The door to the suite opened slowly. Erica held onto the metal handle and opened the door little by little, trying to avoid the squeaking that so many doors did. She poked her head through the door and looked around. She could see the door to the balcony ajar and the breeze was catching the pale, white drapes in its wake. Erica closed the door quietly behind her and set her purse on the table nearby. She stretched her arms out towards her sides and rolled her head in a circular motion from side to side. Time at the spa had done her well, but the entire time there she couldn't help but think about her husband and how he was doing. John hadn't left the suite all day, she'd been told. She wondered if he was really all right.
Erica stepped towards the transparent glass door that led to the balcony and peered through the adjacent window. She saw John lounging in one of the chairs overlooking the view from their room. His legs were propped up on the black steel railing and he had an empty glass on the small table beside him. His left arm was in the sling, resting against his chest, with his right arm behind his head. An open book was splayed across his lap and every so often the breeze would turn a page absent mindedly. His breath was coming in gentle inhales and exhales through his nose, which gave him a peaceful aura like a young child taking an afternoon nap.
Taking extra care not to wake him, Erica stepped out onto the balcony. Much to her dismay, she saw John stir in the chair and open his eyes, forming them into little slits that barely let his dark eyes come into view. He smiled at her. "Hi," he whispered.
"Hi, yourself," Erica answered. She came beside him and sat down in another chair, scooting it close to his. "How are you feeling?"
"Better. The pain's almost completely gone, so that's a plus. Otherwise...aah...I've just been relaxing out here for most of the afternoon." John paused. "And what about you? What have you been up to on this beautiful day in paradise?"
Erica smiled. "Well...we went to the spa like you told us to. I hit the steam room...spent some time in the baths...and then Murrue had me get a facial for some odd reason." John chuckled. "What's so funny?" Erica asked.
"Nothin'," John answered slyly. "Just the way you said facial. It sounded to me like you think you needed it."
"I didn't say that," Erica retorted.
"And I'm glad you didn't." John brought his left hand to her face and gently stroked her cheek. He tucked a lock of brown hair behind her ear and said, "Because you don't need it at all. You're beautiful enough as it is."
Erica smiled and brushed bright crimson. "I'm glad to hear you say that." She leaned over him and kissed him gently on the lips. "You have no idea how worried I was for you, darling."
John chuckled. "Why did you bother worrying? I already told you that I was okay."
"Well I can't help it," Erica pouted. "I get worried when my husband gets hurt."
He kissed her. "And I'm grateful for it." John gingerly began to maneuver out of the chair. Erica helped him to his feet. He ran his fingers through his hair and said, "Now then...what say we go get something to eat. I'm starving!"
"Yeah, let's go eat. Where do you wanna go?"
John extended his left arm to her. "How 'bout we go to Albert's and get us some seafood? I feel like having some oysters."
Erica slipped her arm through his and said, "Can you break them open with one hand?"
He smiled down at her. "We'll just have to find out, now won't we?"
The beaches that border Waveland's premises is one of the whitest and most beautiful in the world. It stretched for miles towards the horizon in both directions, encompassing the entire ocean along its path that carved out the northern coast of Orb. Waveland is one of the larger cities on the beach and, like Waikiki in Hawaii, is one of the most popular tourist and civilian places to visit in the entire country.
Given that it was in the middle of the Spring season however, the resort wasn't all that crowded at this point in time. The same could be said for the public beaches just down the road from the hotel property. This consisted of about a two mile stretch of nothing but shops, seaside restaurants, nightclubs, and bars that attracted huge crowds in the summer. But this evening, there were relatively few people in the establishments. That of course, suited the couple seated at the bar inside the Big River Brewing Company just fine.
"And then after I hit the one good tee shot I had all day...I hit the second shot with a seven iron...pfft...goes right into the sand trap beside the green!" Murrue let out a dejected sigh as she listened to Mwu's tale from his golf outing with Frank that afternoon. "Yeah, I know...it took me four damn shots to get out of that stuff. And then I three putted, which gave me an eight." He extended his arms wide across his torso. "And of course, Frank hits the green on his second shot...and then to top it off...he sinks his first put and birdies! I said to him, 'Way to rub it in my face, Frank!'" Mwu slapped his thigh with his right hand.
"Well, Frank has been golfing for about ten years now, Mwu," Murrue reminded him. "Even you weren't expecting to beat him on the first try were you?"
Mwu sighed. "No...I guess I wasn't. But that doesn't mean I didn't try to!"
"Yes, I know," Murrue laughed.
