Death of a Time Share Salesman

"So I'm dying to know how you got out of that ACPO seminar." Sandra told him as they lounged on the hotel bed, a film was playing on the television but they had stopped paying attention. The two were wrapped in each other's arms enjoying a lazy Saturday afternoon away. At the last minute Strickland proposed they take off for the weekend and get out of town just the two of them.

"A little white lie" he replied with a wicked smile. She usually only saw that smile when he was playing with his children and it only made her curious and suspicious.

"Oh? Are you going to tell me?" she inquired.

"The tried and true excuse of food poisoning. The key is you have to wait till the very last minute." He told her, this impromptu trip was so much better than a boring seminar. Strickland had been dying to go away with her for a weekend holiday for a very long time. Just after they arrived home from work Friday evening he sprung the idea on her. The hotel was booked before he even asked her and ninety minutes later they were in his car driving to Brighton. Sure he felt a little like a school boy skipping class but that only added to appeal of the weekend at the beach alone with her.

"And then you run away to Brighton and bring me with you?" She asked with a laugh, she had not taken him for the type of person who did things like this. Though she had to admit she did like this side of him.

"Are you complaining?" he asked raising his eyebrow at her.

"No but I feel like a foregone conclusion, how did you know I hadn't made other plans?" He had come home Friday evening and told her to pack a bag they were going out of town. He wouldn't tell her where they were going until she flat out refused to go anywhere with him till he informed her of their destination.

She initially thought he was trying to take her with him to his seminar and she had no interest or intention of going. But he promised her he had found a way out of it and it was a holiday just for the two of them. Once she knew exactly what they were up to she eagerly began packing and was done in record time. Due to work and his children's schedules they had never managed to go away together even just for the weekend. She was so thrilled and excited with the idea she hadn't even bothered to ask him how he got out of the seminar until now.

"Because you have been complaining all week that we didn't have the weekend together." He reminded her pulling her out of her thoughts.

"I still could have made other plans." She informed him in a petulant tone.

"Then you would have been telling me what you were going to do while I was gone instead of complaining." He said kissing her, she kissed him back but then pulled away.

"You're supposed to be reassuring me that I am not a foregone conclusion remember not proving it." She pouted a little bit she wanted to think she too could be spontaneous.

"All I'm proving is how well I know you because I pay attention to what you say." He countered quickly thinking of the best way to get out of the trap she had just laid down.

"I'm supposed to believe that right?" she asked skeptical of this claim.

"Yes you are completely and wholeheartedly suppose to because I do listen to what you say and you know it." He replied kissing her again. He really did try and listen to what she told him, but sometimes were easier than other.

"Okay" she replied letting the issue go because she knew he usually did try and pay attention to her unlike most men. "So did you enjoy your five minutes out in the field this past week?" she asked changing the subject and making fun of him.

"I spent more than five minutes waiting for you to show up." He replied giving her a look.

"And whose fault was that?" she asked him shooting him a knowing look of her own. The reason she had been late had everything to do with her car and he was directly responsible for that.

"Alright yes that was on me, I did promise to deal with your car and I didn't." He admitted that situation was kind of his fault.

"Yes so you had to wait" she told him with a definitive nod.

"Okay I deserved that" he agreed he couldn't very well argue with the truth.

"How were drinks with Boris, I hope you didn't choke on it while you were name dropping." She continued to tease while making a face at him.

"Yes I realize you hate it when I do that I'm sorry. I was just excited that I was invited." He told her slightly embarrassed for his earlier actions. Drinks had been nice but he wasn't given much opportunity to contribute to the conversation.

"But you could just say the mayor that is just the right amount of professionalism and pretentious BS."

"I will work on that, and it didn't go exactly as I expected but it was still nice to be invited. So what does a wall made of gold bricks look like?" He asked it was his turn to change the subject.

"Shiny. Actual Jacks face when we found all that gold was the more enjoyable sight to see. He was like a little kid on Christmas." She said with a big smile on her face.

"Have you ever thought of wearing a tiny band of gold on your finger?" He asked playing with her ring finger. He glanced at her sideways to gauge her reaction. They had never talked about getting married before but they were in a nice hotel away from everyone now seemed like the right time.

"Stop don't you dare do that." She cried pulling her hand away from him. "Don't go and ruin what has so far been a very lovely weekend, with talk like that." She warned him with a glare. Their relationship had been so good she couldn't understand why he would want to risk it all by talking about marriage. Marriage had a habit of ruining everything even the subject was enough to screw up a good relationship. She was very happy with him and their current situation she didn't see any reason to risk it on something so unnecessary.

"Sorry forget I said anything." He was a little taken aback by her reaction but not entirely surprised, Sandra was more than a little skittish when it came to relationship conversations like this one.

"I'll try and if I ever did have this conversations with you I would tell you that the tiny band should be silver not gold." She told him sitting up and folding her arms in front of her chest. That was all she was going to say on the matter. She wasn't even sure why she had said that much but something inside of her wanted him to know.

"I will file that away for another time." He promised her with a smile, one day he would find a way to get a ring on her finger he knew he would. She might be apprehensive now but given enough time he was sure he could convince her. It was something worth sticking around for because she was someone worth sticking around for.

"Don't you dare get any idea and ruin this. Now I think a nice walk on the beach sounds like a really good idea." She told him standing up and looking out the balcony window at the waves.

"But it's still cold outside" he whinged. "I thought we would just look at the water from in here." He replied coming up behind her and enveloping her with his arms.

"I'm not saying we go for a swim you silly man. Just put your coat on and let's go for a walk." She tried to move out of his arms but he held on to her tightly.

"I am warm and comfortable right here with you in my arms. There is a room service for food. I see no reason we need to leave the room at all for the entire weekend." He replied trying to convince her to let them stay inside. All he wanted to do was get her back in bed with him.

"Then why did we bother to come down here we could have done this at home?" She sighed it wasn't that cold it was early spring after all. She wanted to get out and do something with him, a romantic walk on the beach sounded perfect to her.

"The ocean is here and we can see it from our balcony, it's the perfect romantic weekend." He explained, he had been hoping that not only would they not have to leave the room but clothing would become optional as well.

"And I want to take a walk on the beach not just look at it from the door way. I am going for a walk and if you want to have any fun in this room again you will come with me to have fun down by the water first." She informed him, successfully moving out of his arms this time.

"Then I shall get my coat on." He said giving in with a smile. Even a walk on the beach in the windy March air was better than an ACPO seminar, he reminded himself as they left the room hand in hand. And maybe she was right it could be romantic and they could have some fun.

A/N Thanks for continuing to read and thanks for the reviews!