"Thanks Leo," Audry said to the coffee man behind the counter at Starbucks. He was always there when she came in to get a cup of sugar packed tea and a cup of coffee with cream and sugar galore. He always joked about her having a sweet tooth as she grimaces at the bitter smell wafting out of the coffee cup.
"See you tomorrow darling," he joked with her when he saw she left the few coins in change on the counter for him. She threw him a smile over her should as she backed out the door with a cup in each hand.
She expertly, from months of habit, vaulted herself into the driver seat of her worn out Ford truck. Setting the coffee cup in the farthest cup holder from her, she hooked her foot under the door and swung it towards her. It latched and locked as soon as she put the key into the ignition.
As she scooted her bum over to the middle of the seat she heard a horrid rending sound of cloth splitting from cloth. She looked how, horrified, at her long skirt that had gotten caught in the door as it swung shut that now has a sizeable hole where the two different fabrics were sewn together.
"Oh cheese," she exhaled, frustrated. "Of all days this had to happen to me today. In this skirt of course. New, did you know?" she asked to no body in particular. She might have been asking Henry, but he was unlikely to respond. He just sat, humming quietly, as she opened his door and pulled in her skirt. She promptly fastened her seat belt and put him into gear. Henry pulled through the parking space and headed off to the main road.
"Hey hun," she said with a warm smile to Aden. He looked up from his desk in his room. He had been studying all night for finals that were coming up this week. If he did well, as he always did, he's finally graduate from the academy after studying for four years. Audry had graduated from her collage of choice a year ago, so she was free to make these visits when ever she pleased.
"Oh are you a sight for sore eyes!" he exclaimed as he pushed his chair back and all but launched himself at her, stopping only at her exclamation of "HOT COFFEE!"
He grinned at her and grabbed his cup, set it down on the deck and swooped her up in his arms to kiss her happily.
"It's nice to see you too," Audry said calmly, after catching her breath. Aden grinned at her once more before turning to grab his coffee.
"Ah ah ah!" Audry said putting a hand on his arm. She stepped over to the desk and set her drink down near his. "One more kiss before you contaminate yourself with that stuff."
Her arms, now free of coffee and tea, were flung around his neck as she kissed him soundly.
When he let her down, she grabbed her cup and finished off her tea before asking, "do you have a needle and thread lying around by chance?"
"Oh sure," he said after mulling it over a mouth of coffee. Audry sat on the edge of his cot and watched him rut through his small, dorm closet for the needle and thread. He came out triumphant with a sewing bag in his hands.
"What do you need this for?"
"Oh, I just got a rip in my skirt and I wanted to mend it before it got much bigger," she replied, showing him the unfortunate gash in the left side of the poor skirt.
He knelt to one knee before her, ignoring her hands that were asking for the supplies to patch up the fabric. He deftly threaded the needle as she started to protest.
"Hey. No. This is MY skirt. I broke it. I fix it. And when did you lean to sew any way? And what makes you think I'd trust your fingers around this delicate fabric eh?"
He just smile up at her from his one knee. Her heart stopped. One knee. Her brain went in to lala land at 100 mph, with no intention of returning. It went so far so fast she didn't hear his explanation of where he learned to sew and how he was not gay.
"Audry?" he asked, waving his hand in front of her. He had finished with the small rent in her skirt and was putting everything back in it's pouch when he realized his normally talkative girlfriend had been silent through his explanation.
She popped back and looked at her skirt and how neatly it was fixed. She looked back up at him and realized, by the tone o his voice, she had totally spaced out and missed something.
"Oh!" she said, blushing very slightly. "I'm sorry. I just. My brain went somewhere else when you did that."
"Did what?" he asked, knowing the answer full well, but wanting her to explain what she was thinking.
"When you did the whole knee thing."
"What, this?" he asked, getting on his knee and holding her left hand in his. A grin broke out across his face while he watched her eyes glaze over again to lala land where it was raining 14karot gold rings with diamonds set in them.
She yanked her hand away with a smile on her face. "Don't do such devilish things to a woman with hopes." She stuck up her nose and walked the few steps it took to the other side of the room. Crossing her arms, she stood ridged with her back away from him so he couldn't see her smile trying to break through her playfulness. He came over, wrapping his arms around her and trying to kiss her cheek at least. She leaned away from him with her smile breaking through. For several minutes they wrestled. Him for a kiss, her to escape.
Aden finally was finished with the playing around, so he scooped up her tiny frame and dumped her on his bed, towering over her to trap her with his body. With no where to run he planted a huge one right on her until he felt her give in. Softer kisses followed until they were simply cuddling.
"You're a tease," said Audry.
"Oh? How so?" Aden inquired mildly.
"This far into a relationship, you're not allowed to go on one knee unless you've a ring in your pocket."
"Oh, my love. I promise no more going down on one knee."
"Hey, I didn't say never! Just not unless you mean it!"
"Hun?"
"Yes?"
"I love you."
