| Love By Moonlight by: Sailor SwiftHeart Rated: PG LOVE BY MOONLIGHT Serena was driving down the highway in her Porsche, going to the restaurant "Chez Louis". It was five thirty and she was meeting her steady boyfriend, Mark Adams at six o'clock for dinner. She had met Mark through acting. Serena was the star of a famous soap opera and Mark had been the producer at one time. They fell for each other instantly. They had been dating for well over a year. Mark was a good guy. He did occasionally get jealous of Serena. Being that she was a famous actress, a lot of guys went gaga over her. He always tried to sluff it off as if it were nothing. "Chez Louis" was like Serena and Mark's restaurant. They always went there no matter what they did. Serena didn't mind, even though it had become somewhat of a routine. She pulled her red Porsche into the parking lot. She got out and made her way to the entrance. Once inside, she saw the familiar maitre 'd and approached him. "Good evening, Miss," he said. "How are you tonight?" "Good, thank you. Um... has my dinner companion arrived yet? His name is Mark." Serena told him. He looked down his guest list then back up again. "Sorry, Ma'am. He hasn't shown up yet. He must be running late." The maitre' d smiled. Serena smiled back, but not before sighing first. "I can show you to your table in the meantime." he suggested. Serena nodded and he took her over to a secluded spot in the corner of the elegant restaurant. He pulled the chair our for her as she sat down. "The waitress will be with you momentarily." he said, then left Serena alone. Sure enough, the waitress did come and Serena had to awkwardly explain that her company hadn't shown up yet. The waitress left, saying she would come back later. Serena sighed. She wondered why Mark wasn't there yet. It was already ten after six. Serena sat patiently, waiting for any sign of him. Soon, after ten minutes of sitting, the waitress came up to her again. She felt bad about asking Serena this, but Serena had to order something. She couldn't sit there and twiddle her thumbs all night long. "Can I take your order yet?" she asked. "Okay, I'll start with a salad for now." Serena told her. The waitress scribbled it down and scurried off into the back room. Pretty soon, it was after six thirty and Serena had her salad almost eaten. She got out of her seat and went to the pay phone. She called Mark's place, but the phone just rang off the hook. "Where the heck can he be?" Serena mumbled, getting agitated. When she went back to her seat, the waitress approached her again. "Can I get you anything else?" she inquired. "I'll have the Pineapple Chicken." Serena said, no longer being able to contain her hunger. She ate quickly, decided to pay and then leave. She looked at her watch. It was seven thirty. The maitre 'd finished ringing up the tab and gave it to Serena. She paid him and smiled. "Have yourself a good evening." he called as Serena left the restaurant. Once outside, the night was darker. Serena walked to her car and stuck the key into the slot, when someone started shouting her name behind her. She turned and saw Mark running towards her. Once he approached her, he stopped to catch his breath. "Serena, I am so sorry! I can't believe this. After work, the guys asked me if I wanted to go to the bar for a quick drink. I dumbly accepted. I totally forgot about our date. I'm sorry. I hope I didn't ruin your dinner." Mark said. "No! Actually, I had a really delicious supper." Serena informed him. Mark could sense her agitated mood. But Serena didn't care. She wanted Mark to know that she could do just fine without him in her life every second. She had enjoyed a nice quiet dinner without him. "Good. So maybe we could go dancing to a club or something?" Mark asked, looking hopeful. "To tell you the truth, Mark, I'm bushed. I had a long day at the studios today. I'm going to retire early tonight. But thanks for the offer." Serena said. "Once again, Serena, I apologize. I really feel awful." Mark said. Serena leaned over and kissed Mark lightly on the cheek. "Goodnight, Mark." Serena said, getting into the car. "So I guess I'll call you tomorrow?" Mark asked. "Sure, whatever." Serena said. "Bye!" she shouted and drove off. The truth was, Serena WAS tired but she also didn't feel like being with someone who forgot about their date. It made her feel less important. It took away from her self-esteem. Once at home, she hopped into the bathtub and soaked. After, she curled up with a good book before going to bed. *** The next morning, Serena let herself sleep-in. She awoke and went downstairs to make and eat breakfast. After she cleaned up, she got a phone call. "Hello?" "Good morning!" exclaimed the male caller. "So do you forgive me?" It was obviously Mark. "Oh, hello Mark. Yes, I forgive you." Serena said, reluctantly. "Good! I actually knew you would. So, how would you like me to make it up to you by trying dinner all over again?" Mark said. "Okay, that sounds good." Serena said. "Just as long as you promise to show up this time!" Serena joked and Mark laughed. "You got it, Babe!" he said. "Look. I already made reservations at Chez Louis for this Friday at six. Does that sound good?" Serena sighed. It was just like Mark to plan something without