Okay so for anyone who has read this story, it belongs to my friend. She has asked me to post it on here for her since she doesn't have time in her schedule to post it online herself. The original story is on .net and the penname is Lita Karver
Another two weeks went by since Darien had sent Serena the bouquet of roses. Every morning that she looked at them, she swore that each blossom bloomed even bigger than it was the day before. She couldn't help but smile. Darien's wit and charm was starting to win her over in a way she didn't think was possible. She really cared about him so much.
"Hello? Earth to Serena!" said Raye as she waved her hand in front of the blonde sitting at the kitchen counter. Lately, it had been a common occurrence for Raye to bring Serena back to reality. The roses were so enchanting to her roommate that she had almost been late to work a number of times. "Thinking about your man again?"
"When am I not?" signed Serena. Her blue eyes kept their gaze on the roses despite Raye's routine efforts.
"You know, I didn't think it was possible for you," said Raye as she pulled out a skillet to start breakfast. Serena shook her head.
"What didn't you think was possible for me?" inquired the blonde, waiting for her roommate's answer. She watched as Raye pulled out a box of pancake mix.
"It is way too obvious to ignore. You love him!"
The color in Serena's face disappeared at the mention of the L-word. "What? What did you say?" stammered the woman. She clutched the edges of her pink bathrobe. She felt her heart beating forcefully against the inside wall of her chest.
Raye put down her mixing spoon, "I can tell that you are head over heels in love with your boyfriend. By the way you have been acting the past few weeks, I can tell. Anyone can tell."
Serena sat back far in her chair, not realizing how precarious her position was. "We've only been together for a month! Don't you think that is a little too soon to bring up my love for him?" Raye gave her an 'I knew it!' look with her violet eyes. Serena then shifted her weight further back, causing the chair to fall backwards. She landed hard on her behind with a loud crashing noise.
"You klutz!" said Raye as she sat the chair back upright. Serena glared at the raven-haired woman in disgust, trying to rub the soreness out of her right side.
"Thanks for checking to see if I was okay!" snapped the blonde.
"I'm sorry," chuckled Raye as she helped her best friend to her feet. "But don't deny what I said. I have a strong hunch about this."
Serena felt her breath escape her body. "Is it that obvious?" she asked. Raye nodded.
"You've been staring at those roses as if Darien would pop out of them any minute and kiss you. C'mon, even a cat could figure that one out!" Serena took another seat at the kitchen counter as she watched Raye finish making the first batch of pancakes. She then rested her head on her arms.
"I care about him so much. I guess what scares me is how fast I developed those feelings. I mean I haven't seen him in a month. How can lo...lov...how can that develop without seeing his face?" answered Serena. She didn't realize until now that she had a hard time even thinking about love let alone saying it. At that moment, Darien's face formed in the forefront of her mind bringing the much-needed comfort she wanted. The only way she could feel better is if his protective arms were wrapped around her. A tear managed to escape down her cheek. "I miss him so much!"
"Serena, he'll be here to see you in a week, so look forward to that. I know for certain that he won't be able to contain himself when he sees you," comforted Raye as she placed a plate in front of her roommate. "Besides, love has no timeline."
Serena sniffled and then proceeded to pick up her fork. "You're right. Thank you."
"No problem."
Darien looked down to his cell phone and was disappointed. He was hoping his girlfriend had called because he had a surprise to tell her and it couldn't wait much longer. In the meantime, he continued walking down the airport terminal, waving to various photographers as they took his picture. Chad did his best to make sure the paparazzi kept a respectable distance from the raven-haired rocker
"Darien! Darien! Where are you flying off to this time?" one of the photographers shouted. Darien tilted his baseball cap down to avoid the photographers catching the petrified look in his eyes. He knew that they were really trying to see if he was flying off to meet up with a secret woman.
"To see a dear friend of mine," he answered calmly as he felt his cell phone buzzing in his pocket. At the same time, he felt his heart swell but also felt his heart stop beating. 'What if they think Serena is calling me?' He breathed a sigh of relief when he realized it was just a text message. Darien would have to check who sent it after he went through the security check.
Serena sighed a shuttering sigh after finishing that message to Darien. She did not even fathom how hard it would be to type a simple note to a man she loved. She admitted to herself earlier that day that she loved him; she just couldn't say the words just yet. She was glad that she finally had the apartment to herself. Raye left that afternoon for a conference in Atlanta. Curling up on the couch, she picked up the remote and turned on the television.
