It was nice to have a sort of boyfriend again.
She and Cian were still new at this. They hadn't had that conversation and nor did she want it. She was twenty one years old. She didn't need labels. He liked her and she liked him so really, that was all that mattered. Stood in front of her bathroom mirror, she smiled at her reflection as she curled a strand of bright auburn hair around her finger and tilted her head. Her bright green eyes sparkled in the dim light, her eyelashes long and sooty and her plump lips a shade of deep red.
It was a wild night outside. October had hit London and it had hit it hard. The wind was whipping up, stripping the trees of their lives and creating a blustery mini hurricane with them. It was only around seven in the evening but it was already pitch black with a nip in the air. Street lights reflected off the well worn rain-soaked streets as people hurried past, dodging the puddles and pulling their coats up around their faces. It was a far cry from the comfortable and warm apartment she was standing in currently.
Poppy had moved into a small one bed roomed flat on the top floor of an old but beautiful apartment building in Battersea. It was in the nice part of town, away from the broken bottles and council housing estates. Her little place had a nice view of the River Thames and currently, she could admire the twinkling lights from her little balcony. She had everything she needed here. A small but perfectly formed kitchen with shiny white units. A living room with a glass coffee table and an extremely comfortable well worn leather sofa. The lighting was soft but bright and the place felt warm and cosy. She even had an old roll top bath that was sumptuous and a small but lovely
bedroom.Cian was such a gentleman. He'd said he was taking her out for dinner tonight and he'd given her plenty of notice. He was very sweet and the other end of the spectrum from Eamon. Eamon was bad news. He was a lout and he hung around with the wrong people. He was leary and rude and didn't cherish her and a girl needed to be cherished. Yes, she did. He was a mistake and to think that she'd almost made that mistake permanent with a wedding made her want to throw up.
Poppy had rediscovered the joy of a new relationship with Cian. She got the butterflies, the nervous excitement, the big dippy smile on her face when they met. The only problem was that he handled her like fine china. He treated her right and he took care of her which was great but sometimes, a girl just wanted to have her ass grabbed. Cian wasn't really the ass grabbing, hair pulling type of guy.
But that was fine. Tonight would be more of a…gentle suggestion. They'd been dating for just over a month now and she thought it was about time to initiate the next phase of their relationship. Something more than cheek kisses and hand holding. Don't get her wrong, she adored the way things had been going. Cian was like a unicorn, rare and beautiful. He actually seemed to want to get to know her and it was so refreshing and lovely. Poppy was just going to plant a seed tonight. A gentle nudge to let him know that if he wanted her, she was up for it.
Around the living, there were candles in various sizes, casting the room into a soft and inviting glow. Poppy preferred candlelight. It tended to take the edge off her sharp cheekbones and made her skin look like marble. Candlelight hid a multitude of sins.
She had no idea if Cian had made reservations somewhere and if he had, she hoped they'd be able to reschedule. Poppy had no intention of leaving the flat and heading into the cold, dark and miserable night outside. No. She'd much rather stay in. If he was hungry, there was a variety of take out menus stuck to the fridge door. Glancing up at the clock, she felt herself smiling as there was a knock on the door. He was always punctual. With a spritz of jasmine scented perfume and a quick jiggle to make sure
everything was in place, she crossed the room and answered the door.
Her front door was painted a cheery shade of red. Upon opening it, she offered Cian a dimpled grin and opened it wider with a tilt of her head, the silk of her gown open at the waist to award him with a glimpse of her soft, alabaster skin. "Right on time," she said brightly. "Come on in." With that, Poppy reached out, grabbed a fistful of his shirt and promptly hauled him back inside.
