Sitting at their table in a private lounge, Ariadne sipped her champagne from the elegantly long flute. Her fingers caressed the thin glass and she worked the bubbles over in her mouth before letting them slide down her throat.
Robert sat across from her, angled towards her body, their feet touching. He swirled the scotch in his glass before raising it to his lips.
"Ariadne...?" His glass clinked on the glass tabletop.
"Mmhmm?" Her eyes looked blissful, as she smiled at him.
"I have to go away, Kitten." Robert let out a deep sigh, a sad sound that broke Ariadne's contented mood.
"What?"
"Yah. I've got business in Miami... and you have to go home."
"Home? I don't even know where home is anymore, Robert." She say bad, exasperated.
"What do you mean, Kitten?" He reached over and rubbed her arm, soothingly.
"My father died years ago, and my mother remarried. My sister and I were never close... and my brother... Well.. My brother..." She shook her head and looked away. Robert could hear the strain in her voice, holding back a wave of tears." My brother is in jail."
Robert looked at her and saw the tears running down her face.
"He's serving a life sentence because he raped and killed his girlfriend 4 years ago." She quickly wiped her tears away. "We disowned him after that. No one's seen him since."
"Ariadne, I had no idea..." He skootched his chair to hers and pulled her in for a hug. She gratefully fell into his embrace, before composing herself. "Is there anywhere you can go?"
She sniffled. "My best-friend lives with her son in Lawrence, Kansas... I could go stay there..." Ariadne fluffed the curls at the back of her head.
"That sounds good. We'll arrange everything in the morning." Robert smiled and kissed her on the cheek. "I'm so sorry... I didn't know about you, Ariadne."
"That's alright." She perked up. "We haven't talked much about our pasts. There has been a lot of sex, really." She winked.
"Yes... quite a bit, I'd say."
"What is it you have to go do?" Ariadne daintily ate her salad, and waited for his response.
"I... had a dream on the plane... I made a decision in my sleep you could say. I have to build for myself, not off of what my father made." He sighed and cut into his chicken breast.
"Oh... Makes sense." Ariadne smiled down at her plate, hiding her face from his.
"It shouldn't take very long... I'll be back within the week." He shrugged. "Maybe I'll get to meet your friend."
"That'd be nice." She smiled. "What about you?"
He raised his eyebrow inquisitively. "Huh?"
"What about your family?"
"Well... my mother died when I was young... and my father and I have never had a very tightly-knit relationship. When I was a boy, we had our times, but as adults, we only ever talked about business."
"Oh..." Ariadne muttered.
"And he recently passed away. So has most of my family; my mothers siblings are all gone, left no children. My father was an only child, and I was the only child to my parents.. The only thing remotely close to family is Uncle B: my father's business partner."
"You and him are close, then?"
"Closer then me and my father, yes. Robert Browning; he's been my safe place for years."
Their eyes met and they both smiled, leaving the atmosphere light.
They finished their dinner, and left the building, hand in hand.
They strolled down the street in the dusk, the moonlight bouncing around in the depths of Robert's iris'.
She sighed at the beauty of the city around her: the lights meeting the colourfully warm sunset, and the cool breeze from the east. The sounds of car horns and street-players seemed to swirl around her, in many different colours, creating a musical aura about her and Robert.
They walked around the corner and came upon a small jazz quartet. There was a pianist, a drummer. an upright bass player and a female singer. Her voice wafted beautifully into Ariadne's musical aura as a soft shade of the deepest purple. Her jazzy mezzo swam through the rhythm of the music being played and entwined itself around Robert and Ariadne.
They stopped to listen, and Robert dropped a 20 into the case in front of them.
"Dance with me, my lady?" He offered his hand, palm-up, for her to take and she curtsied as she accepted.
"Why yes, my dear sir." She giggled as he kissed the back of her artistically bent hand and pulled her body into his.
