The Bachelorette
Connection
You’ve got to find people who love like you do
Louis’s POV
“Look who’s awoken from the land of sleepyhead!” Harry exclaimed when I walked into the main living room, connected to the open kitchen.
“Shut up.” I grumbled and moved my messy hair out of my eyes. No-one had seen Clara since the rose ceremony and all of us were looking forward to being in her presence once again. When that would be, we did not know.
Or that’s what I believed.
The moment Harry handed me a cup of tea, Mark walked into the room.
“Good morning, gentlemen.”
There was a smattering of “good morning"s in response. We all wanted to know what he was doing here. Especially at 9 in the morning. I knew I looked terrible, having just woken up. I looked like crap compared to Mark. This was no way to appear on national television but it was too late to do anything about it now.
“I trust you had a good night. I’m here to deliver something. Something that all of you want.” Mark said and without hesitation, he pulled out a dark red envelope from behind his back. We all knew what it was. Us guys cheered as Mark put the envelope down on the coffee table.
“I’ll leave you guys to open it. See you soon.”
We farewelled Mark and he disappeared around the corner. All of our eyes were locked on the red envelope, sitting innocently on the coffee table. There was a card inside. But it wasn’t any old card. It was a date card. It was either going to be a single date or a group date. Either way, I hoped my name was on the card.
“OK, I’ll read it.” Harry volunteered and stepped forward. His locks were a mess of curls around his head, hanging loosely around his shoulders. How he tamed his hair, considering how long it was, it was beyond me.
“So what do we guys think? Single or group?” He asked. The room was divided as some guys shouted out single and others thought group. Me personally, I thought it was a single date. Clara had already met all of us and perhaps, she wanted to get to know one of us on a deeper level. And I hoped that person was me.
“Hmm, alrighty then…it’s a single date.” Harry revealed when he opened the envelope and pulled the card out. I was right. I thought with a smile, taking a sip of my tea.
“And the clue is…Who’s ready for some competition?”
“Ooohs” and laughs filled the room. I was extremely competitive, especially when it came to sports. This journey was a competition in itself. A competition to win Clara’s heart. This date appealed to me and I wanted my name to be on the card even more now.
“And the lucky guy going on this date is…” Harry smirked playfully, his eyes flickering down to the card. Every guy held his breath as we all waited for Harry to say someone’s name. His eyes came to me again and a smile spread across his youthful face.
“Louis!”
I almost spat my tea out of my mouth but that resulted in me swallowing the liquid too fast and I coughed violently. That’s totally been captured on camera. Way to go, Louis! I scolded myself. After the initial moment of shock, I was overcome with joy. I was going on a one-on-one date with Clara. She had chosen me to go on the first single date. I had been the first bachelor to meet her. I was given the first rose at the cocktail party. I had been the bachelor to get all the firsts so far. Maybe today, I would get the first kiss?
The other guys clapped me on the back and shouted congratulations to me but I knew that was all a façade. They all wanted to go on the single date with Clara but it was me who was the lucky guy to spend more time with her. Just the two of us.
“Here you go, mate.” Harry handed me the card, slipped halfway inside the envelope. I bit my lip as I pulled the card out, staring at Clara’s beautiful loopy handwriting. Underneath the clue, she had written:
Meet me at the jetty at noon
Bring your swimmers and your A-game
Looking forward to seeing you
Clara x
I had just under three hours to get ready. I re-read her note three times, trying to decipher the words. Swimmers? So we’re going swimming? A swimming competition? Oh, Clara, I am going to bring my A-game. Don’t you worry, love! I smiled to myself.
The other bachelors farewelled me at 11:45, shaking my hand and patting me on the back, wishing me good luck.
“Don’t forget to kiss her!” Harry laughed out loud and I just shook my head, walking down the steps out the front of the mansion, going down the path. The sky was blue with puffy white clouds floating here and there, the sun shining beautifully. It was a gorgeous day, perfect weather to do something in the water. I had dressed appropriately a long-sleeved thin maroon jumper that I rolled up to my elbows and black skinny jeans. Even though it was sunny, there was still a slight chill in the air. A small gym bag was slung over my shoulder and inside was a towel and my board shorts. The drive to the jetty only lasted 15 minutes and I was so excited that I almost leapt out of the car when it stopped.
I headed down the walkway, surrounded by abundant greenery and trees. I adjusted the strap of my gym bag on the shoulder, patting the side of it. I was prepared and what I wasn’t prepared for was what awaited for me at the jetty.
A speedboat floated on the water, the stunning backdrop of lush green hills and mini-forests making it a perfect picture. Standing on the speedboat was the driver, dressed in a tuxedo and sunglasses on. He’s probably sweating underneath all those layers. I thought. And behind him was this year’s Bachelorette, Clara.
“Louis!” She cried in her sweet voice and stepped up onto the jetty, locking her arms around my neck. I embraced her back, kissing her cheek and swaying her from side-to-side a little. Her dress revealed her slightly-tanned warm skin and it felt so good to have her in my arms again. I couldn’t wait to see what she had planned for this date.
0*0
Clara’s POV
It was so great to see Louis again. The reason I had chosen him for the first single date was because he had told me he was a sporty guy and loved competition. I wanted to put that to the test. We held hands as we sat down in the speedboat, the driver starting the engine and off we went.
