Lily sighed happily as she sat on the leather couch in the TV room while sipping a can of Coke (it was fast becoming her favourite drink) and picked up one of Melinda's magazines that were lying on the table and looked at it with interest, seeing many pictures of women and men who were famous in Ben's world, like his father and mother were and articles about people and beauty and fashion tips.
It was just the two of them since Melinda had gone to a friend's house for tea but had already walked and fed Ruby, who was lying on the floor next to the couch and she had also left Lily and Ben some pizza in the freezer and some money in case they wanted to get takeaways, which in Ben's mind, was the more plausible option.
Ben was sitting next to her with what he called a 'laptop' on his lap and was looking at the results of the Nines on a sports website while texting on his phone and Lily leaned over for a closer look at the large rectangular device and what was called the 'internet', which humans used to watch TV and movies online, shop, browse through various websites and interact with each other on social media and she was intrigued by what she saw on the screen.
'Oh, strewth, the Broncos didn't make the quarter finals,' Ben said, 'and it looks like Dad's trip to Auckland is going to be cut short. He wasn't very happy about the results and I bet that he's gonna give the guys a gobful but then again, it's only a silly pre-season tournament, but try telling that to the old man!
I kid, he's not that type of coach that yells and belittles his team, he's disappointed but it's a good learning curve for him and it has been ages since the Broncos last played, so they would've been still rusty.' Ben said and Lily nodded in agreement before reading her magazine again.
'Are you looking for pictures of Dad or me?' Ben said, chuckling.
'Mind you that has been part of my life being in the women's magazines with Mum and Dad, from their wedding, my birth, Dad's retirement from footy and her death, they have covered it for all of Australia to see but I can assure you that I am nothing like the celebrity kids that make the headlines for all the wrong reasons.
These days, all you find in the mags are about the Kardashians, in particular Kim and Kayne and Kourtney and Khloe and their loser husbands, those spoilt brats Kendall and Kylie and their 'momager' Kris but to be honest, I think everyone is getting sick of them and yet every week, they are always in the mags.
Not to mention the Brangelina clan and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince George and their second baby which is due later this year but everyone loves reading about them since they are part of the royal family of Britain unlike the Kardashians who have about as much class as a public toilet.' Ben said, smirking as he said the last sentence which Lily smiled at.
'You also hear about local celebrities, like Dad and Mum when she was alive and Justin Bieber who I can't stand, as well as One Direction which I think are nothing more than a bunch of pretty boys whose music I enjoy as much as having a cricket bat shoved down my throat.' Ben said.
'But that's what you expect when you're a celebrity or a child of one like me. Your whole life is always in the public eye and splashed on the glossy cover of a magazine and that's why I sometimes want to be alone, to have my privacy.'
Lily gave him a small smile and patted his hand, as her way of saying 'I understand' and he held her hand in return and stroked it gently which made her heart flutter. She then pointed to his laptop and mimed typing on the keyboard, indicating that she wanted a go using it.
'Of course you can use it,' Ben said, putting it on her lap and he showed her how it worked and what buttons and keys to press to get into a program she wanted.
Once Lily got the hang of it, she settled down happily to play a card game called Solitaire while Ben was watching the news on the large screen TV but neither he nor Lily were paying attention as it wasn't particularly interesting or cheerful.
'Right, I've heard enough of this guy blah- blah-blahing about the world's woes,' Ben said and changed the channel to a replay of the Nines, which gave Lily her first real look at a rugby league game and she watched it with interest even though she didn't understand what was going on and was still playing on Ben's laptop.
'Hey, Lily,' Ben then said, ' since Melinda is out for the night and I can't be stuffed cooking even if it's just heating up pizza, I was thinking that we could go out later tonight. There's this new bar that just opened in Broadbeach called Little Havana, which is Cuban-themed and what Cody has been texting me about.
He and the guys went there last night and he says it's really amazing and that I should take you there to experience the Gold Coast nightlife. We can go there after we get some Hungry Jacks, that is if you're not too tuckered out from Dreamworld.'
Rather than her usual nod, Lily gave a small smile and the excitement of going out to experience the famous Gold Coast nightlife that Sandy had told her about on the night of the storm was in her eyes and this would also be the perfect opportunity to kiss him and she thought of the ideal place.
She could take him to the rock pools where they had spent many happy memories there in their childhoods and that would be the perfect romantic atmosphere to kiss Ben with one day to spare in the place that they loved so much.
'That's great, we'll go in half an hour, once I shower and get changed. Little Havana is quite a ritzy place so you'll need to dress into something nice.' Ben said, getting up and then headed off to his room while Lily nodded, excited about going out and to explore the city at night, still using his laptop.
Once Ben was out of sight, Senna wriggled her way out of Lily's pocket (she was fast becoming quite sick of being cramped up in such a little spot) and landed on a nearby cushion, back to her normal colour.
