Joint fic by me and Jen! Enjoy and feel free to review!
"Gerry it's not fair!" Sandra sighed staring out the office window sulkily as he shook his head.
"Now you're being childish!"
"No I'm not you're the one who won't tell me what's happening or when or where! That's childish we're not teenagers for Christ's sake!"
"You are the single most impatient woman I have ever met and I've met a lot of women." Gerry laughed winking at her as she glared at him in response to his illusion to his chequered past where women were concerned.
"Yeah well I bet this is the reason you've made it through so many women in your lifetime you drive them crazy and they have more sense than me and dump you for it! Come on pleeaassee tell me!"
"I'm sorry babe but no. You'll have to wait, I said we'd meet Esther, Jack and Brian here as they don't know how to get to the restaurant and they're going to follow us in."
"Yes I know, you said only a couple hundred times but it still gives me no clue as to why you've made me stay here since 5 or where we're going or why!"
"God, I've never been with a women who asks as many questions as you!"
"That's because everyone you've been with has been thick as hell. They only cared about looks and I wouldn't be surprised if that's all you were bothered about too. They had to be stupid anyway otherwise they'd never have got with you."
"Oh you do offend me Sandra. Anyway you're with me and you're not stupid but you're extremely good looking."
"We'll call it a temporary bout of insanity." She laughed as she turned back round to look out the window to watch for the others while she smiled that special cheeky smile that was just for him.
"Not that temporary it's been almost two years now and you've still stuck around thanks to my sparkling personality."
"Sparkling personality? Yeah that's what it is." Sandra scoffed pretending to still be angry when in fact the playful banter was taking the edge off her mood nicely.
"Well if it's not that it must be because I'm so good in….."
"Gerry, Sandra where the hell are you Brian is out in the car driving Esther mad because he says 8 is too late to have dinner he's starving!" Jack interrupted storming through the office door clearly not in a good mood. "I swear Gerry this better be worth it all this mysterious arrangements just turn up and I'll tell you all when we get there crap is not fun at our age."
"See I told you no one likes to be kept in the dark about plans they are supposed to be part of." Sandra smiled smugly feeling slightly better that she wasn't the only one being tortured by him. The drive from Brian and Esther's would not have been fun Brian hated his routine being disrupted and he would even less pleased about it when he had no idea why it was being disrupted.
"You have all lost your sense of adventure that's the trouble with you lot now come on it took me ages to get this reservation and I have something very special planned when we get there.
"Where the hell are we?" Brian asked Esther as they rode further away from anywhere recognisable and into nothingness. His thoughts were clearly being shared by an impatient and irritated Sandra who as of yet hadn't let Gerry have a single moment of peace.
"Gerry, this isn't funny anymore, what the hell are you playing at?!"
"Sandra, we're not far now do you reckon you can spend the rest of the journey being or at least stopping nagging?"
"I don't know Gerry, do you reckon you could stop acting like a child and tell me what's going on. I bet I'm not the only one who's not best pleased about all of this. It's late, it's a Monday evening and right now I'd like us to be curled up on the sofa with a glass of wine watching whatever rubbish they call entertainment is on tv."
"Well there's every other day for that, this is something special so stop moaning and let's talk normally."
"Don't think I'm dropping this." Sandra told him sternly knowing exactly what he was going to do next.
"Paula and little Gerry are coming over this weekend after Gerry's cup final, his football team actually got through to the final of the county tournament. Football runs in the family." Sandra threw him an odd look and sighed.
"Yeah yeah, you've said."
"If you don't cut it out I'm not organising any more surprises for you and when you realise what this is all about you'll decide you like my surprises and then you'll be disappointed never to get another one." Gerry smiled. He knew he should be irritated by her impatience or at the very least finding it a bit annoying but nothing was going to spoil tonight. He'd been planning this for months and he knew she'd forget how special today was. To her it was just another Monday, any Monday on any week where they had been working too hard and pulling over time all weekend and needed to be vegging in front of the TV just as she said.
"I hate all surprises I thought we established that when you decided to "surprise" me by taking me to a Chelsea match for my birthday." Sandra snapped staring out the window and trying hard not to tell him to just stop the car and she'd get a cab home he could do whatever he wanted with Esther, Jack and Brian she would be just as happy with a take away and a bottle or six of wine.
"It wasn't just a match it was a big London derby and it wasn't like I expected you to stand on the terraces we had a VIP box!"
"You got a VIP box for her birthday? Are you mad you should have took me!" Brian interrupted the laugh it caused in the car briefly breaking the tension as Gerry looked across at her again and noted that she still was the only person not laughing. For a second he wondered if this had all really been a good idea. There was still a chance that it could all back fire on him and if it did then she may never forgive him then the trouble he was in now would seem like a leisurely spring day in the park by comparison.
