For a little while longer, neither Alex nor Olivia seemed particularly interested in leaving.
The music inside Starry Sky had softened into mellow jazzy acoustic guitar vibe, blending into the gentle hum of distant conversations and the occasional burst of laughter from the bar. Beyond the windows, the full moon hung majestically above the Pacific Ocean, its silver radiance stretching across the restless waters like a pathway leading into something unknown.
Olivia rested her chin against her hand, watching Alex with a curiosity that she gave little effort of hiding.
There was something very unique and unusual about him. He carried this kind of confidence that usually comes from a person that never had to question their place in the world, yet beneath the facade, she sensed restlessness that wealth and privilege had never managed to satisfy.
She wondered what type of stories he hid behind that gentle carefree smile.
" So, " she began, while twirling her empty wine glass between her fingers, " tell me something, Alex. What does a handsome man like you do when he's not busy taking photos of beautiful strangers ".
Alex takes the last sip of his cognac and raises an eyebrow.
" A guy like me? "
" Yes. You know, mysterious photographer. Wearing expensive looking clothes and a smile you keep to trying to hide. "
He glanced at his empty shot glass, his black camera bag and back up at her.
" I wasn't aware my smile was a public concern "
" It became one when your smile started distracting me from my questions "
He looked passionately at her while leaning closer towards her.
" You're trouble Olivia "
" You've only known me for about two hours. You should be careful making accusations like that. "
" Fair Point "
He then considered her earlier question for a moment before answering again.
" Honestly; I take pictures, and I like to explore unknown places lots of people never been and I'm still trying to figure out what I truly want my life to be like. "
Her teasing expression softened.
" That sound like a pretty big question "
" It is. "
Then she asked: " Are you close to an answer yet? "
Alex looks out of the window. A couple walked past beneath the streetlights, their shadows stretching alongside the cobblestones.
" I have an answer, but not a complete one. I know what I don't want though! "
" And what's that? "
" To wake up ten years from now and realized that I've spent my entire life becoming the person everyone expected me to be. "
Olivia became silent.
She completely understood that feeling and where he's coming from, even if their circumstances are uniquely different. Her family always encouraged her artistic ambitions, but leaving home meant stepping into a world where she had to discover what those ambitions truly meant to her.
Theres' comfort in being around the people you truly love the most and loves you back with just as much devotion. There is also something very frightening about discovering yourself when their voices are nowhere around to guide you.
" I think that is why I want to travel. " She admitted. " I love my hometown. I love my family. But sometimes I wonder what's all out there. What other things are out there that I can love and enjoy if I gave myself the chance to find them.
Alex looks more intently at her, starting to fall for the woman in front of him.
" What if you find something that you never expected? "
" Then I'll have to decide what I want to do with it. "
" Even if it changes everything? "
Olivia smiled teasingly. " Especially if it changes everything! "
For a moment, Alex simply just stares.
He had met people who spoke as if adventures were something expensive that could be purchased. But Olivia spoke as if adventures are a part of living in itself; a willingness to be surprised, to make mistakes and to allow the world to challenge everything she thought she understood.
He liked and respected that about her.
Perhaps more than he should, especially concerning with how recently they had just met.
" You'll do just fine at Coastal Haven! " He said.
" How do you know about Coastal Haven!? " She asked.
He paused.
The she laughed leaning back in her chair.
" I forgot I told you earlier! "
He laughed, shaking his head playfully.
" You did. "
" See! This is why I need to stop talking so damn much! " She chuckled wholeheartedly.
" I disagree. You've been very entertaining.
She gave him a playful glare.
" Entertaining? "
" Extremely! "
" Hmm, I'll remember that! "
" Please do. "
They laughed again, and the tension that had briefly settled between them dissolved into something comfortable.
It was becoming increasingly easy to forget that they were just strangers.
They had met by chance around a bar on an unfamiliar, yet prosperous archipelago. They had no shared history, no mutual friends, and no reason to believe that their lives will remain connected once this brief meeting was over.
Yet, neither seemed eager to acknowledge how temporary their circumstances might be.
Instead, they kept talking while the moon's radiance started to envelop them through the windowpanes.
