Teach Me to Please | Please Me #1

FIFTY NINE

"D'you think this'll work?" Rya asked me as she finished up hanging the fairy lights onto the sycamore tree standing in the middle of the local park.

"Would you like to come up with a better idea?" I asked, setting out the candles on the table.

She wrapped the last wire around a tree branch and looked down at me, "Nope." She sang and sighed as she finished setting up the lights and hopped down. She grabbed the remote and flicked them on, lighting the tree up with dozens of shimmering lights, replicating stars as if they had fallen straight from the night sky and had landed upon the light, emerald, green, shimmering on the tree leaves.

"Ooo, pretty." She stared awe-struck at them. I rolled my eyes and laughed, taking two flowers, and setting them up in a small vase. "Tulips?" Rya questioned as she caught what I was doing.

"They're her favourite. He's getting her a bouquet of the same but they're pink." The few I was putting in the vase were yellow.

"Are they romantic, though?" she questioned, climbing back up the tree to sit on a branch with her legs hanging down to fix some tangled lights.

"What would you consider to be a romantic flower?" I sighed and finished arranging the tulips.

"I don't know." She shrugged. "Lilies, orchids..."

"Well, Leah likes tulips so she's getting tulips. You can get your lilies and orchids when you are in her shoes." I shot back and she chuckled softly, hopping back down from the branch once again and reaching into the big bag of supplies.

"Speaking on the terms of romance, where's Roman?" I couldn't help but blush as she mentioned his name. It was becoming a regular reaction.

"He texted me ten minutes ago to say he was on his way. He'll be here soon." I answered coyly as Rya pulled out the lighter. She flipped the top open, so the tiny, flickering flame shone in dances of burnt and bright oranges.

Without hesitation, I flipped the top shut and snatched it out of her hands.

"Hey!" she protested. "What was that for?"

"Like I'd trust you with fire. You'd set the whole word alight."

"The planet's burning anyway. I'd just be speeding up the inevitable." She flipped her hair, and I rolled my eyes. She wasn't lying to be honest.

I still set the lighter aside — out of her reach — and finished up on flowers and candle arrangement.

This wasn't exactly how I imagined my Friday night going. Especially my first Friday with Roman as my boyfriend –

Boyfriend. I couldn't stop thinking about it. Boyfriend, boyfriend, boyfriend – okay, that's enough.

Yet, everything between us had been perfect. I stayed round his pretty much every night so far, and we'd order take-outs and watch movies. When we went to bed, we'd kiss and talk and laugh. Nothing sexual had happened yet and, in all honesty, I didn't mind it. I loved just being in his company and doing all the little things couples did.

He always drove me to and from school, sometimes picking up Rya on the way because he was still trying to 'earn' her liking. Poor boy. We spent lunch together, in between classes, before school, after school, and I couldn't find myself getting sick of him. I only wanted more.

I knew it was what they called the 'honeymoon phase', but I never wanted this feeling to pass.

"Earth to Sienna?" Rya's voice suddenly caught me off guard as she noticed her waving her hand in front of my face.