Chapter 15
Usual disclaimers…
A/N: Last chapter was definitely not the end, very shitty I know Ness, lol thanks. I'm still open for ideas…and this story is coming to an end. But not just yet! I'll put Seth/Summer's New Year's plans in the next chapter, if you're interested in them…Well enjoy!
The Cohen's Christmukkah party is over, and everyone is back in Newport. It's a few days before New Year's…
Ryan racked his brain. He wanted to show Marissa how special she was to him. Not that she didn't know that already. He just wanted to tell her that he was never going to let her get away again. Hmm. It had to be something extra-special. Not just some jewelry. Jewelry, that would come later. Ryan wanted an extra-special gesture, and he needed to think of it before New Year's Eve.
"Hey," Seth mumbled, walking into the kitchen in a t-shirt and boxers.
"Have you ever heard Marissa mention something she's always wanted or wanted to do?" Ryan asked Seth.
"Uh, sorry man, can't help you there," Seth thought for about one millisecond.
"Thanks anyway," Ryan sighed. Talking to Seth was useless when his head was *that* far up Summer's ass.
Ryan walked into the living room and flipped on the TV. He turned the channels until he got to MTV. Hopefully PUNK'D or Jackass was on. Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey filled the screen. Oh, great. Newlyweds. Marissa l-o-v-e-d this show. Just yesterday she had made Ryan watch it with her in the pool house. Apparently MTV had nothing better to do than show a marathon of the first season of Newlyweds. The season finale was Jessica and Nick going in a hot-air balloon. Marissa had squealed and said how romantic it was. Hey, wait a second…That wasn't a bad idea. A hot-air balloon ride. Marissa would love that.
Ryan smiled. Problem solved. Then his stomach dropped. Heights. Even on a plane he got dizzy. How would he deal with a hot-air balloon where he wasn't even strapped in? No, he decided firmly, Marissa would love this. He would just have to suck it up.
"Seth?" Ryan called, walking back into the kitchen. "Do you know where mom put the Yellow Pages?"
"What do you need?" Kirsten yelled from upstairs.
"The Yellow Pages," Ryan yelled back.
"Second cabinet by the TV, hon," Kirsten answered.
Ryan rummaged through the cabinets until he found what he was looking for. Quickly he flipped to H for hot-air balloons. Surprisingly, there were four companies offering hot-air balloon rides. Ryan picked the first one and dialed the number.
"Extreme Rides, Inc., can I help you?" a man's voice answered the phone.
"Hi, I want to schedule a hot-air balloon ride for New Year's Eve," Ryan started.
"Sorry, we're all booked. We've only got 4 balloons and they're all taken," the guy interrupted.
"Thanks anyway," Ryan said, hanging up. The next ad was for High Flyers. "Hello?"
"High Flyers, Inc., how may I help you?" a woman's voice said.
"Hi, I want to schedule a hot-air balloon ride for New Year's Eve," Ryan asked hopefully.
"Hold on one second," the woman responded. Ryan heard a click and knew that he had been put on hold.
After about two minutes of tinkly elevator music Ryan was about to hang up.
"Are you still there, sir?" the woman asked.
"Yeah," Ryan said.
"We just got a cancellation. So, you want to rent it? We provide an operator and you get the ride from 9 to 12:30," the woman said.
"Sounds great. But, is the operator right there?" Ryan asked. This could turn out to be great.
"No, we have a barrier that separates the passengers from the operator. For privacy. By the way, my name is Maura Green," Maura informed him.
"Ryan Atwood. Thanks, Maura. Now, where do we meet the balloon?" Ryan responded.
"Napa Valley. If you give me your address, we'll send you the directions," Maura said.
Ryan gave her his address and phone number. Marissa was going to love him. Well, even more than she already did. Then he looked in the Yellow Pages for a Marriott in Napa. He would tell Marissa that they were going to stay in Napa for New Year's. Which wasn't exactly a lie. He found the phone number for the Marriott Hotel & Spa in Napa Valley and called them. After making reservations for New Year's Eve and the night after, Ryan went to go take a shower. Marissa was coming over later and he wanted to be clean. He decided against shaving; Marissa liked him somewhat scruffy.
When Ryan got out of the shower, Marissa was sitting on his bed.
"Hey," he said, walking over to kiss her. "Give me a sec to get dressed."
He threw on a wife beater and boxers. Then he joined Marissa on the bed. He couldn't stop smiling.
"Why are you smiling so much?" Marissa asked between kisses.
"Got plans for New Year's?" Ryan asked mysteriously.
"No," Marissa giggled.
"Now you do," Ryan replied, kissing her again. Marissa pushed him away.
