PAINTED LOVE

SIXTEEN

sebastian hayes

. . . . . .

It's the second of June today. Meaning that it's Loïse's birthday.

We've been together for a couple of weeks now. We hung out a lot, she's come to see every game we played and afterwards, we'd spent more time together. And almost everytime, it'd end with me taking her shirt off, kissing her soft skin everywhere.

I've never felt more worryless and relaxed than right now, ever in my life.

So Loïse deserves a great gift for her birthday. I asked Luna for some recommendations, because I didn't think that a stupid bouquet of flowers would be enough. She told me that there's a kind of museum, that's being exhibited right now. Something about Van Gogh.

She told me that Loïse has been talking to her to go together, for weeks now, since the exhibition is just in New York for a few months.

So, I got her two tickets for the Van Gogh experience.

It's Saturday today, which means neither of us has classes. But since finals are coming up soon and I have practice every Saturday morning, we met up at her dorm around noon. The whole time during my hockey practice, I'm worrying that she might dislike my present. I really hope that Luna knows her best friend enough to know what she'd like, because I'd probably feel guilty the whole time if I saw her pretending to like the tickets.

After practice ends, I take a quick shower and drive off to Loïse's dorm. My hands feel a bit clammy the whole drive there. I want to ask her if she wants to spend the night at my dorm, tonight.

We've been dating for, like, 4 weeks now, officially. But to the rest of the world, it's been a few months. And those few months feel like they are a part of the real relationship, to me. I'm a bit nervous that she'll find it too soon, but I have no fucking idea when the right time is, then?

I mean, yeah- I've fucked enough girls to know what they like or don't like, but apart from the 3 relationships I had during high school, which weren't even very serious, I have no idea how to treat a woman in a relationship.

I park outside her dorm, the enveloppe with the tickets steady in my hand.

She'll like it, man the fuck up dude.

Crap. I really shouldn't be so nervous about this.

I get out of my car and walk up the three pairs of stairs until I finally reach her dorm. I knock at the door and proceed to hide the enveloppe behind my back.

All my nerves fall down to the ground when I see Loïse standing in the door frame as she opens the door for me. She's got a tube top on and some white linen trousers. Her waves dance around her head when she walks up to me, kisses me sweetly and throws her arms around me. I cup her face with my free hand, deepen the kiss because she tastes so fucking good, like honey and peppermint.

"Happy birthday, princess", I say, giving her a few more kisses, on top of her nose, her forehead, her cheek and then finally, she leans in again.

I place a soft kiss on top of her lips.

"Thank you", she says joyfully.

"I, uh, I got you a present", I say, clenching hard onto the enveloppe behind me. Her lips part already, and I add quickly: "It wasn't expensive, I swear. Close your eyes, love."

She gives me a big, sweet smile before closing her eyes. I lay the enveloppe down in her opened hands.

"You can open them."