Love at First Touch

Chapter 2 - Test of Time

Tap, tap, tap.

Belle was a nervous wreck. There she was, with droplets of sweat beginning to appear on her pale forehead and running down the side of her face. Her hands were shaking from anticipation and anxiousness causing her pencil to tap loudly on her desk, as she was deep in thought. This was her final test and the key to opening the door to her life ahead filled with the one thing that would truly make her happy, but the one thing she has denied herself during her whole time at Salem University - LOVE.

Question #25:

What are the four P's in the marketing planning process?

"Oh darn. what is it. product, price, place, and. presence? Oh, that's not it," Belle whispered to herself. As she was trying to concentrate on her exam and trying to figure out the answer to her question, she suddenly had a bright flash in her mind that pictured a most stunning sunset and a masculine hand reaching out to her from the depths of the crystal clear ocean. Belle shook her head to try to clear her thoughts and focus on the exam.

PROMOTION! That's the final process!

Belle quickly jotted down her answer and continued with her exam.

The clock was ticking. the ticking became louder to only Belle as she was reaching the end of the test.

She slammed her pencil on the desk after answering her final question and jumped out of her seat to hand the exam to the professor. Belle ran back to her seat, gathered her things, and headed over to the door. She placed her hand on the handle, looked behind her at her classmates, and thought - This is it. She smiled and opened the door.

Belle gasps.

"I'm sorry to have frightened you," the words echoed in the hall.

There stood a most handsome gentleman holding a single pink rose. He gently lifted Belle's hand and placed the rose in it. "Sweet angel, I give you the rose of sweet thoughts. The rose that represents your gracefulness and elegance."

Could the moment be any more perfect?

"Why are you so convinced that I am all of these things that you have keep mentioning," questioned Belle.

"There's something about the way you are that draws me to you. You have such an angelic face that calls out to me as if trying to rescue me from the melancholy life that I live. Could you be the guardian angel that I have dreamt about each night? The one that would take my pain away and replace it with love and adventure?" replied Mr. Brady.

This is going too fast, too soon.

Give it a chance, dear. You have denied love for so long.

"But you don't even KNOW me. You've just seen me around campus."

"I want to know you. Care to take a walk with me?"

Mr. Brady offers his hand to Belle, who is standing there with mixed emotions. Emotions filled with curiosity, but at the same time filled with hesitance.

She felt a small shove from behind that caused her to step forward and land in his arms.

What the hell was that? Belle quickly looked behind her but nothing was there.

That was I darling. you needed a little push.

Mr. Brady takes her hand and guides her out of the school. He walks with her down a brick paved path and stops as he reaches a fountain.

"This isn't what I came to show you."

He turns to his left and with his free hand, he moves the bushes apart and asks her to step through.

As Belle takes her final step through the bushes, she looks up and says, "Oh my God, it's you!"