discussing it with her first. "I guess I'll make it fit in somehow." she said. "Good. Well, gotta run. Talk to you later?" he said. "Okay, bye." Serena said and the two hung up. Serena sat down on the couch and put her head back. She tried not to let Mark bug her because he was after all, her boyfriend. Minutes later, the phone rang again. Serena was expecting Mark again. "Hello?" she asked. "Hi!" the voice said. It wasn't Mark. It was her best friend, Mina. "Did I wake you?" she asked. "No, of course not. So what's new?" Serena asked. "Well, I have a question for you. What are you doing this coming Friday?" Mina inquired. "Well, Mark and I are going out." Serena answered. "Why?" "Shoot! Because I got two tickets to a concert on Friday night. It's for that music group you really like; N' Sync." Mina said. "Oh no. I'm sorry!" Serena said, feeling guilty. "Hey, don't worry about it. I'll just find someone else to go with. You just promise me that you will have fun on your date!" Mina said, still trying to remain positive. "By the way, how is Mark doing?" "Good, I suppose." Serena said. "You suppose? You don't sound so sure." Mina noticed. "Well, it's just that I don't see him as much as I'd like to. Our schedules just don't seem to click anymore." Serena explained. "Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. But don't worry, it'll all come out in the wash!" Mina said, just like she usually did. Serena smiled. She was used to her best friend's "positive thinking". It always made her smile. The girls chatted for a few minutes longer, then said their good-byes and hung up. Serena was sort of upset that she couldn't go to the concert, but she convinced herself that she would have a good time with Mark. *** The next couple of days had been really tiring for Serena. Work had kept her busy. She was looking forward to spending a relaxing evening with Mark. On Thursday, she snuck out of work early and hit the malls. She wanted to get a new outfit so she would look extra nice for her date on Friday. She found a dainty summer dress that caught her eye. She tried it on and observed herself in the mirror. It fit her perfectly and she looked absolutely gorgeous. She paid for it and left the store, feeling happier than ever. Friday evening came fast. Serena spent the better part of the afternoon getting ready. The finished product was breathtaking. Serena giggled. She knew she looked especially good. Mark didn't get off work until five, so he was going to quickly go home and change. They agreed to meet each other at the restaurant. Serena left early and headed down to "Chez Louis". She arrived at a quarter to six. She entered the restaurant and saw the familiar maitre 'd. She smiled at him. "Hello there. How are you?" Serena asked. "Very well, thank you." he said. "I have a reservation for six o'clock." Serena told him. "Follow me," he said and led her to a table. "Being that you come here often, I'll give you the best seat in the house." he whispered. "Oh, you don't have to do that." Serena said. "No, but I want to." He smiled. Serena scooted onto the bench seat and got comfortable. The maitre 'd left and Serena waited. Soon, a waitress approached her and smiled. "What can I get for you this evening?" she asked. "I'll start with two glasses of white wine." Serena replied. The waitress hurried off. Serena rearranged the already lit candles on the table and made sure the flowers were perfect. She sat back and got comfortable. The waitress returned with the wine and put one glass in front of Serena and the other glass across from her. She then left to fill other orders. It was ten after six and Serena smiled. "Okay, Mark, I'm ready for you!" she thought. She sat back and thought about her life. Work was great. Her social life was great. She then thought about Mina. "I hope she is having fun," Serena said. She continued to ponder her life; everything and everyone in it. She was interrupted by the waitress. "Can I take your order?" she asked. Serena looked at her watch. It was already after six thirty. "Oh boy. I don't know yet. Can you give me ten more minutes?" Serena asked her. "Sure." the waitress said and left. "Hmmm... where is Mark?" Serena thought out loud. She waited and waited, with still no sign of Mark. After waiting for well over an hour, Serena realized that she had been stood up... again! "Damn him!" Serena said. The maitre 'd approached her booth. "I just have to say that your so called boyfriend is very stupid not to show up when he has a girlfriend as pretty as you." he declared. "Yea? What the hell do you know!" Serena retorted. She didn't want some guy she didn't even know hitting on her just because she was a famous actress. She wasn't in the mood to be hit on, especially after what Mark had done. "Leave me alone!" she warned. She paid her bill and stormed out of the restaurant. She got in her car and sped off towards home, wiping away the tears. "Damn him all to hell!" she cursed. Once at home, she changed into her grubby clothes and took her hair out of the French Braid. She tried calling Mina, but she wasn't home. Serena figured she must have still been at the concert. Serena sighed. She went to so much work that day and all for nothing. Mark didn't even have the decency to show up, let alone