Page 7 of Lily
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LILY
The following day is my first day off in two weeks, and other than my date tonight with Ben, I plan on doing nothing.
I sit on the side of the tub and turn on the faucet for the hot water. I wiggle my fingers under the running water waiting for it to heat up. I grab the apothecary canister on the edge of the tub and drop in one of the bath bombs. I watch as the hot water starts to dissolve the colorful ball, and the bathroom begins to smell like lilacs.
I stand up and tug at the tie on my robe, and it falls open. I roll my shoulders, and the terrycloth fabric falls to a puddle at my feet on the floor. I glance in the mirror hanging on the wall. My hair is still pulled up in the buns I wore last night for the costume.
I think about the drawing of The Scarlet Inferno, comparing the sharp angles of her narrow hips to my softer curves. I can’t help but wonder if Ben will be as interested in me when I’m not in costume. When he can see the dips and swells of my naked body against the hard body of his fantasy?
I glance over and see the tub is filled halfway, and I quickly turn off the faucet. I grab my tablet reader off the bathroom counter and set it on the toilet's lid as I step into the steaming water. It burns but not enough for me to add more cold water. I like the feeling of the hot water prickling on my skin as I lower myself into the tub.
The heat warms my body, and I relax into the fragrant water. I run my hands through the water, letting it splash against the parts of my body that aren’t submerged. After a few minutes, I grab the tablet and swipe it open.
I open the ebook and start the book club assignment. I’m surprised by how much I enjoy how quickly the story moves along. I get lost in the story and enjoy the role reversal of the characters from a typical romance book.
I can't help but notice the similarities between Ben and the main character James. They each have an unassuming nature that I find endearing and not in a patronizing way. I can believe that this guy is a virgin despite the “what’s wrong with them?” stigma that society puts on anyone who hasn’t had sex by the time they are twenty.
I finish the story before the water gets cold. I like the feeling of satisfaction enjoying a full story without spending so much time reading it. It gives you more time to find other stories to devour in one sitting.
I get out of the tub before I turn into a prune for my date tonight. Ben mentioned taking me to dinner, but he didn’t say where we were going. I decide to keep it simple a floral skirt and a pink sweater.
BEN
I haven’t been able to get Lily out of my mind since she left the shop yesterday. For the first time in my life, I felt connected with the woman, and I wanted to do something more with her. It wasn't just a physical reaction to her, although my dick’s been hard ever since she kissed me.
I grew up a short, skinny kid that girls looked through. I didn’t even have the benefit of doing well in school so that my brains could allow me to spend time tutoring some of them. I got so used to being invisible that I get an uneasy feeling when a woman does take notice of me. Is it because she needs something from me that she is paying me any attention tome? I know I don’t look it anymore, but I still feel like the unwanted kid I was growing up. It's why I've never gotten serious with any woman before. Instead, I retreat to the fantasy I can make up in my head that wouldn’t hurt me.
But with Lily, the connection I felt was almost instant. It’s unexplainable. She didn’t look through me. She didn’t want something from me. It’s like she’s the first woman to see the real me, and I don’t want to mess it up.
I pull up in front of her apartment building. I’m about to get out when I notice her walking out the front door. The wind picks up and her skirt flutters in the wind, showing off the shapeliness of her legs.
I've been on dates before, but this one feels different. Maybe it's because, for the first time, I want something more. I'm not scared but excited by what the future could hold.
I open the door and circle around the car to open the passenger door for Lily. She smiles at the old-fashioned gesture as she takes the last few steps down her front porch stoop.
"Aren't you a gentleman," she smiles, and my heart thumps wildly in my chest.
“You look beautiful,” I breathe out.
She looks down at her outfit. "I wasn't sure where we were going, so I took a chance that this outfit would be okay."
“It’s perfect.”
I can smell the soft scent of lilac on her skin as she passes me and gets into the car. My dick twitches and I use the time to walk slowly around to the driver’s side to calm myself down before I get in.
“I know yesterday I invited you to dinner, but what would you say to going to the park on the pier?”
“I love that idea!” She smiles.
