Malayali in London ~ Part-29

Chapter -7:

...Snowfall and Spring Dance...

“Well, when you genuinely like someone, you think about them. A lot,” he says. I make a face like I’m thinking and then say, “I usually keep my mind busy so that I don’t think about you, but sometimes, more often than not actually, I can’t help it, I think about you way more than I want to. What else?” Sawyer smiles and continues, “And whenever you interact with them, you are left with a sort of ‘warmth’ in your chest that you can’t ignore.” I make that lost-in-thought face again, “You do leave a warmth in my chest but I wouldn’t say that warmth is enough to get me through the winter, I still need my scarf, I don’t want frostbite.” He laughs and I walk up to his ear, he stiffens as I do so, and then I whisper, “Congratulations, I genuinely like you…”

I step back to see a really wide smile spread across his face. His green eyes twinkled with joy. He spreads his arms and pulls me into the warmest hug I’ve ever been given.

.       .       .

We’re staring at the flowing river beneath us, Sawyer’s arm around my shoulder. Then, Sawyer speaks, “You know, I’ve liked you for quite a while now. I memorized your name and began saving your seat, but I didn’t want to make it too obvious. And then I met you at my cousin’s party, I was really shocked, to be honest, I saw it as an open window to have a try at asking you out.” I turn to face him, “Wait, Twyla is your cousin?” he nods, “A distant one, more of a family friend to be honest.” I smile and continue, “Let me be honest too, I also always thought that the waiter who greets me at the café almost every day was really cute.” He grins and then he gets serious about something.

I find out what that something is when he says, “Have ever dated someone before?” It was a random question, a little surprising. “Yes, I have. There was one guy who asked me out a while asked I finished school,” I told him. He half smiles and then completely turns to face me, my hand in his. He has a sort of weird look in them, one I’ve never seen in anyone’s eyes before. He inches a little closer and says, “Have you ever been kissed before?” My eyes get wide but I immediately narrow them. I raise my heels and get on my toes. My lips land on his. I kiss him. It’s just a peck, nothing to get too excited about. I backed away almost as soon as I had made the move. I smile and answer his question, “Now I have.” He laughs and says, “That’s not how I imagined our first kiss,” I laugh and reply, “Well then how did you imagine it?” He grins and says, “I’ll show you,” and then puts his mouth on mine. But this kiss is different, it’s deeper. I can feel it in my throat. I could feel how thirsty it was. And as if nature couldn’t help but make this moment more perfect, it began to snow.