His thumb stroked my hand and I felt my heart jump. This is what Louis did to me each time he held my hand, kissed my cheek or looked at me. He looked so good today and I found it hard to look away sometimes.
His blue eyes sparkled as the speedboat flew across the water, his hair turning a light brown in the sunlight. I felt so lucky, to be his presence and to spend time with him. I had only met Louis two days ago but I already felt a connection with him and I wanted to explore that connection, if it could go any deeper.
“So where are we going?” He asked me.
"It wouldn’t be very fun if I told you, now would it?” I smiled cheekily. He laughed and wrapped his arm around my shoulders, bringing me closer to his body. My long hair blew around me as we got closer to our destination.
All signs of civilisation disappeared when the speedboat turned to the right and I caught sight of the private beach. The boat slowed down, the water calming down around us. And leading up from the beach was a small beach house, simple and elegant. The driver stopped the boat at the jetty and told us that he would back to collect us in a few hours. Louis and I thanked him as we stepped out of the speedboat and onto the jetty. I weaved my fingers with Louis’s while we walked up the jetty and onto the beach.
“This is amazing, Clara! Is it just us?” He smiled.
“Yes, just us.” I nodded, ignoring that we were being filmed right now. But my goal was to forget that I was on a reality TV show. I wasn’t here for publicity. I was here for one reason only. To fall in love.
I walked up the steps to the beach house hand-in-hand with Louis. Just as he was about to walk inside, I tugged on his hand, pulling him to the left, the way I wanted to go.
“We’re not going inside?”
“No. We’re going to stay outdoors today and have some fun.” I grinned, leading him down a set of sandstone steps. It was so great to be alone with him. No other guys trying to steal me away. I was all his and he was all mine. I never thought I would try to find love in this way but hey, you never know what might happen.
We came around the corner and before us was a large pool, not a ripple in sight. We were on a raised platform just above the beach, the private view of the hills and the water a picturesque scene. There were two long beach chairs sitting on the edge of the pool, ready for towels to be draped upon them. There were two small basketball hoops on either end of the pool, not too high because we were going to have a match in the pool.
My gaze went back at Louis who looked like he was about to break out into laughter.
“Is this what you meant about the competition clue?” He chuckled.
“Mmm-hmm.” I nodded.
“Well, I’ve brought my A-game. Let’s see if you brought yours.”
“Bring it on.” I laughed.
We shed our clothing and I was treated to a frankly delicious view of Louis’s torso. I hadn’t realised he had tattoos. All up and down his arms, some completely black and others with tinges of red. They suited him and only made him more attractive in my eyes.
I placed my dress on one of the beach chairs and gathered all of my long dark hair in my hands, draping it down my right shoulder. I was already clothed in my green and white striped bikini while Louis pulled on a pair of black board shorts and we kicked off our shoes.
“I think you should go in first.” I said.
“Alright.” He smiled and walked past me, stopping on the side of the pool. I stood next to him, my hands resting on his left arm as he dipped his toes into the water.
“It’s a little cold. Maybe we should-” But Louis never got to finish his sentence. I placed force behind my hands and pushed. He shouted as he fell into the pool with a loud splash, water sloshing up onto the tiles. I clapped my hands together and laughed. Mission accomplished. I smiled.
Louis came up to the surface, shaking his head around, moving his wet hair out of his eyes. He looked very handsome, dripping wet, the sunlight reflecting off the beads of water on his skin. He pressed his lips together and mock-glared at me, a slight smirk decorating his face.
“OK, your turn, Clara.” Louis said, swimming over to the edge of the pool.
“No…No!” I cried, stepping back as he got out, water falling from his body. He laughed when he jogged up to me, placing one arm around my back and the other one behind my knees. I tried to push him away but he was too strong. Louis pulled me up into his arms and he jumped into the pool, with me clinging to him.
I gasped when my body hit the water. It wasn’t extremely warm but it wasn’t that cold either. Still, goosebumps blossomed across my bare skin, my hair immediately becoming heavy as it was soaked to the scalp.
“Oh My God!” I yelled, throwing my wet hair out of my face and pushing my hands against Louis’s chest.
“Hey, you started it by pushing me in.” He laughed.
“True but I wanted to jump in myself.”
“You, Clara, do not get that luxury.” Louis shook his head. I pouted at him and pushed him backwards again. He pushed me back and suddenly, we were at war in a splashing fight. Water blurred my vision and engulfed my nostrils but that didn’t dampen my spirits at all. I had never had so much fun on a first date. Neither had I laughed so much on a first date. Louis made me laugh and smile and I found that to be a very charming aspect about him.
I got a face full of water and I yelped as his strong arms grabbed me, pulling me flush against his chest. I gasped and blinked multiple times to clear my eyesight. Louis’s face swam into view and I realised we were so close, that our foreheads were almost touching. I sucked in a breath as I stared into his beautiful blue eyes. We were so close that we could…
…kiss.
“Um, what is this competition you want to do?” Louis asked, releasing his hold on me. I kept myself afloat and stared at my rippling reflection in the pool. I looked…upset. I understood that he was too nervous to make a move and we hadn’t even known each other for a week. I normally didn’t want to kiss a guy on a first date but Louis had changed my mind about that. I really wanted him to kiss me. We had that opportunity and he didn’t do it. Maybe another time. I sighed in my head.
