“Always, princess.”
“Where are we going on our date tonight?” I ask, changing the subject.
“Not telling. It’s a surprise.” He reaches for me and pulls me to him. “Have I told you lately that you are fucking gorgeous?” I blush.
Jayson’s eyes heat.
“Wait. Isn’t that the new bikini top you bought the other day?”
“How do you know?”
“Oh, princess, I think I need to show you what happens to naughty girlfriends who send sexy pics on their phone.”
Giggling I ask, “What happens?”
“They get their cute little asses spanked.”
Jayson bends down and I'm suddenly hoisted up and over his shoulder.
“What are you doing? Let me down right this second!” I exclaim, laughing and wiggling.
Jayson kisses the side of my hip and snacks my butt before marching inside the house to kiss me breathless.
It's nearing ten o’clock and I’m pacing my bedroom floor, full of jitters. Jayson told me to stay in my room and he would pick me up at ten for our date. The fact that he instructed me to stay and wait for him in my bedroom, and that our date is at ten at night, leads me to believe that his parents have no clue about our date, and he’ll be sneaking out of the house since he’s currently grounded.
Regardless of the time and circumstances surrounding our first date, I’m still excited and anxious about it. So like any sixteen-year-old girl, it takes me about an hour to pick out the perfect outfit after trying on everything in my closet and Hailey’s, and then another hour to make sure my hair looks just so. Jayson loves it when I wear my hair down, so I add some corkscrew curls to my long blond locks. I’m even wearing makeup and perfume which is a rarity for me. I figure, you only experience one true first date in your lifetime, might as well go all out.
My bedside clock turns ten and Jayson appears at my bedroom window. I should have known.
Since I keep my window open at night, it’s easy for Jayson to climb in, something he’s used to doing anyway. Something I’m not used to seeing, however, is him dressed in a dark grey collared polo shirt and khaki chino shorts. I’m also not used to seeing him holding out a bouquet of flowers at me.
“Oh my gosh,” I gush, taking the bunch of wildflowers from his outstretched hand and smelling them.
“I may have stolen them from mom’s butterfly garden. Hope you like them.”Wow. “Liz, you look beautiful.”Double wow.
My heart soars that he notices the effort I put in to look good for him tonight, so I repay the compliment.
“You, sir, look absolutely dashing as well.”
We take a minute to absorb what feels like a monumental moment before he reaches his hand out to me.
“Princess Elizabeth, I am here to escort you to your date.”
I want to say something silly like,I thought he was already here, but I don’t want to ruin the romance of what’s happening with jokes.
I place my hand in his and he raises it to his lips. He turns my hand over and kisses the back of my wrist below my palm before twisting my hand over and doing the same to each knuckle. I don’t know if I’m going to survive our first date if he keeps this up. I’m already melting into a puddle of goo at his feet.
Jayson wiggles his eyebrows, “Follow me,” and pulls me to the window.
My first thought is, he’s going to make me climb down a tree.
My second thought is, I’m glad I decided not to wear a dress.
Jayson, Julien, and I have gotten very good at climbing up and down the old oak tree between our houses. We’ve been doing it since third grade. Jayson helps me out of my window and carefully guides me down to a lower branch, one that’s sturdy and thick.
He steps out onto the branch and eases me down next to where the branch meets the trunk.
“Here. Sit.”
