Chapter 3

Four hours later Geraldine pulled up in front of the couple,s apartment and honked her horn. She didn't have to wait long; Lisbon appeared shortly, leading a blindfolded Patrick Jane. Geraldine grinned when she saw the eager smile on Patrick,s face. No matter what he might say or how many protests he might give, that was one eager man.

"Hey,Tess. Are you ready? Cos let me tell you Janie, baby, your adventure is awaiting." Geraldine giggled at Patrick & turned around in her seat, greeting the couple.

Teresa watched closely as Patrick buckled his seatbelt before turning to Geraldine . "Gez, thank you so much for driving us. And for setting everything up. I really appreciate it."

Jane perked his ears up. "Gez? You set this up? So how about giving your dearest girlfriend's ,handsome ,charming boyfriend a clue? After all, it's cruel to leave a guy in the dark like this."

"Nice try Patrick. There's no way I'm gonna ruin this for Tess. She's been looking forward to it for way too long. Nope, you'll just have to be patient. You'll find out soon enough." Came the dry response.

After checking to make sure everyone was seated and buckled, Geraldine started the car and pulled away. Reaching over, she flipped on the radio and hummed along. A grin settled on her lips when Patrick's pleas drifted towards her.

A mere 45minutes later had Geraldine stopping the car. Patrick, feeling the vibrations subside, spoke up. "Gez? Is something wrong with the car?"

"Nope. Sorry to disappoint you. I know you were hoping for an excuse to see the light of day again. Sadly, you're gonna have to wait just a little longer. We're almost there." Opening the door, Geraldine stepped out and scanned the area. Seeing who she was looking for, she rose up to her tiptoes and waved.

Teresa opened her own door and exited the car, making her way around to the other side to help Patrick out. Straightening, he inhaled a deep breath, his brow crinkling at first in confusion at the tangy, salty scent. As he puzzled over the smell, he suddenly smiled. the sound of low voices reached his ears. "Teresa?"

"I'm right here Patrick. What's wrong?"

"Is everything okay? I'm hearing voices."

Teresa giggled. "Now Patrick. What have I told you about admitting that in public? If you're not careful people are gonna think you're loony tunes!"

Patrick turned in the direction of her voice and attempted a glower. "Very funny. You know what I mean!"

Teresa squelched the remaining giggles threatening to make their way through her lips. "Don't worry about it. It's nothing. C'mon. We need to go this way. Just walk carefully and you'll be fine." " your not going to make me walk the plank are you?" he joked feebly….

Taking his arm, Teresa pulled him away from the car. Patrick let out a resigned sigh and silently prayed he wouldn't trip over something and make a complete fool out of himself. The walk was a short one. He was stopped when he bumped into a body. Patrick mumbled an apology before turning to where he thought Teresa stood. "Tess? I thought you weren't gonna let me hit anything." Patrick inwardly winced at the petulant tone.

Teresa gently patted his arm. "Now, now Jane. Nothing to worry about. Are you ready for your surprise?"

Behind the blindfold, Patrick's eyes lit up with excitement. Eagerly he nodded his head, his every sense aware and just waiting for his surprise. Feeling Teresa's hands on his shoulders, Patrick complied when she gently turned his body to the side. He waited a heartbeat then felt her hands slide from his shoulders to the knot at the back of his head.

The blindfold fell away and Patrick blinked against the brightness of the sun. As his vision cleared, his eyes widened in delight when he saw the yacht standing before him. "How? When? But…" He stammered, unable to turn away from the sight in front of him.

"I think he likes it. What do you think Gez?" Laughter twinkled throughTeresa's words.

"I think you may be right there hun. Cousin Matt put your bags in the bedroom. She's all yours for the weekend. And you owe me! Have fun you two." Geraldine gave Lisbon a quick hug , gave Patrick a kiss, before heading back to her car.

Patrick tore his eyes away from the ship. "How did you know? How did you get this?"

Teresa Lisbon looked into his shining eyes, secretly thrilled by Patrick's reaction. "Wellll, do you remember the night you saw the commercial for Fantasy Suites? And you suggested we go back sometime? Well when I was coming back from the kitchen with our drinks I saw you practically drooling over the tv. I looked and I saw a commercial for fantasy cruise lines plc. I knew that there was no way we had the time to take a cruise like that yet. But I thought of this instead. And this way we'll have more privacy. There's no crew. I didn't think we needed one since both of us are familiar with boats. And we're not going far. I thought we could just cruise around the Keys for the weekend. So? Do you like it?"

Patrick , still wide-eyed, looked from Teresa to the yacht and back again. Suddenly, his arms shot out and crushed her too him. When he spoke, his eyes had darkened and his voice was husky. "I love it. And I love you! I can't believe you thought of this. So, what do you say we get started on our little vacation?" Patrick's voice softened and trailed away as he brought his head down, his lips settling against hers in a loving kiss. He also gave a little chuckle when he saw the name of the ship… *JISBON*…….

Reviews are most welcome…. Hint hint…..

lisbon69