'What a relief to be on solid ground again after going on those ghastly rides,' Senna said, 'why do humans consider being hurled up in the air, dropped down at ludicrous speeds towards the ground and zigzagging through the sky fun?
They were even worse that the washing machine I was in and being so high up…uggh, you were lucky that I didn't throw up in your pocket!'
Lily raised her eyebrow at the crab as she picked her up and carried her all the way to her room, while Senna kept talking, even when Lily showered (which was much easier for her now) and changed into a black dress with little white flowers on it and a light pink cardigan along with some pink flats, as Senna said,
'Now Lily, we've dilly-dallied long enough and if you want to get the boy to kiss you, you've got to do it right and I can help you with that, but you have to do exactly what I say and do listen carefully, there is no time for daydreaming.'
Lily nodded and picked up the fork to brush her hair, eagerly looking at Senna as she then said,
'It's clear that he likes you a lot and you just have to get him to let you kiss him, but you need to be in the mood to do so and a crowded public place such as that bar is not the way to go about it.
You need a private place, where it will be just the two of you, with romantic music, which I can provide and what better place than the rock pools?' Senna said and Lily nodded, as she was thinking the same thing.
'Ah, great minds think alike.' Senna said, grinning for the first time in days as Lily finished brushing her hair and sprayed some perfume that made Senna gag at the strong scent of sandalwood, jasmine and gardenia.
'Uggh, human perfume,' she moaned, her eyes watering, 'why do they use so much of it? Do they smell that bad that they need to spray that strong yet sweet smelling stuff on them? Do they think that they'll attract the opposite sex if they wear it? Rather peculiar, if you ask me.'
Lily smiled at the crab and patted her on the head before opening up a handbag and ushered Senna to crawl inside, which she did, relieved that she didn't have to hide in a cramped pocket and Lily walked downstairs to where Ben, dressed in a long-sleeved silver shirt with black swirls and black pants, was waiting for her, tossing his car keys up and down.
'Wow, you look beautiful, Lily,' Ben said, in awe of her and breathing in her ocean scent that the perfume thinly disguised. Every day, she seemed to become more and more beautiful and she blushed slightly in response and smiled at how handsome he looked in his shirt and pants, which was a far cry from his usual casual attire.
'Shall we make a move then?' Ben said, 'the night is still young after all,' and Lily nodded as Ben took her hand and led her out to his car. From inside Lily's bag, Senna smiled to herself as they rode down the highway and hoped that her plan would be successful later.
After dinner at Hungry Jacks, another burger joint that Lily thought was similar to McDonalds and had wondered why Jack was so hungry from reading the sign, believing it to be an actual person, but she still enjoyed it nonetheless, she and Ben were soon at Little Havana, which was so-called as everything in the bar was Cuban-themed and Caribbean music was playing as people were sitting inside and outside eating and drinking, watching sports.
People smiled and nodded at Ben when he and Lily came in but they were mostly engrossed in chatting, drinking and the cricket game that was playing on the TV in the corner, to Ben's relief as he ordered a Corona for him and a lemon, lime and bitters for Lily along with some chips to nibble on and they sat outside, feeling the cool breeze through their hair as they sipped their drinks in comfortable silence.
'This is a nice place, isn't it?' Ben said after a few minutes, while dipping some chips in aioli and eating them much like he did at home while Lily smiled at him as she did the same and also sipped her lemon, lime and bitters, entranced by the bright colours, wall art, palm trees and the pleasant smell of coconut and pineapple in the air.
'Now, you've got a little taste of the Gold Coast nightlife, although it does get a little rough in town and it's a busy night for the cops and emergency services but we should be right, it's pretty quiet around here.' Ben said, taking another sip of his beer while looking at Lily, so entranced by her beauty and personality, his heart beating madly in his chest.
'You know, since you've been here with me, I've never been happier and I've really enjoyed spending time with you. I know I've said that many times before but I mean it.
I've never met anyone who doesn't say a word, yet has such an adventurous spirit, takes joy in all the little things that we take for granted and goes through life with a smile no matter what challenges or obstacles stand in your way.
It's like your heart is an open book and that you are always kind and happy to people regardless how they treat you like Anna..' Ben said.
Lily made a face and Ben couldn't help but chuckle, as he said, while taking another swig of his beer,
'And yet, I still don't know anything about you- your background, your family, if you had one, where you came from and your interests. I've told you about me and my mum, yet I don't know about your family, apart from your dad.'
Lily nodded while also feeling guilty. She had listened eagerly to Ben when he told her about his family when she hadn't so much mentioned anything about hers, apart from her father.
Not that she really wanted to but she felt it was only fair.
'What about siblings? Do you have any brothers or sisters?' Ben said, and Lily nodded again while holding up six fingers.
'Six siblings!' Ben said, in surprise 'Strewth, that's a lot! Your mum must have her hands full dealing with you lot! Some of my mates only have one or two and you know that Mia has a sister, but six? How did she manage to keep everyone in line?'
