The Magic of Hollywood // Charlie Gillespie

Chapter 30

My heart skips a beat. I've been secretly dreaming about this moment for so long, hardly resisting the pull every time we were close. It's a really gentle kiss but I feel like a firework is exploding inside of me. I wanna pull him even closer but yet another clicking takes us back to reality. As quick as his lips were on mine they are gone again. I can still feel them though, my lips tingling. For a second I forgot everything around us, getting lost in the feeling of his lips touching mine. I wish I could just pull him back down to me but my conscience starts to get fully aware of the situation again. I'm still a little dizzy and my legs feel like pudding but I still somehow manage to walk back over to the guy with camera, Charlie right behind me, our hands intertwined again. He hands us the tickets so we can pick up our pictures at the desk nearby. I can feel myself having the most stupid grin on my face and when I take a glance at Charlie he does too.

It's already 5pm by the time we leave Disneyland, which is kinda early considering it's Disneyland but it felt like we were in there for maybe an hour, not over six hours. I'm wrecked though, all the adrenaline and the firework inside me have taken their toll. My whole body tingles at the though of our kiss. Nothing happened afterwards. We went on a few other rides and had a really fun time but apart from our hands never letting go of each other there was nothing. "That was amazing" I say, falling into the passengers seat. "It's far from over." There's that little devilish grin again. It's not? I get to spend even more time with him? "We gotta swing by my place to pick something up." He starts the car and turns on some music. Neither one of us says anything for most of the drive to his apartment, which isn't a long drive anyways, both caught up in memories of the day. "I'll be back in a second, just stay here." He kisses the palm of my hand and then, for the first time today, apart from the moment in front of the castle, lets go of my hand.

He puts something in the trunk of his car and hops back in the drivers seat, immediately taking my hand again. I love how naturally he does it. "Grab some weapons for my disposal?" - "You really know how to kill the vibe, Vic." We both burst into laughter and then he starts driving again. We eventually get to Malibu Beach, which I only know because I paid close attention to the street signs around us. Charlie grabs a blanket from the backseats and hands it to me. "Can you choose a nice spot? I'll be there in a second." The sun is almost setting but it's still really warm outside. I guess LA has a lot of perks, for example great weather most of the time. I put the blanket close to the water. Close enough to watch the waves even when it'll get darker but far enough away for it to not get wet. I sit down and watch the waves for a minute. Charlie sits down next to me, placing a little basket and his guitar behind us. We just sit there for a while just watching the waves. It's crazy how we can just sit there, not saying a word and it doesn't feel awkward for a second. I rest my head on his shoulder. "What a beautiful sunset" I mumble. Eventually I remember the basket behind us. "What's in there?"

Within a minute a whole picknick has formed in between us on the blanket. Charlie literally brought everything. Sandwiches, cookies, chocolate covered strawberries and fizzy water. I take a bit at the sandwich, only now realizing how incredibly hungry I am. We got an occasional snack at Disney but not real meal. The sandwiches are great. It doesn't take long until all the food is gone and I feel like most of it is in my stomach. Once we stored all the containers back in the basket Charlie jumps up. "Let's go for a swim!" - "Never heard of the 30 minutes rule?" He looks confused. I just laugh. "Whatever" I jump up and unwrap my dress. "I see Jenny prepared you well." I roll my eyes and walk towards the water. It feels great, still warm enough for a swim. Charlie is walking in next to me. Once we're in knee deep he takes me hand and lets himself slide into the water, gently dragging me along. I wrap my arms around his neck and we just drift in the water for a bit. I tug a strand of his hair behind his ear. He laughs a little. "Is it just me or are you having a deja-vu too?" - "Oh shut up, you're ruining the moment." I roll my eyes and start laughing.

I take a breath, wanting to say something but just like that Charlie lips are on mine again. It's a careful kiss, almost as if he's not sure if I want this but yes, I definitely do want this. I pull him closer towards me and open my mouth slightly. His arms tighten around my waist, pulling me even closer. There isn't an inch of space left between us. I get lost in the moment, his arms around me, his lips on mine... I wanna stay like this forever. Once we stop kissing my heart is racing, my cheeks are burning and my whole body is made of jelly. I need a moment to catch my breath and then I open my eyes again. Charlie's eyes are locked with mine and the most beautiful smile is on his face. I take in every detail of him, how the moon places the slightest shimmer of light and shadows on his face. I wanna remember this exact moment forever.