Chapter 56
We spent a good few hours walking through the beautiful rooms, discussing the various paintings on display and how they made us feel, what we thought the artist was trying to convey and if we think they managed it or not. He is so passionate, and I revelled in how happy he was.
My favourite painting was by Claude Monet and was called Bathers at La Grenouillere. In the foreground are some little row boats and beautiful dark water, but as you look through the painting to the people you realise that there is sunshine. The foreground looks like it is in shade, but the people on the jetty are looking out on to a sunny day. It made me feel hope. It spoke to me, and said that you may feel in darkness but keep heading forwards and you will find the light. When I told him that he was flawed by my perspective and really liked that description. His favourite was Vincent Van Gogh's sunflowers. He said he loves the colour palette and it shows excited optimism to him.
Before we left we headed to the gift shop and I spied a sunflowers fridge magnet. I managed to buy it quickly before he noticed. That could be a little reminder of the day for him to take home. Shit, when he goes home. My heart sinks at the thought.
"Shall we go and find somewhere to have lunch?" I hear him ask, breaking me out of my musing. I nod and we wander outside hand in hand. Although we had pizza last night we end up in a Prezzo. We order the hummus to share and then I have spaghetti carbonara al forno and he has king prawn and salmon risotto.
"I suppose as it's a first date we should ask each other questions" he says. I agree and tell him to go first. "Why don't you tell me about your parents and your upbringing" he suggests. Ok, here goes. He is for a treat here.
"So, I am an only child, born on the 10th of June 1997 to parents Barry and Collette. My Mum was my age when she had me, and my Dad was your age. They met at school and dated until they got married in 1995. I suppose my childhood was ok, I didn't see much of my Dad as he worked away a lot, and my Mum was very strict so we had a fractured relationship because I always felt I was doing something wrong. When I met Lori I spent more time with her family, in fact they took me away on my first ever holiday abroad. We went to Spain, it was such a lovely time. Her parents Gary and Sharon are so lovely. When I left school I got a job in a clothes shop and moved on to a few more retail jobs before I became an admin assistant at a superstore and decided I wanted to move out. I was 19 and just couldn't live with my Mum anymore and her over bearing ways. My Dad had a really great job working for an oil company and earned very good money, so they put down a big deposit for me on my flat and I got a mortgage for the rest. When I was 23 my Dad took early retirement because he inherited a mint from his Dad and they moved to Spain. I don't see them much, talk very rarely, and I think out of guilt they send me money every month. That's pretty much all I can tell you" I say shrugging my shoulders.
I think he realises that perhaps my parents are a difficult subject for me and doesn't press for more information about them, but instead tells me about his. I listen intently at how close he is with his Mum, about his little sister and growing up being super smart. His parents were not happy about him choosing music over a career in business but like Yoongi had said to me he made them see his point of view and now with his success know he made the right choice.
"So, what is your experience with girls? Yoongi said you are the most experienced out of the group" I ask. I see an opening to get this out of the way so I take it. He chuckles and rubs the back of his neck looking a little embarrassed. "His right of course, but remember, more experienced than nothing doesn't make me a play boy". He lets out a louder laugh. I see his point.
"Ok so what's your number?" I press. "Including you 4, 2 during my time in the states and 1 a couple of years ago. They were not relationships, the first 2 were experimentation and trying to learn and the last one was casual and mutually beneficial for a while before it wasn't anymore" he answers honestly. I look down at the table and feel awkward for a moment as my number is a bit higher. "Do you want to tell me yours?" He asks quizzically. Come on Aimee it's not that bad just tell him. "Including you and Jimin it's 9" I wait for the in take of air or gasp but it doesn't come. He instead just nods and says "it's so much easier for younger people in the UK and USA to date and become sexually active. In Korea they are not very progressive. It's a shame because it's only by experience that you truly learn yourself" he says. He makes sense. I'm glad he is not running for the hills thinking I am a slapper.
"So what have you learnt about yourself during your sexual experimentations then?" I say in a husky voice, eager to hear his feelings on all things sex. We are momentarily interrupted by the waitress coming to clear our table now we have finished eating. He asks her to bring the bill, leans forward and takes my hand. "Let me take you home and I will show you" he growls.