Lily just grinned and shrugged.
'Are they girls or boys or some of both?' Ben asked. Lily shook her head and pointed to herself and then held up the six fingers again.
'Six girls like you,' Ben said and Lily nodded, 'are they older or younger?'
Lily shook her head again and held a hand to the top of her head and moved it over as if someone was standing next to her and then gestured upward.
'Taller?' Ben said and when Lily shook her head, he thought for a moment, 'No, older. All of them are older than you, is that right?' and Lily confirmed it.
'Strewth, that must be hard being the youngest of seven girls. No wonder you're not that close with your mum with six sisters, especially if any of them are like Samantha or Anna.' Ben said.
Lily smiled, knowing that Ben was half-right but he didn't know that she had been her mother's favourite until the business in the grotto. The two then went back into the comfortable silence before the sight of people dancing outside to music caught Lily's eye and she pointed towards them.
'Do you want to dance?' Ben said and Lily nodded, while also feeling nervous, since she had never danced before and her confidence was fast falling.
'It's okay if you're not good at it, I'm rubbish as well. I'm good at most things like surfing and footy but dancing isn't one of them, but I'll teach you some moves. Dancing is actually easier than you think it is, so there's no need to be nervous, I'll be with you.
And no one's gonna care, if you're good or not, they're just doing it for fun and maybe because they've had a few so just relax and let it go, let it goooo…' singing the song from Frozen to the amusement of Lily.
'Just follow me and have some fun,' Ben said as he led Lily towards the place where the people were dancing and the music was blaring from speakers that were standing on a stage. From Lily's bag, Senna peeked out and smiled at the couple, thinking So far, so good.
Not noticing the crowd that was starting to gather around them, no doubt wanting to see the local heartthrob and son of Phil Steele dancing with his unusual new friend, Ben showed Lily some basic moves and despite a wobble or two, she soon got the hang of it and the crowd smiled and clapped encouragingly.
'Hey, you're quite the dancer, Lily!' Ben said and now feeling confident, he took her hands into his and they soon danced together, along with the people already on the dancefloor and the crowd watching, some even taking photos on their phones.
Lily was twirling on the spot and feeling like she was in seventh heaven and both she and Ben completely forgot where they were as they danced in each other's arms, like they were the only two people in the world.
The song ended and the on-lookers' clapping and cheering soon brought them back to reality as the crowd went back inside and Ben and Lily went back to their table, hearts pounding madly as they tried to catch their breath and gulped down the rest of their drinks.
While Ben went inside to order another beer and lemon, lime and bitters, Senna peeked out again and beckoned Lily to lean closer and the crab whispered into her ear about her plan to which Lily nodded.
'So after you finish your latest round of drinks, you convince him to let you take him to the rock pools. Then, once you're truly in the mood and the atmosphere is as romantic as you can make it, that's the moment to kiss. After all, the water seems to be your strong suit, even if you're only going to dip your feet in..'
Lily had to interrupt the crab when she saw Ben coming back and she mouthed 'hide' to her. Senna wasn't particularly happy about having her latest lecture cut short but she duly jumped back in the bag, hoping that they would soon go to the rock pools so that she could sit on the rocks and feel the fresh air rather than being cramped in small places.
'There was that voice again,' Ben said as he sat down and handed Lily her drink, 'that Pommie voice that I had been hearing, like it's talking to us and telling us what to do. Do you know where it's coming from?'
Lily simply shrugged, while sipping her drink.
'Yeah, I thought so to, my mind has been playing tricks on me again. Still, we've had a good night out, haven't we? We had a good tucker out at Hungry Jacks, some drinks and dancing at Little Havana and what a dancer you turned out to be! For someone who had never danced before and was feeling nervous, you practically stole the show!'
Lily blushed and then stared at the ocean that was once her home, which was bathed in moonlight and the stars that twinkled like diamonds above in the sky. She was looking out to see if Aurora or Sandy were around as she hadn't seen them in days and she was missing them, especially Aurora and they would be wondering if she had kissed Ben yet.
But maybe…tonight they would appear at the rock pools, as they too would be just as eager to help create a romantic atmosphere and see her and Ben kiss. With that in mind, she then tapped Ben on the shoulder and signalled towards the ocean.
'I think it's a bit late for swimming, Lily,' Ben said, but in a joking manner and she gestured again that she wanted to take him somewhere secret, yet special to both of them, near home.
'Oh, you want to go somewhere else?' he then said and Lily nodded, 'Fair dinkum, I think we better get going, I didn't really want a late night, especially with all the drunken louts in town. I only had a couple, so I should be alright to drive provided that we don't run into a booze bus and get pulled over for a breathalyzer test.'
Lily smiled and took Ben's hand as they left the bar and Senna had the biggest grin on her face, knowing that her plan will soon work and that Sharla would be furious beyond belief that Lily had beaten her at her own game.
She would be only half-right, for the sea witch had something else in mind….