Almost

"Hey can someone please come help me with these new chairs", called Layla from the doorway as the bell above the door chimed.

My eyes sprang open and I wrestled away my frustration and desire to kiss Sunny with a burning urgency. I sighed resting my forehead against hers, letting all the built up tension leave my body.

"Urg I gotta go help Layla, but just so you know I really really want to stay right here with you", I grunted in frustration, as my hand fell from her face in defeat. She dropped her hand from my face and it landed on my shoulder. I once again braced myself on the booth with both hands and started to stand up. Almost instantly Sunny threw her other hand over my shoulder and pulled herself to me in a tight embrace.

I stood all the way up and wrapped my arms around her. She rested her head against my chest where my heart was pounding. I rested my chin on her head and let out the most comfortable sigh, she did the same so I squeezed her a little tighter to me. She pulled away slightly to look up to my face.

"You should probably go help Layla now", she said looking a little disappointed, sliding her hands to my chest. I held her waist in my hands and kissed her forehead, holding my lips there and let out a frustrated growl. I pulled myself away and our hand dropped to our sides, i took one hers in mine and I felt her pulling my body like a magnet. She silently mouthed the word go, making me smile rolling my eyes.

"To be continued", I whispered feeling very uncool. I turned to walk away still holding her hand letting it slide gently from mine as I walked towards the front door. I fought the urge to look back at her because I'd be drawn back over like a moth to a flame. I walked like I was drifting on a cloud, I felt weightless.

I reached the door where Layla was assessing my dizzy smitten expression. "Did I interrupt something just now", she gasped looking rather gleeful. I turned a shade of red she had never seen before and her eyes lit up with excitement. "Oh don't worry about the chairs I'll get the triplets to help me, go continue whatever it is your doing", she rushed to say winking and gesturing in a way to say off with you now.

"Lay it's fine I was just getting Sunny a bandaid for her knee, and we were talking that's it", I knew avoiding eye contact with her wouldn't sell my story but I couldn't tell her the whole truth. If I told her about the almost kiss she'd pry way too much and make a big thing of it. "Let me help you with these chairs, I'm already here anyway", I quickly changed the subject to the chairs hoping to hint for her not to ask anymore questions. I grabbed hold of 2 fold up chairs and swiftly turned around and headed for the kitchen. When I passed by Sunny I grinned and playfully winked, I couldn't muster any words.

When I reached the kitchen Al was waiting with instructions, he had be planning a big outdoor pizza party for the local kids baseball teams. All these chairs were a gift from the town council to help make it happen. I knew there was a lot to do before Monday and I needed to get my head focused, but Sunny was drifting in without me realising my mind was wandering.

"Right we've got a lot to do before Monday, so once all those chairs are outback I need you to set up the string lights", Al explained reading from his to do list. "Now it's really a 2 person job so you'll need Layla's help to do it", he said scratching his head probably thinking there's not much time to get this done.

"Actually Al", I interrupted before his next task, "I have someone else in mind to ask to help me with the lights.. if that's okay I mean". I trailed off as I spoke, I didn't often ask anything of Al, so this was out of character for me. He looked immediately confused, then a lightbulb flashed behind his eyes, realising who I'd be asking for help.

"My boy what a splendid idea! I could really use Layla in the kitchen with me so that would be a big help to us", he became animated almost rushing me back out kitchen. He only stopped when I held up the chairs to show I need to still take them outside. As I scurried out the kitchen and out the back door I took a deep breath, thinking of how I should ask for her help. This was tricky because I didn't want her to think I was weak, but I couldn't just come out and say 'please hang the lights with me so I can kiss you'. That sounded so lame and what kind of girl wouldn't slap a guy for saying that. I popped open the chairs and put them down, I had no plan of how ask but it was too late to back out now because I needed the help.

I walked back inside the door and something hand bumped my chest, looking down Sunny was holding a chair in front of me. My confusion was written all over my face, as I put my hand on my chest where the chair had collided.

"I'm sorry! Layla was struggling to fit all the chairs in the front so I offered to help bring them to the back", she looked down seeming quiet embarrassed. "I'm not very useful though, I can only carry one at a time and I just hit you with this one!", she spoke quickly almost out of breath, holding up the chair as evidence. I placed my hand on top of hers on the chair and smiled at how cute she looked when she was frazzled.

"Here let me", I took the chair from her and carried it in one hand holding out my other one for hers. She took my hand and followed me back outside. I placed down the chair with the others. She started to turn to walk back to the door to go get more chairs but I didn't follow and held her hand a little tighter so she's come back. She looked at me puzzled but turned to face me directly.

"Sunny can I ask you a big favour?" I fumbled my words making it up as I went along. She leaned in closer with wide eyes. "You see those string lights over there", I pointed to a pile of loosely tied together lights. "I need to put those up across the whole back yard", I took a big breath in, "it's a 2 person job and I was wondering if your free would you mind helping me with them?" My heart pounded waiting for her to answer.

"That sounds like fun, oh but not very strong and I've never done this before", she bit her lip in a cute embarrassed way. The desire to kiss her rushed back into my mind, I instinctively licked my lips, she looked delicious. "But", her words snapped me back to reality "I should probably help you move these chairs first Layla was practically buried in them", she giggled as she twisted a piece of hair around her finger.

"You don't have to help with the chairs, just the lights if you can", I tried to reason as we headed back inside. We reached the kitchen as she stopped this time holding me from leaving by my hand.

"If I help you with the chairs it will get done faster, unless you don't wanna spend more time with me that is", she smiled a mischievous smile. She was teasing me, goading me to profess how much I desperately wanted to spend every second with her. I lifted her hand I was holding up to my lips, her mischievous expression turned into a little surprise.

"I can't get enough, it's a date", I kissed her hand and she retaliated sweetly by quickly kissing my cheek. I wanted to continue this game of raising the stakes but she had already started walking away leading me behind her by the hand. I was grinning dreamily as she led me like her lost puppy dog.

Getting back into the front of house we set to work moving the chairs. Occasionally stealing glances and trying to stay focused on the task, but that wasn't easy.