Perfect
Seventeen: Smile
I roll over in my bed and yawn slightly. It’s a week after that incident, and today is the day that Gerard’s coming to visit again.
I get out of bed and shower. I dry my hair and then plait it. I dress in a dark grey sweater and a pair of black skinny jeans with some boots, and then apply a little make up. He’d told me to meet him at a particular café at twelve o’clock, so when I’m done I feed my cats, have a cup of coffee, and then head out to meet him.
He isn’t there when I arrive, so I grab a table in the quieter part of the café and order a coffee. Three coffees later, there’s no sign of Gerard and I prepare myself to leave, when he hurries through the door, spots me, and rushes over.
“Layla...I’m sorry I’m late.”
“No, its okay. Do you want a coffee?”
“Oh – sure. Hang on, I’ll pay for it,” Gerard answers and he’s up and away again. He comes back a few moments later carrying two cups of coffee.
“Thanks,” I murmur.
“How are you?” he asks, looking at me intently over his cup.
“I’m fine.”
“Have you spoken to Tina?” Gerard then asks me.
“Yeah, twice. Not for long though. It was mostly just her going on and on as if she’d done nothing and me hanging up on her.”
Gerard smiles at me, then his face becomes serious again.
“Do you still want to go home?” he licks his lips and rests the cup on the table, but doesn’t let go of it.
“Well, yes...” I look at the tabletop, and when I look up again Gerard’s smiling hugely.
“What’s the smile for?” I say in an irritated voice.
“Oh, just the fact...” He reaches into his pocket and pulls out all the details for a flight for two to England from his pocket.
“Fancy a holiday?” he asks as I pick it up and scan through it.
He’s only gone and paid for two tickets.
“I...Oh, God, Gerard...You shouldn’t have.”
“Well, I knew that if you were left to it you’d never make the arrangements, so I did it for you.”
I look at him and I realise I’ve never had anyone other than family who would do that for me.
“Thank you.”
“No problem, sugar.”
“Do my family know?” I inquire.
“No, I thought you could surprise them,” he grins at me.
“Who’s the other ticket for?” I say this very casually, hoping that my guess is correct.
“Me, of course,” Gerard answers immediately. “You didn’t think I’d let you go with Tina, did you?”
I giggle. “No.” I was right; I didn’t think I was going to be wrong, really.
“When do we leave?”
“Next week.”
“Oh. Are you – are you okay with this? I mean, with the band and...” I trail off.
“Sure, they’re all fine with it. We’re all taking a holiday, and I like England, and I like you, so I thought I might as well put them together. Especially if it makes you happy...”
And he smiles at me, and I smile back. It’s one of the first genuine smile I’ve done in ages.
I get out of bed and shower. I dry my hair and then plait it. I dress in a dark grey sweater and a pair of black skinny jeans with some boots, and then apply a little make up. He’d told me to meet him at a particular café at twelve o’clock, so when I’m done I feed my cats, have a cup of coffee, and then head out to meet him.
He isn’t there when I arrive, so I grab a table in the quieter part of the café and order a coffee. Three coffees later, there’s no sign of Gerard and I prepare myself to leave, when he hurries through the door, spots me, and rushes over.
“Layla...I’m sorry I’m late.”
“No, its okay. Do you want a coffee?”
“Oh – sure. Hang on, I’ll pay for it,” Gerard answers and he’s up and away again. He comes back a few moments later carrying two cups of coffee.
“Thanks,” I murmur.
“How are you?” he asks, looking at me intently over his cup.
“I’m fine.”
“Have you spoken to Tina?” Gerard then asks me.
“Yeah, twice. Not for long though. It was mostly just her going on and on as if she’d done nothing and me hanging up on her.”
Gerard smiles at me, then his face becomes serious again.
“Do you still want to go home?” he licks his lips and rests the cup on the table, but doesn’t let go of it.
“Well, yes...” I look at the tabletop, and when I look up again Gerard’s smiling hugely.
“What’s the smile for?” I say in an irritated voice.
“Oh, just the fact...” He reaches into his pocket and pulls out all the details for a flight for two to England from his pocket.
“Fancy a holiday?” he asks as I pick it up and scan through it.
He’s only gone and paid for two tickets.
“I...Oh, God, Gerard...You shouldn’t have.”
“Well, I knew that if you were left to it you’d never make the arrangements, so I did it for you.”
I look at him and I realise I’ve never had anyone other than family who would do that for me.
“Thank you.”
“No problem, sugar.”
“Do my family know?” I inquire.
“No, I thought you could surprise them,” he grins at me.
“Who’s the other ticket for?” I say this very casually, hoping that my guess is correct.
“Me, of course,” Gerard answers immediately. “You didn’t think I’d let you go with Tina, did you?”
I giggle. “No.” I was right; I didn’t think I was going to be wrong, really.
“When do we leave?”
“Next week.”
“Oh. Are you – are you okay with this? I mean, with the band and...” I trail off.
“Sure, they’re all fine with it. We’re all taking a holiday, and I like England, and I like you, so I thought I might as well put them together. Especially if it makes you happy...”
And he smiles at me, and I smile back. It’s one of the first genuine smile I’ve done in ages.