call to let Serena know that he was going to be late or that he couldn't make it. Later on in the evening, the phone rang. It was Mina. "Hi, I noticed that you called," she said, referring to her Caller ID. "What can I do for you?" Serena couldn't help but spill out her problems to Mina. "That jerk!" she said after Serena had filled her in. "I'm sorry, Serena. How about we go out for a drink and talk things out some more?" Mina suggested. "Yes, that sounds good," Serena said. "I need a friend right about now. Thanks, Mina. I'm glad you're home." She sighed. "I'll come pick you up in let's say fifteen minutes?" Mina asked. "See ya then!" Serena said and they hung up. Mina arrived shortly after the phone call and went to the front door. She gave Serena a quick hug and then they left for the bar. In the car, Mina tried to comfort her heartbroken friend. "Don't worry, things will work out." Mina said. Serena smiled. Mina pulled into the parking lot of the bar and they got out. Once inside, Serena tried to relax a little. They made their way to the main bar and sat down. They ordered drinks and waited patiently for them to arrive. They were both sitting next to a guy, one on either side. "Look at him! He's pretty cute!" Mina said to the one beside Serena. His back was facing her. Mina whistled at him. He turned and winked at Mina. "Let me buy you that drink," he said, when the bartender put Mina's drink in front of her. He put a few dollars on the bar and the bartender scooped it away. Then the man turned his back to Serena once again. "Okay, it's your turn!" Mina said to Serena. "But... I can't just whistle at anyone," Serena said. "Sure you can," Mina said. "Look at the guy beside me. He's pretty cute." "Yea, his back!" Serena expressed. "You can't even see his face. Besides, he's busy talking to his buddies." she said. "So? That's the whole point. Once he notices that you are whistling at him, he'll turn around and flirt back!" Mina explained. "That's the whole point of it!" "Okay, here goes nothing." Serena said. She put her lips together and blew a whistle. The man turned around. When Serena saw his face, she just about fell off of the bar stool. "You son of a bitch!" Serena shouted out loud, causing a lot of people to stop and stare. It was Mark. "Serena! I uh.... what are you doing here?" he asked. "I think I should be asking you the same question!" she retorted. "You were supposed to be at Chez Louis over three hours ago!" "Please, Serena. I can explain..." Mark mumbled. "Save it!" Serena spat. "I don't want to hear anything YOU have to say. I deserve better than you! You always stand me up or show up half way through the date. Grow the hell up!" she yelled. "You're slime, Mark! Stay the hell out of my life!" She took her drink and douced Mark's face with it. She stood up and stormed out of the bar. Mina followed Serena in complete shock. The bartender scowled. "Well, I guess you'll be paying for her drink." he told Mark. Mark sighed and gave the bartender a couple of dollars to pay for Serena's drink. Meanwhile, outiside, Serena was in the parking lot with Mina right behind her. "Damn him! I'm through with him, that's for sure!" she said, defiantly. "I can't believe him! Of all the nerve. I mean, he'd rather be at the bar than with me? Nice boyfriend!" Serena exclaimed. Mina started to laugh. Serena looked at her friend with a puzzled look on her face. "Oh no, I'm not laughing at you," Mina assured her. "It's just, you should have seen the look on Mark's face when you soaked him with your drink! It was absolutely priceless!" Mina laughed. Serena started to laugh as well. "Well, should we get going home?" Mina offered. "No, not yet. Let's go for a walk." Serena said. Mina agreed. The two of them took off down the sidewalk, talking about everything. Mina filled Serena in on her night at the concert. She took one of her female co-workers with her. Serena sighed. She wished she could've been there instead of somebody else. If it wasn't for Mark, she could have gone too. "Damn him!" she cursed, silently. They kept walking, enjoying each other's company. Before long, it started to thunder. "Oh shit! Can anything else go wrong today?" Serena yelled, then laughed. Big rain drops started to fall. "Quick, Serena, let's go into that building over there!" Mina said. They darted through the parking lot before getting totally drenched. "Oh great!" Serena groaned. They were in "Chez Louis". "It must be a jinx or something." Serena whispered to Mina. She quickly told Mina that this was the restaurant she and Mark spent most of their time. "Should we leave?" Mina asked. They both looked outside, then shook their heads no. "Well, we might as well go and sit down," Mina said. She walked up to the podium where the Maitre 'd stood. "Table for two." Mina told him. He nodded his head and led them to a table without saying a word. He left them alone once where they were seated. It occured to Serena that she hadn't even mentioned to Mina about him flirting with her. But she had been so rude to him, she decided not to say anything about it. "Wow! He sure seems nice," Mina commented. "And cute, too!" Serena just smiled. The waitresse came and took their order, which was two cups of Swiss Mocha Coffee. They sat sipping their coffee and