Amara Meadows has always placed her job first, but with her journalism career slowly failing, she seems lost.
Although when she ends up spending a month in the palace covering the coronation of White Bridge's prince, she finds more than herself.
F...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Xavier sighs as his shoulder brushes against mine. Turns out there isn't much to do while being trapped in a failing, vintage record store. After shuffling through most of the records, Xavier sat up a selection of albums he thought I'd like. He ended up with quite a few paper cuts in the end, but he claimed it would be worth it. Which it totally is.
The information on my taste in music ended up being the key to the search. We have been laying on the carpet for what feels like forever. The large disco ball spins around slowly, reflecting flashes of light down on us as my favorite old songs play loudly. Little glow-in-the-dark stars are pasted around the ceiling, probably hiding cracks and water damage, but they create an almost romantic setting non the less.
Xavier stirs beside me and I feel his gaze as I stare at the roof while folding my arms over my chest. I smile in content as the song changes once again. Xavier wanted our first date to be special. He mentioned it quite a few times after his accident. I really never gave it much thought, but when I did, I always ended up a little nervous. I mean it's not just our first date- it's my first date ever. Any girl would be very lucky to have Xavier as their first date- he is a charming gentleman. That doesn't really help with the nerves though. I was at the verge of freaking out when that door was locked, but this ended up being the most fun I've ever had and the actual date hasn't even started yet.
Xavier sighs once again, much louder this time and he catches my attention. Which was probably his intention. I tilt my head his way and he smiles, sitting still as the little spatters of sparkles bounce over his face. Xavier looks at me for a second before sitting up and pulling me up with him, earning a lot of disapproval. "What are you doing?" He looks around the room, all while staying very silent.
"I promised you a date, Amara." After lifting himself up he extends his hand down to me. "A date you shall get." Once on my feet, I follow him to the booth, where he switches the record to something else. I help him pull the ottoman from the booth and he nods down for me to sit down after he's satisfied with its position. He takes my scarf from the pile of our clothes and mindfully ties it around my head, making it impossible to see.
Left in total confusion, I listen to the song whispering behind me, and boy if it wasn't Bon Jovi singing around me I'd be bothered by the fact that I have no idea what he's doing. Although the noise screaming out over the music shows me that it's definitely something big. I smile to myself as it stops, wondering what he's up to. It's not like he has much to work with here. "Xavier?" He sits down next to me, bumping my shoulder trying to get comfortable.
"You can open your eyes." Uncertain, I pull the scarf over my head and Xavier stares at me from the side when I finally look down at the little setup he organized.
He used one of the crates as a table to support everything. A bunch of seven singles was used as plates for the candy and potato chips he must've gotten from the vending machine. The sodas are placed inside a disco ball bowl that used to be filled with used CDs. I know this isn't what he had in mind when he talked about our first date. He wanted fancy clothes and actual meals. But I can't think of anything better than this. I couldn't ask for anything more. As long as it's him and I, nothing else really matters. I turn my attention to the record noticing that it's also Bon Jovi and then it sinks in. He's playing it because he was there when I heard it.
"The motel?" I turn to face him. He focuses on my fingers which I mindlessly placed on his legs. He takes the record from my hand, gripping onto the edge softly.
"We were signing out and I watched you swaying in the hall while I handed over the key. You could barely hear the music playing, you were just dancing for no reason. I never saw that part of you." He smiles looking down at everything he set up and pulls a hand through his hair. "You're making me soft, Miss Meadows." He is still smiling and that played with his voice as well.
"Why did you do all of this for me?" Tilting his head, he scoffs as confusion forms in his movements. But he doesn't seem fazed, not at all. He places the record down and stands up. Reaching out for me once again and waiting for me to take his hand.
"Dance with me?" There's a sense of calmness in his voice, the way he almost purrs the words. Unsure what to do I stare up at him, shifting my attention from his hand to his face. Stepping past the stuff on the floor, he places his hands on my tensed shoulders. A knowing smile dances on his lips when I let out a shaky breath. "Dance with me?" I comply by following him to the clear space under the disco ball.
His hands are on my waist, lifting the thin material of my shirt slightly as we move. The last time I was this close to him was when we kissed in the hospital room, except I knew what I was doing then, I was in control. But I have no idea what I'm doing right now, why I'm doing it. My hands are on his arms, under his shoulders. My body is moving without permission, in total submission to his lead. I feel like sand in the ocean, having no control over the waves that pull me in and push me out.
"You ignored my question." He pulls me even closer and I move my hands to the back of his neck.
"I did. " His hands slide a few inches downwards and oddly enough it doesn't make me uncomfortable, slightly nervous because he's crossing into dangerous territory, but not uncomfortable. "I ignored it because it was a stupid question. Why wouldn't I do all this for you, you certainly deserve this and even more if we're being honest. And I will give you more, continuously because I'm all in, Amara. As of now, you're all that matters- that's the point of this really- to make it official " He stops briefly and I feel like I have to catch my breath. His eyes are drawn thin like he's thinking like he's unsure about what to say next.
"Quite the speech mister Luca. Anything else you'd like to add before I ruin the moment with words of my own?"
Xavier removes one hand from my back and reaches into his pocket pulling out a little ruby red candy ring. "Say... " Wordless I stare down and he smiles. "Do you, Amara Meadows..." He laughs softly as I bite down on my lip stuffing down a laugh as well. "Want to be my official girlfriend?"
Before I could even humor the question with a reply the alarm of the store starts filling the room. A man holds the handle of the glass door in his hand tightly and accidentally drops his cigarette in the process. The keys jingle as he jumps to put out the small fire on the carpet, although the effort is useless and water starts sprouting from the roof as a response to the smoke.
Taking the opportunity as it's given Xavier grabs my hand and pushes the ring back into his pocket. I pick up my bag and jacket before we head out of the store, mumbling apologies to who we hope is the owner on our way out. We run until the store is out of sight and then Xavier stops, suddenly pulling me into an alleyway. He looks at me attentively and there's a burning curiosity in the shimmer of his eyes. I drop my things and rest my hands on his slightly wet t-shirt, my fingers forming against his built body.
"Yes." Nodding quickly he looks at the empty street around us before leading us backward until my back is against a wall. With a cold finger, he wipes a strand of wet hair away from my cheek. His lips are soft as he leans forward to kiss me. Slower than usual. Less raw emotion. No untamed lust.
It's filled with love and maybe that's ludicrous. But it's also not, because Xavier Luca is love- so how can it be anything else.
