I’m lying on Brian’s chest on his bed, his arms around me and our legs tangled in each other’s. We’re both naked with only a thin bed sheet over us. His bedroom is cozy and modern; black furnishing, a large king-sized bed, and a walk-in closet that leads into a bathroom. To my surprise, he has a lot of candles around the room that is the only source of light at the moment and they cast shadows on the walls. I’ve never thought him to be a candle man. I’m all warm and comfortable, not wanting to get up for at least a few hours. He’s stroking my back gently and I sigh, content. This feels nice.
He gets up and suddenly, he’s on top of me on his hands and knees. “Are you hungry?” he asks, a big grin on his face. As if on cue, my stomach grumbles in response and I can’t help but giggle. His grin widens. “I’ll take that as a yes.” He crawls out of bed and reaches both hands to me, helping me up. “Come, I want to take you somewhere.”
Excited Brian. I’ve never really seen this side.
“Where are we going?” I ask after we’ve dressed and freshened up.
“You’ll see,” he replies with a smile and I feel a flutter of excitement in my stomach. Ever so unpredictable. We’re out the front door and he leads me to the back of the house where there’s a garage that I’ve never noticed was there until now. He opens the door to the garage and, for a moment, I’m blinded by darkness until he hits a button and the garage door opens.
My mouth drops. There, sitting in this tiny space, is a brand new white Ferrari with all black five-spoked wheels. Then it hits me. I almost forgot - he’s ridiculously wealthy. “Wha-“
“We’re going to Lake Louise,” he says, cutting into my thoughts and grabs my hand.
He opens the door for me. It goes up instead of out. Up! I’ve never been in such a fancy car before. Usually just Linda’s old Sunfire and my Dad’s pick-up truck. I have to duck my head to slip into the passenger’s seat and I glance up at him as he closes the door. He winks at me and my heart jumps to my stomach. Geez, get a grip London. He slips into the driver’s seat and puts the key into the ignition. The car purrs to life. Oh, I like this car. Boyz II Men filters through the speakers and he glances at me from the corner of his eyes.
“Didn’t know you’re into slow jams,” I murmur, looking out the window as he pulls out of the garage.
He snorts. “I sing slow jams for a living.”
Right.
“Is this safe to drive in this weather?” I ask when I notice passing snow banks that are taller than the car itself.
“Probably not,” he murmurs and grins at me. I shake my head. Of course.
“How is it like?” I peek up at him and he glances at me again before turning out of the neighborhood.
“The car?”
“No, being a member of one of the biggest boy bands in the world.”
He’s contemplative again, staring straight ahead. “Fame can get very lonely,” he says finally. “People want to know you just to know you. You’re always watching your back because someone can fuck you over, just like that.”
I’m quiet for a minute. “Has that happened to you?”
“A few times , yeah.” He looks over at me as we reach a stop light. His smile is back. “Do you drive?” Oh, he’s changing the subject.
“I have my license,” I reply. “I know how to, but no I don’t have a car. Seems kind of impractical for this town. Especially a fancy once.” I smile back at him and he laughs.
“Very true, baby.”
I take this moment to look at him. Really look at him. He’s been through so much with fame and success, at such a young; he’s seen the world. Girls cry and scream and fall just to have the chance to meet him or touch his hand. And he’s here, with me. And I’ve touched every crevice of his body. I blush at the thought. I think of when I first met him, so quiet and moody and now he’s – it’s almost as if he’s someone totally different. There’s something there though that he’s not telling me, that he seems almost fearful of. I can see it in the way he clenches his jaw and his body tenses when I look into his eyes, or when I laugh at his jokes. I want to know what it is. What’s keeping him from the outside world?
He’s staring back at me warily. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
I snap out of it and our eyes meet. “Just wondering what you’re about.”
He grins and steps on the gas when the light turns green. “London, I’ve been wondering the same thing about you since I’ve first laid eyes on you.”
My eyes widen. “You hit me with your passenger door!”
He looks at me sideways. “I meant what I said,” he replies pointedly. “You shouldn’t have left Bronx there. Plus, maybe I just wanted to see you bend over.” He’s teasing now.
At this, I had to laugh. “If you have to accidentally hit a girl with your passenger door to see her bend over in front of you, then I’d suggest you need to up your game Brian Littrell.”
His mouth opens in mock disgust. “London Cartier! Not all of us can have the ability to see others fall at thy feet like you do.”
I’m grinning from ear to ear now. “This coming from the man who sings slow jams for a living?”
