Candlelit Romance by Rina Stewart
Disclaimer: Not mine. None of them. All belong to Rupert Holmes.
June, 1946
Scott Sherwood studied the piece of paper on the desk in front of him. He had
been planning this day for a long time. Well, he had been planning the idea for
a long time, and the day for about a week. For the first time in his life, he
found himself writing down his plan to make sure he didn't forget one thing, or
mess this up at all.
Ever since he had returned from the war last year, he and Betty had grown
closer. Maple had told him that Betty and Victor had tried a relationship during
the war, but decided it would be best to end it. Victor was now working at a
small radio station in northern Illinois, and Scott had been given his old job
as WENN's station manager. Scott grinned. Well, Victor's loss was his gain, as
the old saying went, and in more ways than one.
He heard a knock on the door and quickly shoved the paper into a drawer. He
looked up with an innocent look on his face to see Betty standing in the doorway
with her eyebrows raised.
"Should I even ask?" she said, her slight exasperation tempered with affection.
He just grinned at her, dark eyes twinkling. "Right. Here is the information on
the new sponsors. I need you to sign the last page, and initial the third," she
told him, handing him a sheaf of papers. "Don't forget Mr. Medwick is coming by
to watch "A Book at Bedtime" tonight, so it has to go somewhat smoothly, and did
you read my plans for the next few months of "Passionate and Pretty?" Miss
Locatis is coming this afternoon to meet with you." He hadn't even opened his
mouth before his expression tipped her off. "Thought so. Here's another copy,"
she sighed.
He took the proffered plans with a smile. "What would I ever do without you,
Betty Roberts?"
"Lose your job, probably," she teased him.
Scott laughed. "What's on your agenda today? You seem to know all of my plans."
"I just have a few more shows to write for this evening," she answered. "CJ's
leaving early tonight, so I'm manning the control room. Womanning the control
room. You're signing off tonight, right?"
"Yep. Meet you in the green room at midnight? I'll walk you to the trolley," he
grinned.
She smiled back. "Sure thing. See you then, Scott." She left, closing the door
behind her.
Scott pulled the paper back out of the drawer and smoothed it flat. So far,
things were going great. Now for the harder part. He saw Maple walking by in the
hallway and jumped up to run to the door. "Hey, Mapes? Come in here for a sec. I
need a favor."
~*~
"This is WENN, signing off for yet another programming day. Time at the chime,
midnight." Scott tried to do the four note WENN sound Mr. Foley used, and winced
when he hit the wrong keys. "Night, everyone," he finished as Betty turned the
station off for the night.
"Nice job, Scott," she teased as she walked through the doorway. "I'm just going
go get my purse out of the writer's room."
"Sure, no problem, Betty. I'll be in the green room, okay?" He followed her out
the door and continued straight ahead, pushing aside the double doors. He gave a
low whistle. Maple had certainly outdone herself this time. Making a mental note
to thank her again later, he inspected the room. Candles of all sizes and shapes
were burning all over the room, giving off a soft glow and what seemed to be
peach and vanilla scents. The table was set beautifully for two, with a large
bouquet of peach roses and baby's breath in a glass vase that danced in the
candlelight.
The doors opened and Scott heard Betty's sharp intake of breath. "Scott?" she
said, wonderingly. "What is all this?"
"We've both been so busy lately, I thought it would be nice to have dinner
together," he explained. "Shall we?" He pulled out the chair out for her.
"Yes, we shall," she smiled happily, taking her seat. "What's on the menu
tonight?"
He walked over to the hot plate and carried the dish to the table, whisking the
cover off. "Spaghetti for the lady. Also," he walked over to the refrigerator
and pulled out a bottle, "some champagne."
"This looks wonderful, Scott," she told him, holding her glass out for him to
pour the bubbling liquid. "Who did all this?"
"Glad you approve," he grinned. "I planned it, and Maple got everything ready
before she went home tonight."
"That was nice of her," she said as he served her some spaghetti. "This was a
really nice surprise, Scott. Thank you."
"We should do this dinner thing more often," he agreed. "Maybe even a meal like
breakfast, too."
"That would be nice," she nodded. "We'll have to try one day next week."
"Well, I was thinking a little more often that that. Maybe every day?" he
offered.
She blinked in surprise. "Well, that's a lot of days, Scott. I don't know how
we'd manage that."
"I can think of one way that would make it a little easier." He reached down to
pull a small box out of his pocket and slid it towards her.
Betty picked the box up and opened it with trembling fingers. "Oh, my," she
breathed as the diamond ring twinkled in the golden candlelight. She looked up
at Scott who had come to kneel next to her.
"See, I thought maybe marriage would be the key to that. So, Betty Roberts. Will
you marry me?" he asked, taking the case from her hands.
"Oh, Scott. Of course I will," she said softly.
He slid the ring onto her finger and hugged her. "Hey, Betty. I love you," he
whispered.
She smiled. "Hey, Scott. I love you, too."
