First Date

Lillyanna sat on top of the old metal bridge watching the sun go down. She would snap a picture every couple of seconds as red filled the sky above her. Slowly she leaned back to get a more dynamic shot of the sunset when she heard a sweet soprano voice shout out below.

“Hey you! Whatever you’re going through if you want to talk to someone please let me listen?”

Lillyanna looked down, upon the bridge below where there was an enchanting girl with kinky blond hair being tangled by the wind. The girl was fighting with the wind, holding her platinum hair out of her face using both hands as she peered up at Lillyanna where she sat.

“What do you think I’m doing up here?” Lillyanna called down in question.

“Why don’t you come down here and tell me about it?” The blond girl yelled back. Lillyanna laughed at that and securely snapped the cap over her camera lens. With the camera strap secure around her neck she climbed down slowly to where the girl stood. The girl turned so that the wind was no longer blowing her hair in her face and raised brilliant blue eyes to meet Lillyanna’s grey-green ones. Lillyanna felt her knees go weak at the beauty of the girl before her.

“So what were you doing up there?” The girl prompted.

“I was taking pictures.” Lillyanna replied and held up her camera as proof.

“Then you weren’t…” The girl started to ask. Lillyanna shook her head to stop the girl’s question.

“Nope, just trying to capture a sunset.” Lillyanna then looked at the girl, cocked her head to one side and regarded the girl in front of her again.

“Actually, do you mind?” Lillyanna asked and held out her hand to the girl. The girl shyly put her fingers in Lillyanna’s grip, and she gently tugged the girl across the bridge. Once she had positioned the girl so the sunset cast red rays in her hair and made her eyes sparkle with hidden depths Lillyanna started taking pictures again. She would pause every couple of shots to reposition herself or ask the girl to tilt her head this way or that. As the red light of the setting sun shifted to purple, Lillyanna took her last couple of pictures. She finally lowered her camera, and the girl smiled at her hesitatingly.

“Thank you for letting me use you.” Lillyanna said with a sly smile. The girl ignored her innuendo as though she had not even heard it.

“Can I see?” She asked with her eyes on the camera. Lillyanna scrolled through the pictures until she got to the start of the sunset and handed it over. The strap around her neck forced the girl to step in close to her to see and Lillyanna caught the scent of vanilla wafting off the girl’s hair. After a couple of minutes clicking through her pictures the girl looked up.

“These are amazing.” She whispered, Lillyanna just smiled like a fool. The deep blue of the girl’s eyes seemed even more incredible this close and Lillyanna felt like she couldn’t breathe. Her head was spinning, and she heard herself speaking from a long way off.

“We never properly introduced ourselves, call me Lilly.” She heard herself say. The girl smiled up at her and slowly pressed Lillyanna’s camera back into her hands.

“I’m Alice.” The girl said as she ducked her head shyly.

“Well Alice, you were so kind as to let me take a hundred pictures of you, the least I can do is buy you dinner.”

“Fine, but only if there’s ice cream.” Said Alice with a cheeky smile.

“Of course M’Lady.” Lillyanna said with a silly bow. Then she felt like a corny fool and Lillyanna wanted to kick herself for being so weird; but Alice just giggled and Lillyanna’s heart skipped a beat at the sound. They walked side by side down the street as Lillyanna led them to a tiny restaurant. When they were seated Lillyanna asked for a wine menu, and heard Alice sigh.

“What’s wrong. Do you not drink?” Lillyanna inquired.

“No, it’s not that I don’t drink. I just don’t really like the taste of alcohol.”

“Okay, that’s fine. I don’t want pressure to do anything you don’t want to do but would you be willing to try something new?” Lillyanna asked gently.

“Sure.” Alice said with a shrug “I just wont finish it if I don’t like it.”

“That sounds perfectly reasonable to me.” Lillyanna said and beamed across the table at Alice.