"Right you lot. All of you shut up. We're nearly there and then all will be revealed."
The rest of the car journey went by almost silently. Until they pulled up outside a small but extremely pretty restaurant. It was almost a traditional small white cottage but it was more modernised. It was in on the side of a little river and that's when the group noticed the cottage was infact an converted mill.
"Impressed?" Gerry asked a still silent Sandra.
"Yes it's lovely but I still don't know what we're doing here."
"All will be revealed shortly. Let's go in." The group were greeted by a small red head with a strong Scottish accent.
"Can I help you?" She asked.
"Yes, reservation for Standing."
"Yes of course." She led them to their table and watched them all sit down before handing them menus. "I'm Carly and I'll be serving you tonight. I'll be over there if you need me and I'll be back soon to take your orders.
"This place is lovely Gerry but there are loads of nice restaurants in London or so you keep telling me why did we have to drive all the way out here?"" Sandra asked as they sat at the table and she eyed him with continuing suspicion.
"You really don't remember do you?" He smiled not quite believing that even arriving at the place hadn't jogged her memory. He'd never forget that evening and while he knew she was terrible with dates he thought she'd at least remember the place.
"Gerry are you going to let us all in on the big secret?" Jack asked grumpily as Sandra looked around and a small smile crossed her lips.
"What date is it Brian?" She asked glancing at Gerry as he nodded.
"The 14th why does that matter? I don't care why we're here anymore I just want some food cane we order now?"
"Brian will you sit there and shut up! There's obviously something important about today." Esther sighed looking from Gerry to Sandra and back again expectantly.
"You really don't remember do you?" Gerry asked as he turned his stare back to Sandra.
"Of course I do." Sandra replied defensively.
"Enlighten us" they all turned and looked at Sandra expectantly.
"Erm..."
"Didn't think you'd remember! You're rubbish with dates but does this place not remind you of anything."
"I know we've been here before but not the significance you seem so bothered about"
"Exactly two years to the date I brought you here and it was the first time we said I love you to each other." Sandra looked up at him with tears filling her eyes, she never knew he could be so soppy but how could she forget.
"That's lovely but why did we have to come?" Brian asked grumpily as the lack of food was really getting to him. A hit on the chest from Esther was the thing to shut him up.
"I think it was a lovely thing to do and so sweet that you remembered. Congratulations." Esther told them.
"Thanks Esther." Gerry smiled trying to ignore Brian's confused gaze as he took his courage in both hands and prayed that he wasn't about to make a huge mistake. "Well I was planning to wait until after we'd eaten but since everyone seems to be suffering from a patience deficiency tonight I suppose now is as good a time as any."
"As good a time as any for what Gerry?" Jack snapped getting more and more irritated about the act that the two women round the table had been reduced to blubbering messes by the romantic gesture and Brian was now sulking about yet another delay to their meal.
"This." Gerry smiled slipping out of his chair and onto one knee in front of Sandra before producing a small black ring box from his pocket. "I'm sorry that what I had planned to be a really nice evening with the people we care about has gone tits up, everyone is cross and it doesn't exactly feel like the most romantic way to do this anymore but…well will you marry me Sandra?"
"I thought I never wanted to get married again but this evening and well the past couple of years has shown me that I'm never going to find a better man. You're all that I want and all that I need, you're the sweetest, kindest man I've ever met..." Sandra began.
"Are we still talking about Gerry?" Brian asked, the lack of food making him ever grumpier.
"Yes Brian, we are. He's a completely different man at home to how he is at work when it comes to anything but me. At times his protectiveness annoys the hell out of me but its comforting to know he's there and I wouldn't have it any other way. Right now I can't think of anything I'd like to do more than become your wife." The tears poured from both Sandra and Esther's eyes and were building up in Jack's eyes.
"Now now, don't cry. I'm not that bad a husband. The exes will tell you that." Gerry winked at her.
"Yeah yeah, that's why they're all your exes." Sandra replied Gerry wiped her eyes and pulled her into a massive hug.
"You never will be though, I mean it. This is it, you are the love of my life and I know you hate when I talk soppy but I'm serious no one else will ever even compare to you." She pulled out of the hug and lent forward into his lips to kiss him.
"Get a room." Jack laughed as he couldn't believe what was going on and how happy Sandra looked.
"Later." Gerry playfully replied as Sandra nudged him and gave him a weird angry kind of look. "Anyway now that's bits over, who's for food?"
"Me!" Brain called making everyone laugh and smile all over again.