“Well, I thought we could shoot some hoops and see how sporty you are.” I said, swimming over to the edge of the pool where a small inflatable basketball sat. I grabbed it and floated back over to Louis, disguising my slight sadness with a smile.
“Let’s go then.” He smiled back and tried to take the ball from me. I placed it behind my back and shook my head. He grumbled and proceeded to swim around me to get the ball but I turned around so that we were still face-to-face.
“Give it here.”
“No.” I retorted and before he could do anything, I turned to face the hoop and threw the ball. I threw my arms up in celebration as the ball fell through the hoop.
“Yes!” I cried and smiled at Louis as he grabbed the ball. He turned to face me, twirling the ball around his fingers. Show-off! I thought.
“Now, you’ve got to stop me.” He grinned widely. I pressed my lips together and leapt onto him, trying to grab the ball but he raised his arm up, too high up for me. I continued my assault on whacking the ball from his grip but I was unsuccessful.
“I’m so much taller than you. You’re never going to get it.” Louis laughed.
“Oh, we’ll see.” I responded and jumped onto him like an animal, my hands trying to pry his fingers off the ball but he was so strong. We floated down the length of the pool together, all the while fighting to get the ball. I forgot about the almost-kiss and focused on getting the ball from Louis.
“You really are competitive, aren’t you?” He asked.
“Why do you think I brought you on this date, Louis?” I retorted with another question. He smiled at him and with him momentarily distracted, I grabbed the ball from him and aimed it at the hoop on the other end of the pool. And to my own surprise, I scored a goal.
“Whoa, you’re good.” Louis said from behind me. I looked over my shoulder and winked at him before swimming off to retrieve the ball.
The game continued and Louis managed to score his first goal. And being a show-off for the second time today, he flexed his arm muscles and I felt my stomach flip. I didn’t know the sight of a man’s muscles could make me feel this way. But I was just as competitive as him. I pushed him underneath the water a couple of times and I thought I had drowned him but he always popped his head up.
“We’re on a date! Why are you trying to kill me?” He laughed and I pushed him underwater again with a loud giggle. He swam over to the hoop but I grabbed his legs, jerking him backwards. I leapt onto his back as if I was a monkey and removed his fingers from the wet ball, dunking it in the hoop.
“Haha! The final score: 3 to 1. I am the winner!” I cheered, throwing my arms in the air, laughing.
“You take me on this date and you win? I thought you were going to lose on purpose!” Louis exclaimed.
“Now, why would I do that? That’s no fun! Nothing better than being a guy in sport.” I chuckled, placing the ball on the side of the pool.
“Come here, you.” He said and wrapped his arms around my waist, holding me from behind. I gasped and splashed water in his face as an attempt for him to let me go but he only tightened his hold on me. He spun me around and I laughed out loud. I felt…safe. Secure in his arms. Like nothing and no-one could harm me.
“I like a competitive girl, Clara.” Louis whispered in my ear and I shivered with delight from the sound of his voice, his perfect Yorkshire accent doing wonders to my heart. I patted his arms and sighed.
“Let’s have a drink.” I suggested and we floated to the edge of the pool together.
After we were both dry, we collapsed onto the large square-shaped day bed, covered with soft cushions with different floral patterns and block colours. The towels covered our lower bodies and our hair was in the process of dampening. All my make-up had washed off in the pool but I didn’t care. Louis didn’t seem turned off by the fact that I wasn’t covered in the make-up. Maybe he liked that I wasn’t.
“So did you have fun today?” I asked, sipping my mimosa.
“I had a lot of fun. Didn’t realise a beautiful girl like you was so spirited and competitive.” Louis smiled.
“Well, looks can be deceiving.” I giggled. To take Louis on this date was easy for me to decide. He was the first person I had met on this journey and I was constantly surprised by him, in terms of how kind he was yet so protective and I could tell he would make a very good partner in the long-term.
“I can see that you enjoy every moment and you know how to have fun. Have you always been like that or is it something that your family taught you?” I asked.
“Uh, you know that I am surrounded by women, having been brought up by my mother and living with all of my half-sisters. But I’m so close to them that I consider them my actual sisters. I did lack a father figure but my mother raised me well, I think. And life is short. Might as well live in the moment as much as you can because we only get one life. I want to get as much done in it as possible.”
“Your mother did raise you well. I know we’ve only talked about surface stuff but I can see that you’re a charming young man, Louis, and any woman would be lucky to have you.”
I saw his cheeks turned a light shade of pink and he smiled, looking down at the mimosa in his hand. I took the chance to let my eyes take a route over his body, decorated with many tattoos. There were a lot, mainly on his forearms and it only made me want to touch them and trace the outlines of them with my fingertips.
“So…what’s been your longest relationship?” Louis asked.
“I’ve only had one serious relationship because the other one I had in high school, I didn’t find it serious. I was 19 when I started dating my second boyfriend. We met at university and it wasn’t long before we fell for each other. I did fall in love with him but it was about a year ago when I felt like he was pulling away from me. We sat down and had a talk, which lead to the decision of us breaking up. It was mutual for the both of us. I haven’t dated anybody since then.”