"Hey everyone! This is Chris Drayton with the latest news from the music world. Earlier today, our cameras caught the hottest name in music Darien Shields boarding a plane bound for Denver." Serena turned up the volume a little bit as she felt a smile creep across her face.
"That's right, Chris. Apparently, Darien is making a pit stop on his tour to, and I quote, "to visit a dear friend of mine." Now, the buzz has been lately that he has a girlfriend but with no evidence, that report has yet to be confirmed."
"That's right, Kathy Samuel. He does have a girlfriend," said Serena as her heart swelled to new heights. She admired Darien so much for working so hard to keep his private matters a secret, and she appreciated it ever the more because she had mentioned to him on a number of occasions that she doesn't really like to bring attention to herself.
"Photographers even caught him peering at a cell phone for a minute. Could that be the mysterious woman that has Darien enraptured? As always, stay tuned to Music Access for the latest on the pop, rock, and hip-hop stars." Serena felt a giggle come over her body. She secretly loved it when she knew a secret that everyone else wanted to know.
"Wait, this isn't like me," the blonde said to herself. She then took a deep breath. "Darien would not appreciate this kind of behavior. I have to be better." Serena allowed her mind to wander, but like usual, Darien took charge of her thoughts. He certainly made her want to become a better person because she had realized over the past two weeks how happy he made her. She hadn't had someone like that in a very long time. At that moment, Serena heard her phone playing the ring tone for text messages. Picking it up, she flipped open her phone and carefully read the message, smiling every step of the way.
"Just landed in Denver. Should be arriving in Lake Martin around 9:30. Meet me there. Miss you, Baby."
Serena felt like dancing around her apartment in joy, but before she even got to her feet, her stomach felt queasy. The reality that she would be seeing Darien in a couple hours started to freak her out. 'What if he doesn't want me when he sees me again? Oh why did I start falling for him!' She frantically darted her head around the room. 'Oh God, I have to clean something!'
Darien continued to look at his watch. His layover in Denver was taking longer than expected. His nerves that he had kept in check for the past five weeks began to set in. He felt beads of sweat form around his neck and on his forehead. 'What if she doesn't want me when she sees me again?' The rocker felt a large nervous lump grow in his throat, which he quickly gulped back down. He looked down towards his phone. 'Damn, still no signal.'
Serena had finally settled on an outfit to wear when she would meet Darien at the airport when 8:00 rolled around. She felt her breath get caught in her throat. 'I've never been so nervous before in my life,' she thought to herself as she brushed away any wrinkles on her black gaucho pants. She never thought that a feeling like love would be such a detriment to her emotional health. However, the rare moments where she felt like Darien's arms were around her and when he kissed her made her realize how special it was. She chuckled to herself. 'I wonder what our kiss will be like.'
Darien finally managed to take a breath easily as his plane continued along on its journey.
"You seem a little uneasy for someone about to see his girlfriend," pointed out Chad. He paid careful attention to the tone of his voice, making sure that only Darien could hear him.
"A little uneasy is the understatement of the century. I'm nervous as hell! I haven't seen her in weeks!"
"You know what, I really didn't see until now."
Darien quickly interrupted, "What didn't you see until now?" His tone was sharp and it demanded answers.
"Just everything that you have done over the past five or six weeks. It all makes sense now."
Darien leaned in closer and demanded, "Listen, I am already on edge as you can see. Now get to the damn point!"
"I think you love her, dude. God, who knew that lovesick rock stars could be like this?" said Chad as he raised his hands in defense. Darien allowed his mind to ponder on his bodyguard's words. "I mean you two did not go a day without writing lengthy emails to each other. And I've seen the way your face looks after you get off the phone with her, even if it was just a few minutes. It's that glassy-eyed look that people in love get!"
"How could I fall in love that quickly?"
"Shhh, do you want everybody to know about her? Keep your voice down, dumbass." Darien glared at Chad for a minute but brushed his anger off quickly. "Darien, within the first few days of knowing her, you wrote "All For You" (*) that you claimed was inspired by her."
