Chapter 16 Pearl of the Sea

Brandon had stomped outside to the back of the house where there was a swimming pool. He sat down beside it on a cushioned wicker couch, knees apart and elbows resting on them. his fingers knitted together in the middle and his eyes fixed on them with a thoughtful gaze. Gabriella observed him for a moment before sitting down next to him.

"Brandon? Are you okay?" His eyes flickered up upon the water. Gabriella knew he was upset but didn't quite know how to approach him. She tentatively put a hand on his knee. A little sigh escaped his lips and his hand came upon hers.

"I'm sorry you had to see that. I picked a bad day for you to meet my parents."

"Did I do something I shouldn't have? Your aunt doesn't seem to like me much."

"It isn't you. She's desperate to marry someone of whom she approves. She thinks my parents are too lenient towards me. If she had her way, she would have raised me with an iron fist." Gabriella entwined her fingers with his, thinking.

"Your parents seem like really amazing people," she stated gently. "I'm glad I got the chance to meet them." A smile almost broke out on Brandon's lips.

"I knew you'd like them. It was just unfortunate that my aunt had to come here today of all the days…" he relapsed into a sulk. Gabriella laid her head on his shoulder, not wanting to press the conversation.

"I hope you at least liked the food," Brandon said after a moment.

"Absolutely. It was fantastic." Gabriella answered enthusiastically. He half smiled.

"My mom won't admit it, but she's been preparing to 'meet my girlfriend' since the day I told her I started dating you."

"I like her. She's a lot like you, actually. And your dad." Gabriella's calm voice soothed Brandon; he turned his head and kissed her hair, feeling a lot less irritable.

"It's only two o'clock. I wanted to take you to the beach, but it'll be too hot now. We'll wait till it's cooler in the evening."

"What shall we do till then?"

"I wanted to show you my room… and give you a tour. But I don't want to go in just yet."

"Then don't. I'm quite comfy as it is. Let's just sit here until you feel better," Gabriella said in contentment. Brandon smiled serenely, slipping his hand around her waist. They sat there for a long while in comfortable silence. Brandon was surprised; except for his parents, he hadn't really experienced such companionship with anyone before. People usually forgot that he was also a person behind all the money and often treated him without consideration of what he might be feeling. His easy-going nature allowed him to bear with it all and get used to it, but he found himself enjoying the luxury of having someone acquiesce to his needs for once.

She really is an angel, he thought to himself, casting a sideways glance at Gabriella's head on his shoulder. He closed his eyes, resting for a bit, happy to just have her by his side. It wasn't until Mrs. Whiteley came to call them did he stir.

"Barry dear, your aunt just left. Would you like to come in now?" Brandon opened his eyes. He had dozed off. From the looks of it, so had Gabriella. She blinked rapidly, rubbing her eyes and sitting up straight.

"Yes. We'll be right in," Brandon replied to his mother and got up along with Gabriella. They went indoors, hand in hand.

"Mother, I'm just going to show Gabriella around, is that alright?"

"Why, of course, dear! Take your time." Mrs. Whiteley gave them one of her sweetest smiles. She was relieved that her son had gotten over his mood and credited it to the girl beside him. Her eyes never left the couple as they climbed up the grand staircase, looking on with happy eyes. Her husband came up to her and saw her face. He wrapped an arm around her and gave her a peck on the cheek.

"Camille darling, did something good happen? You look especially happy."

"You could say that, Walter," she turned with a proud smile to him, "something good certainly did happen to our son."

Brandon opened the door to his room. Like the rest of the house, it was high-ceilinged and tastefully decorated to match the walls and floors, which were creamy beige and chestnut brown consecutively. But the walls and shelves betrayed the fact that the room was once occupied by a boy very much into the latest trends of past years.

"Wow, you sure like a lot of music," Gabriella said, eyeing the dozen or so rock band posters on the walls and similarly themed knick-knacks on the shelves.

"I plastered those when I was in high school. Mom never took them down, I suppose she was too nostalgic," Brandon said fondly. Gabriella went to look at the shelf which held several photo frames.

