessed all the plot twists as if we'd lived them together, but raised his brows in surprise anyway.

What can I say, I'm a great entertainer.

He didn't say much, but he didn't need to. I loved reading every little muscle that moved on his face. His smile was my story—the one that I dreamed of finding my entire life.

After brunch, we left the hotel and walked into an art gallery...which was weird. The gallery owner greeted Roman at the door. But when he turned to meet me, Roman merely touched the old man's arm, and got him moving.

I stood there, forgotten, and forced myself to smile. What was I supposed to do? Wait outside, or tail along? When Roman peered at me over his shoulder and gestured his head, I followed.

The exhibition restored my good mood. Close ups of flowers made me feel like I was walking in a secluded garden. I lost my sense of reality as I stopped in front of each painting.

"Which one's your favorite?" Rome whispered into my ear, sneaking from behind. His hand cupped my waist, then moved to my stomach.

"Lillies," I said, resting my back against his chest. They looked graceful and pure.

"Hmm..." Roman's hum sent a kick to my heart. The nape of my neck flared with goosebumps. Roman grazed his nose right at the base of my skull before pulling away.

I turned around to ask him why he didn't introduce me to the gallery owner, but Roman looked into my eyes and asked, "Do you want to swim?"

"In the city?"

Roman took back a step and coughed out a chuckle. Then he held my hand and led me out of the gallery.

"But..." I started to object. "I don't even have my bikinis—"

"We'll buy you a pair," he said plainly.

And just like that, we walked into the first brand store and bought swimwear.

Which brings me to now...

My perfect day is coming to an end as I hold the edge of the infinity pool that overlooks the sunset in Manhattan. The view is breathtaking from here, thirty-six floors up, on the terrace of an elite member's club. The reds and orange tones of the sky reflect against the water's surface, making it seem like I'm swimming in a pit of fire.

I let out a deep breath, folding my hands under my cheek.

'I'm happy to be alive and in this moment.'

Water fills my ear. Gentle clicking of metal echoes somewhere in the distance. My shoulders feel warm from the last rays of sunshine. Subtle waves hit my back when someone swims toward me.

I open my eyes to find Rome next to me, crossing his arms over the edge. He stares at the view of the city for a brief moment, then rests his cheek on his forearm, facing me.

It's funny how they call this an infinity pool. I can spend an eternity right here in this moment, looking into Rome's caramel eyes. It surely deserves the name.

Rome and I slowly lift our heads at the same time. He glides in the water and stands behind me. His arms rest over mine. His chest hair tickles my back, and his breath heats my sun kissed cheek.

"Come here," he whispers, and I kick my feet from the edge of the pool.

Roman catches me as I stay afloat. His touch moves to my waist, then to my hips. And with a kick of his feet, he floats next to me.

Even though there's water in my ear, I can hear his breathing. My head is lightly resting against his shoulder. My hair is sprawled all around me. My eyes are shut, but Roman's careless smile echoes in the back of my mind.

'I found you,' my soul says to him.

"I'm yours," I whisper.

The arm under my head slips away, and loops around my waist. I laugh as I dip under water for a moment, then surface again, folding my legs around Roman's body.

"What did you say?" he asks, grinning against my lips.

"Nothing," I tease, stifling my laughter. There's a deep line between his brows. I trace it with my fingertips.

"Say it again," he insists.

I shake my head, chuckling. I already told him that I loved him last night. I can save myself another embarrassment.

After looking at the people sitting around the pool, Roman puts a respectable distance between our bodies. "Let's get out of here," he suggests.

I nod, kissing the corner of his lips.

***

The sun has set by the time we're back in Roman's bedroom. My wet clothes are lying across the floor. Roman and I stare into each others eyes like two warriors getting ready for the fight of their lives.