Mwu smiled. He laid his hand on her bear shoulder, covered only by the tiny strings of her light blue tank top. "That's all I wanted to hear from you after how bad I played." Murrue had her brown hair tied into a pony-tail which stretched to just above her shoulders. To go with the tank top, she had on white khaki shorts and black scandals with tiny flower petals on the straps. Mwu wore a simple red flowered shirt and khaki shorts. They had come together after Murrue had left the spa at about four and now the clock hands above the bar read six thirty. Sunset was coming, as the golden orb was sinking lower and lower in the sky to the west.
The man behind the bar returned to the couple with their drinks. "Here we are!" he announced. "One tequila for the gentleman...and one margarita on the rocks for lady. Enjoy!"
Both Mwu and Murrue clanked their drinks together in a toast and took small sips. Mwu puckered his lips together and clicked them apart. "Oh...man that's sweet!"
Murrue smiled widely. "You have to take it easy with tequila, Mwu," she giggled against the rim of her glass.
Mwu stuck his tongue out and promptly put it back in his mouth. "I know that...geez...I've never had one this sweet, though."
It took Mwu several minutes to get over the first barrage of the beverage that touched his tongue. Finally, he got up the courage to take another sip. This one was less violent and he sighed in satisfaction after he downed it. Murrue laughed. "I take it you like it now, huh?"
"Very much, so. And yours?" Mwu asked.
"Delicious," Murrue said, bringing the glass to her red lips and drinking a tiny bit more. They drank their drinks sparingly, making sure that they did not go overboard. Getting drunk on the first night wasn't in either of their plans for this weekend.
While they did so, they talked of their days. Murrue outlined her day at the spa, where she'd practically had to drag Natarle to, but then afterward how her friend had not really wanted to leave. "That massage must've done her some good," Mwu suggested.
Murrue smiled. "Let's hope so. I wanted Natarle to have fun on this trip more than anything else, really. She deserves it more than we do after all she's done these past few months."
"I know what you mean. But then again, it's not like we didn't deserve this either, you know." Mwu smiled at her.
Murrue nodded. She glanced over his shoulder towards the beach. "The sun's going down." Mwu craned his neck and saw the sun just now beginning to dip below the horizon. He glanced at his watch. Seven o'clock. "We should probably be heading back now," Murrue said.
"Yeah, you're right. I'm kinda tired as it is." He was lying off course, but he stretched his arms up above his head and yawned to make it seem like he wasn't. "But do you think we'll have time for a little walk on the beach before we head back to the hotel?"
Her smile made his heart leap out of his chest. "Of course, dear." Mwu paid the tab for the drinks and took her by the hand.
There wasn't a soul to be found on the beach. This surprised the couple, because of the fact that it was sunset. However, they didn't mind the sudden privacy that had been afforded to them as a result. They held hands and walked slowly near the shore, the waves occasionally lapping against their feet. The ocean breeze was saltier than usual as it whipped their hair back and forth.
They stopped at a point on the beach just beyond the hotel property boundary. From where they stood, they could hear music playing from the bars and nightclubs in the city where they'd just been. The lights had begun to come on in the hotel windows, casting a peaceful glare upon the two buildings. Both of their stares however, were cast upon the sun as it began its slow disappearance under the horizon to the west, directly in front of them. Mwu's blue eyes trailed towards his wife beside him, her brown eyes now appearing to be colored pure gold with the sun's reflection. Murrue noticed his stare and turned to face him. "I thought we were supposed to be watching the sunset?" she asked innocently.
"We were," Mwu answered quietly. He reached up to gently stroke her cheek. The breeze blew strands of her hair against his fingers as he whispered, "But I think that this is much more beautiful to look at than the sun."
He slowly brought her face to his and kissed her. Murrue accepted it whole heartedly. Her arms encircled his neck and his strong hands held her tightly to him. The kiss continued on as the sun completely disappeared behind them, but this was entirely oblivious to the two of them. They were too concerned with one another to notice. His hands went lower on her body, holding her waist and stroked her. Murrue smiled against his lips and kissed him with even more reverence. His hand touched the back of her thigh, gliding across her smooth skin while his other hand rubbed her back. Slowly he began to lower her down onto the sand, her body touching down with the gentleness of a feather. Her fingers ran through his blond locks and she sighed. His hand stroked her thigh, moving up and down slowly, tickling her skin as she squirmed beneath him.
Finally, after a few minutes, she broke the kiss and smiled up at him. He returned the smile and opened his mouth to speak. She brought a finger to his lips and silenced him. "Not to put a damper on the romance..." she whispered, bringing her lips next to his ear, "but...I'm getting sand in my underwear."
He laughed through his nose. "That's not very comfortable, is it?"
"No it isn't." She glanced around. "The sun's gone down, I see."
He glanced to his right. "So it has."