"You look adorable as a kid! Almost… mischievous."

"I was," Brandon replied with a smirk.

"Oh, so you're not mischievous anymore?" Gabriella asked with a raised eyebrow. Brandon sat on his bed and pulled her onto his lap in one fluid motion, making her gasp.

"I could be," he whispered teasingly into her ear. Her eyes widened.

"What if your parents come up here?" She asked him breathlessly. He grinned.

"Sweetie, I'm a grown man. Are you nervous about being seen like this?" he kissed the side of her neck. Her breath quickened.

"I like your perfume. It's so mild and fragrant." He said, inhaling at her neck.

"It's lavender. It's like my shampoo." Gabriella answered quickly, trying to keep the subject neutral. She heard him laugh quietly.

"There's a time and place for propriety, Angel, but now is not that time." He whispered against the nook of her throat, his fingers circling the fabric of her dress on her navel. Gabriella closed her eyes, her stiffness melting away at his touch. Eventually, his lips made their way to hers, his thumb pulling her chin down to pry open her mouth. He deepened his kiss, eliciting moans from her. It only spurred him on, his hand sliding down her dress against her thigh. They were completely lost in the moment, the stillness of the room only broken by the sounds of their lips connecting, again and again, punctuated by impassioned moans. The sound of slow footsteps outside the door startled Gabriella and she pulled herself off his lap, her heart pounding. There was a knock on the door.

"Barry, are you in there?"

"Yes mother, I'm just showing Gabriella my room. We'll be down in a moment." Brandon replied, smiling suavely at Gabriella. She tried to bring her heart rate back to normal, wondering how he could sound so utterly unaffected. Only his eyes still held traces of the passion they had just shared though, as he fixed his gaze on her.

"Alright, come to the parlor for tea when you're ready," Mrs. Whiteley called out to them through the door. They heard her footsteps growing quieter until they faded away.

"Were you nervous?" Brandon asked, getting up and enveloping Gabriella in his arms.

"Getting caught by your mom like that would leave me in a precarious position," Gabriella admitted with red cheeks. Brandon decided to tease her a little.

"Really? And what answer would you have given had we been caught?"

"Hmm… I'm sure your mom would know who the mischief-maker is here," Gabriella replied playfully. Brandon squeezed her waist.

"Angel, Angel, I had no idea you were this naughty." He planted a long smooch on her neck, making her giggle. "Come on, we'd better head down before everyone gets suspicious. Knowing my mother, she won't want to miss this chance of getting to know you."

Both Brandon's parents thoroughly enjoyed Gabriella's company that afternoon. They talked long and hard about each other's lives, getting to know every little detail about Gabriella's life, no matter how ordinary it was over iced tea and artichoke sandwiches. No detail was too insignificant for them; they wanted to know all about the woman who seemed to have perked up their son's heart. When the sun had sunk a little lower in the sky, Brandon declared that he wanted to show Gabriella around the local town.

"There's a lot to do around here. They have a lot of stalls near the beach. Want to check it out?" Brandon asked her. She nodded enthusiastically and they bade Brandon's parents a hearty goodbye as they left in his car.

Brandon drove slowly past the numerous stalls, which were nothing more than big colorful awnings over their tables which were crammed with street food or sold trinkets and souvenirs. Brandon parked his car at the entrance of the beach and they walked up the road through the stalls.

"Oh, that's cute. It's got a little smiley face too." Gabriella said, holding up a plastic bobblehead.

"Pick out whatever you like. It's my treat." Brandon said with a fond look at her. Gabriella shook her head.

"I promised I'd buy you something next time we went shopping. So it's my treat."

"Alright then. I'll pick all the most expensive titbits I can find," he said with a grin. She nudged him playfully in the arm. They strolled past each stall, Gabriella buying everything that Brandon picked up – from fridge magnets to seashell paperweights to ocean-themed photo frames. Gabriella wondered why Brandon bought so many little things that people rarely used; she wondered if he had a specific purpose for them in mind or if he was simply a shopaholic. Whatever it was, she indulged him for once, knowing he needed a little outlet. And it wasn't like she hadn't wanted to return all the kindness he'd shown her. Finally, after a long shopping spree, they stopped at a food stand.