"What are we doing?"
"You don't want to know," Ryan pushed the subject off, kissing her passionately. Marissa sensed urgency on his lips. She pushed him away again. It was hard for her to do, but there was plenty of time for that later.
"Yes, I do," Marissa insisted, resisting Ryan's attempts to shut her up by kissing her.
"Fine," Ryan gave in. "We're going to Napa Valley. How does the Marriott Hotel & Spa sound for 2 nights?"
Marissa's eyes widened. "You're the best boyfriend ever!"
Ryan smiled as Marissa threw herself on top of him. Wait until New Year's Marissa, just wait. Mm. He smelled Marissa hair as she held him tightly. Ryan kissed her, his tongue exploring the oh-so familiar mouth. Even after years of no contact, he still knew her mouth, her body, like the back of his hand. She peeled her shirt off and helped him peel his off too. While she shimmied out of her pants, he grabbed a condom from the drawer by his bed. Let the games begin.
A little while later…
Marissa gently laid her head on Ryan's chest, which was heaving up and down. That was by far the best sex they'd had so far. And they'd had plenty of sex since high school.
"Have I told you I love you lately?" Marissa asked, closing her eyes. She was always tired after the mind-blowing sex Ryan gave her.
"No," Ryan teased. "But I haven't either. I love you more than you'll ever know."
"That's where you're wrong, Ry. I do know," Marissa whispered.
A couple of days later…
"Bye, Kirsten, bye Sandy," Ryan said, hugging his "parents."
"Have fun, we'll miss you!" Kirsten said, kissing him.
"Don't do anything I wouldn't do," Sandy joked, and whispered in Ryan's ear, "Be safe."
Hint, hint. Ryan grinned. "Got that covered," he replied. "Thanks again guys, for letting me go."
"We just want you to have a good time," Kirsten said lovingly.
"And um, I love you," Ryan blurted out, before walking out the front door.
Ryan drove next door to Marissa's house and rang the doorbell. Julie Cooper answered.
"Uh, hi Mrs. Cooper," Ryan stuttered. He had never been comfortable around Marissa's mom.
But for once, Julie was receptive towards Ryan. "Hey Ryan, Marissa's just getting some last minute things. You know how girls are."
Ryan nodded his head dumbly as Julie continued. Why the hell was she being so nice?
"She's been talking about this trip all week. Must be pretty special," Julie winked.
"Yeah," Ryan decided to let her in on the secret, considering he couldn't tell Seth, because Seth would tell Summer, and Summer would tell Marissa. "It's a surprise, but for New Year's Eve, I'm taking her on a hot-air balloon ride."
"Ryan, that's so sweet," Julie said with a loving look in her eyes. "You know what? You really are a good boy."
Just then Marissa came downstairs. She kissed and hugged her mom goodbye as Ryan took her bags to the car.
"Bye, mom. I love you," Marissa said. She and Julie had made up, after Julie stopped being a money-hungry bitch and found a guy she loved. Who was, well, a billionaire, but Julie hadn't known that until they were engaged…So, it still counted for something.
As Marissa turned to leave, Julie said, "Hang on to this one. He's a keeper."
In the car, Marissa leaned over and kissed Ryan. "Hey," she said.
"Ready?" Ryan asked.
"I can't wait to get there," Marissa squealed.
Later…
Marissa clutched Ryan's arm as they drove up to the Marriott. "Ryan, this is amazing."
Ryan shrugged. "I'd do anything for you."
He gave the keys to the valet and a bellboy loaded their luggage onto a cart. After check-in, they decided to check out the room. It had a huge king-size bed, a large TV, a desk, and a couch. The bathroom had a whirlpool tub *and* a shower. There was also a balcony ensconced in vines. It overlooked a garden with a pond. Very romantic.
Marissa collapsed on the bed. "This is so comfortable. I could stay here forever."
Ryan eased himself on top of her. "Me too."
He began to kiss her gently, leaning some of his weight on the bed. Marissa liked the pressure, but he was still a little *too* strong for her to handle. After a little while, Ryan sat up. Flushed, Marissa sat up too.
"Why'd you stop?" Marissa asked.
"Because you have a massage and a facial scheduled for 3. And it's 2:45," Ryan answered matter-of-factly.
Marissa threw her arms around Ryan and tackled him from behind. "Are you serious?"
Ryan nodded, kissing Marissa's neck. For all he cared, she could screw the spa crap and stay here…But then Marissa was getting up. "Walk me to the spa?" she offered her hand.
After dropping Marissa off at the spa, Ryan walked to the lobby and went up to the concierge's desk.
"Hello, how may I help you?" the woman asked.
