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Jack

Like a lovesick puppy, I followed her bouncing arse up the stairs, and into our bedroom, our bedroom, because I was never letting her go.

In seconds, her Lycra leggings, T-shirt, sports bra, and socks were strewn in a path towards the shower.

I stopped at the bathroom door, as she switched the shower on, waiting for steam to fill the room.

She stepped up to me, naked apart from a tiny thong framing her hips with desire in her eyes.

Arms around my neck, she dragged me down for a kiss and I stroked my hands down her waist since I couldn’t keep my hands off her.

“Wanna join, lamb?”

“This one’s all yours, I’ll sort dinner.” She pouted and I smacked her bum. “Shower, I’ll see you downstairs.” I shut the door before she could argue and rushed around the bedroom.

I grabbed her clothes from the floor, depositing them in the clothes basket, and ran into my wardrobe to change.

Picking the brown-grey mottled double-breasted suit, white shirt, and olive green tie that she loved so much was non-negotiable since I’d found out that was her favourite combination.

I hadn’t worn a suit since the day I found her, and it was nice to dress up for the right reasons.

I grabbed the large gift bag, placing it on the bed ready for her to find, with a note.

For my girl. See you downstairs.

Lamb.

Inside was a dress that Frannie had suggested, a pair of heels, and some earrings. I’d told Willow I had a meeting this afternoon, so couldn’t take her to the gym. Instead, I had a dress to collect and earrings to pick up.

We’d started our relationship living together, and while our new routine was everything, I was gasping to take her for dinner and show her off to the world.

My plan couldn’t come at a better time. She had such a sad little face before leaving for the gym, and I hoped our first date would bring a smile to it again.

I rushed downstairs and waited nervously.

Ten minutes later, I heard the shower stop and the bathroom door open.

Holding my breath, a surprised gasp came, and I chuckled into my glass of wine.

She was so easy to please, and it was a joy to please her.

I spent the next forty-five minutes ensuring the dogs were fed and toileted, scrolling through my phone and shooting Frannie a text thanking her for her help.

Light footsteps down the stairs caught my attention, and I moved from the living room to the hallway to greet her. And what a vision she was.

The dress was a black, figure-hugging halter-neck with thick straps over her shoulders and round her neck. It glided over every curve that I loved to flex my fingers on, finishing just below her calves. Her feet were encased in black stilettos that Frannie had relinquished, unworn.

Reaching the hallway, Willow fidgeted, unsure what to do with herself. Her lips were lacquered berry red, her eyes framed with long, dark lashes and cheeks enhanced with a matching berry blush. Her hair was tousled into bouncy curls.

“Well, aren’t you the most beautiful girl in the world?” Her blush deepened, and when she glanced up at me, she looked sad. “What’s wrong, sweetheart?”

“It’s too much, Jack,” she whispered.

“What is?”

“I know how much an Odd Muse dress is, and these earrings can’t have been cheap.” She brushed her hair behind her ear on one side to reveal the gold jewellery that hung like a waterfall from her ears.

“If a guy can’t treat his girl to an outfit and earrings, there’s something deeply wrong. Please, sweetheart, let me spend my CEO money on something other than my daughter’s shoe obsession or dogs.”

She giggled and nodded. Spinning around, she bloomed with confidence.

“Are you happy with it?”

“Are you happy with it?”

Her eyes widened as if that hadn’t occurred to her. She brushed her palms down her thighs.

“I love it, thank you.”

“Perfect.” I held out her coat. “Come on, we can’t be late for our first date.”

Her eyes snapped to mine.

“That explains why you’re wearing that suit,” she hummed, and I smiled. Knowing she was as attracted to me as I was to her made the six years of dreaming worth it.

After helping her into the car, we took the short journey to the Quayside. Willow’s excited chatter lessened the closer we got, as she mused at the view beyond the window.

The quayside was always buzzing with life, but it was at night when it shone the brightest. The River Tyne was flanked with multiple bridges, connecting Gateshead in the south with Newcastle City Centre in the north .

Each bridge lit up the sky, but it was the Millennium Bridge that stood out from the crowd.

Its curved arch acted as the eye to the river, lifting and ‘blinking’ for incoming boats.

At night, lit with changing colours which made for a popular tourist attraction.

On the south side of the river, was the Sage concert hall, a glass caterpillar-like building connecting music from the globe.

It was the tall ex-flour mill that I had my sights on tonight, though.

