LOOK UP AT THE STARS

CHAPTER 10 - MINE

Shawn

It had to be perfect and it had to be special and it had to be different. I didn't want to just go to a local restaurant, or the most exclusive place in Miami. I was out on my walk, trying to plan it in my head, when my phone rang. It was Ziggy and he had some work stuff to discuss but he must have noticed I was a bit vague.

"Shawn, hello? Are you with me?" he said, jolting me out of my thoughts.

"Sorry, I'm obsessed with where to take Camila on a date, we've never officially been on a date before and this is special, I...."

"Well, why didn't you say so? I have a great idea...."

Camila

Shawn had told me to wear something comfortable, but of course I wanted to look pretty too so I took my time and wore jeans and a new top and put my hair up in a messy bun like I knew he loved, and hoops or course. He was waiting when I walked out and his expression made every second of getting ready worth it, and I literally skipped to hold his hand, waving to my family as we left. He looked beautiful in a light blue shirt worn unbuttoned low as usual, and jeans that hugged where they should hug, and a big smile that got me all excited for the evening ahead.

"Where are we going?" I asked as I put my seatbelt on once in the Jeep.

"Be patient, Camilita, I promise you'll enjoy it!"

I didn't know the area he took me too very well, the only place around there I knew there was a very popular and expensive Italian restaurant, but after we parked, he walked me past and behind it and knocked on a red door in a laneway. What was he up to?

"Hey dude, you made it! Come in, come in!" The man who opened the door was a big Italian guy wearing a spotless white apron and checkerboard trousers. He waved us into what appeared to be a commercial kitchen. One end of it appeared to be the restaurant I was thinking about and the chefs and their crews were bustling around preparing food for that evening no doubt, and there was yelling and chatting and hissing and clanging.

"Come on, this way, it's much quieter!" the man said. "I am Tito by the way, and you must be Camila, even more bellissima in person!"

He led us around the corner and pulled a curtain across. We were still in the kitchen, but it was a really nice, small area, and there were items laid out on the stainless steel benches.

"What are we doing here?" I murmured to Shawn.

It was Tito who answered. "We are going to teach you to make pizza and pasta, bella!"

I was so excited I started to jump up and down and everyone laughed, but it was good natured, they were caught up in my enthusiasm, and that was how the whole lesson went. I followed Tito's instructions to the letter and after we had made everything, we sat at the table which was set with silver service and ate the products of our labours. As we sipped the delicious wine, Shawn leaned forward and wiped the flour from my nose and kissed where it had been and I could not remember being quite so happy before. He had put so much thought into this night, it was so special.

The dessert was not one of our projects, it was a gift from Tito, and it was delicious, a coffee, vanilla and chocolate layered semifreddo that was out of this world. And it came in one bowl. They had cleaned up while we ate and now they left us alone and despite the noises from the kitchen nearby it felt like we separate to the whole world. Shawn served us a spoonful each at a time, feeding me, then himself and in between were little kisses across the table and I fell so completely in love with him, when I thought I couldn't love him in any more, that it took everything I had not to say it.