That Forbidden Love

“I will give you a tour of the house later but let’s go outside first, I have something planned.”

“Al-right then,” she replied as she got up from the couch that she was sitting comfortably on, as she left her purse and headed to the backyard.

Going to the backyard by the lake, it was a nature sanctuary and had become Zack’s place of serenity. There was a peace in the soul that comes of making a tiny nature reserve of one’s own backyard, Jazmyn spotted a dark grey blanket spread wide on the floor with a picnic basket on top.

Zack motioned for her to sit on the blanket before he began laying out all the food he had prepared.

Jazmyn wondered if Zack actually prepared all the fine dishes he was setting down, and to her utmost surprise, they were all homemade food.

“You seriously didn’t cook all these by yourself, did you?” she asked still looking amazed.

“Well, I do have a hired chef but I prepared all this myself to make this moment special”

“You can cook?” She stammered out

“You sound surprised,” Zack pointed out

“Well, maybe that’s because you were a boring grown-up man who does nothing but work his ass off”

“Hey I’m definitely not boring”

“Exactly what a boring would say,” she laughed quietly.

Zack had prepared some of his best food, including pasta, and he also made some Italian dishes including Panzanella, bruschetta and also pasta carbonara. Though Zack, was half Irish and half Italian, the Italian side had more influence on him than the Irish.

Jazmyn was enjoying every second of the moment, she was drawn into him and had a difficult time believing that a man as rich as Zack, would also be down to earth as he was with her.

“Thanks,” she whispered, extending her hand to receive a plate filled with food from Zack’s hand.

“You know, I’m thinking maybe you should own a restaurant, not just that, a restaurant that would have at least a branch in every state in the country,” Jazmyn said trying to start the conversation.

“Is the food really that great?”

“I’m telling you, you have the talent, you have the money, what’s stopping you?”

“I don’t know about that,” he replied not showing a sign of full interest. “I just don’t see myself that way in years to come. I’m picturing more of a billion dollars’ worth of company”

“Talk about big dreams,” she said ardently.

They continued eating and there was a brief silence,

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?” Breaking the silence, Zack asked trying to start a more serious conversation.

I think success is going above and beyond what is expected, right now I’m in a band of three…,” she responded almost immediately like she was waiting for that question and had it all figured out “…in a few years from now, I see the band becoming one of the biggest and greatest bands in the world, and touring around countries all over the world”

“That’s a big one right there, Jaz”

“I know right, but I really wish for that to happen, and I know it will,” trying to be positive, she added, “I have faith. Imagine how great it will be, in front of hundreds of thousands of people, performing my music, sharing my gift with them and touching their hearts with my lyrics.

Jazmyn was tucked under Zack’s arm after devouring the food he had made for them, they sat in silence watching the sunset and how the colors reflected on the lake making it really beautiful.

Sunset shined upon the cloud, with a flourish of the romantic hand, the sunset blossomed red and gold. It came as a settled heart to the horizon as if the sky itself could speak of love.

They watched the lake together lost in the rhythmic percussion of waves. Jasmine’s eyes were set to the horizon, face aglow with the last orange rays before twilight beckons the stars, her lips bore the semblance of a smile, just enough to show that she was enjoying the moment.

Zack moved close so that she felt her presence even more, yet stayed quiet, allowing him to stay lost in the moment a while longer.

Jazmyn was lost in thought thinking about all the things that had happened in her life, how she didn’t feel so down and sad anymore and as she raised her head only to see that Zack was already looking at her with a smile on his face.

She smiled back at him and returned her gaze to the lake, just then a sudden thought occurred to her and she realized that in the course of these two months she had fallen hopelessly in love with Zack Whittaker and she wouldn’t have it any other way.

She glanced up at him, wrapping herself tighter in his arms, her emotion telling her she needed more connection, though she knew, in reality, they both needed the connection.

Jazmyn took a quick glance at Zack again, and this time they made eye contact, that was all they needed to connect.

Zack smiled as he moved his lips closer to Jasmyn and stared into her eyes; he watched her close her eyes gently and locked his lips in hers; sliding his tongue gently into her mouth and tangling it with hers.

“Was it good?”

“It was the best.”

She didn’t see him, but she knew that he had a huge grin on his face as his eyes tightened around her, and they both drifted to sleep.