Everything She Needs (The Everything Trilogy) (37 page)

“You’re leaving?”

He smirked. “Do you normally put out before you date?” I smiled, but my jaw gaped. I had slept with all four of my partners without dating them first. Max was the only one who bought me dinner, but that still wasn’t a date.

“Not at all.”
Well, it wasn’t a lie, but Alfie had no idea I was agreeing for different reasons. 

“Exactly!
So I’ll have you when I earn you, so I need to be fearless. By the time I’m done, Lily, you will beg me to take you.” He grinned cheekily and wiggled his brows. It got me every time. He was so sexy when he was playful.

He opened the door and gave me his lopsided smile, the one with the dimple. “See you tomorrow.” He stepped outside into the hallway and pulled the door closed behind him. I heard a dull thud and looked through the peep hole.

Alfie’s face was right next to it. He was standing with his head leaning against the door. My instincts were to pull it open again, but he was right, we needed to go slowly this time.

I couldn’t
sleep, I was too excited and overthinking how our situation would play out. I eventually fell asleep with the light on as I had tried to do some lyrics when sleep seemed impossible. I woke to two incoming texts in rapid succession. SEXPERT ID.

SEXPERT: Good morning, beautiful :kiss emoticon x

SEXPERT: Hello gorgeous lady, would you do me the honor of coming out on a date with me this evening. Before you say it, your friends can come too. I’ll just have to be ingenious in finding a way to spend a little alone time with you.

I smiled. He was serious about this dating thing. I texted back.

Pink Lady: sure I’ll go out with you and my friends. Safety in numbers, right?  Remember, I never put out on the first date, and you’re paying. Where are you taking me?

SEXPERT: I thought that you might as well find out about my cringeworthy side sooner rather than later. We’re going dancing, and there is live entertainment.

Hmm, no different from any other night in my life, but at least he was trying to spend time in public with me. Besides Jack and Elle will probably like it after their traveling to get here. It’ll be a good start to their holiday.

SEXPERT: Be ready at 6:45pm I want a long evening with you.

Pink Lady: looking forward to it.

SEXPERT: Okay, now the date is organized. I guess I have to make up for lost time during this past year. I once promised you breakfast at mine, and as tasty as it was, it wasn’t perhaps very caloric. Check out your front door.

Was he outside again? I slid out of bed, pulled my robe on
, and walked quickly to the front door. I looked through the peep hole and felt disappointed that he wasn’t standing there.

I opened the door and there was a silver tray complete with a Calla Lily, a glass of orange juice, pancakes and maple syrup, fruit and some toast.

Everything I would normally order if I went out for breakfast. I had only had breakfast with Alfie in London once, and we had bagels.  He had once asked me what I had when I went to breakfast with Saffy, and he had obviously remembered exactly what I’d told him.

The Calla Lily placed on the tray signified beauty and purity. I was named after it, after all. I picked the tray up with a smile on my face and took it inside, kicking the door closed with my heel. I took it out on the balcony and
set it down on the table. I then composed a text back.

Pink Lady: Thank you for my delicious breakfast, I love it, you even remembered the maple syrup. <3

SEXPERT: Lily you and maple syrup are now my newest fantasy, glad you love it, I love you. <3

I ate my breakfast and as I was removing the plate from the tray there was a handwritten note under it. I unfolded it with a feeling of excitement, my hands were shaking, and I was grinning at his attempt at romance.

To my beautiful, incredible, amazing girl who holds my heart.

Today my life is perfect. Thank you, darling
, for giving me another chance. I won’t squander it, I promise. I love you too much to ever let you go again. I will try with all of my heart never to let you down in the future. You make the sun shine brighter, music sound sweeter, my heart feel fuller. I could never do justice to how I feel about you or the love I have for you by trying to express those feelings in words. I need you to breathe. You are like pure oxygen to me. When I touch you we are amazingly connected. I think somehow my feelings radiate throughout your body. Your feelings ignite mine. You once gave me the perfect lyric for my favorite song, Music is the sound of feelings. I hope when I next play for you, you’ll listen to my feelings for you. Until then knowyou hav
e
my heart, my body, my soul, all that I am. I am yours, and you are mine, always and forever. I love you, the words are hollow and nowhere near what I want to convey to you, Lily, but I will do whatever it takes to be everything you need.

Alfie X
  

I held the note close to my heart, and closed my eyes. This was all I had ever wanted from him. I prayed we could work it out, because his note mirrored my own feelings towards him. He was my ‘everything’.

I spent the morning cleaning the apartment and preening myself for my date with Alfie. I still had two hours before Jack and Elle’s flight landed
, and everything was done.

Each time I stopped working I thought too much about our circumstances. I was fighting conflicting feelings that kept gripping me about taking our relationship forward.

Trying to reason it out, I still came up with the same nagging doubts. He was now based in London, and I was based here. How often would we see each other?  I wouldn’t be finished with my college course for two more years.  Then there was the band to consider.

I didn’t
think that XrAid would progress any time soon from the band that we were to playing bigger gigs with other bands. We were good, but we had some way to go to be as good as Alfie’s band.  They had been signed, and they were going places. I knew in my heart that Alfie was going to be a very famous rock star.

That meant touring and promoting and studio time, interviews both personal and
for Crakt Soundzz. Television and radio appearances, everyone would want his time and attention. His band had worked damned hard to get where they were, and Alfie as the lead singer was always going to be in demand, both by the press and the public.

His personality, amazing looks
, and charisma would make that demand even higher. I was genuinely happy for all of him, but where did that leave us and our relationship?

