“Hey,” she said shyly. “You look nice.”
“Oh, my God,” he managed to mumble. “You look beautiful, Mattie.”
She blushed as he stood up and took her hand. “Thank you. Ready to go?” she asked.
“Absolutely.” He looked out the window to see that the sun would be setting in about three hours. ‘Perfect,’ he thought as he walked his girlfriend out to his Durango. “It’s a long drive.”
“Okay,” Madeleine replied. He wasn’t lying. They drove for about two hours before Nick told her to close her eyes.
“Don’t open them.”
“I won’t, I promise.”
She could feel as they slowed down and the engine turned off. As Nick got out, she felt for the door handle, but he stopped her. “Just a minute. I’ll come let you out.”
“Can I open my eyes yet?” she asked impatiently.
“No, just wait.” He picked her up and carried her for a few minutes. He was carrying something else in one of his hands, but she didn't know what it was. Finally, he set her down, and a few second passed before he said, “Okay, open them.”
She opened her eyes to find herself on a long pier with a small powerboat waiting for them. A picnic basket sat on the floor. The sun was low in the evening sky, and would soon be setting. She turned around to see a rather large…gigantic house on the beach. “Is that your house?”
“Yeah, it is. What do you think? Do you like it?”
“It’s huge!”
He laughed. “I meant the boat, Mattie.”
“It’s sweet. I can’t believe you would go through so much trouble just for me, Nick,” she stated as a tear rolled down her cheek. “And you’re making me cry.”
“Shhhh…don’t cry…” he whispered, kissing the tear and stopping its path. “It’s worth it for you. I love you.”
“I love you, too.” He helped her into the boat and started the motor.
After a few moments, they were further out on the ocean, and the house on shore looked like a shed…a shed in very good shape, of course. Nick opened the picnic basket and handed her a ham and cheese sandwich with mayonnaise, her favorite kind, as he knew, and he poured her a glass of champagne. “So you really like this?”
“What do you think, Nick?” she laughed. “This is the most romantic thing anyone has ever done for me. I am so touched. How did you get this together?”
“I called a friend who lives near here and asked him to set up the boat this afternoon and then I brought a picnic basket.”
“Thank you.”