The two days in contempt went on surprisingly, without a hitch. For the rest if it, it was nothing more than a normal day at work. For a minute I thought that I would suddenly plunge into this life wholly of camera angles and bastard rumours. Incredibly, Daniel said he spoke to some people to make sure my address stays exclusive only to me. Whatever he did, it surely worked and I can’t even say how relieved I was for that.
It all went by so quickly that by the time office hours had finished yesterday, I was headed straight home to pack. Suddenly it occurred to me that we are going to a beach house in late November like some lunatic. Not only will it be cold but it will be freezing. I’ve had a few trips to Cornwall before and none of them included the splitting winter. Though, I guess it's the perfect rendezvous.
Think about it, a beach house in November? No one would suspect anyone who goes there—most probably.
He asked me where I would like to meet at two am but I suggested we meet somewhere closer to him. When he said that where he was, the media never slept I figured he was right. Must suck to think some random person could jump out at you in the middle of a street with a long camera in hand.
Feeling rather responsible, I suggested meeting at the back of the Metro Shopping Centre where I live close by. Luckily for us, parking is free which means I can leave my car here for as long as needed. So, here I stood, leaning against my car wrapped in a cashmere coat trying to warm up by the hood; waiting for him.
It’s so quiet being out here this early. In the distance, I can only hear a few cars swishing by; getting to places they hoped they’d be before sunrise. Breathing in the smell of dawn, my lungs filled with the cold winter’s breath and as I breathed out, it broke off into a mist and I watched, hugging myself tightly. I look up and to my dismay, the city doesn’t exactly make the best place to look for stars. Everything further than what my hand could touch is muted by the loud metropolitan lights. There’s nothing worse than knowing something is out there but not quite seeing it.
I see headlights flash on my peripheral and I turn to it, putting my hand above my brows trying to see clearly. When I looked through the darkened window, I saw Daniel’s expert eyes watching where he manoeuvres his car to. My heart jumped at the sight of him, something it had never done before until now.
Once he was out, he found me and I found him already with a big smile. Swiftly, I ran to my car and turned off the engine, taking my luggage out from the boot. Daniel follows suit and that’s when I got a good look at him.
Such a silly thing when I was taken aback by the fact that he wasn’t in his usual suit. I had it in mind that that was his only wardrobe—but that would have been ridiculous. As of right now, however, he wore a tan jumper with a short coat over it and khaki jeans to pair. I smiled, noticing the messy hair that he wore so elegantly as he picked up my luggage to take to his car.
“Sorry for the wait, I had to confirm to my team where I’m going,” he explained, his usually gravelly voice sounding a little nasal.
“No worries,” I scrunch up my nose, feeling the cold prick it. “You’re just on the dot at two. Going at one-thirty would have been ridiculous.”
He locked the boot and we stood there by each other, under the dimmer street lights shining two park spaces behind him. We stood there for a moment, just taking in the both of us.
For people who’d only been away for less than a week, we sure do act like we’ve been away for years.
“This feels a little rebellious now doesn’t it?” He whispered and I laughed, hearing it spread into every direction. He laughed with me with a childlike look in his eyes as though he’d been waiting for this.
“I think we should go before one of your CNN pals gets to us, don't you think?” I told him with joy filling every void in my voice. He agreed and soon enough we were buckled down and he announced lights out in the car.
“You should try and get some sleep first. When we get there we have breakfast waiting for us. It’s a straight shot from here on out.” He told me as we drove away into the merely empty city roads. I can’t remember the last time I’ve seen it this way.
“Do you know what time sunrise is?” I asked him and he looked at me in wonder.
“I like seeing the sunrise, is that so bad?” I sarcastically remarked and he shakes his head no.
“I assure you, the sun won’t rise until late eight or even seven. By then, we’d be there and I know a perfect place to watch the sunrise. But in the meantime, get some sleep.” He continued to urge me on and I narrowed my eyes on him.
“Promise you won’t take me in the middle of the woods and kill me?”
He turned to me in amusement.
“No promises. You’re the one who got into my car.” He joked.
I shift in my seat with a smile on my face as I lean my head against the window.
“Mhmm, I’ll die happy then so,” I murmured knowing that at this moment; this very moment that statement is true.
He stayed silent and I stayed observant.
Looking out into the sleeping city, I found myself intrigued by the night life—or the lack thereof. I've gotten so used to seeing cars upon cars staggering every minute that seeing an empty road in early ours seems incandescently haunting. I suppose it makes for a great lil. Though, just as I had closed my eyes, I heard a click followed by a vinyl crackle that soon introduced the soothing voice of Frank Sinatra.
