Angel of Mine

by Jessica Louise

  When I yawn and go to stretch, my phone rings again; I flop back into the mountain of pillows that surround me and then reach across for it. Theo’s name flashes across the screen. Barely stopping myself from jumping up in anticipation, I manage to hold myself at a sitting position with only a few bounces on the spot instead.

  I take a deep breath to calm my increasingly racing heart before answering with a timid, “Hello?”

  My nails quickly find their way to my mouth and I chew like crazy, waiting to hear what he wants. His familiar deep voice rumbles across the line. “Hi Ally. It’s Theo. How are you feeling today?”

  Instantly better now that you’ve called. Your voice has brightened my whole day. Those are the first things that come to mind, but I go with a safe approach and say, “I’m doing much better today. Thank you.”

  “That’s great Ally.” He must have moved his mouth away from the phone because I hear the muffled clearing of his throat. “I was hoping you might be up for a picnic today. I’d like to take you on a date.”

  My bouncing gets higher as my excitement builds, and I accidentally fall off the bed with a loud crash onto the hard wooden floor. Whoops. “Ally, what was that? Are you okay? Ally?”

  Scrambling back on to the bed, I lie so that I don’t look like a fool. “I’m fine… Uh, I just dropped something by accident.” My voice is a little jumpy, and I take a deep breath to try to steady it. “A picnic sounds lovely. What time? Should I meet you there? Would you like me to bring anything?”

  “I’ll take care of everything and will pick you up from your place around midday, if that’s okay?”

  Glancing at the clock again, I mentally calculate how long that gives me to get ready. Hmm, just under four hours should be plenty of time. “That will be perfect. I’ll see you soon Theo.” After he says good-bye and we hang up, I make a mad dash to my closet.

  Searching for something to wear on my first real date makes me wish I had a close girlfriend to help with times just like this. I don’t get too depressed in the thought though because I’m too ecstatic that Theo asked me out.

  I yank a sundress off the hanger thinking that the colour of it is a perfect match to Theo’s eyes, and scan my shelves to locate some black tights to wear underneath it. Once found, I lay the outfit down on my bed, and head for the bathroom to get ready.

  Taking my time, I wash my hair in my vanilla shampoo and conditioner. All my favourite lotions and potions help make my skin smell delicious and feel soft and smooth. Once I’ve done a thorough job, I step out of the shower and sink my feet on to the woollen rug in front of the mirror.

  Wanting not to go over the top but still look nice, I pull out my hair dryer, foundation, mascara, and lip-gloss and get to work. I’m happy with the result, and think I look pretty, but not too made up.

  The sounds from the TV out in the lounge make me remember that I haven’t told Mum I’m heading out for lunch yet. She lifts her head as I enter the room. “You look dressed up Ally. Are you going out somewhere?”

  My smile is so wide that my face actually hurts. I nod my head. “I have a date.”

  Her face looks weary as she questions, “The boy from the hospital?”

  With a few steps, I’m sitting down beside her on the couch. Placing my hand on her knee, I answer, “His name is Theo. Remember Mum? We are going on a picnic. He should be here to pick me up any minute.”

  Mum places her other hand on top of mine and rubs it in a comforting way. “I’m happy for you sweetie. He seems like a truly kind, caring guy. After he took you to the hospital the other day, I am tremendously grateful to him. Just make sure you are still cautious though, okay darlin’?”

  I stand up to pace anxiously while I wait. “I will be Mum.”

  She stands up and pulls me into a hug. “Calm down. You look beautiful, and besides, it’s just a picnic. There’s no reason to be so worried. It’s going to be great, and you will have so much fun.” She kisses the top of my head, soothing me, and I feel the nervous energy as it makes its escape from my body. She can read me like a book and always knows exactly what to say.

  A loud knock sounds through the house, and I practically skip to the front door in my enthusiasm to see his handsome face. He is standing there with two of the largest bouquets of roses I have ever seen. My smile threatens to split my face.