The End
Disclaimer: Not mine. None of them. All belong to Rupert Holmes.
June, 1946
Scott Sherwood studied the piece of paper on the desk in front of him. He had
been planning this day for a long time. Well, he had been planning the idea for
a long time, and the day for about a week. For the first time in his life, he
found himself writing down his plan to make sure he didn't forget one thing, or
mess this up at all.
Ever since he had returned from the war last year, he and Betty had grown
closer. Maple had told him that Betty and Victor had tried a relationship during
the war, but decided it would be best to end it. Victor was now working at a
small radio station in northern Illinois, and Scott had been given his old job
as WENN's station manager. Scott grinned. Well, Victor's loss was his gain, as
the old saying went, and in more ways than one.
He heard a knock on the door and quickly shoved the paper into a drawer. He
looked up with an innocent look on his face to see Betty standing in the doorway
with her eyebrows raised.
"Should I even ask?" she said, her slight exasperation tempered with affection.
He just grinned at her, dark eyes twinkling. "Right. Here is the information on
the new sponsors. I need you to sign the last page, and initial the third," she
told him, handing him a sheaf of papers. "Don't forget Mr. Medwick is coming by
to watch "A Book at Bedtime" tonight, so it has to go somewhat smoothly, and did
you read my plans for the next few months of "Passionate and Pretty?" Miss
Locatis is coming this afternoon to meet with you." He hadn't even opened his
mouth before his expression tipped her off. "Thought so. Here's another copy,"
she sighed.
He took the proffered plans with a smile. "What would I ever do without you,
Betty Roberts?"
"Lose your job, probably," she teased him.
Scott laughed. "What's on your agenda today? You seem to know all of my plans."
"I just have a few more shows to write for this evening," she answered. "CJ's
leaving early tonight, so I'm manning the control room. Womanning the control
room. You're signing off tonight, right?"
"Yep. Meet you in the green room at midnight? I'll walk you to the trolley," he
grinned.
She smiled back. "Sure thing. See you then, Scott." She left, closing the door
behind her.
Scott pulled the paper back out of the drawer and smoothed it flat. So far,
things were going great. Now for the harder part. He saw Maple walking by in the
hallway and jumped up to run to the door. "Hey, Mapes? Come in here for a sec. I
need a favor."
~*~
"This is WENN, signing off for yet another programming day. Time at the chime,
midnight." Scott tried to do the four note WENN sound Mr. Foley used, and winced
when he hit the wrong keys. "Night, everyone," he finished as Betty turned the
station off for the night.
"Nice job, Scott," she teased as she walked through the doorway. "I'm just going
go get my purse out of the writer's room."
"Sure, no problem, Betty. I'll be in the green room, okay?" He followed her out
the door and continued straight ahead, pushing aside the double doors. He gave a
low whistle. Maple had certainly outdone herself this time. Making a mental note
to thank her again later, he inspected the room. Candles of all sizes and shapes
were burning all over the room, giving off a soft glow and what seemed to be
peach and vanilla scents. The table was set beautifully for two, with a large
bouquet of peach roses and baby's breath in a glass vase that danced in the
candlelight.
The doors opened and Scott heard Betty's sharp intake of breath. "Scott?" she
said, wonderingly. "What is all this?"
"We've both been so busy lately, I thought it would be nice to have dinner
together," he explained. "Shall we?" He pulled out the chair out for her.
"Yes, we shall," she smiled happily, taking her seat. "What's on the menu
tonight?"
He walked over to the hot plate and carried the dish to the table, whisking the
cover off. "Spaghetti for the lady. Also," he walked over to the refrigerator
and pulled out a bottle, "some champagne."
"This looks wonderful, Scott," she told him, holding her glass out for him to
pour the bubbling liquid. "Who did all this?"
"Glad you approve," he grinned. "I planned it, and Maple got everything ready
before she went home tonight."
"That was nice of her," she said as he served her some spaghetti. "This was a
really nice surprise, Scott. Thank you."
"We should do this dinner thing more often," he agreed. "Maybe even a meal like
breakfast, too."
"That would be nice," she nodded. "We'll have to try one day next week."
"Well, I was thinking a little more often that that. Maybe every day?" he
offered.
She blinked in surprise. "Well, that's a lot of days, Scott. I don't know how
we'd manage that."
"I can think of one way that would make it a little easier." He reached down to
pull a small box out of his pocket and slid it towards her.
Betty picked the box up and opened it with trembling fingers. "Oh, my," she
breathed as the diamond ring twinkled in the golden candlelight. She looked up
at Scott who had come to kneel next to her.
"See, I thought maybe marriage would be the key to that. So, Betty Roberts. Will
you marry me?" he asked, taking the case from her hands.
"Oh, Scott. Of course I will," she said softly.
He slid the ring onto her finger and hugged her. "Hey, Betty. I love you," he
whispered.
She smiled. "Hey, Scott. I love you, too."
The End