Page 109 of Nineteen Letters

The nineteenth of December 2006. That was our first official date. It was either coincidence or fate that it was on the nineteenth. The restaurant was booked out weeks in advance, and this was the only day I could get. It was a Tuesday, but you were on school holidays, and I didn’t have to start uni for another few months. It also happened to be the day before my eighteenth birthday.

I’d made reservations for us at The Sea Shanty. It had been my mother’s favourite restaurant. My father would take us there on special occasions. It was also the fanciest place I knew.

After dropping you off at work that morning, I headed to the shops to buy a new shirt and some flowers.

That afternoon when we pulled into your driveway, I turned off the car. “Can I take you out on a date, Jem? A proper one.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

We’d been a couple for almost a month and although we’d spent every day together, I’d never taken you anywhere nice.

“Okay, I’ll run inside and change.”

“I don’t think you understand. This is a date date. I’m taking you out to a fancy restaurant. You’ll need to dress up.”

“Okay,” you said as your face lit up.

I unbuckled my seatbelt and leaned across to brush my lips against yours. “I’ll pick you up at seven.”

There was a huge smile on your face as I helped you out of the car. “I’m so excited,” you squealed. “Our first official date.”

I showered and shaved before dressing in my new clothes. I wanted to look nice for you. I even snuck into my dad’s room and used his cologne.

It was just before seven when I knocked on your front door. Surprisingly, I wasn’t nervous. Like you, I was excited and eager to see you all dressed up.

Your father answered the door. “Come in,” he said. “They’re upstairs. Christine’s been helping Jemma get ready. They’ve been up there for hours. You know what women are like.” I chuckled when he rolled his eyes.“Jemma, Braxton’s here,” he called out from the base of the stairs.

Tingles ran the length of my spine as you made your way down the stairs a few minutes later. I can’t even put into words how beautiful you looked. The first time I’d seen you all dressed up was on your thirteenth birthday, but tonight you didn’t look like a beautiful young girl, you looked like a sexy-as-hell woman.

Your mum had curled your long brown hair and pinned one side back with a yellow flower. There was a hint of make-up on your face, which made you look so much older than your seventeen years. The sexy yellow dress hugged your body perfectly and stopped mid-thigh, accentuating your long tanned legs. My eyes slowly travelled down your body, drinking in every inch of you.

I swallowed hard before finally releasing the breath I’d been holding. “You can close your mouth now, son,” your dad murmured as he stalked into the kitchen.

“You look stunning,” I said as you came to a stop in front of me. “These are for you.” Even the flowers I bought you matched your dress.

“I love them.” Your face lit up as you gazed down at the bouquet, and it made my heart race. “They’re the most beautiful flowers I’ve ever seen.”

The bouquet didn’t hold a candle to your beauty. After bringing them to your nose and inhaling their fragrance, you leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on my lips.

As we walked towards your car, you rummaged around inside your bag.

“Did you forget something?”

“No, I’m searching for a tissue so I can wipe my lipstick off. I’m dying to kiss you properly.”

Your comment made me laugh. I was starting to believe that if you could be permanently attached yourself to my lips, you would.

“Wow, this place looks busy.”

Once we were seated at the restaurant, I watched you as your eyes scanned our surroundings. You always did that wherever you went; you’d been doing it since we were kids.

“Have you noticed nothing matches in here?”

I hadn’t, but it was evident that the interior designer was already burning brightly inside you, even though you had yet to make a career choice.

The waitress brought our menus over and we ordered two Cokes. “You should try the lobster mornay,” I suggested. “My mum always ordered that when we came here. She said it was the best she’d ever had.”