There was bound to be fabulous parties with girls and alcohol, groupies and other famous artists to take into consideration. Could Alfie be faithful with all that temptation?

What about me as his girl? I’d be hated and demonized by girls all over the world. I didn’t think I was cut out for that level of scrutiny, and I couldn’t bear to see women fawning over him, touching him and grabbing at him.

It just wouldn’t work. Would I leave my studies and follow him around? Give up my own dreams and aspirations. Give up playing music to support him
and do what he wants? I didn’t think I was ready for any of that.

I felt relieved to see Jack and Elle walk through customs. I saw them before they saw me. Jack’s eyes scanned the
crowd, his brow slightly bunched.

When he saw
me, his face lit up, and he came running over Jack-style with his arms open wide and his legs slightly crouched to meet my height. “Baby!! I’ve waited so long to hold you in my arms again. You are the air that I breathe.”

As usual Jack had found an audience
, and he was doing his level best to attract as much of their attention as possible. He dipped me and pretended to give me a passionate kiss, groaning so loudly, his hands roaming all over me, well nearly all over.

When he stood me up, I noticed one guy rub around his collar with his index finger, whilst another shifted something in his pocket. I smiled and shook my head. Jack’s back.

We dumped their bags at the apartment, and they both took showers. I explained about Alfie on the way back to the apartment, and Jack’s smirk didn’t go unnoticed. I raised my brow at him. “If the guy can get his shit together, he’ll try with everything he’s got to make you happy, Lily.”

My jaw dropped at him supporting Alfie over me with this. “Don’t gawp and drool Lily, it doesn’t suit you. I know I’m stunning to look at, but that shit is a little unnerving when hot girls do that to me.” I dug him in the ribs.

“You’re supposed to be my friend, Jack, not Alfie’s.”

He smiled and wrapped his arms around me. “I am being your friend when I’m telling you that. I’ve seen how you look at each other. Shit, if I could bottle it and sell it, I’d be able to come here permanently and lie on the sand watching hot babes all day, maybe get them to sit on my lap…”

I cut in, smiling at him. “Okay, Jack I get the idea.”

“Seriously, Lily, I’ve never known you to get hung up on someone, so his dick must
be massive, jewel encrusted, and covered in glitter to get you out of your mind about him.”

I smirked, wondering if Jack had seen his
apa when he was making this comment.  “Well… not exactly, but two out of three isn’t bad, I mean a girl can’t have everything can she?” I winked mischievously, and it was Jack’s turn to gawp before he recovered.

“Okay, so he’s tiny but the glitter more than makes up for it right?
” Jack wiggled his pinkie finger at me and smirked wickedly.

Alfie arrived at 6:40pm, I was on the balcony
, and Jack opened the door for him. As I got closer to them, Jack’s eyes dropped to Alfie’s groin, then flicked up at me and smirked.

Alfie scowled at Jack but looked at me. “Did this dude just check out my package, honey?”

Jack smirked, “So…which is missing the jewels or the glitter?” I grinned and smacked him on the arm.

“Behave!” Alfie sensing there was a private joke going on, but clicking
onto the jewel comment said, “Glitter, Jack, no need for glitter when you have what I have in my pants.”

Elle came out of the bedroom, looking stunning. “Is there any chance we can talk about something other than Alfie’s cock?  I haven’t had any since the last time I was here.”

Jack and I stared at each other and shouted in unison. “Cody!” I had no idea. I knew they had gelled, but sex? “When?”

Elle raised her eyebrow at me. “
Um… which time are we talking about?”

My mouth was forming a perfect ‘O’ in shock. “There was more than once?”

She grinned. “I’m a dancer, Lily, of course there was more than once.” Like that was supposed to answer my question.

Alfie and Jack’s eyes widened, then Alfie cleared his throat. “Okay, let’s go.” Whatever Elle had said was obviously a male thing
, because I never got it.

Alfie drove us to a bar in the middle of nowhere. The parking around it was pretty full though. “This doesn’t look like a club Alfie.”

I looked puzzled at him. “Who said anything about going to a club?” I twisted my mouth at him, and he grinned then chuckled at me.

“Oh, you mean the dancing and live entertainment thing, right?” He quoted his text to me.

“Right.” I stared at him still waiting for an explanation.

“
C’mere,” he said wrapping his strong arm around my waist. “Get ready, I’m about to woo you, Lily.”

I smiled
, and a soft laugh gave way to a louder one. “Woo? Does anyone even say that anymore?” 

He smirked again
. “I do.” I chuckled again, shaking my head as he led me towards the door.

When we went inside my eyes widened with surprise. It was like we had fallen into a Western- Movie set. There were women dressed in dresses with big flirty skirts and cowboy boots, and guys in chaps and cowboy hats. Alfie chuckled.
“Dancing.” He gave me a cheeky wink.

Jack shouted
, “Yahoo.” 

Elle clapped her hands
. “I love line dancing.” She grinned.

It was actually great fun and the people in the bar were very friendly
. We had a hoot, and I couldn’t remember the last time I had laughed so hard.

Jack was great at dancing but had a dreadful memory. This made him very funny as he tried to remember the routines. He always seemed to be playing catch
-up until a beautiful woman with legs that seemed to go all the way up to her armpits took him under her wing.

Jack leaned in
. “My lessons just got much more interesting,” he said with a saucy wink.

When the band stopped playing
, we all ate the biggest ribs we’d ever seen. Jack joked, “Jeez, I thought Mammoth’s were extinct.” Alfie smirked, licking his fingers.