Apartment 3B

26. Treasure

Jesse//before opening night

"Where are we going?" I asked Gabriel, looking at his devilish grin quizzically.

"It's called a surprise for a reason, isn't it?" He laughed as we walked down the stairs.

In front of the apartment complex was a sleek Harley Davidson Street Bob bike, black and shining like a well groomed steed worthy of being owned by a prince.

"Since when are you rich enough to buy this? You're a student and waiter, paying off student loans," I laughed but my undertone full of genuine concern.

"Eh, my parents gave me this. I auditioned to be in Ariana's dance crew, and well, I got in." Gabriel ran his hand through his hair, a habit of his that showed his anxiety.

"Oh my god, you can't be serious. I'm so happy," I wrapped him in a hug and thought if I should kiss him on the street. I did seriously consider not caring about who sees us but I thought better of it and just planted a quick soft kiss on his head. "I'm so proud of you!"

"But you know this means I'll be leaving to tour soon, for a good long while, right after I graduate in May." His nervousness seemed to trickle into fear.

"Uh, it's okay," I shrugged, "It's what you've always dreamed of. Will you still spend the next few months with me?"

"I wouldn't have it any other way," he beamed and took my hand. Leaning into his warmth on the bike, we rode off to a destination that was not known to me.

"Ta-da!" He nearly yelled when we parked the bike next to the park where we had our first date. "I have something planned, don't look so underwhelmed," he laughed and I couldn't do anything but stare at the beautiful man before me. It filled me with an unknown bittersweet feeling, being happy with him came with an expiration date and I wasn't ready to acknowledge the truth in that.

"Okay, so. I'm going to blindfold you for like 2 minutes, I need to set something up," he told me and held my hand, taking me through the park.

When I opened my eyes, we were standing next to the swing we sat together on, all those weeks ago. A picnic blanket lay on the grass, with all my favourite foods. "How do you even know I like these things? I don't think we've ever talked about this."

"I'm a waiter at Brady's, I sure can remember the frequent orders of my favorite customer." He smiled sheepishly, "I made it, without any help, for you." He spoke low and the slightest red filled his cheeks.

"Gabriel Matthews, are you blushing?" I nudged him and finally decided to kiss him, I couldn't let other people stop me from appreciating his gesture the way I wanted.

My fingers found their solace, running through his hair. His lips were rough yet soft against mine, needy and asking for more. I leaned my body further into him, touching his forehead with mine. I savored his presence for a minute, holding him close.

Reeking of lust, my tongue traced his lips; excruciatingly slowly. I savored every second of his taste on my tongue. It was quickly replaced by urgent desire and we devoured each other again before finally letting go to sit and eat the feast he'd prepared for me.

"This is actually pretty good," I said with my mouth full that made him come up and claim my lips once again.

I sighed rather audibly when he went back to eating.