"I didn't claim it. She was the inspiration for it," responded Darien as he recalled those feelings he had while he wrote each lyric carefully that fateful day a few months ago. His heart calmed down from its frantic beating. Serena sure had a way of calming him down even when she wasn't near him physically. He soon felt himself smile.
"You're thinking about her, aren't you?" Chad quickly pointed out. Darien felt his blood rush to his face in embarrassment.
"How can I not? I feel like she understands me in a way that other women haven't before. Besides, I can tell she doesn't crave the spotlight at all. In fact I think she would rather give up chocolate before stepping foot in it. Not to mention, she is quite beautiful." Darien soon realized that maybe he did love Serena. He had only listed a few of the qualities he really liked about her, but they were enough to make him more than smitten with the small town radio deejay.
"Well guess what, Loverboy. You get to see her in a few hours." Darien calmly nodded his head once he regained control of his thoughts.
'Serena, I know that this meeting may be awkward, but know this. You are amazing and I...' The consequences of sleep deprivation overtook the rocker before he could finish the thought.
Serena yawned again as she looked at her cell phone for the time. It read 11:56. She had worried slightly that maybe he changed his mind, but, she felt somewhere in her heart that he wouldn't miss an opportunity to see her. The blonde was glad that she decided to wear a sweatshirt inside because she had forgotten how chilly airports were to her body. Feeling the tiredness coming on, Serena brought her feet up on the chairs and laid down, using her folded right arm as a pillow. She drifted off to sleep, saying to herself, "I can't wait until I see your comforting eyes again." The feeling of love that she felt for him acted like a blanket and kept her warm from the cold air conditioning.
Darien managed to squeeze by the few people on the plane and walk towards the end of his gate with Chad keeping a watchful eye. As soon as he felt like he had stepped foot on a more solid ground, he let out a sigh of relief. As he continued walking, he realized that there were no photographers around and was secretly thankful for that. He could have a very private moment with his girlfriend without worrying about it being captured and put on the front of US Weekly. His nerves left his body a long time ago, which left plenty of room for his heart to expand out into his chest once he had embraced and kissed Serena. He missed her kiss so much over the past five weeks and couldn't wait to give her a reunion kiss. At that moment, his eyes caught a blonde woman sleeping comfortably on the chairs that the airport provided for family and friends at the end of a gate. He knew instantly that the sleeping angel was his Serena.
"Stop," the sleeping woman groaned. Little did she realize, it was Darien that had just kissed her on the cheek. He chuckled as he watched her shift around. He gently brushed his fingers along her jaw line. She swatted her hand in response, thinking a fly had buzzed near her ear. Darien did his best to hold his laughter in. He just loved teasing her.
'She'll be surprised when she realizes it's me,' he thought as he leaned down to kiss her cheek again.
"God, I hate bugs!" she said as she swatted her hand towards the bug that wasn't there. Her hand made contact with Darien's face, waking her up instantly. "Oh my, I am so sorry!" she pleaded as she watched Darien stumble slightly from the light slap.
"There's a first time for everything, Baby," he chuckled as he gingerly touched his lip. Serena smiled sheepishly as the man took a seat right next to her. "Is that your way of saying 'Hello' to a boyfriend?" he joked.
"Only something special for someone special," she laughed as she wrapped her arms around him. "I'm so happy to see you again."
"So am I," he answered softly, reveling in the warmth that surrounded her. Not even the sweatshirt that supported her favorite college could hide it. Five weeks was too long to be away from her. Serena was reveling in the same feelings. Who knew that a man she once disliked would prove to be unlike what she originally thought. She pulled back a little to gaze into his blue eyes, those same blue eyes she saw a few weeks ago; however, she noticed something new in them.
"You look different," she inquired.
"I feel better is all," he answered. He brushed his lips against hers, recreating that same electricity the couple felt when they first kissed. The memory of that evening started flooding back into both Darien's and Serena's mind.
"Light and sweet, just how I like it," smiled Serena. She crinkled her nose at that moment. "Not to be rude or anything but you smell like an airplane."
Darien laughed at the comment, "You are probably right. I definitely need a shower." Serena felt his laugh flow around her body, warming her instantly. She snuggled closer to him, earning her a tighter embrace from his arms.
"I'm glad you're here. I've missed you," said the blonde. Her blue eyes caught his once again, expressing the feelings she felt for him through them.
"I've missed you too," Darien whispered as he leaned his head down.
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