"Is there any way I could arrange a special dinner for tonight? Possibly in the garden overlooking my room?" Ryan requested.
"What's your room number, sir?" the woman typed something into a computer.
Ryan gave her the number. "I want to have a special candlelit dinner for my girlfriend. But it's got to be before 9."
"Okay, Mr. Atwood. How about 6:30? Candlelit dinner for two, in the Champagne Garden. What would you like for your meal?"
Ryan thought of Marissa's favorite food. "Filet mignon. Everything else you can choose," Ryan smiled as he slipped the concierge a 20.
"Thank you, Mr. Atwood. Have a nice evening," the woman responded, smiling even more broadly.
Later…Ryan is in the room, taking a nap and waiting for Marissa to return from her massage and facial.
Ryan was dreaming of New Year's Eve. A sumptuous dinner, followed by a romantic hot-air balloon ride, and possibly, no scratch that, definitely followed by a night of mind-blowing sex. Hey, dreams can come true. And this one probably would.
He woke up to see Marissa staring down at him. She had crawled on top of him. "Hey," he said. "How was it?"
"Amazing. Just like you," Marissa replied, kissing him. "I'm going to take a shower."
After Marissa got out of the shower she was choosing what to wear. Ryan was also getting dressed; he had already taken a shower.
"What should I wear?" Marissa knew they were going out to dinner.
Ryan was putting on his dinner jacket. "A dress? A skirt? Actually, I prefer you with no clothes, so I can't really help you out."
"Well, you're putting on a dinner jacket, so I'm going to wear this," Marissa went over to the garment bag she had brought along and pulled out a white strapless Versace concoction. It was like a corset in the back, with lace-up ribbons and plenty of skin. Unfortunately, the lace-up skin bearing part ended right before Marissa's butt. She put some makeup on and slipped her white Jimmy Choo's on.
"You look absolutely amazing," Ryan breathed. Was it just him, or was it getting hotter in there?
"Thanks. You look hot," Marissa replied. Ryan took her hand and they walked to the elevator. "So, where are we going?"
"It's a surprise."
They walked past the hotel restaurants and outside. Ryan followed the second path, which the concierge had told him led to the Champagne Garden. When they arrived, Marissa gasped. A table with candles was waiting, as was a waiter with a bottle of wine.
"Oh Ryan, you didn't have to do all of this," Marissa bit her lip. She was pleased, very, very, pleased.
After eating their delicious meal, Ryan thanked the waiter and slipped him a 50. The waiter grinned broadly, just as the concierge had done. "Thank you, sir. Happy New Year."
"What now?" Marissa asked, wondering if there were any more surprises in store. "Do you want to go back to the room…?"
Ryan considered this. Hell yeah. But they could always do that after the hot-air balloon. "No, let's go for a drive. We can park somewhere in the middle of nowhere and watch the fireworks."
Marissa sighed. The night was getting more and more romantic. Ryan got the car from the valet and they drove in silence for a while. He parked at a "random" winery. There, Maura was waiting.
"Ryan, I think other people wanted to stop here. Let's go somewhere…More private," Marissa suggested, seeing Maura and a man (the operator).
"No, this is good," Ryan firmly insisted.
Sighing, Marissa took Ryan's hand and walked over to the "couple."
"Are you ready?" Maura pointed behind her, where, out of nowhere, a gorgeous red and white balloon had appeared.
Marissa gasped. "Is that for us?"
Ryan smiled. "One hot-air balloon, just like Jessica Simpson had on Newlyweds."
"You were actually listening to what I was saying?" Marissa's eyes shone with undeniable love for Ryan.
"Of course," Ryan said. He was known to space out during chick flicks and while Marissa talked. So, this was unexpected. That he remembered.
"This is Joshua. He'll be your operator tonight," Maura introduced the operator. Joshua said hi and disappeared into the balloon cart thing. Ryan hopped into the other side of the basket, and helped Marissa up.
"Enjoy the ride," Maura waved, as they began their ascent. The balloon was perfect. Ryan and Marissa couldn't see or hear the operator. But, if they needed him, there was a little door in the wall separating them.
Ryan looked down. There was the bottle of wine he had requested. He put his arm around Marissa as they went up, up, and away.
"This is unbelievable," Marissa said, looking down at Napa Valley. "This whole night…it's just been amazing."
"It's not over yet," Ryan pointed out. Marissa shivered, so Ryan took off his jacket and gently draped it around her arms.
"I love you," Marissa murmured, kissing Ryan. Ryan kissed her back. Her tongue left a burning sensation in his mouth, from the wine they had had. He didn't mind. They continued to kiss, until Joshua peeped his head through the door.