chatting until the rain appeared to have stopped. "I suppose we should get going," Mina said. "But first I have to use the bathroom." "Okay, then I'll go pay," Serena said. Both girls got up and went their seperate ways. Serena took the bill to the podium, took a deep breath, and looked the maitre 'd straight in the eye. "Look, about tonight," she began. "I was rude and I'm sorry. I had no right to yell at you the way I did." Serena told him, sincerely. "No, I'm the one who should be sorry," he said. "I never meant to give you the wrong impression. If I would have known it was going to upset you so much, I would've kept my big mouth shut." he declared. Serena had a hard time believing what she was hearing. He sounded so sweet and honest. It made Serena feel tingly and funny. She shook it off for the time being and managed to smile at him. Just the way he smiled back made Serena shiver. She quickly paid the bill. By this time, Mina joined her and they left. *** The next day, Serena kept herself busy at work. She tried her best not to think about the previous day, but that was almost impossible. Everytime she saw Mark's face in her mind, she cringed and cursed silently. "What a jerk!" she said over and over again. When she got home, telegrams along with roses were always sent to her place. They all begged Serena to give Mark another chance. She threw them in the trash without even considering forgiveness. One day, she got a letter from Mark. He begged Serena to meet him at Chez Louis for one last date together so he could apologize appropriately. Serena was somewhat touched by the letter. "Maybe Mark isn't so bad after all," she thought. She decided to meet him one more time like he had asked, at Chez Louis the following week. Serena was both anxious and scared. The day when Serena was going to meet Mark came rather fast. She got herself all ready and went to Chez Louis. Her stomach was in knots. She wasn't sure what the night would hold. She wasn't sure if Mark would even show up! She walked into the restaurant and smiled at the familiar maitre 'd. He smiled back. "Your party had already arrived." he said and Serena was surpirsed. He walked her to a table where Mark was sitting and waiting. As soon as he saw Serena, his face lit up. He got up and pulled the chair out for Serena as she sat. "Thanks for coming. I wasn't sure if you were going to show up or not." he said. "I could say the same thing about you," Serena told him, matter-of-factly. "But I'm here." "Well, what do you want to eat?" Mark asked. "I already ordered a drink for you." "I'm fine. A drink will be all I need." Serena said. She sipped out of the glass that was already in front of her. "So..." Mark said, trying to start a conversation. "So..." Serena said back. They talked about work and life, carefully avoiding the problem at hand until Mark finally brought it up. "Look, Serena, about the other night... I was a jerk and I apologize. I hope I didn't ruin what we have going here," he paused and then continued. "I still want to see you and I don't forget on purpose, I swear. I just can't imagine what my life would be like without you in it." He reached for her hand and kissed it. "Do you forgive me?" His pleading eyes and sweet smile made Serena think twice about dumping him for good. She couldn't help but feel a sense of honesty and maybe even love in his voice. She thought for a moment, unsure what to day. She finally spoke up. "Of course I do, Mark." she said. Mark's face lit up and he laughed. "I knew if I told you that, you'd HAVE to forgive me," said Mark. "You don't know how long I practiced saying that until it sounded perfect. I just knew you'd forgive me! I'm so relieved." he sighed. Serena gasped, shocked. "So this was a game to him?" she thought. Nothing he said came from the heart. He planned what he wanted to say just to win her back. "GO TO HELL!" she screamed at him, stood up and stormed away from the table. She left him sitting there with his mouth hanging opened. She was inches from the door when she turned and looked around her. She saw the maitre 'd and smiled. She walked up to him and said, "Hi!". He looked up, completely amazed. "Oh, hi," he said. "Is everything alright?" "Fine!" Serena exclaimed. "I just wanted to thank you for showing me more attention in five minutes than my ex-boyfriend has shown me in over a year!" He blushed. "Uh... don't mention it." he said, shyly. "No, I mean it. You have been the only nice person to treat me like a human and not a fictional person you see on your T.V." Serena said. He gave Serena a really weird look. He had no idea what she was talking about, for he had never seen the Soap Opera that Serena starred in. "Never mind. But if you want to call me sometime, by all means, please do!" she told him, writing her number down on a piece of paper. He blushed again. "By the way, what's your name?" Serena asked. "Oh... my name is Darien. What's yours?" he asked. "You mean you don't know? But I thought you knew!" Serena exclaimed, surprised. Darien shook his head and shrugged. "Well, my name is Serena." she told him. "Pleased to meet you," Darien said. "So, I guess I'll call you one of these days." "I look forward to it," Serena said. She left the restaurant feeling both peeved and incredibly