  “These are for you Ally. I’m glad you are feeling better.” He hands me the arrangement of pink and white roses. Their scent engulfs me, almost putting me in a dream-like state. I feel as though he’s sweeping me off my feet just like the female lead in one of the many romance movies I’ve seen.

  “You’re beautiful,” slips off my tongue by mistake, and I quickly backtrack. “They’re beautiful. The flowers I mean. Not that you’re not. I mean, umm. I’m going to put these in some water.” Quickly turning, I walk briskly to the kitchen to find a vase and attempt to hide my bright red face.

  Once I have recovered, and sorted the flowers, I turn and see through the doorway that Theo has given my mum the yellow bunch of roses. He’s downright won her over by the sweet gesture. My heart melts a little. He is so romantic and charming.

  I’m about to step back into the room, but when they start talking I can’t help but pause off to the side where they can’t see me and eavesdrop on their conversation. “You have an amazing daughter Carol, and you should be very proud.” My heart skips a beat; he thinks I’m amazing.

  “Look Theo, I’m going to get right to the point. Ally is amazing. Actually, she is more than amazing. She’s special, and I have done everything in my power to keep her safe over the years.” Where is she going with this? I inch closer to the door way and try to peek around and get a read on them both. My breath catches. Theo is shifting from foot to foot uncomfortably, and Mum has on her ‘don’t mess with me; I mean business’ face. In the past, that face has almost been enough to make me wet my pants. She can be scary when she wants to be.

  I know she means well, but she is going to have him running for the hills if I don’t intervene. How do I fix this? Do I stroll in and just try to change the topic? Knowing Mum, she won’t just drop it. Maybe I should accidentally drop the vase and create a diversion.

  While I procrastinate, Mum goes full steam ahead, making an even further mess of things. “I know that you are aware of what Ally can do. If you tell anyone, I will wring your bloody neck, and I’ll make sure Ally isn’t around to heal you.” I step around the corner just as she jabs her index finger into his chest.

  “Mum,” I hiss. “Leave him alone. He isn’t going to tell anyone.” So much for her starting to treat me like a grown up. I’m too humiliated to look at Theo, but I hear him laughing nervously behind me.

  “Carol, if I ever do anything to hurt Ally, I will kick my own ass… uhm, I mean bottom… uhm, I mean, sorry about the language.” He coughs awkwardly and then tries again. “I promise I will never purposefully hurt your daughter. I think she is incredible.”

  Wow, Alex was right. Theo is a smooth talker. I turn around and beam up at him. “You think I’m incredible?” I know I’m fishing for compliments, but I seriously want to hear it again.

  “Only the most incredible person I have ever met.” He smiles warmly, and my heart swells. My brain is turning the moment into a fairy tale; that is until I hear my mother loudly clearing her throat behind me.

  “Alright you two lovebirds, off you go. Take exceptional care of her Theo, okay? I’ve got my eye on you.” How embarrassing! I whirl around on the spot and glare at her.

  “The very best,” he assures her, causing my glare to soften and my heart to melt. I’m seriously crushing on this hot guy who wants to take care of me, the very best of care. He moves up beside me and places his hand at my lower back. “Are you ready?” I nod my head, and we say good-bye to Mum. He gently guides me to the door, and we are on our way.

  Straddling the bench with my legs swinging back and forth, I watch as Theo places items around the table. As I take in just how much ef
fort he has put into this, I start to feel giddy.

  The pasta bake looks divine and must still be warm because as he pulls the lid back, steam rises, and a creamy garlic scent hits me. There is fresh fruit salad with strawberries, grapes, and watermelon along with pink iced cupcakes that are making my mouth water.

  Not able to hold off any longer, I swipe my finger through the tempting, fluffy pink frosting. Seeing movement from the corner of my eye, I think Theo is about to swat my hand away and am shocked when he gently grabs my wrist. He glides my hand upwards ever so slowly towards his mouth.

  Everything around me stops as I feel a lump forming in my throat, and suddenly, I can’t breathe. The tip of his tongue circles around my finger before his warm mouth encloses over it.