"We should probably be heading back, now." He helped her to her feet. They dusted themselves off as best they could, but the wet sand still left some dirt patches on their clothes. "What time is it?" she asked him.
"About quarter to eight," he told her.
"Yeah. Let's head back now, it's getting dark." She started towards the hotel. He followed her. He glanced back down at his watch. He sighed. I hope everything's ready like I asked.
The elevator came to a halt on the twenty-third floor. Frank stepped out of the lift and walked the short distance to his hotel suite. All during the journey his fingers were playing with the little black box in his pocket. He hadn't wanted anyone to notice it before he actually did it, but Mwu had seen it and spoiled the surprise. Hopefully, as far as Frank was concerned, he hadn't told anybody about it. But that didn't ease his fear that someone would tell her before he even got the chance to ask her himself.
He'd bought the box about two weeks before the trip, hoping that he would be able to give it to his girlfriend sometime while they were out here. He couldn't really resist the temptation of proposing at such a beautiful location and when the opportunity had come up, he had been elated. But now, he knew that he would have to do it here, or else his friend would probably pass the buck to someone else who would then tell her and that would be disastrous, both emotionally, and maybe even physically, knowing Natarle.
Frank fumbled around in his shirt pocket for his room card. Just in case, perhaps he'd better do it tonight, before someone else told her. He had called her a few minutes before to let her know he was coming, so he at least knew she was in. He slipped his card into the reader and it turned green with acceptance. Frank pulled down the door handle and opened the door slowly. He glanced inside. She wasn't anywhere to be seen. He shut the door quietly behind him and tossed his room card onto the table. He stopped. He listened carefully. He could barely hear someone breathing in the room to his right. Tiptoeing over to the doorway, Frank peered inside. There was a figure asleep in one of the beds. He ducked out of sight and took a deep breath. He grasped the box in his hand. All right...here goes nothing...
Slowly he began to make his way into the room. He came beside her sleeping form. He began to whisper her name, but stopped himself. He stared at her for several moments. He smiled. Natarle was fast asleep, tucked snugly under the covers, a smile on her lips. She looked so peaceful, Frank couldn't bear to wake her. She just looked so cute right now, he couldn't get up the nerve.
He lowered his face near hers and kissed her gently on the cheek. "Sweet dreams," he whispered. Natarle didn't even twitch.
"Do you still think we'll be able to hit the night scene downtown sometime in the next few days?" Mwu walked side by side with Murrue in the corridor leading to their hotel suite.
"I don't see why not," Murrue answered neutrally. "I'm sure Erica and John would love to go. Plus, I think Frank might be able to drag Natarle along, so the whole group should be able to go."
"Great," Mwu breathed. Murrue reached for her room card, but he stepped in front of her. "I'll get that, Murrue." He slid in his card and opened the door for her. "By the way Murrue," he said. "I forgot...what did you say was the one thing you would want in the whole world?"
"Besides you?" Murrue smiled.
"Of course, besides me," Mwu chuckled.
"I already told you a thousand times, Mwu," she said, stepping into their suite. "A garden. A garden big enough to fill an entire...room..."
Murrue's eyes widened and her mouth went aghast. All around her, from one end of the suite to the next, were flowers. Roses, daisies, petunias, sunflowers. Hundreds of them, lining the counter, the table, and couch. They sat on the television and some were taped to the walls. Murrue stepped into the mass, turning this way and that. She saw nothing but flowers all around her. "Oh my God..." she whispered.
Mwu stepped cautiously inside, not wanting to interrupt her bliss. He shut the door with a soft click and locked the door. "Mwu...did you do this?" he heard her ask.
He glanced at her and smiled. "Surprised?"
"My God...how...?" Murrue was smiling now, her eyes literally glowing as she looked at the beautiful flowers. She picked up a few and brought them to her nose. She smelled them and smiled. "Mwu, they're beautiful."
"All for you, Murrue." Mwu folded his arms. "I wanted to thank you for bringing me on this trip in the first place. But most of all...I did this because I love you, Murrue." He tossed his room card onto the nearby table. "Now then...what do you suppose we do with all these flowers?" He reached up and touched a rose's petals with his finger tips.
Suddenly, he was thrown back against the door by the sheer force of Murrue's tackle. She kissed him so fiercely his tongue caught the roof of his mouth. He wrapped her in his arms, but she squirmed free. "Mwu you little whipper snapper." Her fingers were unbuttoning his shirt. "You knew all along about this didn't you?"
"I paid for it, didn't I?" She pushed his shirt off of his shoulders and stroked his muscular chest. "Whoa! Someone's frisky tonight."
Her fingers were already unfastening his belt.