happy. Two things had happened. She ended it for GOOD with Mark, and then met somebody new. She couldn't wait to get home and tell Mina all about it. When she did, Mina was truly happy for her. "Mark was slime, anyway," Mina commented. "So tell me about this new guy, Darien?" she asked Serena. "Well, he's nice and shy," Serena said. "I don't know much about him, only that he is a hell of a lot better than Mark!" "Oh, Serena, I am so happy for you!" Mina expressed, sighing. "I just hope he calls me!" Serena said. "Don't worry, he will." Mina assured her. "I mean, he'd be a stupid man not to want to date you!" "Thanks, Mina." *** Sure enough, Darien did call a few days after that night. "Hi... um, this is Darien, from "Chez Louis". Do you remember me?' he asked Serena. "Hi, Darien. Of course I remember you! So how have you been?" she asked. "Good, good," he replied, starting to loosen up. "How about you?" "Really good, thanks." Serena said. Thus began their two hour phone conversation. Serena learned a lot about Darien, too. She found out that he was the owner of "Chez Louis". He also had a great sense of humor. He had Serena laughing like crazy. After she stopped laughing, Darien started to ask her some questions. "So what do you do for a living?" he asked. "I thought you knew?" Serena said, surprised. "Oh, am I supposed to know?" Darien inquired. "No, no," Serena laughed. "Let's just say I misjudged you. I'm an actress." she finally told him. "Oh wow!" Darien exclaimed. "That's quite the occupation!" "Yes, it is," Serena admitted. "It keeps me busy but I still have fun." "Lucky you!" Darien said. "Being owner of my restaurant is pretty hard. I'm in charge of a lot of things. Sometimes it can get pretty stressful." "Yes, I can imagine." Serena said. They kept talking to one another, finding out bits and pieces of each other's personality. Before long, Darien said he had to go. "Um... I would like to see you, though." he told her. "How about we go for coffee one day?" Serena suggested. "Great, that sounds good!" Darien agreed. "Okay, then how about I give you a call when I'm not so busy?" said Serena. Darien gave her his home phone number. "Good, I'll call you soon." she promised, jotting down the number. "I can't wait until then." said Darien and then they hung up. Serena started to feel tingly all over. She thought she finally found someone she could call a close friend, besides Mina. She and Darien really connected. Serena couldn't wait until their little "Coffee" date, even though it would just be a coffee shop. Serena didn't mind. She just wanted to SEE Darien, instead of just hearing his voice. When Serena got a chance, she did call Darien. They set up a date for the following Friday, which was only three days away. Both of them talked every night to each other on the phone until Friday arrived. Serena wondered if Darien was as nervous as she was. She spent a couple of hours preparing for their date, which was at seven thirty. Serena looked so pretty when she was done. This time, Darien was going to pick her up. Unlike Mark, Darien actually wanted to make an effort to pick Serena up. Serena was actually quite flattered by that. Darien arrived right on time and even brought with him, a bunch of assorted flowers for Serena. She blushed as she put them in water. Before they departed, Darien helped Serena on with her coat and then they left. Serena had never really noticed Darien's dashing good looks before. It made her shiver just to look at him. Darien was such a gentlemen the whole night that Serena could hardly believe it. He never once tried anything funny with her and she really respected him for that. Their time together at the Coffee Shop was really sweet and friendly. Serena somehow knew that no matter what happened, she would always find a friend in Darien. That was something she was truly happy for. "I'm really sorry I was so rude to you that night a few days ago," Serena said. "It's just... I don't know what came over me." "Look, don't mention it," Darien said, softly. "I came on WAY too strong, anyway. I don't usually act like that. There was just something about you...." Serena blushed. She had been doing a lot of that lately, and it was something she normally didn't do. But they had a lot of fun with each other that night. It got pretty late.. and fast. They both hadn't realized how late it had gotten. "Oh boy! I'd better be getting you home!" Darien said. They made their way to Darien's car and he got the door for Serena. She hopped in and so did Darien. He drove off to Serena's place. Once there, he walked her to the door with her hand in his. They stopped at Serena's doorstep. "Well, I guess this is goodnight," Darien said, not really wanting to leave just yet. "Yes, I guess so," Serena replied. "Look Serena, I am not trying to move fast or anything, but I would really like to see you again sometime," Darien said, turning a little red. "I had a really good time... even though it was only coffee." "I'd like to see you again too, Darien." Serena admitted. Darien's face lit up. "Oh, that would be great!" he exclaimed, happily. Serena couldn't help but smile at Darien's reaction. He was so cute when he was happy! "Well, goodnight." Darien whispered. He took Serena's hand and lightly kissed the top of