“Do you still keep in contact with him?”
I shook my head.
“No. I mean, I’ve bumped into him a couple of times but we never say anything more than “Hi” to each other.”
“That’s like me with my ex-girlfriend.” Louis said and he elaborated further about his previous relationships. His first one was with a girl called Eleanor. They met when they were both 18 and dated for four years before calling it quits. He then started to date a girl who was a couple of years younger than him called Briana but they were only together for two years before she dumped him over text, saying she didn’t love him anymore.
“Oh, Louis, I’m so sorry.” I placed my hand on his shoulder and gave him a solemn look.
“It’s OK. It has been almost 18 months now so I’ve put it behind me. She’s no longer in my life.”
“And Eleanor?”
“We still talk now and then but not very often.” Louis answered and gulped his mimosa. To have his girlfriend break up with him over text was terrible. No-one deserved that, especially not Louis. He was such a sweet man and he could give the world to anyone. Oh, well, her loss. My gain. I thought with a smile.
“But being single has allowed me to find myself and discover what I want in a partner.” He continued.
“And what do you want?” I smiled.
“Just someone who cares for me. Who loves me for me. Family is extremely important to me so someone with good family values really appeals to me.”
“I agree. It’s that feeling that you get when you’re with someone. Your heart flutters and your stomach is full of butterflies and all you want is to get to know the person better.”
Louis nodded in agreement and I bit my lip.
“And…I feel that with you, Louis.”
His eyes widened at my statement and he lowered his drink down.
“Really?”
“Yeah. I really like you.” I smiled. The way Louis was looking at me sent my heart racing. In the space of less than 48 hours, I was already on the route to falling for him.
“I like you too, Clara.” And when he said that, I felt wonderful. Just kiss me. Just do it. Please. Every time we made eye contact, I just wanted to feel his lips on my own even more. My hand moved up his shoulder, coming to rest on the back of his neck. He seemed to get my message and leaned his head closer so that our foreheads almost touched. My eyes flickered to his lips and I felt his warm breath, mixed with the smell of the alcohol, ghost over my face. His right arm went around my waist and I titled my head to the side, finally feeling his lips brush against mine.
My fingers gripped strands of his damp hair as the kiss deepened. His lips tasted so good, like cinnamon, which only made me crave more. I felt him open his mouth for another kiss and I obliged, letting our lips mould together. Did I care we were being filmed? No. The only thing of importance to me was Louis and having the pleasure to kiss him under the beautiful sun, surrounded by a stunning view of the land of Australia.
I didn’t want to stop kissing him and apparently to Louis, he didn’t want to stop kissing me. His arm disappeared from my waist and I felt his hand cup my neck, running his thumb across my cheek. I dipped my head lower, letting him have the upper hand, his lips smothering mine as we continued to kiss like a couple who were just falling for each other. Because that’s what was happening. I was falling for Louis and for the first time in over a year, I felt happy with a guy.
0*0
Louis’s POV
The sun had fallen closer to the horizon when I arrived back at the mansion. It had been a great day, spending time alone with Clara. She truly was a wonderful young woman and she had a sparkle in her green eyes that I could never resist.
When we were in the pool, I threw away the chance to kiss her because I believed it wasn’t the right time. I wanted to talk to her and see where her relationships had taken her and after that talk, I couldn’t hold back any longer. Her fingers in my hair and her lips pressed against mine…The memory would stay with me forever. She was a great kisser, that’s for sure, and I found myself never wanting to stop. If I could kiss her forever, I would.
I walked up the steps into the mansion, knowing that all of the guys would be waiting for me. I dropped my gym bag in the entrance hall and walked into the sitting room on the left. I saw Harry and Niall chatting on the couch while Liam, Mikey and Rick were standing by the open doors and Zayn was quietly sipping a glass of water.
“Evening.” I said. The guys looked in my direction and smiled when they saw me.
“Hey, hey, he’s back!” Niall cried.
“Everyone, Louis’s back from his date!” Liam shouted, looking out of the doors and the rest of the bachelors poured into the room.
“It looks like it was a very successful date.” Harry nodded at me, his eyes gazing at something that was not my face. I followed his gaze and smiled. On my jumper was a red rose, pinned to the maroon fabric. I couldn’t miss the envy that filled the bachelors’ eyes when they looked at the rose. It meant I was safe for another week and I would not be going home.
I was interrogated by the guys and I told them only what I wanted to tell them. Where we went and what we did. I was very vague on the details because it was personal. It was a one-on-one date and it was just me and Clara. The other guys didn’t need to know everything.
“So did she whip out the rose before or after you kissed her?” Harry asked. The whole room was full of burly cheers and laughs and I just shook my head. Kissing was intimate and I wasn’t going to blurt out to them that I had kissed Clara. It is none of their business. I thought. It was a private memory for only Clara and I to share. Not anybody else. Just the two of us.
Louis’s POV
“Look who’s awoken from the land of sleepyhead!” Harry exclaimed when I walked into the main living room, connected to the open kitchen.
“Shut up.” I grumbled and moved my messy hair out of my eyes. No-one had seen Clara since the rose ceremony and all of us were looking forward to being in her presence once again. When that would be, we did not know.