He wrapped his arm tightly around her waist, pinning her to him. He held her had in the other.
He kissed the top of her head, and she snuggled into his neck as they began to dance.
Robert moved her to the beat, sweetly and with languid movements. They waltzed around the small round-about and he spun her out and back in , hugging her to his body, and kissing her neck delicately.
He felt her shiver in delight and spun her back out again.
She glued herself to his body and they swayed, chest-to-chest, their noses and foreheads touching as they smiled at each other.
He took a breath in, breathing in her scent. He could taste her, vividly in his mouth, on his tongue. He traced small circles on the back of her hand with his thumb and hugged her with his other arm.
"I love you, Ariadne." She looked up and kissed him.
"I love you too, Robert."
She pet her head on his shoulder and they danced in the street.
They could hear people around them cooing and saying sweet things about them in hushed tones. They just smiled and ignored the world.
Suddenly the music changed. It became upbeat and swinging and Ariadne jumped from Robert's arms, still holding his hand.
"Come on then!" She exclaimed excitedly. The band broke out in "Lady is a Tramp" and The singer got right into it.
Ariadne lead this time, her feet dancing around, coaxing Robert to do that same. "Oh come on, Bertie!" She let him spin her, out then in, tight to him again.
They jumped and jived, and swung about to the beat, and when the song was over, the small crowd clapped for them and the band.
Each spectator dropped money for the band in the case and continued their walks with smiles on their faces.
Robert and Ariadne held each other, laughing and smiling at the fun they'd had.
"Thank you for the serenade." Ariadne said to the singer, giving her a quick hug. "You're amazingly talented. Don't ever stop trying to reach the top."
"Thank you." The young girl smiled. "You guys are quite the dancers... you've got some chemistry there." She winked.
Robert chuckled aloud.
"Your band, you guys are great. Seriously." He pulled out his wallet and handed each of the four musicians 100$ bills.
They all gasped and exchanged hand-shakes and thank-you's. "That's for giving me and my girl a great time. Even here, in the middle of the moonlit streets."
With that, The couple continued their walk.
They sauntered past locked shops, and dimly lit storefronts, busy bars and grills, and cafes full of people.
All of a sudden, Ariadne's hand slipped from Robert's and she ran ahead to a bright store window.
"Kitten?" Robert caught up with her.
"Oh, Bertie." She sighed as she stared through the glass. "Aren't they beautiful?"
She raised her fingers and pointed into the window. "I absolutely love that one."
Robert grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the doors. "Well then you shall have it."
As they entered the store, the jingle of bells above the door alerted the woman behind the counter. "Good evening! She said cheerily. "Welcome to Tiffany's! How can I 'elp you?" Her voice was thickly accented, Robert assumed Swiss.
"I'd like to get my girl here something special." He grabbed Ariadne's hand.
"And what would your girl 'ere like?" The older woman looked sweetly upon Ariadne.
"There is a necklace... in the front window..." She stammered nervously.
" Alright." The woman briskly stepped to the window and pulled the display out. "Which one, dear?"
Ariadne raised her quivering hand, and pointed to a key. It was about 3 inches long, made of 18K White Gold embedded with diamonds.
"Out White Gold Heart Key? Very classic choice." She smiled and lifted it from the box. "May I?" She gestured towards Ariadne.
"Sure, of course." Ariadne nodded to her, but her eyes met Robert and showed her nervousness.
"A special occasion?" The woman asked.
"Nope. Just doting on my girl." Robert winked at Ariadne. "Ain't that right, Kitty?"
"Mmhmm." She squeaked.
The woman fastened the clasp around Ariadne's neck, and she let her hair fall. The clerk stepped back and beamed. "Isn't that just lovely!"
Robert's eyes widened as well. "Ariadne, it suits you very well. You look stunning."
She fingered the piece of jewellery around her neck tenderly.
" I love it." She breathed.