it. Serena shivered. His touch sent fireworks through her body. "Goodnight." Serena whispered back. Both turned away from each other and started to go their seperate ways. Once Serena was inside she watched Darien at his car. He looked up to where Serena was standing. "Can't wait to see you again!" he called to her, before getting into his car. "Neither can I!" she called back, then closed the door. Thus began their second date. They both chatted on the phone to each other quite a bit, but not as much as they would have liked to. For some reason, they couldn't seem to make their schedules fit. If Serena worked during the day, Darien would end up working at night. It was hard, because they both wanted to see each other. They tried setting up their second date, but it wasn't working. But then one day, Darien got a spur of the moment idea that he was sure would work. He packed a wonderful lunch from Chez Louis into a picnic basket, along with wine, wine glasses and a blanket. He drove over to Serena's and rang her doorbell. He was very nervous. He was afraid Serena may say no, that she was too busy. He said a silent prayer, hoping she would be able to join him for lunch that afternoon. Even for just a single hour. When Serena answered the door, she smiled in surprise. "Well hi, Darien!" she greeted him. "What are you up to?" "Hopefully taking you out on a picnic." he responded. "Now?" Serena asked, bewildered. "Yes, now!" he answered. "That is, if you aren't busy." "Umm... no, actually, I'm not busy," she told him. "In fact, you came just in time. I was just about to start lunch for myself." Serena grabbed her sweater and headed outside to Darien's car, after locking up the house. Darien once again got the door for Serena (such a gentleman!) and she hopped in. They drove off to a remote little area that had a big, beautiful park in it. There were a few kids playing off in the distance but other than that, the park was quiet and peaceful. Both of them got out of the car and Darien led Serena over to a big tall Oak Tree. He pulled out his red and white checkered blanket and spread it out. He didn't sit down until Serena was seated first. Then he sat down right across from her. Darien opened his picnic basket and started to pull bowls and dishes out. He got everything all layed out nice and neat and then uncovered the food. He had brought so much of everything that it could have fed at least ten more people. He brought an assorted variety of salads and sandwiches, along with buns, cheese and a whole load of baking. He even brought a couple of pieces of Cherry Chessecake. He looked down at all the food and blushed. "I um... didn't know what you liked. so I brought... everything!" he declared and then smiled. "Yes, I can see that," Serena said. "You really outdid yourself, Darien." "Ah well, it was nothing," Darien said, bashfully, waving his hand in the air. "So dig in!" Serena didn't know where to begin. . She helped herself to a bun, some cheese and a piece of cheesecake. Once Darien had dished himseld some food, they both began eating. All of a sudden, with a mouth half full of food, Darien exclaimed, "Oh! I almost forgot!" He reached into the basket and pulled out the wine, followed by two wine glasses. "To wash everything down with!" he explained. He started to pour, filling each glass and handing one to Serena. "A toast," he said, raising his glass. "to you and I, the start of something new." "To us," Serena said. They clinked glasses and sipped the wine. Then they went back to eating their delicious meal. After they had finished eating, Darien entertained Serena with a whole bunch of stories from his childhood to his present life. Serena couldn't stop laughing. In between his stories, she told him more about herself and her life. Before long, it was mid-afternoon. Both Serena and Darien were lounged on the grass, basking in the nice warm Florida Sunshine. Darien opened his eyes and looked over at Serena. Her eyes were closed and she was laying on her stomach. She looked so peaceful laying there like that, that Darien hated to disturb her. "Serena?" he called softly. "Hmmmm...?" she asked, trying to focus on Darien. "You're going to get a sunburn," Darien said, noticing Serena's short t-shirt not covering very much. "Oh no!" Serena gasped. "Not before work!" "Well, I do have some lotion in my bag," Darien told her. "Oh do you? Great," Serena sighed, in relief. Darien pulled the tube out of his bag and looked down at Serena, hesitantly. "Ummm... should I put some on for you?" he asked, shyly. "If you don't mind." Serena answered. Darien opened the tube and squirted some lotion into his hands, rubbing them together. Then, shaking, he placed his hands on the nape of her neck, massaging the lotion into her skin. He rubbed his hands all down Serena's arms and shoulders. Serena almost gasped at Darien's soft touch. She closed her eyes the minute Darien had touched her and didn't open them again until he was through. For some reason, Serena was out of breath. "Thank you." she managed to say. Darien didn't say anything. Little did Serena know, he had somehow lost his voice. After a few minutes, he regained control once again. They started talking to each other once again. Serena and Mark had never talked this much. Mark