"Hola! What would you and the lovely novia like?" the woman at the food stall asked with a bright smile. She was well-tanned, short, and dressed in a variety of bright-colored skirts. She also wore big earrings and bangles. Gabriella realized she had called her 'Brandon's girlfriend' and smiled back.

"What would you like, Gabriella?" Brandon asked, looking at the variety of food on the table.

"Actually, that tea we had hasn't left much room in me. I'll just have a churro." Brandon nodded and bought two churros, each in little paper containers with chocolate sauce on the side.

"Comer bien!" the woman said as she waved them off. The two of them thanked her and walked off to a private spot to eat. They took a bite together.

"Hmm, that's so sweet. It's delicious!"

"Next time we come, you can leave some room for more food to try," Brandon said. Gabriella looked at him thoughtfully. Next time, he said. That meant he wanted her to visit his parents again. Does that mean…

"Come on, let's go to the beach. This one's a lot bigger than the one we went to near the city." He interrupted her train of thought.

The beach wasn't too crowded, but Brandon wanted to go further down where they could be alone. They sat down on a towel that he rented from the beach shack.

"The air is even saltier here," Gabriella said, sniffing.

"We're quite far from the city. The area around here is a lot less urban."

"I can see that. It's friendlier too." Gabriella laid back, her hands behind her head, her eyes taking in the wide expanse of the heavens above.

"It's so blue," she whispered to herself. But not as blue as Brandon's eyes, she thought. He lay down beside her and rested his head between her neck and her shoulder. She turned her head so that her cheek brushed against his hair.

"It's like we're cut off from the fast life and entered the slow and easy lane." She commented. Brandon hummed in agreement.

"Mmm. The town folk sure are lucky. They get to rest like this anytime they want."

"But they are busy people still, in their own way."

"True." He breathed the salty air in deeply.

"Tell me honestly. What would you prefer? Being cut off from the fast life living somewhere far in the country? Or being near the city with easy access to the modern lifestyle?" Gabriella asked.

"That decision is not as easy as I thought it would be to make. It is nice to live in a place like this, but country life… sounds a bit lonely. And I don't think I could be too far from a city. I like the city-feel as much as the country-feel."

"So somewhere in between."

"Yeah. Why do you ask?"

"Just because." Brandon sat up.

"So was this day as bad as you expected? Aside from my troublesome matchmaking aunt showing up."

"No, I had a really nice time. And I found out I already knew your dad, in a way," Gabriella replied.

"I was surprised about that too. My mom loved wearing that makeup since she first got it. She was so happy."

"I'm glad. And the funny thing is, we met the very same day." She sat up next to him, leaning on her palms spread out behind her.

"I know. Must've been fate."

"Right. Crazy hotdog fate." He guffawed at her joke.

"You know what I thought when I first saw you?" Gabriella asked.

"Wow, that guy is so hot I should've worn sunglasses?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Uh-huh, keep telling yourself that." Gabriella rolled her eyes. "Actually I thought you were addictively absorbed in your phone and that you were ill-mannered."

"Ouch. I hope I changed your impression of me."

"You sure did." She smiled softly at him.

"Do you want to know what I thought when I saw you the first time?" she nodded.

"It was love at first sight." Brandon's answer caught Gabriella off-guard and her mouth dropped open.

"No, really? Really? But, I was all – uptight and upset!"

"Didn't matter to me. My first thought was 'I'd like to go out with her'."

"Is that why… you kept pursuing me?"

"When you put it that way, it makes me sound like a stalker. It's more like I didn't want to give up until—"

"Till you got the girl?" Gabriella finished with a giggle.

"Mmm-mm." Brandon nodded at her. She drew swirls in the sand.

"Did that freak you out?" he asked when she was quiet.

"It wouldn't be normal if I said no. But… I'm glad you came after me." He came closer to her.

"Would you let me come closer to you?" He asked in a low, hungry voice.

"How close?" Gabriella asked, her voice growing breathless at his nearness.