I climb on the bed and wait on my knees. Roman still has his pants on. I pull him by his belt to get rid of them. But the buckle is stuck. My fingers keep slipping as I try to open it. Roman's breathing gets harder. The bulge under his pants is twitching impatiently. Letting out a groan, Roman pushes my hands away and takes off his belt in one swift move.

His eyes flicker with that amber hue that drives me mad. He pulls me by the neck, flush against him, and devours my lips. I wrap my arms around his shoulders and fall back on the bed.

A buzzing breaks our kiss. It's coming from Roman's pocket.

"No," I beg, clenching onto his hips with my legs.

Roman tosses his phone onto the bed, and buries his face between my breasts. Groping one of them, he stuffs it into his mouth.

The phone is long forgotten when he sinks his teeth into my flesh. I whimper, digging my nails into his back. I want him to consume me...

But then his phone buzzes again.

Roman lifts his head with a desperate look on his face. His thin lips are swollen from sucking my nipple. His eyes shift somewhere above my head, searching for his phone. Then he pushes himself up and away from my body.

"I need to take this," he breathes out.

"No..." I object, but he already grabbed his phone. "No, Rome..."

He gets on his knees between my legs and gestures me to stay quiet before accepting the call. "What is it?"

A woman's voice replies. I sigh, dropping my head back on the bed and whisper, "Fuck..."

Roman sets the phone against his shoulder and meets my gaze. "I will, baby. Stay still."

When I close my eyes and nod compliantly, he puts the phone back to his ear. "What's wrong now?" His frown deepens. Then he gets off the bed and places a hand on his waist. "What about your father?"

He hates what he's hearing. Worry replaces the glow in his eyes. I sit up on the bed, ready to take him in my arms if he needs me.

"Okay," he says, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Yeah. I'll be there."

He finally hangs up, and lowers his phone.

"What is it?" I ask.

Roman sighs. "I need to fly to Tokyo."

"Wait... Now?"

He bites his lip, grabbing his phone's charger from the nightstand. "Do you know how to fold shirts?"

I shut my eyes in confusion. This doesn't make any sense! "Rome... Baby..." I get up and grab his hands. He stops dialing a number on his phone and looks into my eyes. "What is it? Why do you have to go?"

"Because I'm dealing with a bunch of idiots!" His tone is sharp. "We are weeks away from launching in Japan and the distributors are backing away. Do you know what this means?"

I raise my brows in question.

"Millions, Abby! This means millions! Money that I don't have. We are in unchartered territory. We don't speak the language. The culture is different. And I have to make it happen regardless. I've invested everything into this launch. My heart, body and soul. If this backfires—"

I take Roman's face into my hands. "Then you'll do damage control."

"It's not that simple," he hisses, shifting in his place. "I made commitments... The members of the board are breathing down my neck like vultures. They'll kick me out of my seat and tear the magazine apart. Years of hard work will be for nothing. I will be nothing! A nobody!"

I offer him a hopeful smile. "It can't be that bad."

"You don't know the half of it," he spits, then backs away, letting out another sigh. "I need to make some calls. Can you fold shirts or not?"

I nod, dropping my hands to my sides. Of course, I can fold shirts. I've been ironing and folding Dad's shirts since forever.

Roman gestures toward one of the closet doors and turns his back at me.

I can't believe how fast everything's happening as I help him pack a small suitcase. Roman's assistant got him a ticket on the first flight and he's leaving in a few hours.

A few hours!

My perfect day is officially over.

It's hard to believe we were floating in the pool at dusk. That magical moment feels like a lifetime away as Roman and I stand on the sidewalk, holding hands. Roman lifts a finger to stop me a cab, then gives the driver my address.

"Rome..." I object, but he opens the door and helps me settle into the car. "Roman! There must be another way. Can't you call them?"

"I'll see you... Later," he says and shuts the door.

I don't like the pain in his voice. Parting with him shouldn't feel like it's the last time we're seeing each other. It shouldn't break my heart and crush my soul like this.

Something doesn't add up, and I must find out what it is.