always bragged about his job or friends. Serena had always been stuck just listening to him brag, not being able to get a word in edge wise. The converstaions she had with Darien were something new to her; something unexpected, yet pleasant. Serena looked at her watch and suddenly realized that she had to be at work in twenty minutes. She told Darien. He seemed to look upset, after she told him. "I really love what you did for me, Darien," Serena said, sincerely. "I hope we can do something again soon." Right away, Darien's face lit up. "Yea, that would be great!" he expressed, excitedly. They packed up all their stuff and then headed to Darien's car. "I could take you straight to work so you won't be late," Darien offered, with a smile. "Sure, if you don't mind." Serena accepted, getting into the car. She gave Darien instructions on how to get to the studios, which he followed easily. Once there, he got out and walked Serena to the entrance, just to make sure she got in safely. As they were standing at the main entrance to the studios, Serena turned to face Darien. "Thank-you once again," Serena said. Then she gave him a small peck on the cheek. Darien turned red and Serena smiled, amused at his reaction. "Oh, you're more than welcome." Darien replied. "Well, I gotta go now. Call me tonight?" she suggested. "You can bet on it!" Darien answered, then left. True to his word, Darien did call Serena that night. Even though they had just seen each other, they still had a lot to talk about. "So when is your next free night?" Darien asked. "Well, I don't work on Thursday," Serena told him, which was only two days away. "Good! Can we do something then?" Darien asked. Just the tone of his voice made Serena think of the hopeful look he always had on his face every other night he asked her out. How could she say no to such a cute face? "Sure!" Serena answered. "Great! Then I'll pick you up around seven thirty?" he said. "Sounds good. But... what are we doing?" Serena inquired, puzzled. "Nope, not telling," Darien said. "It's a surprise." For the next two days before her mystery date with Darien, Serena was left wondering and curious. "What could Darien be planning?" she thought to herself. She conviced herself to wait and see. Being that she had no idea what they were doing, she also had no idea how to dress. Serena decided on a very classy pink wool suit, with white pearl buttons that fit her to a tee. She looked wonderful as Darien pulled up in his car at a quarter after seven. He was the only one out of all the guys Serena had dated who actually showed up early. She liked that and ran out to greet him. "You look really pretty tonight." Darien said, eyeing Serena's womanly body in her outfit. She blushed. "Thank you. And you don't look so bad yourself." she said, noticing Darien's neatly tailored suit and tie. He smiled at the compliment and drove off. He drove for a while, still not letting Serena know where they were headed. The whole way to wherever, she kept trying to guess in her mind. But she was in for a really big surprise. Darien stopped, at last, in front of a big theatre. Serena knew that the famous musical, "Phantom Of The Opera" was playing there. But they had been sold out of tickets for weeks. "I hope you like the opera." Darien said. "Like it?" Serena repeated, overjoyed. "No, I love it! But how on earth did you get tickets on such short notice?" "Well, this guy I know owes me a favor," Darien explained. "I catered to a party of his on short notice at Chez Louis. It was a pretty big party, too. So I made him feel guilty until he gave me two tickets!" Darien chuckled. Serena laughed. She could actually picture him doing exactly what he said he did. But what Serena didn't know was that the tickets were two of the few best seats in the house. She couldn't believe how good they were, once they were seated. "Wow, Darien! This is incredible!" Serena said, amazed. "You really think so?" he asked. "I wasn't sure if this was such a good idea." he admitted, bashfully. "No really; this is great!" Serena told him, erasing any doubts he had. She linked her arm through his. Darien was surprised but overwhelmed with happiness. To Darien, it was a warm and touching gesture. Soon, the lights went down and all eyes started to focus on the center stage. The show was just beginning. It was a very enthralling, heart-wrenching play that had a lot of people feeling a lot of different things. Just like in the play, Erik is aware of the presence of love and craves to be loved just like anyone else. Serena and Darien were aware of each other's presence and the wonderful thing that was beginning to happen. Serena couldn't help but look at Darien, her eyes searching for an answer. All she could think was, "Is this guy for real?" She couldn't believe all that Darien had done for her in just a short time. She was taken aback by it all. She wondered WHY he was doing do many things she wasn't used to. No one else had ever bothered to. "That's it," Serena thought to herself. She was shocked at all the things Darien had done because she wasn't used to them. Even Mark had never bothered to do anything nice for Serena. She realized Darien was sincere and honest in doing the things he did. He was doing them because he wanted to, not to