"Do you really want to know?" He asked and placed his head beneath her neck, listening to her heartbeat.

"This close." They stayed like that for a long moment, the sound of each other's heartbeats syncing with each other while the waves lapped at the shore in front of them. Brandon slipped his hand into Gabriella's, holding it warmly in his grasp. Gabriella found herself relaxing into a state of tranquility, a feeling of utter calmness washing over her. This was the second time Brandon had taken her to the beach and she wanted to make the most of every minute – such visits were a luxury for her. And it was twice as enjoyable with him. Only when her shoulder began to feel stiff from sitting in one position for too long did she stir. Brandon raised his head.

"Do you want to get up?" He asked her. She nodded.

"I'd like to take a walk along the beach…" Brandon was immediately on his feet and pulled her up as well. They walked leisurely along the beach until they came to a more secluded area close to some rocky subterranes. Brandon found a starfish and gently threw it back into the ocean. He stopped when he felt something hard underfoot as they walked along.

"Look, a seashell." He bent down and picked it up. He held it up, dusting it off for Gabriella to see.

"It's so pretty." Gabriella admired it. Brandon gave a secret smile, knowing what kind of seashell it was.

"This is no ordinary seashell – it's worth more than it appears."

"Really? How can you tell?" Gabriella asked and gasped when he opened it. Inside lay a tiny shiny white pearl.

"Brandon! It's a pearl!" Gabriella exclaimed in wonder.

"Yes, it is. It's quite rare to find one on a beach like this. The chances are even lower on this side of the country. But you know what?" Brandon raised tender eyes to Gabriella, "Finding you is rarer than finding this pearl, Gabriella. You're like this pearl, beautiful, unique, special… Only made more beautiful and perfect by pressure. But it takes a lot of searching to find a pearl like this. A lot of people might've passed it by; but I'd rather find someone as precious as you than—" he got no further because Gabriella, suddenly overcome with emotion, threw her arms around his neck and cut off his words with a deep kiss, chaste and tender yet full of ardor. He smiled against her lips, returning the kiss with fervor. He was grateful they were on a private part of the beach where no one could see them. When she finally let him go, he saw tears in her eyes.

"No one's ever spoken to me like that, Brandon." She whispered, her voice still heavy with feeling. Brandon placed a little kiss on her forehead.

"I'm going to save this." He said, holding up the seashell.

"What will you do with it?" Gabriella asked him. He gave a coy smile.

"Oh, I might have some plans for it." He wanted to stay longer but noticing the time on his watch when he held the seashell up, he knew it was getting late and they had to drive back to the city before nightfall. Especially since they both had to go to work the next day. Gabriella sighed.

"It's time to get back to the real world." They returned to Brandon's car and drove back.

"So when do I get to meet your family?" Brandon asked brightly while driving.

"Whoa, slow down there, Mr. Millionaire. I haven't even told them about you yet."

"They must have seen us in your profile picture by now."

"Oh my gosh. I forgot about that." She didn't want to check her phone now. She was sure there'd be a ton of messages and missed calls (she had left her phone off that day). She would check it all later. She yawned, sleepily.

"Tired? Lean your seat back and rest a bit." Brandon suggested.

"While you drive? No way. I'll keep you company." Gabriella shook her head adamantly. Brandon pressed a button next to her seat and the seat leaned back.

"Hey!" She protested.

"Angel, just go to sleep. I'll wake you when we arrive."

"Hmm, alright, just for a little while." She leaned back intending to just rest her head for a bit, but in two minutes she was fast asleep. The fresh air had tired her out. Brandon drove smoothly so she wouldn't wake up. He glanced at her occasionally, his gaze turning molten every time he was struck by her beauty. Sure, she wasn't like the gilded girls he'd seen before; but she was a pearl, the rare pearl whom he found himself falling head over heels for. He turned back to the road.

Today had its ups and downs, but on the whole, it was a success. Soon, very soon, Brandon hoped they could get closer, and take things to the next level. Because with Gabriella, he found himself constantly craving more, delighting in every minute spent with her. Soon, he hoped she would come to know exactly how he felt about her, hearts bared.