"Then you'll have it." Robert pulled her in and planted a quick, yet passionate kiss on her rosy lips.
"The key to my heart.' He said.
"Well then you need a lock..." Ariadne said. "Will you wear a necklace?"
"Uhhh...?" Robert looked uncomfortable.
"What about something like this, Bertie?" She pulled Robert over to the Men's counter, and pointed to the Titanium plated, sterling silver dog tag. "We could get the image of a lock engraved, with a hole and everything." She smiled eagerly. "And write "Kitten" on the back?"
"That sounds..." He hesitated for dramatic effect, although there was no way he's say no. "Sure." He smiled and she perked up to kiss him again.
"You heard the Miss." He said to the clerk, who busied herself with following through with Ariadne's plans. Ariadne picked the design of lock image she wanted and the font.
"It'll be around half an hour, Sir, if you'd like to have a walk and come back?"
"Sounds perfect. I'll pay for the necklace now." He walked over to her and wrote up a check. "Sound about right?"
"Perfect, actually." The lady examined the number, which was perfectly calculated, tax and all to the approximately 2000$ necklace.
Outside Ariadne looked to Robert. "How did you do that?"
"DO what?"
"Calculate the taxes and final price so quickly. That was ridiculous!" She was thoroughly impressed.
"Maths was my strong point in school. I studied it in University and I've made use of it in business with my father and Uncle Browning." He smiled nonchalantly.
"You say it like it's no big deal... at all." She scoffed. "I can do math, but whoa." She hugged his arm. "Another reason that makes me love you."
"What other reasons are there?"
"Well, you're a gentleman, and a sweetheart. You know how to distract me, and I love your eyes." She smiled. "You're great in bed, and you love me."
She kissed him.
"I do." He returned her kiss.
"Coffee?" She pulled him into the Starbucks nearest to them.
"Our first date." He winked.
"You counted that as a date?"
"Yes."
"Awwwwe." She giggle as they came to the counter.
"For you ma'am?" The young boy behind the register looked nervous. Ariadne looked at his apron, which dawned a badge saying 'In Training.
"A Grande White Chocolate Latte, no whipped cream please." She smiled.
The boy mouthed the order as he staggered pressed the buttons. "And you?" He looked to Robert.
"I'd like a Venti Mint-Mocha Frappachino with whipped cream, chocolate sauce and shavings please. Decaf, with soy-milk." The boy looked flustered as he tried to write it all down on the cup then read it off the cup and press the buttons. Eventually he got it and Robert and Ariadne left with their drinks.
"That wasn't very nice." She teased.
"What?" He asked innocently.
"You knew he was frightened, yet you gave him an intense order."
"You have to learn. I challenged him, and he rose to the challenge." Robert looked at her and sipped his Frap. "Plus, it's good." He offered it to her, and she sipped it from the green straw.
"Mmmm."
"See?" He laughed. "I told you so."
They walked around the small pier, overlooking the city, instead of the water.
"It's time." Ariadne said.
"For?"
"To go back to Tiffany's, silly." She skipped ahead of him. "Come on!"
At Tiffany's, the older woman was polishing his tag as they walked in.
"Mr. Fisher! It's perfect and here for you." She offered it to him.
He took it from her, nodding in thanks, and handed it to Ariadne.
"Would you?"
"Of course." She smiled a small smile, her lips not parting. She took the chain and undid it, reaching with both hands behind his neck. This pulled their bodies together and as she linked the clasp, he kissed her.
"Now, we've always got a part of each other." She said and kissed him back.
The woman behind them clapped delightedly. "Young love is so grand, isn't it just?"
"The grandest." Ariadne laughed as Robert paid.
"Thank you for all your help Ma'am." Robert nodded to her before they left.
"Have a good evening!" She called after them.
"ready to head back?" Robert patted her rear as Ariadne Stopped in front of him.
"Oh yeah." She swung around and with one hand cupping the back of his head pulled him into another long kiss.