Home is Where the Heart is - Pablo Gavi

Chapter 39: First Date

"Close your eyes," Gavi tells me, reaching over from the drivers seat and hovering his hand in front of my face to cover my eyes for me.

"Okay, okay," I say, gently guiding his hand back to the wheel as I close my eyes. Tonight Gavi is taking me on our first real date. He won't tell me where, only that the dress code is formal. So now I'm sitting in the passenger seat of his deep blue car in a gorgeous deep emerald dress. It's simple and tight, zipped up at the back and I pair it with some elegant silver earrings. Approximately twenty minutes ago Gavi showed up on my door step in a suit and an adorable smile hidden behind a dozen white roses. I took them and after smelling them put the bouquet in a vase and then up on my bedside table. When I ran back downstairs I noticed how my parents were being much more welcoming with Gavi then they had been before. It's almost as if they're treating this as if he is in fact taking me out on a first date.

"No peaking," he adds. Even with my eyes closed I can tell he's checking to see if I'm peeking rather than watching the road.

"Watch the road," I tell him.

"I am!" I feel the car roll to a stop and I wait to feel if it's a stop sign or we're at our destination. "Keep your eyes closed," Gavi says as he opens his car door. I guess we're here.

He comes around the car and opens my door, taking my hand and guiding me out. "Can I open my eyes now?" I ask.

I hear my door shut and feel Gavi's hand in mine. "Yes."

I open my eyes and take in the scene. We're in the parking lot of a very fancy restaurant. I look over at Gavi, my heart melting. "You know most people settle for something a little more casual for the first date, not that I'm complaining."

Gavi offers me his arm and I take it. "Most people don't already know they want to marry the person they're going on their first date with." I blush. "And this place means so much to me, I want to share it with you." He opens the door for me.

I'm about to ask why this restaurant is important to him but the host is in front of us.

"Buenas noches, ¿tienes una reserva? (Good evening, do you have a reservation?)" he asks me. I glance back at Gavi who's joining me and the waiter shifts his focus to him as well.

"Sí, bajo Páez Gavira, (Yes, under Páez Gavira)" Gavi tells the host.

The host does some tapping on his iPad before saying, "Sígueme. (Follow me)" He leads us through the dinning room full of formally dressed groups before seating us at a table in the corner. Gavi pulls out my chair and I smile at him. The host presents us with menus and assures us of a waiter's soon arrival.

"So I get gentleman Pablo tonight," I say when we're all alone. I pick up the menu and begin to brows it. "Opening doors, fancy restaurant."

"Anything for you mi Princesa," Gavi says, opening up his own menu. We figure out what we each want and Gavi relays it to the waitress when she arrives. She also asks us if we'd like some wine but I shook my head at Gavi and he dismissed it.

When our menus are collected I ask him the question that had been on my mind since our arrival, "Why is this place so important to you."

Gavi smiles, probably thinking of memories. "Ever since my family moved here, every time Aurora or I would succeed in some grand way my parents would bring us here for a treat. After my first Barca game we came here, after Aurora told us about her engagement we came here. Obviously the levels of what was deemed success changed as we grew up, but the fun family dress up trip was always the best reward. Often times we would do something fun together afterwards as well and as a kid who trained in an academy six days a week, family time was everything."