When the server returned Lillyanna ordered them both a glass of Merlot and water. The wine was a deep purple-red and Alice took up her glass with trepidation. They clicked their glasses together in a toast before taking their first sip simultaneously. The sweet cherry notes played over Lillyanna’s tongue and as she swallowed, she could taste the hints of chocolate and dry oak from the barrel it had aged it. Her mouth was only slightly dry from the sip she had taken, she sighed with a smile on her lips as she opened her eyes to meet the shockingly blue eyes of her companion watching her from across the table. Alice smiled at her and lowered her gaze.

“So what do you think?” Lillyanna asked and glanced up. Alice’s small smile lightened Lillyanna’s heart.

“It’s surprisingly good.” Alice said and took another tiny sip.

“I’m glad you like it.” They met each other’s gaze and Lillyanna reached her hand out to brush Alice’s fingers with her own. Just at that moment the server re-appeared and interrupted their moment to ask if they were ready to order. They both scrambled to look at the menu and Lillyanna could see Alice’s blush over the top of her menu. The each ordered but for the life of her Lillyanna couldn’t remember what she had asked for the moment the server left. The spent the dinner in a similar fashion. Smiling shyly at each other, stumbling over their words, and only able to meet each other’s gaze in brief moments. When Lillyanna was done with her last bite she looked up to catch Alice’s eye.

“So, are you still willing to get dessert with me?” Lillyanna asked.

“Sure I am.” Alice said with a smile.

When the server came back again Lillyanna ordered another glass of Merlot, a chocolate lava cake, and a side of chocolate ice cream Alice ordered a dish of vanilla ice cream with rainbow sprinkles.

“Just vanilla?” Lillyanna asked when the server left.

“Yes, I like vanilla.” Alice replied with a tiny smile.

They got their desserts and Lillyanna took a bite of her cake with the taste of Merlot sill lingering in her mouth. The combination made her eyes close in bliss. When she opened them again with a happy sigh, she saw Alice staring at her.

“That good hun?” Asked Alice with a winkle in her eyes. Lillyanna could only nod and slid the cake over the table to her. Alice took the tiniest bite of cake with ice cream, then stole the most miniscule sip of Lillyanna’s wine. The sight of Alice’s lips closing over Lillyanna’s fork made her shudder, and she disguised the reaction by taking a sip of water. Alice slid the plate back to Lillyanna as she swallowed her tiny morsel.

“It’s good.” She said hesitatingly “but I like mine better.” She shrugged and smiled again.

“I’m not offended.” Lillyanna said with a chuckle.

“Do you want to try mine?” Alice offered her spoon. Lillyanna couldn’t pass up the opportunity. She captured Alice’s eyes and as she scooped up a tiny spoonful of ice cream and provocatively licked it off Alice’s spoon. Alice’s nerve broke and she dropped her gaze as Lillyanna brought it to her lips. Lillyanna smiled at the beautiful blush across Alice’s cheeks. She wanted to kiss her so badly in that moment. She was afraid of what her expression might show so she dropped her gaze before sliding Alice’s dish back across the table to her. The each ate their dessert in an awkward silence, glancing up every once in a while. When Lillyanna was just swallowing her last sip of wine the server appeared with the check. Before she knew what had happened Alice and she had split the check and were standing outside in the star-lit night.

“I’m really glad I met you.” Lillyanna started to say just as Alice said:

“I enjoyed spending time with you.” They both stopped and laughed. Lillyanna took Alice’s had in hers and laid a gentle kiss across her knuckles. When she looked up Alice had a sad look on her face. Lillyanna started to say something but Alice placed one vanilla scented finger against Lillyanna’s lips to keep her silent.

“I had fun tonight and I don’t want to ruin it so please don’t try to kiss me. Just take my number and promise to use it sometime.” Lillyanna nodded and Alice smiled again. She pulled a pen from her pocket and wrote her number on Lillyanna’s hand. Then she hugged her quickly and fled down the street. Lillyanna stood there and watched her go until she disappeared around a corner. She knew from that moment that her heart was lost.