Page 3 of Lily

3

Lily

That night, I’m a bundle of nerves. After I shower and fix my hair into soft waves that fall down my back, I slip into a modest knee-length dress with black tights underneath and a dark blue peacoat. A pair of ankle boots complete the ensemble.

Devin shows up at Seven o’clock on the dot. I open the door and swallow hard. He’s dressed in snug dark-wash jeans and a black button-down shirt with a dark grey coat over the top. The clothes are perfectly tailored and show the incredibly attractive lines of his body.

“Wow,” he says, eyes trailing over my form. “You look beautiful.” I feel my face heat up, but I smile.

“Thank you. You look very handsome.”

He holds out his arm to me, and I take it, pausing to lock my door before we make our way to his car. I hesitate when he leads us up to a sleek silver Mercedes.

“Thisis your car?”

“Yes…” He looks at me with a slightly furrowed brow. “Do you not like it?”

“No, it’s not that. It’s beautiful; I’m just surprised. I don’t know many college students with cars like this.”

“Really? I thought it was quite common in California.”

“Well, I suppose in LA and maybe further north, but in smaller towns like this, it’s not all that common.”

“I can’t say I ever noticed, to be honest,” he says and opens the door for me. I slide into the expensive leather seat and look in awe at the immaculate interior. He gets into the driver’s seat, and we are off to the Italian restaurant, Vinnie’s.

“I’ve completely fallen in love with this place since I’ve been in the states,” he says as we make our way inside.

“Hello, reservation for Whitethorn.”

“Yes, sir, right, this way.”

The hostess leads us to a secluded table toward the back of the restaurant.

“I always get the eggplant parmesan; it’s amazing. But the cannolis are to die for.” Italian is my favorite kind of food, too. I’m continuously surprised every time Devin and I share a love for the same things. For me, this is just another sign that this is meant to be.

I’m totally in love.

“I always get the Bolognese; it’s an old family recipe passed down in the owner’s family. I’ve never had anything so delicious. But I do agree with you on the cannolis. I can’t come here without eating at least one.”

Our meals come quickly, and we chat throughout dinner about our families and our majors in school. More often than not, our paths are so similar it’s crazy.

“Hey, what do you say we get some cannolis to go and hang out at my place. A little Netflix and chill?”

“That sounds like a perfect end to the evening.” Devin smiles and waves down the waiter, ordering dessert to go and paying the bill. In a few minutes, we are on our way.

Back at my place, I brew a strong pot of black tea and set it out on the coffee table with cream and sugar, and Devin pops open the container of cannolis.

“Have you seenThe Witcher?” I ask, flipping on the TV.

“No, I can’t say that I have. I’ve heard good things, though,” Devin replies.

“I haven’t seen it yet either. Does that one sound good?” Devin nods enthusiastically, and we sink into the sofa as the first episode begins, and we start on our dessert.

Three episodes and four cannolis later, I am feeling happy and full. I look over at Devin, who is watching the screen with rapt attention. He got a smear of cream at the corner of his mouth. I lick my lips and lean over, pressing my lips to his. Devin looks surprised for a moment before leaning in and returning my kiss sweetly. He’s gentle and not at all demanding. I get the feeling that he wasn’t even expecting this, much less even more intimacy.

I’m not usually the kind of girl who does anything on the first date, even kissing. But I feel like I’ve known him forever, and everything just feels so right. I push my body closer to his and swing my leg over so that I’m sitting in his lap. I dig my fingers into his perfect golden curls and press my lips even more onto his. He groans into my mouth and grasps my hips firmly.

“Naughty,” he moans when I pull away to kiss my way down his neck.

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