Offer flowers (Romantic 3)

"Wait," you say.

"Wait...for what?" she asks, but you're already scampering toward the grass on the side of the fountain area.

"Just wait!" you shout back.

And for a second, you're scared that she won't. That she'll be overcome by her anxiety and start walking down the fountain again. She looks like she wants to. Her foot moves just slightly, twists as if preparing to turn. But she hold one finger up, as you backward-run away from her, and she freezes.

You reach a set of flowers on the side of the fountain. Is this allowed? A small internal voice asks, in the moment before you pick them. Doesn't matter. No security guard is here. They're bright purple, red, and yellow, and when they come off the bush they're attached to, it's clear that they're surrounded by so many others that no one will notice their absence.

You run back. Only halfway there does she seem to realize what you're doing, and her face turns from pure shock to terrified disbelief.

"No," she says before you even get there. "No, you are not."

There's no backing down, now. You practically slide in front of her, down on one knee, offering the flowers. "I absolutely am."

And to your absolute shock, as she stares at the natural-picked flowers in your hands, dirty and not at all like the well-groomed bouquets that can be bought from a store, someone claps.

It's a girl across from you. Her boyfriend, standing across from her, follows.

Soon, a small crowd is clapping and cheering for the gesture. It doesn't last long, but it's enough to cement that everyone can see you.

She echoes this with a whisper. "Ryan, everyone is looking at us."

"It's okay," you say to her, not getting off your knee. "There's good attention and bad attention, Alice. Right now, they're cheering for me. And all you have to do is accept these."

"It's crazy. You'll get in trouble," but the anxiety in her voice is receding. As if it's being defeated, and another, warmer emotion is taking its place.

"If I do, it's worth it," you say. "I'm looking into the eyes of a beautiful girl, and I want to get lunch with her."

She turns bright red. "I'm...sweaty. From Yoga. I'm..."

You interrupt. "Oh, god. Imagine how pretty you'd be if you weren't."

From not too far away, someone who can actually hear you whistles.

"Okay!" She says. "Okay, okay, just get up, we'll have lunch. Please. I can't believe you."

You only stand up when she takes the flowers. There's a pause as you dust off your knee, and she sniffs them.

"Oh my god," she says. "Why do they smell so good?"

"Fresh-picked." You grin at her.

Her eyes on you are skeptical. But she can't hide the warmth behind them.

"Okay. You win. Where are we going?"

Alice (Love) +10
Popularity +1