The Baltic was now a modern art gallery with views of the Tyne and all her bridges in full force.

As we stepped into the glass lift, Willow pressed herself against the window, watching the view in awe. I placed my arms on either side of her.

“It’s beautiful,” she whispered, her voice thick with emotion.

“Yes, you are,” I whispered in her ear. She turned in my arms, kissing me softly.

The lift pinged to highlight our arrival, and I took her hand. I’d booked a table with a view at Six, the rooftop restaurant. I was stopping at nothing to make sure my girl felt as special as she was. Once we were seated with a glass of wine each, Willow took my hand.

“This is without a doubt, the best first date I’ve ever been on. I think it’s the only first date I’ve been on, now I think of it.”

The idea she’d been treated less than she was worth both irked me and made me swell with pride. I shrugged.

“We’ve not started conventionally but you deserve the first date with a man who’d walk across minefields for you.” She blushed and took a sip of wine. “You have no idea how special you are, do you?” She fiddled with invisible lint on her dress before looking up at me, her expression vulnerable.

“I’m trying.”

“That’s okay, sweetheart. I’ll show you every day.”

For the next two hours, we enjoyed the nine-course tasting experience with locally sourced ingredients and enjoyed the view.

I discovered she was a big fan of anything cheesy after I shunned my cheese course and her eyes lit up.

We discussed our hopes for the future, deciding by the end of the year, we’d be planning a holiday, preferably abroad and hot.

Who was I to argue at the idea of Willow in a tiny bikini?

By the end of the night, Willow’s chair was closer, and we were in a bubble of our own, the restaurant quieter than when we arrived. She brushed my lip of a missed drop of wine.

“Let’s go home, lamb.”

Keen to have her out of the dress and in my bed as soon as possible, I paid the bill and grabbed our coats.

Leaving the building, I started the short journey to the car, but realised Willow had ventured in the opposite direction, making her way across the Millennium Bridge.

I caught up with her, taking her hand until she stopped in the centre.

Where most might focus on the view down the river, her head was turned to the right.

Following her line of sight, I found the one thing I’d hoped she wouldn’t focus on tonight.

Looming over the twinkling river, was The Prestige Hotel and the dark reminder of a night not so long ago that I was sure would haunt Willow for the foreseeable.

“I hoped you wouldn’t notice it.” I bracketed her against the railing, her hair breezing in the cool wind.

“It’s not exactly going anywhere, lamb. And it’s not the building’s fault. It’s quite a nice reminder of how far I’ve come. I’m a completely different Willow to the one that left that building. I’m proud.”

I wrapped my arms around her, nuzzling into her neck.

“I’m proud of you, too.”

The faint hum of strings floated through the air – a busker perched along the river. Taking this as my opportunity to twist a bad memory into special one, I hugged her closer and swayed our bodies together.

“What are you doing?” She giggled in my embrace. With her hand in mine, I spun her from my chest until she was at arm’s length, her smile wide and her blush deep.

“What do you think I’m doing?” I tugged her back to me, a palm to her back, the other cupping her jaw. Her eyes darted around as people passed.

“People are looking, Jack.”

“Let them. Let them stare and crave what we have. I’ve waited far too long to claim this, to dance with you beneath the stars. You’re mine, Willow, and I’m yours. Let me love us unashamedly.”

Air caught in her lungs as I almost declared my love for her in front of the haunted hotel as we swayed in the dark night, lit only by the changing colours from the arch above us.

The girl in my arms was everything I’d ever hoped for and more.

Every dream and desire for our limited friendship had led to this.

While I never expected my dreams to come true, they had.

Our possibilities were endless, and I was both desperate to find out discover our future and savour the present.

Time passed, wrapped up in each other, and when shivers wracked through her body, I took her hand, tugging her to the car and taking her home.

I locked the door behind me, watching the sumptuous figure of my girlfriend glide into the kitchen to make a cup of decaf tea.

I let the dogs out into the back garden and watched her from the French doors as she milled around the kitchen like it was the most natural thing in the world.

The notion that my home was fast becoming hers was nothing short of a fairytale .

With the dogs inside, I removed my coat, placing it on the back of a bar stool and began to undo my suit until I was interrupted by Willow.

“Leave the suit on,” she spoke clearly, though her attention was with the tea in her hands.

“What?”

Slowly her head turned with hazy eyes.

“Leave. The. Suit. On.”