Beautiful Lies - Shawn Mendes

17. To A Wonderful Evening

{Shawn's point of view}

Sofia. It was all I had been thinking about for the past weeks. I couldn't get her out of my head, no matter how hard I tried. No matter how many times I had watched Grey's Anatomy, or rung my mom back in Canada to distract myself, she still always occupied my mind, from waking up to going to sleep. Never, had I found myself liking someone so quick.

She was beautiful. One of the most beautiful women I had ever had the privilege of meeting, and in my profession, where greeting girls and women most days is usual - just went to show how beautiful I regarded her as. But she wasn't beautiful in the way that a model would be, with striking features and a very tall, slim physique.

She had a kind of understated beauty, perhaps it was because she was so disarmingly unaware of her prettiness. Her fair skin was flawless, and decorated with freckles, which she told me only worsened in the sun. Her figure was beautiful too, natural curves gently graced her body, in places where many girls dreamed of having them. A lot of people in my industry, would pay to alter their bodies to look like one similar to Sofia's.

But regardless, it was her inner beauty that made her the most beautiful. When she smiled and laughed you couldn't help but smile along too, even if it was just on the inside. She was intelligent, witty and compassionate, traits that we all wish to have. To be in her company was to feel that you too were someone, and could be your true self without judgment.

Being around her, was like a breath of fresh air. For once, I knew that someone was completely and blissfully unaware of who I was and what I did, and for the first time in a long while, I could be myself. Shawn. The Shawn that only my family and closest friends get to see.

Don't get me wrong, I love what I do. I love making music that represents me as a person and who I am, I love making people happy, especially with my songs, and knowing that I made a difference to so many people's lives brings me utter satisfaction. But the lack of privacy made me wonder sometimes if it was all worth it. That was why it was such a relief to spend my summer in Cefalú, where I wasn't known as an internationally renowned singer, but rather the nice boy that works at the café.

Dating, when you're in the media is tricky. If you go on one date, or meet up with someone of the opposite sex as a friend - it is so blown out of proportion, and it is made out that you are a serial dater, or have a new girlfriend - when that couldn't be further from the truth. I sometimes wondered how people could sell such blatant lies for a living.

Flirtatious banter filled the car, for the whole duration of the journey. I pulled up into an empty parking lot, that was situated next to the beach.

The sun had already begun to set, and deep purples, soft pinks, and the warmest yellows and oranges painted the sky.

We admired the setting as we got out the car, and Soph praised me on my choice of location.

I reached for her hand, and she happily took it in her own, our fingers interlacing as if it were the most natural thing in the world. She told me funny childhood stories that had occurred on the same beach we were currently walking on. I gazed at her as she reminisced, captivated by her expressive tone, soothing British accent, and her animated face glowing radiantly. I wondered how I managed to get this woman to agree to go on a date with me.

When we turned the corner, to where I had set up our date behind long grass, I heard a gasp of astonishment escape between her lips.

Instantly, I panicked thinking that by trying to impress her, she didn't like what I had arranged.

'Do you not like it?' I asked, slightly apprehensive for the answer.

'I.. I love it. No one has ever done anything as sweet for me before.' She raised on her tiptoes and grabbed my face between her hands, kissing my cheek. My face instantly began to light up, ecstatic of her reaction. That couldn't have gone any better.