Or that’s what I believed.
The moment Harry handed me a cup of tea, Mark walked into the room.
“Good morning, gentlemen.”
There was a smattering of “good morning"s in response. We all wanted to know what he was doing here. Especially at 9 in the morning. I knew I looked terrible, having just woken up. I looked like crap compared to Mark. This was no way to appear on national television but it was too late to do anything about it now.
“I trust you had a good night. I’m here to deliver something. Something that all of you want.” Mark said and without hesitation, he pulled out a dark red envelope from behind his back. We all knew what it was. Us guys cheered as Mark put the envelope down on the coffee table.
“I’ll leave you guys to open it. See you soon.”
We farewelled Mark and he disappeared around the corner. All of our eyes were locked on the red envelope, sitting innocently on the coffee table. There was a card inside. But it wasn’t any old card. It was a date card. It was either going to be a single date or a group date. Either way, I hoped my name was on the card.
“OK, I’ll read it.” Harry volunteered and stepped forward. His locks were a mess of curls around his head, hanging loosely around his shoulders. How he tamed his hair, considering how long it was, it was beyond me.
“So what do we guys think? Single or group?” He asked. The room was divided as some guys shouted out single and others thought group. Me personally, I thought it was a single date. Clara had already met all of us and perhaps, she wanted to get to know one of us on a deeper level. And I hoped that person was me.
“Hmm, alrighty then…it’s a single date.” Harry revealed when he opened the envelope and pulled the card out. I was right. I thought with a smile, taking a sip of my tea.
“And the clue is…Who’s ready for some competition?”
“Ooohs” and laughs filled the room. I was extremely competitive, especially when it came to sports. This journey was a competition in itself. A competition to win Clara’s heart. This date appealed to me and I wanted my name to be on the card even more now.
“And the lucky guy going on this date is…” Harry smirked playfully, his eyes flickering down to the card. Every guy held his breath as we all waited for Harry to say someone’s name. His eyes came to me again and a smile spread across his youthful face.
“Louis!”
I almost spat my tea out of my mouth but that resulted in me swallowing the liquid too fast and I coughed violently. That’s totally been captured on camera. Way to go, Louis! I scolded myself. After the initial moment of shock, I was overcome with joy. I was going on a one-on-one date with Clara. She had chosen me to go on the first single date. I had been the first bachelor to meet her. I was given the first rose at the cocktail party. I had been the bachelor to get all the firsts so far. Maybe today, I would get the first kiss?
The other guys clapped me on the back and shouted congratulations to me but I knew that was all a façade. They all wanted to go on the single date with Clara but it was me who was the lucky guy to spend more time with her. Just the two of us.
“Here you go, mate.” Harry handed me the card, slipped halfway inside the envelope. I bit my lip as I pulled the card out, staring at Clara’s beautiful loopy handwriting. Underneath the clue, she had written:
Meet me at the jetty at noon
Bring your swimmers and your A-game
Looking forward to seeing you
Clara x
I had just under three hours to get ready. I re-read her note three times, trying to decipher the words. Swimmers? So we’re going swimming? A swimming competition? Oh, Clara, I am going to bring my A-game. Don’t you worry, love! I smiled to myself.
The other bachelors farewelled me at 11:45, shaking my hand and patting me on the back, wishing me good luck.
“Don’t forget to kiss her!” Harry laughed out loud and I just shook my head, walking down the steps out the front of the mansion, going down the path. The sky was blue with puffy white clouds floating here and there, the sun shining beautifully. It was a gorgeous day, perfect weather to do something in the water. I had dressed appropriately a long-sleeved thin maroon jumper that I rolled up to my elbows and black skinny jeans. Even though it was sunny, there was still a slight chill in the air. A small gym bag was slung over my shoulder and inside was a towel and my board shorts. The drive to the jetty only lasted 15 minutes and I was so excited that I almost leapt out of the car when it stopped.
I headed down the walkway, surrounded by abundant greenery and trees. I adjusted the strap of my gym bag on the shoulder, patting the side of it. I was prepared and what I wasn’t prepared for was what awaited for me at the jetty.
A speedboat floated on the water, the stunning backdrop of lush green hills and mini-forests making it a perfect picture. Standing on the speedboat was the driver, dressed in a tuxedo and sunglasses on. He’s probably sweating underneath all those layers. I thought. And behind him was this year’s Bachelorette, Clara.
“Louis!” She cried in her sweet voice and stepped up onto the jetty, locking her arms around my neck. I embraced her back, kissing her cheek and swaying her from side-to-side a little. Her dress revealed her slightly-tanned warm skin and it felt so good to have her in my arms again. I couldn’t wait to see what she had planned for this date.
0*0
Clara’s POV
It was so great to see Louis again. The reason I had chosen him for the first single date was because he had told me he was a sporty guy and loved competition. I wanted to put that to the test. We held hands as we sat down in the speedboat, the driver starting the engine and off we went.
His thumb stroked my hand and I felt my heart jump. This is what Louis did to me each time he held my hand, kissed my cheek or looked at me. He looked so good today and I found it hard to look away sometimes.