  His eyes are smouldering, heating me instantly. I swallow hard. Oh my. “Mmm,” he moans his approval. Unable to move, I just stare up at him.

  The pulse in her neck is beating so hard that I can see it. I actually want to move on to that exact spot, but she is looking up at me all doe-eyed and innocent. I know I have to take this slowly and give her room to breathe.

  As I place her hand in her lap again and step back, her legs resume swinging, and she visually relaxes. “I hope you like pasta bake,” I say.

  “It smells delicious,” she replies. Our hands bump into each other as we reach for plates at the same time.

  “Please let me, take a seat.” Giggling she sits back down and I go about fixing us both a plate of pasta. I straddle the same seat she is on, at the other end facing her, and place the two plates between us.

  She clinks her fork with mine, says, “Cheers,” and we both dig in. The mannerisms she uses really do something to me such as the way she closes her eyes and savours each bite. I can see how she chews slowly and lets the taste sit in her mouth for a while before delicately swallowing and causing the small muscles to ripple down her throat, drawing my attention there. If I were able to sit and simply stare at her the whole time without looking like a freak, I happily would.

  “So Theo, what’s your story? Why did you move here? What do you do you for a living?” She mimics my questions from the other day to her. Well, I guess I can’t tell her everything about myself, but I can certainly leave out the horrible memories from the past couple of years.

  His eyes cloud over for an instant, but still long enough to spark my interest before they clear. Thoughtfully, he answers, “My mother wanted a change of scenery. We used to live in the city, but it’s much more peaceful here. I like it better. I took a break from uni but was studying architecture and would love to get back in to the course next semester.”

  It seems as though he doesn’t like to talk about himself too much, so I don’t push too deeply for answers. I’m still curious though, and I haven’t even started to skim the surface yet.

  “So who do you live with here? I already met Alex, and you said your mum wanted to move here, as well. What about your dad? Is he in the picture?” His face lights up when I mention his dad, and I know they must be close.

  “He travels a lot for work, but he’s due back any day now.”

  He smiles warmly, so I press a little further on the topic. “What does he do for work? What about your mum and Alex, do they work?”

  “Dad’s a consultant for a company that has clients spread all over the country, hence the travelling. Mum stopped working a couple of years back, and Alex has just enrolled at the local high school, hoping to finish up his final year.” A great sense of pride clearly shows on his face as he speaks of his brother. This, along with seeing them in the park playing football together quite a few times, proves the notion that they are the best of mates.

  I’m beginning to feel like a robot asking all the typical date questions that I see in the books I read and fear I’m the most tedious company in the world. He must see me tense up because he places his hand on my arm and lightly squeezes, “Relax Ally.”

  Easier said than done. Using my plastic fork, I eat the last few bits of pasta for something to do while I’m floundering around for another question. “That was delicious. Did you make it yourself?”

  “I wish,” he chuckles. “When Mum found out that I had a date, she became excited, and wanting me to make a favourable impression, she insisted she would help with the food. She is a terrific chef. That’s actually what she used to do before she stopped working. You should come over for a barbecue when Dad gets back. They would both love to meet you, and you could try some more of my mum’s excellent cooking. What do you think?”

  “I would love that.” I start to relax, and the conversation flows more naturally. Theo tells me more about himself, his love for football, and the fishing trips he used to go on with his brother and father every summer.

  “The stream we used to fish in was so clear that you could see everything below the surface, all the way to the bottom. The best skipping stones lined the bed of the stream. Whenever Alex and I got bored of fishing, we used to have competitions of who could skip them the furthest.” His eyes become distant for a moment as he relives the memory.

  “Dad didn’t like that much. He always used to say ‘Stop splashing. You boys are going to scare off the fish, and I’m just about to make the biggest catch of the day’.” The way that he imitates his dad’s booming voice makes me smile.

