Reunion

Chapter Sixteen

The Huntington Beach Pier was absolutely a beautiful setting. Arriving at the destination, Brian was the perfect gentleman once again. The day was perfect for a date around the boardwalk. It was still early for Brian's dinner reservation, so he opted for a walk first. Walking side by side, I noticed that the place was not at all empty. Many families gathered around on a Sunday morning as well as tourists from all over the world.

It was one of the many attractions Huntington Beach had.

"So, what other things you love besides cooking?" he asked, smiling. In our nights' conversations, we spoke about many things. He knew my passion for cooking, but he did not know everything I loved.

"I love to read. There is something about smelling an old book and going through the soft pages that gets me very hyped. I know it sounds weird. My mother is a retired teacher, and just like cooking, she taught me the value of reading," I explained, smiling.

"I like to read too, although, with my busy schedule, I don't get to do it anymore. If I read something, it's from a tablet. I haven't read a book in a long time, though," Brian replied, looking ahead.

"Anna owns a bookstore, and every time I go to visit her, I have to bring home a couple of books. I understand what you mean of not having much time to read, but I still try to do it at least before going to sleep or in between breaks," I said, glancing at Brian from time to time, and he sure captivated me.

"I'll make sure I go with you to her store. Maybe you will help me find something we can both enjoy?" Brian asked, looking at me. I felt the redness of my cheeks burn.

"I'll like that," I replied, smiling.

We walked to a small ice cream and yogurt shop. Brian's excited expression was shown as he saw that it was open. Many kids gathered around, asking their favorite flavor of the cold snack. A boy around the age of ten saw Brian, and his eyes lit up. As he smiled from ear to ear, he softly patted the shoulder of the girl next to him, trying to get her attention.

"Tommy, stop it! I am trying to get a strawberry cone!" the girl, who was as tall as the boy, snapped. She turned around and saw the expression of Tommy's face, and her sight turned directly to Brian, who was looking at the menu located on the side of the shop.

"That's Synyster Gates!" the boy whispered loud enough for me to hear. Brian was oblivious, so I walked towards him and pointed to the children in front of us. At that point, the young ones were gawking at him as if he was a god.

"You are Synyster Gates!" the little girl said excitedly.

"Hey, guys. How are you all doing?" Brian greeted with a smile on his face. It was kind of him to speak to his fans, especially children. One minute they were shocked to have met him and the next, I was taking pictures of them all with the little girl's phone. The kids were incredibly happy and excited that Brian was very helpful to them. He ended up buying ice cream for them all. I could see the excitement in his expression as he spoke to the kids.

"Is this your girlfriend? The little girl asked with a huge smile on her face. I blushed and shook my head. When I was about to reply that we were friends, Brian spoke. "Not, but let me tell you a little secret." He got close to the little girl and whispered something in her ear that made her smile turned wider. No one else heard what he said to her, but she kept looking at me with mesmerizing eyes.

"Gotcha! Good Luck. She is beautiful," the girl replied, smiling and giving him two thumbs up. I laughed and looked at him, asking with my stare what all that was about. He did not say anything else. He winked at me as his smile never faded. After a while, the kids went their way, leaving Brian and me alone once again.

"You are good with kids," I pointed out, holding a chocolate cone in my hand.

"Yes, I like kids. Besides, I am always up to meet fans like them. Honest and grateful," he replied.

In one of our conversations, he mentioned that he didn't like fake people, and it was always lovely to meet the loyal fans that followed the band. I remembered him also saying that he sometimes liked his privacy. Getting out in public meant to see fans that wanted to take pictures and get autographs when he was trying to have a nice meal, or just when he was out trying to be an average person instead of an artist. It was hard at times, but he always tried to be nice if they were.

As we observed the horizon in the distance, we continued to enjoy our time. When it was time for dinner, we went to the restaurant Brian made reservations in. We ordered our dinner, and we spoke some more. Every minute that passed, I liked him more and more.

He was compassionate, humble, kind, smart, and many other things that I yet to find out. He was charming, and he was treating me like a princess. I felt cared for. When we finished dinner, he decided to take a walk down the beach. The sun was setting, and the scenery looked absolutely beautiful. Brian held my hand as we walked near the edge of the beach. It was empty. Only a couple here and there gathered around, having their own dates.

"Thank you so much for today, Brian. It has been absolutely perfect," I said as soon as Brian stopped walking.

"You deserve this and more," he said, looking directly into my eyes. I blushed and smiled. I didn't know what to say after that because I still couldn't believe any of this was happening. My stomach twisted in knots, and my heart increased its pace as it pounded hard within my chest.

Brian placed both of his hands around my waist and pushed my body slowly against his. Next, I felt his lips against mine. Closing my eyes, I took in his manly smell once again as the taste of smokes and beer intoxicated me. It was sweet, and I loved every minute of his lips against mine. He asked for permission to go deeper, and I accepted as our tongues danced together.

I felt fireworks. The scene, the kiss, and the man were perfect. I placed my hands around his neck as we continued our kiss. It wasn't rushed. It was beautiful, slow, and just the ideal rhythm to explore each other's mouths. After a while, knowing that we both needed to catch our breath, we stopped.

With my eyes still closed, Brian pecked my lips. I opened them and saw that he was looking at me without blinking.

"You are beautiful. I like you, Lilian, and I will love to take you out again," he said, without taking his eyes off mine. I smiled and nodded my head. He said he liked me. The feeling was mutual, and he needed to know.

"I like you too, Brian. I will love to go out with you again," I replied, smiling. He smirked and hugged me.

We continued our walk hand in hand. When we both noticed it was getting a little late, we decided to cut the night short, since I had to drive back to Los Angeles. Brian drove me to my mom's place. Being a perfect gentleman, he walked me to the door.

"I am going to make sure to go down to Los Angeles soon. Please, call me as soon as you get home. I want to know you arrived safely," he said, putting his hand on each side of my face. I nodded and felt his warm lips kissed mine.

"Goodnight, Lilian," he whispered, looking at me as he smirked.

"Goodnight, Brian," I replied, returning the expression. After going inside, I rested my head against the door. Hearing the engine of his car gone, I sighed. Feeling like a teenager, I caressed my lips with my fingers.

"Well, it looks like it was a hell of a date," my mother said, smiling as she walked down the stairs.

Thinking about the great time I had with him, I smiled wilder.

"Yes, it was!" I said, walking up to my room to gather my things and thinking that indeed was a great date.