His blue eyes sparkled as the speedboat flew across the water, his hair turning a light brown in the sunlight. I felt so lucky, to be his presence and to spend time with him. I had only met Louis two days ago but I already felt a connection with him and I wanted to explore that connection, if it could go any deeper.
“So where are we going?” He asked me.
"It wouldn’t be very fun if I told you, now would it?” I smiled cheekily. He laughed and wrapped his arm around my shoulders, bringing me closer to his body. My long hair blew around me as we got closer to our destination.
All signs of civilisation disappeared when the speedboat turned to the right and I caught sight of the private beach. The boat slowed down, the water calming down around us. And leading up from the beach was a small beach house, simple and elegant. The driver stopped the boat at the jetty and told us that he would back to collect us in a few hours. Louis and I thanked him as we stepped out of the speedboat and onto the jetty. I weaved my fingers with Louis’s while we walked up the jetty and onto the beach.
“This is amazing, Clara! Is it just us?” He smiled.
“Yes, just us.” I nodded, ignoring that we were being filmed right now. But my goal was to forget that I was on a reality TV show. I wasn’t here for publicity. I was here for one reason only. To fall in love.
I walked up the steps to the beach house hand-in-hand with Louis. Just as he was about to walk inside, I tugged on his hand, pulling him to the left, the way I wanted to go.
“We’re not going inside?”
“No. We’re going to stay outdoors today and have some fun.” I grinned, leading him down a set of sandstone steps. It was so great to be alone with him. No other guys trying to steal me away. I was all his and he was all mine. I never thought I would try to find love in this way but hey, you never know what might happen.
We came around the corner and before us was a large pool, not a ripple in sight. We were on a raised platform just above the beach, the private view of the hills and the water a picturesque scene. There were two long beach chairs sitting on the edge of the pool, ready for towels to be draped upon them. There were two small basketball hoops on either end of the pool, not too high because we were going to have a match in the pool.
My gaze went back at Louis who looked like he was about to break out into laughter.
“Is this what you meant about the competition clue?” He chuckled.
“Mmm-hmm.” I nodded.
“Well, I’ve brought my A-game. Let’s see if you brought yours.”
“Bring it on.” I laughed.
We shed our clothing and I was treated to a frankly delicious view of Louis’s torso. I hadn’t realised he had tattoos. All up and down his arms, some completely black and others with tinges of red. They suited him and only made him more attractive in my eyes.
I placed my dress on one of the beach chairs and gathered all of my long dark hair in my hands, draping it down my right shoulder. I was already clothed in my green and white striped bikini while Louis pulled on a pair of black board shorts and we kicked off our shoes.
“I think you should go in first.” I said.
“Alright.” He smiled and walked past me, stopping on the side of the pool. I stood next to him, my hands resting on his left arm as he dipped his toes into the water.
“It’s a little cold. Maybe we should-” But Louis never got to finish his sentence. I placed force behind my hands and pushed. He shouted as he fell into the pool with a loud splash, water sloshing up onto the tiles. I clapped my hands together and laughed. Mission accomplished. I smiled.
Louis came up to the surface, shaking his head around, moving his wet hair out of his eyes. He looked very handsome, dripping wet, the sunlight reflecting off the beads of water on his skin. He pressed his lips together and mock-glared at me, a slight smirk decorating his face.
“OK, your turn, Clara.” Louis said, swimming over to the edge of the pool.
“No…No!” I cried, stepping back as he got out, water falling from his body. He laughed when he jogged up to me, placing one arm around my back and the other one behind my knees. I tried to push him away but he was too strong. Louis pulled me up into his arms and he jumped into the pool, with me clinging to him.
I gasped when my body hit the water. It wasn’t extremely warm but it wasn’t that cold either. Still, goosebumps blossomed across my bare skin, my hair immediately becoming heavy as it was soaked to the scalp.
“Oh My God!” I yelled, throwing my wet hair out of my face and pushing my hands against Louis’s chest.
“Hey, you started it by pushing me in.” He laughed.
“True but I wanted to jump in myself.”
“You, Clara, do not get that luxury.” Louis shook his head. I pouted at him and pushed him backwards again. He pushed me back and suddenly, we were at war in a splashing fight. Water blurred my vision and engulfed my nostrils but that didn’t dampen my spirits at all. I had never had so much fun on a first date. Neither had I laughed so much on a first date. Louis made me laugh and smile and I found that to be a very charming aspect about him.
I got a face full of water and I yelped as his strong arms grabbed me, pulling me flush against his chest. I gasped and blinked multiple times to clear my eyesight. Louis’s face swam into view and I realised we were so close, that our foreheads were almost touching. I sucked in a breath as I stared into his beautiful blue eyes. We were so close that we could…
…kiss.
“Um, what is this competition you want to do?” Louis asked, releasing his hold on me. I kept myself afloat and stared at my rippling reflection in the pool. I looked…upset. I understood that he was too nervous to make a move and we hadn’t even known each other for a week. I normally didn’t want to kiss a guy on a first date but Louis had changed my mind about that. I really wanted him to kiss me. We had that opportunity and he didn’t do it. Maybe another time. I sighed in my head.