make himself look better in any way. Darien was a good man who was treating Serena the way she should have been treated, right from the first date. Serena realized that Darien wasn't after her for money or sex like other men. He was looking for someone he could be with. That night, sitting beside Darien at the opera, Serena discovered a lot more about herself and gained the confidence she needed, all thanks to Darien. When Darien drove Serena home, all they talked about was how great the night had been. They compared their favorite parts with each other, laughing and recalling the play, until Darien pulled up into Serena's driveway. They got out and walked to the front door. "Thanks for a lovely evening." Serena said. "You are so welcome," Darien said. "I hope you enjoyed yourself." "Oh, I did!" Serena said. They looked into each other's eyes and almost instantaneously, their lips drew closer. Darien placed his lips on Serena's first, using his tongue to gently part her lips. She did, warmly, excited at the feel of his lips on hers. Darien wrapped his arms around Serena's body, as she did the same. Not one person would have been able to pull the two of them apart, no matter how hard they tried. Their kiss was hot and firey. Serena used her tongue to explore the unfamiliar contents of Darien's mouth. Darien used this time to memorize every detail about Serena's mouth and lips, which he would use later to daydream about. The kiss seemed to last a lifetime. Serena and Darien thought that they were in heaven. All of the sudden, they both pulled away from each other and blushed. "Well, I guess I should go," Darien said. "Yes, I suppose so." Serena agreed, sadly. Darien couldn't help but steal one last kiss from her before he left. He felt as if he would die if he didn't. They turned and walked away from each other; Serena through the door and Darien to his car. The last thing they said to each other was "Call you tomorrow." With that, Darien was gone. Serena sighed, then shivered, recalling Darien's lips on hers. *** That was months ago. Serena and Darien had remained exceptionally close to one another throughout the many weeks. They spent the days and nights growing closer to one another. They lived and breathed each other. And above all, they thanked their Lucky Stars that they had found each other. One warm day on the beach, Serena and Darien were frolicking in the shallow waters. Darien always chased Serena through the waves and she would always play hard to get. But this time, she let Darien get her. He pinned her and they both went tumbling into the waves with Darien on top of Serena. He looked down into her eyes and placed his lips onto hers. They were locked in a kiss unti they heard the sound of laughter. They sat up and found two girls laughing and pointing at them. "Maybe we'd better cool it for now," said Darien and Serena agreed. They went back to playing in the water, without a care in the world (except each other), stopping in between for their meals. Before long, the sun was starting to set. As time went by, the beach became darker and quieter; just the way the two wanted it. They sat in the sand together, deep in thought. Without saying a word, Darien got up and built a fire, then snuggled up to Serena. She grealty accepted him into her arms. He layed his head down on her lap, his big beautiful midnight blue eyes looking up at her. "You're beautiful in the moonlight." he said. He took his finger and caressed Serena's cheek. She brought her head down and kissed him. To get more comfortable, she wriggled her body around, so that she was on top of Darien's warm body. They kissed then looked into each other's eyes. Darien took his hand and brushed the fallen hair off of Serena's face. Then they kissed again. Serena took her mouth and kissed Darien's chest, the fine hair tickling her lips. She massaged his chest, feeling the hardness of his muscles. Darien ran the palms of his hands up and down Serena's back, as delicately as possible, then moving to her waist and sides, his thumbs gently brushing her breasts. He was always so tender when he was with her. After touching and kissing for a while longer, both sat up. Darien wrapped a blanket around himself and motioned for Serena to sit inside of the blanket, in front of him. As she did that, he wrapped them both up, keeping his arms around her the whole time. Serena felt safe and secure. "Look how beautiful the moon is tonight," Serena commented, gazing up into the sky. "I prefer looking at something ten times more beautiful!" Darien exclaimed, nuzzling and kissing Serena's neck. She giggled. "Oh, Darien, what are we doing?" she asked thoughtfully. "Well I dont know about you, but I am falling in love." he declared to her. Serena sighed in awe. She had never said "I love you" to anyone before. It had never felt right... until now. "I love you, Darien." she said. Then the two kissed. Serena knew deep in her heart that she would never have to say those words to someone else... only and always to Darien. She knew what they had together was very special. The love that they shared for each other would be there just as long as the moon stayed up in the sky. Who knew... maybe even longer! The End Email: SwiftHeart@v-wave.com Visit: http://www.moonchronicles.com/ |