Lilies And Smoke

CHAPTER SEVEN: The date

It was around half five in the evening when Alex parks up, "here we are" he declares. Anita's stomach felt fluttery, as if she had swallowed a jar of butterflies. "Where exactly are we?" Anita asks excitedly. She couldn't contain her smile, Alex perks up "there was this tapas restaurant I went to with family when I first bought the house here, it was delicious". Anita's face flushes, "I'm not dressed to dine!". Alex brushes her hand with him, inserting his fingers in-between hers as he says, "you look stunning as you are". Anita felt as though her heart is melting, but before she could reply he leans in and plants a kiss on her cheek.

His lips are warm, soft and full. Her breathing hitched, she turns to him, wide-eyed. She tries to say something, but her words are caught in her breath. She loves how smooth his hands felt between hers and how it hardens at his palms. He is after all, a working man. "Are you ready?" he asks, swallowing hard. She nods, letting go of his hand and unlocking her seatbelt. She grips the cane between her legs and listens out, "is it clear?" she asks.

"Yeah, I made sure not to park on a main street. The pavements on your side", he says as he opens his door. Taking a deep breath, she follows suit, placing her foot gently on the ground. She feels the dip in the pavement and steps out of the car, closing the door behind her. She waits patiently, as he walks around the car and locks it. He walks up to her, "may I?" he offers extending his arm to her. Anita furrows her brows, "may you..." she stretches. Alex shakes his head in embarrassment, "I'm sorry, is it alright if I guide you to the restaurant?". Anita smiles, she felt like blushing for him. It's an easy mistake to make she thinks to herself and replies, "of course, such a gentleman". She hooks her arm out for him, he accepts and slides his arm through hers. He turns them in the other direction and walks her down the road. "It's not much of a walk away" he assures.

"I wouldn't mind it if it was, I like going on walks".

"Is it the fresh air?" he asks casually, glancing at her every now and then. She tilts her head side to side, "partly" she replies. "I love going to the park, Victoria Hill park. It has a big lake there; you can hear the swan's squawks. Apparently, they're very beautiful but they don't half make aggressive and weird noises" she laughs. Her cane hits a hard object and she moves around it as they walk on. "That must be handy" he points out.

"Helps me not fall over, I just to fall over all the time as a kid. I didn't want to use one and if I did, I use to pretend it was a sword. Hit my mum by accident a couple of times so she made me sit and read my books" she tells, smiling at the memory. Alex chuckles, "I can imagine you being a very clumsy kid". Anita slows her pace, "that reminds me, I forgot to ask how old you are. You're obviously young, otherwise Janice would have told me otherwise and you're not that young or she would have commented" she states. Alex hums, "I'm twenty-nine, and yourself? You can't be under twenty-two, I hope you're not anyway" he jokes.

"Twenty-seven".

"Birthday any time soon?".

"Pretty soon, yeah. It's in March, when's yours?".

"June... looks like I'm going to have to get to know you quickly if I'm going to get you a present".

"That's ambitious, you reckon you'd be wanting to date me still?" she quizzes.

"If I ever say no, it's not me" he declares confidently, his tone serious. Anita bumps him with her hip, "you're funny". He looks at her, gazing at her smile "I'm serious". He suddenly comes to a stop; Anita continues to walk and is pulled back by his arm. "Are we there?" she wonders. He doesn't say anything, letting go of her arm. "Alex?" she says, holding her hand out.

He traces the back of his hand on her shoulder and trails it down until he attains her hand, grabbing hold of it softly. He raises her hand to his lips and kisses the back of her hand. Anita felt a pleasuring shiver run down her spine, her body shaking. "This way" his voice husky, as he walks towards the entrance pulling her along gently. Is this guy for real? She thinks to herself. As she enters the restaurant, she hears the clatter of cutlery, the sea of voices flowing all around the room and the small cough from the waiter at the front reception. Alex guides her to the waiting area; she could hear a couple in front of her. They were bickering, the men were arguing over leaving their new born baby with one of the men's sister. Anita smiles to herself, she's always wanted to have a baby.