Disco Balls and Plane Tickets
Chapter 11
Melissa: The bright Venice sunshine was slowly fading as dusk neared. The intense sun sent rays of light dancing on the water, casting shadows on the white sand, and warmed my bare shoulders. I sighed as I let go of Taylor’s hand and slipped the sandals off my feet; then, clutching them in one hand, I reached for his hand again. The warm sand sunk beneath my feet and slipped through my toes as the sun began to sink closer to the sea. We continued walking down the beach until the sky turned vivid with so many colors as if God himself had painted a sunset that would have appeared billions of years before in the Garden of Eden. The world seemed at peace and I saw myself more peaceful than I had been in years as Taylor wrapped his strong arms around me and gently kissed the back of my neck. I smiled. “It’s so beautiful,” my whisper was hardly audible over the peaceful waves drawing in and out of shore. “Almost as beautiful as you,” he whispered in my ear as I laughed. I leaned my head back and let myself get lost in his arms. “Ya know what,” I whispered. He sighed as if asking “what?” “All those love songs seem to have a whole new meaning to me. I mean, they were deep before, but know its like I know exactly what they’re talking about and its so much more than that.” I knew what it all meant and he did too. The sun melted into the sea and the moon reigned eternal as it covered everything with a bright silver glow. “I’m so in love with you, Melissa,” he whispered in my ear, full of emotion. “I love you too.” I turned to face him in the moonlight and he kissed me. I felt a shiver down my spine as he moved closer and his lips faded into mine. I finally knew what it felt like to be in love. It was an emotion I couldn’t control, but didn’t care to. He had become life; my every thought and desire and I loved him more than anything else. As we stood, bathed in moonlight, nothing else mattered. All I saw was Taylor and every thought was him. I started to dread the moment he’d be forced to leave me, even if it was only for a night. I felt his soft skin on my check and his lips and warm breath on my face as he whispered, “we should probably get to the restaurant.” “Yea,” I sighed reluctant to leave his warm embrace. I took his hand as we walked back up the beach and into the street. We chose a small Italian restaurant close to the hotel and got a table for two with a view of the crashing waves hitting the soft sand as the same brilliant moon hung in the sky like a painting. “Hey, Lissa!” I heard a loud voice from the table behind us and turned around to see Bob and Heather. “Hey, guys,” a smile spread across my face. “So, this is the famous Taylor we all keep hearing about,” Bob smiled noticing Taylor across from me. Taylor reached for my hand across the table. We both grinned and started to blush. “Hey,” Taylor said to both of them. “This is Bob and that’s Heather,” I introduced him to my friends. “We’ve heard a lot about you,” Heather spurted as I turned bright red and Taylor gave me a funny look. “Don’t worry, its all good,” Heather said and he laughed at my red face as I attempted to look away to avoid further humiliation. A waiter in a fancy black suit approached the table. “Would you like anything to drink this evening,” he suggested with a thick accent as I sat in shock that he spoke English. We ordered our drinks and I felt another tap on my shoulder. “Excuse me, Taylor. Can I borrow her for a second,” Heather appeared behind me. “Sure,” he looked up at me. I gave him the “what-in-the-hell” look producing a thin smile on his face as my hand slid away from his and I followed Heather to the bathroom.
Chapter 11