***
Instinctively noticing the car's lack of rumble, I flutter my eyes open. Slowly catching the glimpse of the still purple-grey sky. Daniel's seat was empty, into which I jumped up concerned only to see him walking with two cups of coffee in hand and the gas meter just outside my window. He opens his door and the cold breeze flutters right in making my body shiver. He noticed and smiled.
"So sorry, I didn't want you to wake up yet. We still have about half an hour." He says, handing me the warm paper cup that I gladly hugged in between my palms.
"But you still got me coffee?" I asked him, endeared by the gentle gesture.
"Of course," he says. "I didn't want you to wake up and see only one cup of coffee and feel left out."
I laughed, nodding at his horrendous humour but took a sip of the warm coffee nonetheless.
Soon enough, the meter had stopped and we were on our way yet again. A different landscape meets the eye.
What once was a horizon of epic buildings and city lights is now nothing but plain fields or evergreens meeting us by the end. It was as if we were in a different world—but that wouldn't be so bad now would it?
"I've been thinking," he starts. "If you own the business and work there relentlessly…then who's running it whilst you're in a secret rendezvous with me?"
I turned to him, more awake than I was and I said, "my best friend, co-owner and investor, Lexi is. Told her I had some errands to run in Essex for a day and she agreed to take over."
I could tell him why Lexi would believe such a vague excuse. But the real excuse was more than just a simple errand to my hometown.
I don't think first dates are the appropriate time to speak of lawsuits, no?
"What about you?" I continued, seeing as he accepted my answer to be enough. "How'd you slip through your big business responsibilities?"
"Well...my team and the company did advise me to stay off the public eye for at least a day after all that jazz. So, from that I told them fine and now...here we are." He chuckled and I nodded.
Soon enough, the plain fields began to fiddle away into tiny houses, then to bigger ones. But beyond that, I found the earliest signs of an airport. With the sounds of louder engines running protruding through our metal wall and seeing a plane ascend into the skies, I wonder how far this place is yet to be.
"Where is it?" I asked curiously, finishing my cup and setting it down.
"Well, it's ten minutes away from the nearest town...and it's on a cliff side so somewhere near water." He smiled.
"How can a place be so secluded yet accessible? I mean look, you literally have an airport so close." I tell him, geeking about it.
Then soon, through the trees, I found flickers of a blue horizon, waving hello to me as the sun threatened to rise. I can almost smell the salty air just by the sight of it.
"I don't think that water would be much loved in this weather."
He turns to me, one arm with a rolled-up sleeve on the wheel. "Who said that's the only water there?"
My brows meet in the middle. Then I realized.
"Oh, you got a heated pool?"
He shrugged then proceeded to look back on the road, not saying another word.
"Oh, so you do? Of course, you do," I laughed and he chuckled whilst I shook my head.
"There's also a hot tub if you want—"
"Ha! Caught you, ass—"
I stopped myself, realizing that I've gotten too comfortable. Heat rushed to my cheeks and I saw him smirking on my peripherals. I refused to say another word and instead looked out of the window and continued looking; as if that was the plan all along.
"You didn't finish," I heard him say smugly and my body felt like hell.
"You do know you made it worse for yourself when you didn't finish right?" He continued but I still didn't say anything.
"Your call," I hear him sigh and he frowns. "We both know unfinished things are always the worst."
I whipped my head around and he winked at me making my head spin. I don't know whether to laugh or question that statement. The latter seemed easier to execute.
The drive continued a little while longer. As we passed a rolled across a few rubbled paths, I noticed the houses fickle out sooner or later. Trees that had been stripped off of their leaves lined the roads and pathways, ready for the winter. Now, the horizon was turning a darker hue of orange making me wonder how much further this house was.
Soon enough my impatience was conquered as soon as Daniel made a sharp turn on a gated hedge. Two uniformed men opened them, waving at us and Daniel rolled his window down, greeting them enthusiastically. I smiled, appreciating the way they interacted; like good old friends. But that was not enough to take my eyes off of the long driveway. Surrounded by evergreens and well-cut lawns I was in awe at how scenic it all was. We continued driving up until we slowed to a stop.
“Ok, so tell me why you chose the city over this place?” I remarked, getting out of the car to get my things.
“Where are you going?” Daniel asked.
“I’m gonna—” I start to say but my plans were foiled when a lady and another man smiled happily as they waved before opening the boot and rolling our luggage out. “--get my stuff.”
