Chapter Four #2
‘Hmm, nice. You’ve got it all figured out, hey.
’ Jay chuckled, his eyes like a cloudless sky — infinite yet full of understanding and longing.
‘And for the record, I want that kind of life, too, spent on land with no neighbours in sight, just like my office window high up in the sky,’ he added softly.
‘My parents have this incredible bond, you see, it’s like they were made for each other.
And that’s what I want. Something that stands the test of time. No matter what.’
‘That’s beautiful, Jay, it really is.’ And so are you, she thought, leaning back in her chair while her heart leant into his from across the table.
As the hours passed them by, and the lunch patrons began to filter in, their stories intertwined, creating a narrative of shared values and mutual dreams. Their conversation ebbed and flowed like the tides, an intimate dance of words and pauses, each sentence building upon the last until time itself seemed to dissolve into irrelevance.
‘So, Jay, tell me something about yourself that not many people know,’ Zara urged, changing the course of their lighter conversation back to something a little more personal. ‘That is, if you’re comfortable to.’
‘Yes, with you I’m comfortable, and that’s a really good question, by the way.
’ After a few contemplative moments, he laughed, a deep rumble that made Zara’s heart flutter.
‘I can’t believe I’m about to reveal this, but …
’ he began, his grin infectious. ‘When I was a kid, I thought I could speak to dolphins. I spent hours standing on the pier at our local beach, making these ridiculous noises, convinced they understood me.’
Zara chuckled at the image of a young Jay, his face earnest and hopeful as he called out to creatures of the deep. ‘Oh my goodness, that’s adorable.’ Her laughter bubbled up uncontrollably until she had to wipe away a tear of mirth. ‘Did they ever respond?’ she asked, breathless from her amusement.
‘Only in my imagination,’ Jay replied with a widening smile.
In that moment, Zara saw beyond the man with striking blue eyes and an effortless charm, the man who safely took thousands of people from one place to another, the man who’d swept her completely off her feet as if he’d been born to do so.
Instead, she saw the boy who believed in connections beyond the surface, who reached out to the unknown with hope and wonder, and she was drawn to him like the tide to the moon — a force both natural and inevitable.
She couldn’t deny, and didn’t want to, that something significant was happening between them.
She was certain of it. They were two souls that had been washed up on the shores of destiny, and with every ebb and flow of their blooming relationship, her dream of finding her home in Jay’s heart was becoming more than just a distant possibility.
‘Have you always been drawn to travel?’ Jay’s voice was low and resonant, pulling her attention back to him.
‘Always,’ she replied, her eyes reflecting an undulating sea of emotions she seldom dared to share, let alone navigate. ‘Travel makes me feel both lost and found all at once.’
‘Me too.’ Jay leant forward, his gaze unwavering like a lighthouse guiding her through stormy waters, an anchor in the fluidity of her world. ‘Do you want to get out of here, go for a wander, maybe grab a glass of wine now it’s past midday?’
Zara nodded and a strand of her curly brown hair tumbled across her face. ‘I’d really like that.’ She brushed wisps aside with gentle fingers as Jay stood, then offered her his hand to help her out of her seat. ‘I just need to nip to the ladies’ room, before we go, though, if that’s okay.’
‘Of course it is.’ His gaze was tender. ‘And I’m going to go and fix up the bill while you do.’
‘Oh, here.’ Balancing the bouquet of flowers in the crook of her arm, she dug into her handbag. ‘Let me give you some money for mine.’
‘No way.’ He held his hand up. ‘A gentleman never makes a woman pay for her meal, especially on the first date.’
‘Aw, Jay.’ First date, she liked the sound of that. ‘Are you sure?’ Her hand hesitated within the confines of her bag.
‘I’m absolutely certain.’ He gestured with a tip of his head towards where the bathrooms were. ‘Now go, and let me treat you, please.’
‘Okay, thank you.’ Rising to her tippy toes, she planted the kiss she was dying to bring to his lips onto his cheek instead. ‘I appreciate it.’
‘My pleasure.’ His affectionate smile was all for her.
Five hurried minutes later, not because she was frantic but because she already detested being away from him, Zara scurried back to his side. ‘I can’t believe we were here for over four hours,’ she said as they wandered out the gate and into the bustle of the street.