  I listen intently as he tells me all about the campgrounds and the river that runs through it. He leaves no detail out, and I feel like I’m right there back in time with them, listening to the small waterfalls while jumping from one flat rock to another around the water’s edge. “We had to miss the past couple of summers there, but I’m excited that we will get to go this year.”

  “Sounds like fun. I would love to go one day.” Eeek, I hope that doesn’t make me sound as though I’m inviting myself or becoming clingy.

  “I would love you to come see the area. It’s like a little piece of heaven on Earth, and I would love to share it with you.” Phew, I guess I wasn’t overstepping the mark saying that I would love to go.

  He talks excitedly about a couple of his best mates from back home and the mischief they would get in to back in their school days. “Jason is guaranteed to make you laugh. I swear one day, we will see him at a famous comedy festival somewhere. One time he spent the whole day miming, just for the hell of it. He didn’t talk at all. It drove the teachers crazy. At lunch time, we got out our felt pens and drew a clown face on him; it was hilarious.” He chuckles, and I laugh right along with him.

  His friends sound like a hoot, and I would love to meet all of them one day. In turn, he asks about my friends, and I sadly inform him that I don’t actually have any since I’m home schooled and it is so hard to go out and meet people. He rubs my shoulder gently and warms my heart when he proclaims, “Well, you have me now.”

  Feeling much more comfortable now that we are getting to know each other better, I reach over for a piece of watermelon and take a bite. My teeth sink in to the sweet fruit, and I feel the juices start to dribble down my face. Crap! I’ve never had to think about eating something like this in front of a guy before. How mortifying. Quickly turning to find a napkin, I feel his fingers graze over my chin, catching the mess I made. As he traces his fingers over my lips, I place the watermelon down onto the plate, watching as his eyes darken in front of me.

  He leans into my ear and lowers his voice, “Ally, your chin is all sticky. What am I going to do with you?” I’m frozen on the spot and physically unable to reply. I want him to kiss me so much, but I’m too scared to make the first move. What if I’m no good at it? I’ve never done this before. Maybe I should have practiced kissing on my hand after all. The idea doesn’t seem so dorky now. The thought makes a small giggle inappropriately escape.

  He stays beside my ear, breathing heavily, and I feel him reach for something on the table behind me. A moment later, he wipes a napkin lightly over my chin. Disappointment stabs me at the thought that I’m not going to receive my first kiss after all, and I swipe at
the remnants of the juice on my lips with my tongue.

  Suddenly I find his face mere centimetres from mine. “I’m going to kiss you now Ally.” His voice sounds hungry, and he speaks the words into my mouth. My heart stops as he presses his lips to mine, then he gently sucks on my bottom lip, and the beats pick back up double time. I copy his actions and hope I am doing this right. It certainly feels incredible.

  His mouth is warm and soft, and I can taste the pasta bake we just ate. I like the flavour of it much better this time around. Our tongues are moving perfectly in harmony with each other. My body is on fire, and I can’t get near enough to him. As we move closer together, our plates make a clattering noise as they fall to the ground. He starts to pull me onto his lap, and the motion brings me crashing back to earth. I was just mauling him like some kind of crazed animal! Scrambling away, I cover my face with my hands and groan.

  Chancing a small peek between my fingers, I explain, “I’m so sorry. I don’t know what came over me.” Sliding up to me, he pulls my hands away and cradles my face. My eyes scan the seat. I can feel my heated cheeks under his cool touch, and I’m beyond humiliated.

  “Ally, look at me.” Reluctantly, I lift my gaze to meet his. The desire that is still in them melts me. Maybe I didn’t scare him off by acting like a wild animal. “Have you had much experience with this before?”

  There is no judgment in his voice, but my lack of knowledge has me shrinking into the seat as I quietly reply a short, “No,” and look back down again.

  He tilts my face back up. “You have nothing to be ashamed about Ally. That’s normal behaviour for two people so strongly attracted to each other.” He smiles widely. “Hell, that was bloody incredible. It was out of this world. Please do not be embarrassed.” Biting on my lower lip, I nod my head to let him know that I understand.