“Don’t worry, Clara and Ruben will take care of them. I have other plans though. Come on.” He gestured for me to follow and I didn’t hesitate.
I thanked God when I noticed that the wind wasn’t as torrential as I assumed it would be. It’s strong enough to rustle the trees that created a perfect harmony as the sun shone through its gaps. It’s strong enough that it carries the salty air through to our lungs that I can smell the sea so close. I shiver at the thought of how cold it would be.
“My mother, she...she made this deal with a start-up company when she first took over.” Daniel began as we walked down the steps to what looked like a cove. “She told me they never asked for it, they didn’t even think of it. But she says that this business was started by the doctor who helped her overcome her mental issues back in the day. She owed her life to them. When the business grew, they bought her this land. Told her to take care of it, so she put it in the family’s estates. Forever part of inheritance.”
Our feet hit the soft tan sand and I felt myself sinking beneath it. It has been a while since I’ve had my feet dipped in sand and the feeling is quite nostalgic. I smiled.
“I can’t even imagine a place like this just being a gift. I mean, you know how crazy that sounds right?” I tell him, letting the wind push my hair.
He curled his lips and said, “yeah, I know what you mean. But perhaps there’s more good people with money than meets the eye?”
As he said it, my eyes caught a glimpse of a set right beyond some boulders. I caught my breath as soon as my eyes laid upon the candles and fairy lights that surrounded a perfectly set picnic blanket. Baguettes, jams and whatnot displayed on it complete with a basket where a bottle of wine hung out. Facing the crashing waves of the sea and the brightly rising sun—I was speechless.
“Did I do good?” I hear Daniel say, sheepishly keeping his hands down on his pockets and I just laughed wondering how he could create the most perfect date and still doubt it.
I shook my head in disbelief as we walked and sat down, just staring at him; mystified.
“What was it?” I said and he turned to me, furrowing his brows.
“What was...what?” He chuckled softly.
“You did all this. But even before that it’s like you made it your mission to just be kind and charming and...perfect to me. What made you do all that?”
I feel my heart beat like a stolen drum. I didn’t know whether I was going to cry or laugh at all the things he managed to do for me despite our origin story. I haven’t done nearly half of that for him.
“You didn’t have to do anything.” He tells me as the horizon grew a bright shade of yellow; sun shining over the purple clouds. “Somehow when I first met you I thought you were...a dream. Literally.” He laughs. “But when I woke up the next morning, I realized you were the realest thing I’ve ever had in my life. A stranger to spend a night without all the cameras and fame and money? Come on. Who wouldn’t think it was all a dream? But it was the first time I felt like living. Ever since then...I guess I just made it my mission to find out more about you.”
“You’re poetry, you know that?” I blurted out, the first thought in my mind.
“I like the compliment but I’m not sure what you mean.”
“You're walking poetry with tainted ink. The most perfect person I have ever met and you're stuck with all that fame.” I tell him, saddened just how wrong that must feel to him. He shook his head.
“Perfection is a social construct. I don’t think anyone can be perfect.” He tells me, popping the bottle of wine open.
“You just feel too good to be true.” I admitted. “Last time I was on a date I got engaged to a man who probably would have made my life a living hell.”
I fiddle with my thumbs, looking down in shame knowing that I probably just admitted all my doubts about him. My heart thumps, warning me of an epiphany from him—maybe one that would make him realise he’s way too good for me.
Instead, I felt a finger under my chin slowly lifting it up and sending my skin into a frenzy.
Our eyes meet, his eyes deeply burrowing through the depths of my soul as their blues shone light to my darker ones. He traced his hand from my chin to my cheek where he drove hair out of my face.
"You're perfect." He smiled. "Don't think for one second that you don't deserve to be treated exactly as such hm?"
"I thought perfection is a social construct?" I repeated to him, feeling myself succumb to his sweet words.
His smile disappeared and his eyes flickered to my lips then back to my eyes and I tilted my head.
"Then I guess you're my perfect aren't you?" He tells me.
His lips lands on mine with a delicate touch, engulfing mine in a warm sentiment. Something even words can't describe. My body responded and our lips danced to the rhythm of our minds. Butterflies erupted in me and goosebumps painted my skin. The hand he had on my cheeks blocked the icy wind and kept his kiss only for us and not even for the earth.
When we pulled away, he kept our foreheads in touch, breathing in deeply and I smiled.
I guess there's no other way to have a first kiss with someone as perfect as he is.