‘Time is a funny thing,’ he replied softly. ‘We chase it, try to hold on to it, but it slips through our fingers like quicksand.’
‘Or like water,’ she added with a wistful smile. ‘No matter how much we want to grasp it, it always returns to the sea.’
His glance was filled with awe. ‘Nice analogy, Monroe.’
‘Thanks, Maverick.’ She almost did a little skip she was so happy.
In the quiet that followed, they shared a knowing look, their hearts syncing to the rhythm of an ancient melody that transcended the ticking of the clock as the world around them receded into a distant hum.
And in this fleeting moment, Jay reached out, his hand moving slowly but deliberately until his fingers brushed against hers, warm and inviting.
She accepted his intimate invitation and entwined her fingers into his.
The contact sent a shiver cascading down her spine, awakening every nerve ending like a struck match, igniting a wildfire within her.
There, in that simple gesture, lay the promise of something far deeper than either of them had ever known.
Something as infinite and as fathomless as the ocean they often flew above, an ocean they’d learnt with wide-eyed, excited wonder that they both loved to be near.
Jay’s heartfelt smile, as gentle as his touch, held the power of a storm surge, overwhelming her defences and flooding her with a sensation so potent it threatened to sweep her away — or it would if he didn’t have a hold of her.
But he did. And as the time between them stretched, as did their companionable silences, her breath hitched, caught in the tide of the moment as electric currents pulsed where their skin met.
‘Zara,’ Jay breathed, his husky voice calling her towards him, as if he was her home.
‘Yes?’ She looked up at him, locking eyes and seeing the reflection of her own longing mirrored in the azure depths of his gaze.
‘Can I kiss you?’
The busy walkway faded into shared solitude.
‘Mm-hmm.’ It was all she could get past the surge of breathless longing.
Bringing his hand to her hair, Jay held her gaze a little longer before he dipped his head and captured her lips in a softly passionate kiss.
Rising on her tippy toes, she felt weightless as she melted into him.
Their kiss was like a symphony, each movement a crescendo of emotion and desire.
Then, up, up, up, her spirit rose, until she felt as if she were floating upon another cloud.
And the world seemed to stand still as their connection deepened even more, time fading away while electricity crackled between them.
A warmth she’d never known before enveloped her as an enchanting sensation spread from the top of her head to the tips of her toes, bringing her back from the clouds ever so gently and grounding her in the present moment with this magnificent man.
A man she never, ever, wanted to let go.
When they finally pulled apart, a soft smile played on Jay’s lips as he gazed down at her with a look of pure adoration. His magnetism was irresistible, and her heart swelled with an overwhelming sense of contentment, as if pieces of their puzzle had just fallen into perfect place.
‘I’ve been wanting to do that since the moment I laid eyes on you,’ Jay confessed, his smooth voice barely above a whisper.
Zara could feel the heat rising to her cheeks as she blinked back unshed tears of joy.
‘I’ve been dreaming of this moment, too,’ she admitted, her voice filled with free-falling emotion.
‘I can’t believe this is really happening.
That we’ve crossed paths again and …’ She stopped herself, only just, from saying I’m already falling in love with you.
‘Oh, you better believe it,’ he replied with a cheeky smile. ‘Because something tells me this is just the beginning.’
‘I really hope so.’ She breathed, her smile as warm as the afternoon sunshine that was igniting his fetching features.
‘I really know so,’ was his confirming reply.
Then they stood there for another long moment, simply basking in the afterglow of their kiss, and one another.
And amid the onward flow of time, in the beating heart of Amsterdam, their souls reached out and touched, forever altering the course of their journey, one that Zara was certain would span infinite shorelines, if destiny allowed.
And she hoped and prayed with every fibre of her being that it was written in the stars.
Wordlessly, but with a look that spoke of deep tenderness, Jay gave a tranquil sigh as he drew her into his arms, embracing her as if he’d loved her forever, and would for eternity.
It was in this fleeting but eternal moment that Zara found solace for the uncertainties of her previous life, and yearning for a new life and eternal, unconditional love.
She felt crazy for feeling so head over heels already, but who was she to stop it?
‘Are you ready for some more conversation, this time over a bottle of wine?’ Jay’s voice caressed her ear. ‘And maybe an early dinner, if we’re still languishing?’
‘Am I ever,’ she replied with wholehearted gusto.