“Well, I thought we could shoot some hoops and see how sporty you are.” I said, swimming over to the edge of the pool where a small inflatable basketball sat. I grabbed it and floated back over to Louis, disguising my slight sadness with a smile.
“Let’s go then.” He smiled back and tried to take the ball from me. I placed it behind my back and shook my head. He grumbled and proceeded to swim around me to get the ball but I turned around so that we were still face-to-face.
“Give it here.”
“No.” I retorted and before he could do anything, I turned to face the hoop and threw the ball. I threw my arms up in celebration as the ball fell through the hoop.
“Yes!” I cried and smiled at Louis as he grabbed the ball. He turned to face me, twirling the ball around his fingers. Show-off! I thought.
“Now, you’ve got to stop me.” He grinned widely. I pressed my lips together and leapt onto him, trying to grab the ball but he raised his arm up, too high up for me. I continued my assault on whacking the ball from his grip but I was unsuccessful.
“I’m so much taller than you. You’re never going to get it.” Louis laughed.
“Oh, we’ll see.” I responded and jumped onto him like an animal, my hands trying to pry his fingers off the ball but he was so strong. We floated down the length of the pool together, all the while fighting to get the ball. I forgot about the almost-kiss and focused on getting the ball from Louis.
“You really are competitive, aren’t you?” He asked.
“Why do you think I brought you on this date, Louis?” I retorted with another question. He smiled at him and with him momentarily distracted, I grabbed the ball from him and aimed it at the hoop on the other end of the pool. And to my own surprise, I scored a goal.
“Whoa, you’re good.” Louis said from behind me. I looked over my shoulder and winked at him before swimming off to retrieve the ball.
The game continued and Louis managed to score his first goal. And being a show-off for the second time today, he flexed his arm muscles and I felt my stomach flip. I didn’t know the sight of a man’s muscles could make me feel this way. But I was just as competitive as him. I pushed him underneath the water a couple of times and I thought I had drowned him but he always popped his head up.
“We’re on a date! Why are you trying to kill me?” He laughed and I pushed him underwater again with a loud giggle. He swam over to the hoop but I grabbed his legs, jerking him backwards. I leapt onto his back as if I was a monkey and removed his fingers from the wet ball, dunking it in the hoop.
“Haha! The final score: 3 to 1. I am the winner!” I cheered, throwing my arms in the air, laughing.
“You take me on this date and you win? I thought you were going to lose on purpose!” Louis exclaimed.
“Now, why would I do that? That’s no fun! Nothing better than being a guy in sport.” I chuckled, placing the ball on the side of the pool.
“Come here, you.” He said and wrapped his arms around my waist, holding me from behind. I gasped and splashed water in his face as an attempt for him to let me go but he only tightened his hold on me. He spun me around and I laughed out loud. I felt…safe. Secure in his arms. Like nothing and no-one could harm me.
“I like a competitive girl, Clara.” Louis whispered in my ear and I shivered with delight from the sound of his voice, his perfect Yorkshire accent doing wonders to my heart. I patted his arms and sighed.
“Let’s have a drink.” I suggested and we floated to the edge of the pool together.
After we were both dry, we collapsed onto the large square-shaped day bed, covered with soft cushions with different floral patterns and block colours. The towels covered our lower bodies and our hair was in the process of dampening. All my make-up had washed off in the pool but I didn’t care. Louis didn’t seem turned off by the fact that I wasn’t covered in the make-up. Maybe he liked that I wasn’t.
“So did you have fun today?” I asked, sipping my mimosa.
“I had a lot of fun. Didn’t realise a beautiful girl like you was so spirited and competitive.” Louis smiled.
“Well, looks can be deceiving.” I giggled. To take Louis on this date was easy for me to decide. He was the first person I had met on this journey and I was constantly surprised by him, in terms of how kind he was yet so protective and I could tell he would make a very good partner in the long-term.
“I can see that you enjoy every moment and you know how to have fun. Have you always been like that or is it something that your family taught you?” I asked.
“Uh, you know that I am surrounded by women, having been brought up by my mother and living with all of my half-sisters. But I’m so close to them that I consider them my actual sisters. I did lack a father figure but my mother raised me well, I think. And life is short. Might as well live in the moment as much as you can because we only get one life. I want to get as much done in it as possible.”
“Your mother did raise you well. I know we’ve only talked about surface stuff but I can see that you’re a charming young man, Louis, and any woman would be lucky to have you.”
I saw his cheeks turned a light shade of pink and he smiled, looking down at the mimosa in his hand. I took the chance to let my eyes take a route over his body, decorated with many tattoos. There were a lot, mainly on his forearms and it only made me want to touch them and trace the outlines of them with my fingertips.
“So…what’s been your longest relationship?” Louis asked.
“I’ve only had one serious relationship because the other one I had in high school, I didn’t find it serious. I was 19 when I started dating my second boyfriend. We met at university and it wasn’t long before we fell for each other. I did fall in love with him but it was about a year ago when I felt like he was pulling away from me. We sat down and had a talk, which lead to the decision of us breaking up. It was mutual for the both of us. I haven’t dated anybody since then.”
“Do you still keep in contact with him?”
I shook my head.
“No. I mean, I’ve bumped into him a couple of times but we never say anything more than “Hi” to each other.”
