Emerald Eyes

4 - PIZZA

"So here we are.", he said when we reached the place, "This is my favorite pizza spot in Amsterdam. You'll see, their food is amazing." I smiled and followed him into the restaurant. He greeted the owners behind the counter and led me to a more secluded spot on the back patio. "So what should we get? What do you suggest?", I asked for his recommendation. "Okay so my favorite one is the pizza with peperoni, roasted peppers and arugula. I'll definitely get that. And I can recommend it.", he said with sparkling eyes. "Nice, that sounds really good. I'll take that one too.", I decided. We ordered our food and a bottle of white wine. While we waited, we talked a little more. "So, how do you deal with it all?", I wanted to know, "Like I mean being famous. Do you get recognized a lot? And isn't it like super stressful?" He looked at me and thought about his answer for a little while: "It is stressful, definitely. Being on the road all the time is hard, but it also has its advantages. It's what I love the most, travelling and making music. I enjoy that. But yeah, I do get recognized from time to time when I go to the city center. I have to pick precisely where I go, what I do. Sometimes I hate that the public is always watching. But it's alright, I guess. I think it helps, that my best friend, Julian, is a DJ and producer too. Still, I'm not just Martin Garrix. That is just a part of me. I'm more than that, I'm Martijn, you know?" I nodded and smiled: "That's why you are so stubborn, right?" "I guess so.", he replied with a smile as well. Just then, a waiter came around with our pizzas. They looked amazing. Martijn poured me another glass of wine and then got out his phone: "Hey, let's take a selfie!" I smiled for him. He then took a photo of our pizzas and posted it to his Instagram story. While we were eating, he asked me for my Instagram profile. "It's @line.hoelgaard haha, nothing special.", I said, and he started following me with his big Martin Garrix profile. It was still unreal that I was really sitting there with a world famous celebrity. "What are you thinking about?", he asked and looked at me. "I wonder how you can be so famous and have such bad pickup lines for girls in a club at the same time. How does that go together? I mean, those night clubs are basically your living room.", I said dead serious. He chuckled and teased me: "Hey, you still didn't forgive me for that? I mean they did score me a date with you, so why should I change them?" Damn, he was right. And I was starting to enjoy it. "Because you might miss your chance for a second date, if you don't impress me, Garrix.", I laughed and showed him my tongue. He squinted his eyes and said: "Okay, let me step up my game. I can offer ice cream for dessert and a walk along the river." "Accepted.", I said generously. We finished up our pizzas and after he paid, we went out of the restaurant towards the river banks. "Thank you.", I said, "It was really delicious." "Wait until you've tasted the ice cream.", he smirked, "You will fall for that, I swear." We went to the ice cream parlor and I got three different flavors, raspberry, chocolate, and cookie dough. Martijn got passionfruit, coconut and lemon. I tasted my ice cream and Martijn had been right. It was the best I have ever had so far. "Wow, that is amazing.", I said, "Consider me impressed." He gave me a winning smile and gestured towards a wooden fence at the river banks: "I told you so. Wanna sit down?" I nodded and he sat down next to me. For a while, we were just sitting there, quiet, eating our ice creams. When he had finished his cone, he slid over to me and put his arm around my hip cautiously. At first, I shrugged, but then I let it happen. "Thank you, Tijn.", I said quietly, "It was a beautiful evening. Just because you were so stubborn." "It was worth it.", he smiled, "Will I get to see you again, beautiful?" "You might, Garrix.", I said, "You might.".