Deserving | ✔

Bonus: First Date

Not one flower. I cannot find the perfect flower in this whole big flower shop. I am pretty sure the owner thinks I'm paranoid because I have been in the shop for about one hour trying to find the right flower for her.

Tonight is the big night. The night I'll be going on the first date with the girl I am going to spend the rest of my life with. I have been going crazy with that thought in my head. 'How do you know?' I asked myself. 'You ever heard of this thing? It's called conscience.' That was my answer.
Finally, I lay my eyes on this one beautiful flower. It is like a spiral of petals with a thick stem. It is a beautiful baby pink color touches of white here and there.

"Oh, this one? It's a lotus. They're pretty tough to find here. Here, let me open it up and show you." The owner opened the petals one by one in an outward shape and showed me the flower. It is so much more beautiful from the inside. "I'll take it," I say. "Really? That's awesome! How many, man?"

"Five, and in a bouquet, please?"

"That would be $50, mate."

"Seriously? I think I asked for five of them, not like a hundred!"

"I told you, boy. They're pretty tough to find here. They're imported. So should I pack it or not?"

Probably three would be enough, I think. When I'm about to pay, my mother's words come back to me. "Do anything for your loved ones." I know the amount I had allocated for this night is exactly just that much and I couldn't afford the dinner if I lose it now, but she deserves these lotuses. Thought it means that I have to use up some of the money I saved for buying the yet - to - be - released new Nike sneakers, I should do it. Because she matters to me now; and definitely more than some sneakers that don't come for sale for another month.
I say yes and pay my money after I get the bouquet. I have the best flowers for My Flowerbed. God that's cheeky.

***

I go to her house that evening. She gave me the address and we happen to be in the same area. Fate, huh?
When I knock at the door, she answers it. And my jaw drops.
Wow, she's an angel. Her white strapless dress hugs her body smugly and does full justice to her curves. The baby pink lush coat she has on is so much like her skin: soft, silky, smooth. Her hair is let down without any binding just like at the party. She has very minimal makeup on, and her natural lips still remain without lip stick's falseness. I see her smiling at me like she knows what I'm doing.

What am I doing?

"Are you done yet? Or should I wait a minute more?" She says. "Wait for what?" "I thought honesty was your trait." "Yes, it still is. But honesty is my trait. Not blurting it out all the time."

She laughs again. I just realized how happy that made me. It's like making her laugh is my prime duty.

"Hi," I say.

"Hi, Phillip." I love my name. I love the way it sounds wrapped up in her voice. From the deepest of her throat to her rose, wet tongue and out through her beautiful lips. I love it.

"This is for you," I say and hand her the bouquet. She looks at the bouquet with doe eyes and then at me.

"Thank you so much! I love lotuses," she says and inhales the scent of them.

She smiles at me and slowly raises her hand. "Shall we?"

I hold her wrist softly and look at the flower tightly wrapped around her fingers.

"It's beautiful," I say. "Lotuses are beautiful. They are born to be beautiful..." She says. "I'm sure they are. I meant your hand when I said it's beautiful."

"Okay, that's the weirdest compliment that I have received. But it kind of makes me feel good," she admits.

"Oh yeah?" I take her hand and bring it close to my lips and kiss it.