Perfect

Chapter Sixteen

-ALEX-

   It was 7pm exactly, and as I stood leaning against the passenger door of my car, hands in my pockets, I watch as she exits her front door. Just seeing her from afar was enough to brighten up my day.

   She gives a quick wave to me, accompanied with a smile that dazzled me even when I wasn't directly in front of her.

   She momentarily turns her back to me to lock the door, and then walked on over.

   "Hi." She tiptoed up to just fall short of my height by a few centimetres, gently placing her lips onto my cheek. I love it.

   "Hi," I reply, clearly too smug with myself that I have yet another date with this gorgeous woman. "Ready?"

   "Where are we off to today then?" She asks, before using her hands to present herself. "Did I dress appropriately for the occasion?"

   "You could dress yourself in an onesie and still look fabulous for any occasion."

   "Oh, you old charmer you." I laugh as I opened the passenger door for her, letting her slide in before I closed it.

   "Seriously, where's the date today?" She asks after I climbed into the driver's seat myself, pulling the seat belt across my torso and clicking it in. "You've treated me way too much these past few days."

   "How dare you? I have not treated you not nearly as much as I would like to, nor as much as you deserve."

   "Seriously, enough with the flattery, I've already agreed to the third date, we're on it right now."

   "Never would enough flattery be enough for you, Miss Perfect." She kept a smile on her face as she looked away from me; instead gazing out of the window beside her before turning back with what I thought was a reply consisting of a witty comment of her own.

   But instead all she spoke back with was "You know Emma is now mad about you?"

   "Oh really?" I ask as I turn the key in the ignition, firing the car engine up to life.

   "I think she may be harbouring a slight crush if I'm honest with you. She hasn't stopped talking about you since last night, it's all 'Poppy's big brother this' and 'Poppy's big brother that'."

   "Well then, what can I say? I must be that irresistible to you Perfect girls."

   "Aha," She nods, and I knew from her face she had finally come up with that witty comment from earlier. "And I think my Mother is actually in love."

   "Well, Amanda is a gorgeous lady for her age." She laughs out loud, again that laugh that I love. That genuine, un-showbiz laugh... Whatever un-showbiz really means. Not manufactured, not fake. Just... Ava's laugh.

   I felt like we were fast turning into one of those sappy love songs. Someone should write to Adele about this, we may end up being the inspiration for her next record.

   It takes us 20 minutes, but when we finally arrive, I could tell from Ava's face that she has never been to such a place before. Of course she tried to hide her shock, playing it off cool instead. I'll emphasize the word 'tried'. She was so cute.

   "Madam," I tease, opening the car door for her, allowing her to step out. "Like it?"

   "What is this place?" She asks, turning on her heel to look around, and then back up to the huge building in front of us.

   "Well, really it should be my first home now that I'm 22," I tell her, looking up to the building myself. "But for some reason I can't be arsed to leave the family mansion, so this is like my second home."

   "It's an actual mansion," She furrows her eyebrows, still in shock, failing to play it cool now. "Why did you bring me here?"

   "Because I remember you telling me your favourite date scenario was just watching a movie and having a chat, and the movies in the cinemas right now suck so I thought you could pick out a movie from my collection and we could watch it with a take out." I lock the car. "Plus I couldn't take you back to the family mansion, my little brother Charles would have 101 questions to ask you about random crap, from Shakespeare to Biology."

   "This... Is literally the best idea anyone has ever come up with."

   "Right? Come on then, let's go in." I motion for her to follow me, walking up the steps to my huge front door.

   "Bloody heck," Her Brummy accent was thick and loud after we step through the front door into the reception room. "I don't think I have ever seen such a big house before."

   "I don't really like it in all honesty," She looks at me in disbelief. "What? It's too big for just little old me, it has 18 rooms for goodness sake."

   "18 rooms?!" She exclaims. "Aren't you terrified of someone hiding here to attack you or something?"

   "Wow, not exactly one of the first questions I thought you would ask," I could only laugh at her shocked state. "I never stay here at night, so I'm probably not that scared because of that, and the security here is pretty tight."

   "It's like a mansion tourists tour or something." She looks up to the huge chandelier hanging from the ceiling just directly above her.

   "I was thinking about offloading it and just getting an apartment instead."

   "This place is gorgeous," She turns on her heel to take a 360 degree view of the place again. "Seriously, it's unreal how pretty it is."

   "Well then, why don't you find a way to tear yourself away from just one of the three reception rooms and join me in the cinema room?"

   "You have your own personal cinema?!" She exclaims after me, causing me to smirk again as I heard her footsteps follow me in a rush, probably nervous that she'd get lost in such a huge place if she loses sight of me.

Author's Note: It's been almost a month since I first started publishing this story, and we're already on Chapter Sixteen! Again, a big, big, BIG thank you as always! I have HUGE plans for this book, it may seem pretty boring right now with the start of Alex and Ava's story, but I hope you'll stick around to see what's in store between these two non-traditional people embarking on a relationship they both desire so much. Again, if you're enjoying it so far, please vote! It'll mean the world to me :)