"Here's your coffee, Skip!"

"Thank you Abby."

Martin frowned into the cup. "Abby, why is there a heart-shaped chocolate biscuit in my coffee?"

Abby beamed. "You know when we went to that fancy coffee shop and you had that milk coffee with a foamy heart on top?"

"Yes?"

"Well, I thought that was a brilliant idea. Except I can't make the milk special foam with instant coffee, so I decided a chocolate biscuit would be just as brilliant."

Martin tried to fish out the soggy biscuit from his coffee but winced at how hot the coffee was.

"Careful Skip! I made it extra hot, just as you like it!"

"I can see that," said Martin. He gave up fishing the biscuit out. "Err, thank you Abby."

"No problem, Skip!"

Abby left the porta-cabin whistling what sounded like "Kiss the Girl" from the Little Mermaid.

"Sounds like someone has an admirer!"

Martin almost knocked over his coffee. "GAH! Don't scare me like that, Douglas."

Douglas smirked. "Good morning to you too."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," said Martin. He set the cup on the table, his hands felt wobbly and unsure. "Abby gives both of us all sorts of odd food every day."

"But sir, I never had the privilege of having my coffee with a complementary biscuit on top. Nor do I get extra special brown-with-a-bit-red sauce that you do. And let us not forget, the left over cheesecake at the end of every flight."

"That doesn't mean anything," countered Martin. "Abby is just a very nice girl. She gives everyone extra food here and there."

"Not everyone."

"What do you mean?"

"She's given you heart-shaped food."

"It's February, of course she would. You know how fond she is of thematic foods by month."

"Except it is February first," said Douglas. He was being smug again. "She's been giving you heart shaped food every other day since the New Year's Eve kiss you gave her."

Martin remembered that kiss. It was soft and nice. She tasted like peppermint and she smelled like cinnamon. And Abby was pretty in her Abby-ish way. She had a nice way of making him feel welcomed at work but then she did that for everyone. And Abby was an odd girl. The heart-shaped food was just another Abby oddity.

Martin shook his head in denial. "No, that's not possible. Abby is just very affectionate. I've made this kind of mistake before. I used to read all sorts of nonsense into the actions of girls I fancy."

"So you fancy her?"

"No, I didn't say that. Stop putting words into my mouth."

"Martin, you don't have a clue, do you? You're absolutely hopeless."

Douglas handed Martin a spoon to fish out his soggy biscuit. Martin took the spoon with a scowl that didn't improve once the biscuit began breaking into pieces into the coffee. He eventually settled for eating the soggy biscuit with a spoon before drinking the coffee.

"You know she used to have a new boyfriend every a few months," remarked Douglas. "They were all very nice chaps. She never seemed to have a type; short men, tall men, old and young and many with a very questionable dress sense. She even had a thing with Dirk the groundskeeper. That was, until you were hired. She's hardly seen anyone except for that quiz show chap from Bristol, and that was eight months ago."

"I didn't know that. I always thought she wasn't interested in dating," said Martin. The image of Abby as the untouchable nearly asexual daughter of his boss was starting to shatter. There were suddenly possibilities. Until the image of a strong and potentially frightening mother overcame any excitement he had.

"Let's not forget she has Carolyn as her mother," said Martin. He hoped he kept the disappointment out of his voice.

"She's always been very discreet," said Douglas. "I didn't know she dated all those men until Dirks the groundskeeper told me. They all seemed like very good friends to her. Well, they would be very good to her after what Dirk has told me about—"

"Douglas!" Martin whispered harshly. "We shouldn't talk about her like that. Carolyn might overhear and I don't think she needs the details of what Abby does—"

"In bed?" Douglas raised his eyebrows. It was a clear attempt to embarrass him.

Martin didn't answer and sipped his coffee. Funny how Abby always knew how to make his coffee exactly the way he liked it.

"I can see why some men would like her," continued Douglas. "She's got that wide-eyed innocent prettiness that some men really go for. If you ignored her silly hat, the bizarre earrings she's fond of and the mismatched socks."

"I think it's charming," replied Martin. "And there's nothing wrong with her socks."

"Says the captain who's always finding some reason to look at her socks," said Douglas knowingly. "I bet you a fiver that if you ask her out on a date, she would accept."

"I bet you a fiver she won't. I'll ask Abby today."

"Ask me what?"

The two pilots turned around and found Abby standing there with a plate of chocolate biscuits in her hand. Douglas nudged Martin.

"If you...uh, would like to have a wander with me on the airfield?"

Abby smiled brightly. "Sure thing, Skip. I made you some extra biscuits in case you were hungry."

The morning was cold and bright on the Fitton airfield. Martin had a thin jacket on and he was ill dressed for the weather. He walked very slowly while trying to figure out what to say to Abby. He sank his hands into his pockets and kept his head down from the wind. Abby wore her puffy white jacket that made her look like a marshmallow, her giant Hello Kitty earrings swung back and forth, getting tangled in her long brown hair.

"Are you cold, Skipper?"

"A bit," admitted Martin.

"Let's go into Gerti," suggested Abby. "I have some special hot chocolate."

"Ok."

They entered Gerti. Abby took off her coat and went straight to the galley to microwave some milk for Martin. Martin stood by the cupboard, watching Abby reach for a jar of chocolate powder that was labelled in her large loopy writing. She was wearing blue and green socks with pom poms today.

The microwave beeped. Abby took out the cup of milk and added the chocolate powder and sugar. She went to the fridge and took out what looked like a lemon tart that was mangled by a heart shaped cookie cutter.

"Did you want this lemon tart? It's store bought, but it tastes brilliant," said Abby.