"Well, what do you think? After making my dreams come true, you deserve a reward...don't you?"
He grasped her hands with his. She glanced up at him. Her brown eyes met his. "That would be nice," he whispered gently. "But don't you think we should close the drapes first?" Murrue glanced quickly behind her and blushed bright red. "Besides...it's funner when we do it slow...isn't it?"
She smiled at him and kissed his nose. "You get the door...I'll get the windows." They separated. Murrue quickly made her way to the balcony door and locked it. She pulled the drapes in front of it and sealed them. Mwu grabbed a chair and brought it to the door. He placed it in front of the handle, holding it in place. He thought about handing a Do Not Disturb sign on the outside of the door, but decided that it wouldn't be necessary.
He thought he smelled strawberries. Mwu turned around. He saw Murrue take a lit match and light a series of candles that sat on the kitchen counter and table beside them. He took her by the hand. Leading her into the middle of the room, he stroked her cheek and looked deep into her eyes. "I love you, you know that?"
"I love you too," Murrue whispered. She kissed him shortly and sweetly.
Her fingers touched his bear stomach and tickled him. He squirmed slightly as he held her in his arms, but not enough to impair with her work. Deftly, she unbuttoned his shorts. She took them down slowly, leaving him only in his boxers. He was visibly stretched against the fabric, which was rather uncomfortable for him.
He took her by the waist. "I should fix my hair," Murrue said. She reached behind her head and tugged at her scrunchie. She pulled it loose and allowed her brown hair to flow in its natural beauty. Several seconds passed with neither of them saying anything. Mwu felt for the hem of her tank top. Murrue knew it was her turn in their little game they liked to play in situations such as these. He lifted her shirt up to her stomach. Murrue brought her hands down to help him and slowly they lifted her tank top up and over her head together. Because of the warm, tropical climate they were in, Murrue had found no reason to wear a bra, which suited Mwu just fine.
He grasped her by her sides and just held her. Their eyes interlocked with one another. He leaned forward and began to kiss her neck. Murrue sighed in her throat as he began to nibble at her skin, biting at her earlobe gently. She could feel his tense lower region, rubbing against her thigh. She smiled. Reaching for his waist, she took hold of the waistband of his boxers and began to lower them. They pooled at his feet in a pile of thin fabric. His evident arousal made Murrue feel splendid.
Mwu returned from his exploration and kissed her lips. She licked his with her tongue, feeling the cool saliva developing across his lips. She thought she heard him whisper, "Your turn," but no words came out of his mouth. Murrue could feel his hands beginning to trek lower on her body. They were completely around her now, stroking her back with gentle caresses. When they reached her waist, his fingers began to make their way around her hips. Murrue smiled and glanced down as she felt them begin to tug at the waistband of her shorts. Ever so slowly, he undid the button and slid the zipper down as far as it would go. Murrue wiggled her hips slightly, as she felt his fingers reach beneath the thin material under her shorts. He slowly pulled them and her panties down together. Murrue stepped out of them and flicked them away with a quick movement of her ankles.
They stood before one another fully exposed, nothing standing between them. Mwu wrapped his arms around her and Murrue touched his chest. They looked deep into one another's eyes. Their lips met passionately, drinking deep into one another's mouths.
Murrue broke the kiss after what seemed like forever. "Mwu...we're covered with sand..." she whispered.
Mwu glanced down at himself and then at Murrue. He could see faint traces of sand in her brown hair and further down on her gorgeous body. "The shower?" he asked. She nodded.
They made their way slowly to the bathroom, never bothering to let each other out of their respective grasps. Murrue slid the shower door shut behind them and he turned on the water. It cascaded down on them in gentle torrents, soaking their intertwined bodies. Mwu ran his fingers through her hair, scrubbing out the sand and kissing her lips at the same time. Murrue kissed him back and cleaned his body as well.
Once that was done, they stood together and dried one another off with the soft, warm linen towels in the bathroom. "That was nice," Mwu said casually.
Murrue smiled at him. "Yes. And do you know why, husband?" He shook his head. She wrapped herself around him. "Because clean bodies makes love making that much better."
He grinned slyly at her. He scooped her up in his strong arms as she yelped in surprise. He carried her across the suite in long strides, passing row upon row of flowers along the way. She glanced around the bedroom. Wild flowers covered both beds from end to end. Mwu gently laid her down onto one of the beds, the flowers making the mattress only more comfortable. Mwu paused and glanced down at Murrue's beautiful figure below him. She reached for a flower and smelled it. "Beautiful."
Mwu crawled on top of her and looked her in the eyes. "Not as beautiful as you, love." He kissed her.
Author's Note: Was that hot or what?