He laughs. “You have it easy.” He pauses. “But then again, I don’t think I have much trouble in that game department. You’re here, right?” He smirks and I narrow my eyes at him.
“Pretty sure you were begging me to stay just an hour ago,” I tell him pointedly and he clamps his lips together, staring straight ahead. I know he’s trying not to smile.
“Whatever, Ms. Bear-Safe-Bin.”
“London – 1. Brian – 0!” I say triumphantly and we’re both laughing as the car turns onto the Queen Elizabeth Highway.
The drive to Lake Louise is short; it being a late evening on a weekday, there were barely any cars on the road. The sun has completely set and the stars are out, brighter than ever away from the lights of the town. Here, it’s quiet and dark aside from the vintage-looking lamp posts lighting the surrounding the area. The lake is quiet, dark blue reflected off the night sky and the moon blanketing its’ white light over the surface. I can see the mountains looming darkly in the background. The view is breathtaking and Brian pauses beside me take it in.
Behind us, Chateau Fairmont stands magnificent like a castle; lit up and overlooking the lake. Brian takes my hand then and we walk up to the hotel doors. My curiosity is building. I sit on one of the plush couches in the very fancy foyer as he walks up to talk to the man at the front desk. This hotel has been around since the 1920’s and everything looks vintage and old-fashioned. Most of the furnishings are a dark oak finish and there’s a gigantic chandelier hanging near the foot of a grand staircase. I’m momentarily distracted by a young couple walking arm in arm through the front doors, big grins on their faces, and up the stairs of the grand entryway. They look so…
Brian’s voice cuts into my thoughts and I look up at him. “If you’ll follow me, my lady,” he says formally, a grin on his face. He’s been smiling all night. It’s very charming. I smile back and reach for his hand.
“What are we doing here?” I ask but he says nothing.
We reach the 7th floor, which has private check-in and I stand by patiently as Brian again talks to the representative at the desk. A few minutes later, he’s holding a card key in his hand and I follow him down the hallway.
A hotel? Is this necessary? We both live a few minutes’ drive away.
My mind shuts up when he opens the door and I take in the magnificent view from the floor to ceiling windows. The suite is huge; a large king-sized bed, a living area, and a kitchen with oak-paneled walls. What catches my eye though, are the windows that lead to a large wrap around balcony. Brian leads me out onto the balcony and there’s a table and two plush chairs on one corner facing the lake. Heat lamps are situated on all four corners and one in the middle, making the balcony cozy and warm. I’ve never seen this view before; it’s simply breathtaking.
“Sit,” he commands and pulls out a chair for me. I notice there are two plates on the table both covered with large silver lids. There’s an open bottle of champagne in ice situated on the middle of the table and I giggle as he takes it and pours us both a glass, his chin up and his eyes cast down like a snotty restaurant server. “Ze menu for today,” he says in a fake French accent, dramatically pulling the lids off the plates. I’m grinning from ear to ear.
Lobster! My mouth drools. We’re having lobster tail for dinner, with a small sirloin steak, grilled asparagus, and baked potato. I touch the plate; it’s still hot. “When did you plan this?” I ask incredulously as he takes a seat.
“This afternoon.”
I raise my eyebrows. “After I sent you that text message?”
He grins. “It’s okay, we’re here.”
“So you rent out the biggest suite in Chateau Fairmont just to have dinner on the balcony?” When he says nothing, my eyes widen. “Brian! You know, I would’ve been just fine with McDonald’s.” Again, he says nothing and we stare at each other for a few seconds. “Why?”
He shrugs. “Because I can.” He takes a sip of champagne. “Eat up.”
This has to be the most romantic thing anyone has ever done for me. Dinner on the balcony of one of the finest hotels in Canada, a perfect view of the moon-washed lake under the stars, and the best gourmet food I’ve ever tasted. All throughout dinner, Brian is a complete gentleman. He would occasionally reach across the table, take my hands and kiss each knuckle which made my heart flutter every time. We rarely talked about him again; though I tried, he would always somehow divert the conversation back to me.
The night is perfect. Yet somehow, as I sit in his arms in one of the balcony’s large plush couches staring at the stars, I feel that same nagging feeling in the back of my mind. I don’t do romance. His voice echoes in my head. That was just last night. And here we are, in the most romantic setting I’ve ever been in. In any other situation, this would’ve been a positive time in a relationship. But given that we’re not actually in a relationship, I’m afraid tonight has only left me even more confused. I look up at him and he smiles down at me. I lean in and our lips meet in a soft kiss. His body tenses as it always does when I show any form of affection- and the confusion in my heart grows.