Martin looked at his cheerfully mangled tart. He had just noticed that "Skip" was written in bright red icing. "Um. Abby, why are you giving me so much food that's in the shape of hearts?"

"Because I like you," said Abby, as if it was the most simple thing in the world. "Why?"

Martin gathered his courage and ignored the lump in his throat. "Douglas has this very funny idea."

"Douglas is a brilliant chap. His ideas are paramount."

"Yes. Um," Martin took a deep breath. "He hasitinhisheadthatyoufancyme."

Abby grinned. "Did he?"

"And that if I asked yououtyou'dsayyes. It's-"

"Alright Skip."

"-really a silly idea. I don't—wait? Did you say yes?"

"Yes," she repeated, without hesitation.

Martin gaped at her. "Did you even understand what I asked? Because I think I mumbled that last bit."

"I'm not a dummy," said Abby. She gave him one of those knowing looks she had when people underestimated her that reassured people she didn't take offense to their comments. "I know exactly what you asked. Don't worry, Skip. I know you're always nervous with romantic things, but you don't have to be nervous with me. I'm certain we'll have a brilliant time."

"H-how are you so sure?"

"You see Skip, I like you. You like me. How can we not have a brilliant time?" A flicker of doubt flashed across Abby's face. Her smile faltered a bit. "Unless, you just asked me out because of one of those bets you have with Douglas. Then it won't be brilliant."

Martin swallowed. "I owe him a fiver."

Abby frowned. Martin panicked.

"But I really do want to! With you. Go on a date that is. Just a date. But we can do more than just go on a date after the date. After the first date. Because I like dating. And um, I liked that New Year's kiss...you smelled nice. And you still do! Not that I have a habit of sniffing and smelling people I work with. I'll just shut up now."

Abby gave Martin an enthusiastic but bone-crushing hug that made Martin give a small squeak of astonishment.

"Aw Skip, you can say as much as you like," Abby murmured into Martin's shoulder. "I don't mind really."

"So we're going out."

Abby let him go and fetched a non-heart shaped slice of lemon tart for herself. She stabbed the tart in large pieces and shoved them in her mouth with great zeal. Abby was truly one of the most graceless eaters Martin has ever had the pleasure to watch.

"Of course," she said, beaming. "We're going to have a brilliant time. There's a nice park near our house where you can lie on the grass and watch the sky," she said in between bites. "Wouldn't that be wonderful? We're always in the sky that we sometimes don't appreciate the view from below, low on the ground with the ants and twigs. Or we could bring some hot tea and pasties to eat on the park bench if the grass is too cold and wet to lie down on. We'll stay out as long as we like until our fingers go numb. Doesn't that sound lovely?"

Abby's eyes were bright with anticipation and excitement. Martin felt like jelly inside. Abby always looked so pretty when she was excited about something. There were stray crumbs on her lips and the remnants of her tart were sprinkled on her bright green jumper. She had finished the tart and put the plate on the counter behind her. She brushed off the crumbs with her small hands that were adorned with large plastic rings and brightly painted chipped nails in rainbow colours.

"Crumpets," she exclaimed. "I always make a mess, don't I?"

"You've got a crumb here," he said, pointing to his upper lip to indicate the approximate location the crumbs on her lip.

Abby swiped her lips. The crumb was still there.

"No, it's still there," said Martin.

He took a napkin and swept the crumb off her lip. Her large brown eyes widened at the sudden close proximity of Martin. Martin blushed. Before he could move away, Abby pulled Martin's head towards her for a very light kiss. Martin gave a grunt of surprised when their lips touched. He tasted the lemon on her lips before she broke the kiss.

"Do I have any crumbs left, Skip?"

"Are you going to tell your mother?" he blurted. Oh god. Why do kisses always make his mind completely rubbish? There's no way she would want to—

"Not if you don't want to," she said. She let go of him and began to clean up the rest of the crumbs. "We don't have to. Mum will know eventually. She's good knowing things without saying anything. She won't be scary about it if that's what you're worried about."

"Is she really? Because that's really has not been my impression."

"She's rubbish with rude customers, but she's good with the important things," Abby said serenely. "Leave mum to me. Are you going to finish your tart?"

"No, you went through all this trouble to make it special, I'll finish it." He bit into the tart. It was as lovely as Abby said it was. It gave him something to do while he collected his wits. Abby nattered on about the park near her house. It was brilliant for watching people and their dogs and it had the most brilliant ice cream van by the water fountain. It was the only ice cream van that sold kiwi flavoured lollies in the summer time. But the park in winter was just as nice. Her cheery chatter calmed Martin. He loved that about her. Abby always believed there was something wonderful somewhere, no matter how terrible things could be.

Martin finished his tart and wiped the crumbs off his uniform. "So, um, hot tea and clouds sounds good. The wall chart says we have this Tuesday off."

"No problem, Skip," she said. Suddenly thoughtful, she asked, "Or would you like to be called Martin, now that we're together?"

"Um, Skip or Skipper would be fine. Or whatever you like. I'm fine with anything...except Marty. Please don't call me Marty," insisted Martin. "My older brother calls me that."

Abby suddenly lost her jolly demeanor and averted her eyes to some vague spot behind Martin's shoulder. "I knew a Marty once. He had sweaty hands but that was because he was always telling bad lies. They were better than mine because he rarely got names and places mixed up with the truth like I did. But that didn't make them brilliant," she said. She looked down at her cooling hot chocolate before her eyes met Martin's. "Quite the opposite, actually."

She took the plate from Martin and gave Martin a small kiss on the cheek. Martin turned pink.

"Skip it is then," she said softly. She put her arms around him, smiling into his shoulder. Martin smiled too.