“That’s like me with my ex-girlfriend.” Louis said and he elaborated further about his previous relationships. His first one was with a girl called Eleanor. They met when they were both 18 and dated for four years before calling it quits. He then started to date a girl who was a couple of years younger than him called Briana but they were only together for two years before she dumped him over text, saying she didn’t love him anymore.
“Oh, Louis, I’m so sorry.” I placed my hand on his shoulder and gave him a solemn look.
“It’s OK. It has been almost 18 months now so I’ve put it behind me. She’s no longer in my life.”
“And Eleanor?”
“We still talk now and then but not very often.” Louis answered and gulped his mimosa. To have his girlfriend break up with him over text was terrible. No-one deserved that, especially not Louis. He was such a sweet man and he could give the world to anyone. Oh, well, her loss. My gain. I thought with a smile.
“But being single has allowed me to find myself and discover what I want in a partner.” He continued.
“And what do you want?” I smiled.
“Just someone who cares for me. Who loves me for me. Family is extremely important to me so someone with good family values really appeals to me.”
“I agree. It’s that feeling that you get when you’re with someone. Your heart flutters and your stomach is full of butterflies and all you want is to get to know the person better.”
Louis nodded in agreement and I bit my lip.
“And…I feel that with you, Louis.”
His eyes widened at my statement and he lowered his drink down.
“Really?”
“Yeah. I really like you.” I smiled. The way Louis was looking at me sent my heart racing. In the space of less than 48 hours, I was already on the route to falling for him.
“I like you too, Clara.” And when he said that, I felt wonderful. Just kiss me. Just do it. Please. Every time we made eye contact, I just wanted to feel his lips on my own even more. My hand moved up his shoulder, coming to rest on the back of his neck. He seemed to get my message and leaned his head closer so that our foreheads almost touched. My eyes flickered to his lips and I felt his warm breath, mixed with the smell of the alcohol, ghost over my face. His right arm went around my waist and I titled my head to the side, finally feeling his lips brush against mine.
My fingers gripped strands of his damp hair as the kiss deepened. His lips tasted so good, like cinnamon, which only made me crave more. I felt him open his mouth for another kiss and I obliged, letting our lips mould together. Did I care we were being filmed? No. The only thing of importance to me was Louis and having the pleasure to kiss him under the beautiful sun, surrounded by a stunning view of the land of Australia.
I didn’t want to stop kissing him and apparently to Louis, he didn’t want to stop kissing me. His arm disappeared from my waist and I felt his hand cup my neck, running his thumb across my cheek. I dipped my head lower, letting him have the upper hand, his lips smothering mine as we continued to kiss like a couple who were just falling for each other. Because that’s what was happening. I was falling for Louis and for the first time in over a year, I felt happy with a guy.
0*0
Louis’s POV
The sun had fallen closer to the horizon when I arrived back at the mansion. It had been a great day, spending time alone with Clara. She truly was a wonderful young woman and she had a sparkle in her green eyes that I could never resist.
When we were in the pool, I threw away the chance to kiss her because I believed it wasn’t the right time. I wanted to talk to her and see where her relationships had taken her and after that talk, I couldn’t hold back any longer. Her fingers in my hair and her lips pressed against mine…The memory would stay with me forever. She was a great kisser, that’s for sure, and I found myself never wanting to stop. If I could kiss her forever, I would.
I walked up the steps into the mansion, knowing that all of the guys would be waiting for me. I dropped my gym bag in the entrance hall and walked into the sitting room on the left. I saw Harry and Niall chatting on the couch while Liam, Mikey and Rick were standing by the open doors and Zayn was quietly sipping a glass of water.
“Evening.” I said. The guys looked in my direction and smiled when they saw me.
“Hey, hey, he’s back!” Niall cried.
“Everyone, Louis’s back from his date!” Liam shouted, looking out of the doors and the rest of the bachelors poured into the room.
“It looks like it was a very successful date.” Harry nodded at me, his eyes gazing at something that was not my face. I followed his gaze and smiled. On my jumper was a red rose, pinned to the maroon fabric. I couldn’t miss the envy that filled the bachelors’ eyes when they looked at the rose. It meant I was safe for another week and I would not be going home.
I was interrogated by the guys and I told them only what I wanted to tell them. Where we went and what we did. I was very vague on the details because it was personal. It was a one-on-one date and it was just me and Clara. The other guys didn’t need to know everything.
“So did she whip out the rose before or after you kissed her?” Harry asked. The whole room was full of burly cheers and laughs and I just shook my head. Kissing was intimate and I wasn’t going to blurt out to them that I had kissed Clara. It is none of their business. I thought. It was a private memory for only Clara and I to share. Not anybody else. Just the two of us.
Notes
I know things are happening pretty quickly between Louis and Clara but that’s what happens in the shows a lot. It may seem crazy to kiss on a first date but this is no normal dating experience. But in saying that, what did you think of this first single date? Do you think there is something deep between Louis and Clara?
I won’t update in this story or Always until after my grandfather’s funeral on Monday because it’s hard to write two stories simultaneously plus I’m juggling university so my schedule’s packed for another month or so but once I’m out of university, I’m going to be updating more often :) I love you all for reading!
blankspace1 xx
Can't wait!!
10/15/16