Olivia told him about the lake near her hometown, the mountain trails she loved exploring, and the art studio where she would spend hours upon hours painting without noticing the passage of time. She spoke about her mother whose paintings filled galleries with bright vibrant colors representing their Samoan heritage, and her father, whose hands and turn anything into sculptures, especially wood which is his renowned specialty.
Alex listened deeply with genuine interest.
Sounds like creativity runs deeply within your family.
" It does! Sometimes I feel like the house would fall apart if nobody had anything to paint, build, sew, or redesign. "
" That sounds like an interesting place to grow up "
" It was. " Her smile softened. " My parents gave me the freedom to dream; I think that it's one of the greatest gifts anyone could give a child. "
Alex thought about his own childhood.
He never wanted anything material. He had grown up surrounded by beautiful homes, exotic cars, extraordinary opportunities and people who could make any problem disappear with just a simple phone call.
But freedom was different.
He had been given countless opportunities to succeed, yet success seemed to always come with a heavy chain attached.
He wondered what it would feel like to pursue something simply because it made him happy.
" You're Lucky. " He said.
Olivia noticed the subtle change in tone.
" I know. I never take it for granted, it's my biggest blessing to have parents like I have. "
He nodded.
" I didn't mean it like that. "
" I know. "
She offered him a small, understanding smile.
And somehow, that was enough.
Neither of them had to explain everything that had shaped them. There were things that could only be understood with time, and perhaps tonight wasn't one of those nights to uncover every hidden aspect of their lives.
For now, it was enough to sit together under the warm bar lights of the Starry Tears and discovering that the world seemed a little more interesting through the eyes of someone else's eyes.
....
Eventually, the bartender announced that the kitchen was closing soon and the crowd started to thin out.
Alex glanced at the time on his phone.
" Damn, time just disappeared! It's past midnight " He said playfully.
Olivia looked at his phone screen and her eyes widened.
" Already? "
" Apparently, we've been talking for hours."
She looked towards the windows. The streets outside had grown quieter, and the moonlight now dominated the view beyond the glass.
" I guess time really does fly by when you're having fun. "
Alex smiled.
" That sounds suspiciously like something my grandmother would say."
" Your grandmother sounds wise "
" She'd appreciate hearing that "
Olivia began gathering her belongings, slipping her sketchbooks and pencils into her small designer purse with a custom ruby emblem. Alex carefully packed away his camera, checking if his lens cap was fully secured before putting on his black crocodile skin bookbag.
Neither mentioned that they were reluctant to end the evening.
It was a strange feeling, enjoying someone's company so much that the idea of a simple goodbye would require more thought than it should.
Alex held the door open for her.
" After you Mi Lady Olivia "
" Thank you, my handsome knight " She stepped outside, and the warm tropical air immediately surrounded them.
The ocean breeze carried the faint scent of salt and tropical flowers through the narrow lush streets. Above them, the full moon is shining brilliantly between the rooftops, illuminating cobblestone road and colorful decorative storefronts that lined the roads.
Olivia stopped on the sidewalk.
" Oh wow! "
Alex followed her gaze.
A small square sat just beyond the bar, with a stone fountain at its center with flowering vines climbing up the walls of the surrounding buildings. Several lanterns casted a golden glow upon the benches, while a narrow path lead towards the beach.
" I didn't even notice this place when I had walked in earlier. " Olivia said.
" That's because you were too busy studying everyone. "
She turned towards him.
" Excuse me? "
" You were scanning the entire room like you were preparing for a report. "
" I was observing. "
" Of course. "
" It's an artistic skill. "
" Naturally. "
She shook her head, smiling.
Alex gestured towards the path.
" Wanna take a walk before we call it a night? "
Olivia glanced at the direction of the beach.
The thought of returning to her friend's house already felt less appealing than discovering what lay beyond that next corner.
" Sure. "
...
YOU'VE REACHED THE END OF PART 1! NEXT CHAPTER WILL BE RELEASED SOON!
THANKS FOR THE SUPPORT! LOVE YOU, HAVE A BLESSED DAY! (: