Acting Royal #Wattys2017

21

JENNY

The sun setting was starting to set over the dessert, and it was spectacular. They were standing together on a massive dune, it was more like a mountain it was so large, and looking out over the sands below. It was still hot, despite the fact it was evening now and Jenny tried to imagine what it must have been like for people living here hundreds of years ago- without aircon.

She looked over at Zayn, he seemed mesmerized by the view as he gazed out over it. The golden flecks of light from the setting sun were dancing across the features of his face and there was something in his eyes and expression that moved her. She could see he had a great love for this place and a deep sense of belonging here. She found this infinitely attractive. He was much more attractive to her now as an ordinary man staring out at a beautiful sunset, than the man in an expensive suit, sipping champagne and standing in a marble palace. Although he could never look ordinary if he tried, he was far too gorgeous for that, this down-to-earth version of himself was by far her favorite Zayn. This was the man stripped naked of all the things that made him the notorious playboy prince. The things that got him into the gossip pages and made him front-page news- for all the wrong reasons. As if he'd sensed that she was staring at him, he turned his head towards her.

"What are you thinking?" she asked.

His green eyes glinted in the soft evening glow and he smiled at her. "That this moment here, with you, is pretty much perfect."

"Perfect?" She'd been thinking the same thing.

"Yes." Zayn turned his entire body now and stepped towards her. "I like it. But it scares me too." He reached out and placed his hands on her waist, gripping it with his strong fingers.

"Why does it scare you?" she asked. Even though she already knew the answer to that. Because it scared her too.

Zayn shrugged. He looked vulnerable again. Naked. "It's new to me. This feeling." He tightened his grip on her waist and pulled her closer.

"Me too." She reached down and placed her hands over his hands, lacing her fingers through his. Zayn seemed to look at her thoughtfully now as if he was trying to decide what to say to her. Her mind raced and at the possibilities.

"I believe dinner is waiting for us." He finally spoke and started walking off down the dune.

Her shoulders slumped momentarily in disappointment. But she followed him down the dune back to the camp. When they arrived, a table had been set up next to the small pool of water that seemed to come out of absolutely nowhere. Small fires and candles now illuminated the entire camp and the first of the stars had come out to greet them. This place was even more magical at night. It was straight out of the pages of a fairytale and she couldn't believe she was actually seeing something like this. 

"Shall we eat?" Zayn gestured for her to sit and she did. Before she could object, someone had already laid a napkin on her lap. She flinched in fright and heard Zayn chuckle.

"You'll get used to that." Zayn said with a smile in his tone.

"I'm not sure I want to get used to strangers putting things in my lap." Jenny quipped.

"You know, you aren't like anyone I've ever met." Zayn said with a small smile as he started tucking into the food on the table.

"Is that a good thing?"

Zayn swallowed his mouthful and looked at her earnestly. "Very." He said scooping something else into his mouth. Jenny felt the heat in her cheeks once more, this bloody blushing she did around him was ridiculous. She probably changed color more than a chameleon did when she was around him. She looked down at the table and the food looked so completely foreign to her.