"Just wanted to tell you that midnight it three minutes away," Joshua said, re-closing the door.
Marissa looked up at Ryan, gazing into those beautiful, enigmatic blue eyes. Tonight, there was no mystery hidden within them. Just love. Pure love for Marissa and only Marissa. They looked out at the landscape that was so far beneath them.
Just as the fireworks went off, Ryan grabbed Marissa and kissed her passionately. "Happy New Year, babe," he whispered. Then he resumed kissing her like there was no tomorrow. Oh, yeah.
Joshua began the descent back to Earth. Marissa and Ryan thanked him and Ryan slipped him a 50. They drove back to the hotel and ran up to their room screaming like little kids. Marissa pushed Ryan down on the bed. They made love, more powerful and passionate than ever before. Happy New Year indeed.
Usual disclaimers…
A/N: Last chapter was definitely not the end, very shitty I know Ness, lol thanks. I'm still open for ideas…and this story is coming to an end. But not just yet! I'll put Seth/Summer's New Year's plans in the next chapter, if you're interested in them…Well enjoy!
The Cohen's Christmukkah party is over, and everyone is back in Newport. It's a few days before New Year's…
Ryan racked his brain. He wanted to show Marissa how special she was to him. Not that she didn't know that already. He just wanted to tell her that he was never going to let her get away again. Hmm. It had to be something extra-special. Not just some jewelry. Jewelry, that would come later. Ryan wanted an extra-special gesture, and he needed to think of it before New Year's Eve.
"Hey," Seth mumbled, walking into the kitchen in a t-shirt and boxers.
"Have you ever heard Marissa mention something she's always wanted or wanted to do?" Ryan asked Seth.
"Uh, sorry man, can't help you there," Seth thought for about one millisecond.
"Thanks anyway," Ryan sighed. Talking to Seth was useless when his head was *that* far up Summer's ass.
Ryan walked into the living room and flipped on the TV. He turned the channels until he got to MTV. Hopefully PUNK'D or Jackass was on. Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey filled the screen. Oh, great. Newlyweds. Marissa l-o-v-e-d this show. Just yesterday she had made Ryan watch it with her in the pool house. Apparently MTV had nothing better to do than show a marathon of the first season of Newlyweds. The season finale was Jessica and Nick going in a hot-air balloon. Marissa had squealed and said how romantic it was. Hey, wait a second…That wasn't a bad idea. A hot-air balloon ride. Marissa would love that.
Ryan smiled. Problem solved. Then his stomach dropped. Heights. Even on a plane he got dizzy. How would he deal with a hot-air balloon where he wasn't even strapped in? No, he decided firmly, Marissa would love this. He would just have to suck it up.
"Seth?" Ryan called, walking back into the kitchen. "Do you know where mom put the Yellow Pages?"
"What do you need?" Kirsten yelled from upstairs.
"The Yellow Pages," Ryan yelled back.
"Second cabinet by the TV, hon," Kirsten answered.
Ryan rummaged through the cabinets until he found what he was looking for. Quickly he flipped to H for hot-air balloons. Surprisingly, there were four companies offering hot-air balloon rides. Ryan picked the first one and dialed the number.
"Extreme Rides, Inc., can I help you?" a man's voice answered the phone.
"Hi, I want to schedule a hot-air balloon ride for New Year's Eve," Ryan started.
"Sorry, we're all booked. We've only got 4 balloons and they're all taken," the guy interrupted.
"Thanks anyway," Ryan said, hanging up. The next ad was for High Flyers. "Hello?"
"High Flyers, Inc., how may I help you?" a woman's voice said.
"Hi, I want to schedule a hot-air balloon ride for New Year's Eve," Ryan asked hopefully.
"Hold on one second," the woman responded. Ryan heard a click and knew that he had been put on hold.
After about two minutes of tinkly elevator music Ryan was about to hang up.
"Are you still there, sir?" the woman asked.
"Yeah," Ryan said.
"We just got a cancellation. So, you want to rent it? We provide an operator and you get the ride from 9 to 12:30," the woman said.
"Sounds great. But, is the operator right there?" Ryan asked. This could turn out to be great.
"No, we have a barrier that separates the passengers from the operator. For privacy. By the way, my name is Maura Green," Maura informed him.
"Ryan Atwood. Thanks, Maura. Now, where do we meet the balloon?" Ryan responded.
"Napa Valley. If you give me your address, we'll send you the directions," Maura said.
Ryan gave her his address and phone number. Marissa was going to love him. Well, even more than she already did. Then he looked in the Yellow Pages for a Marriott in Napa. He would tell Marissa that they were going to stay in Napa for New Year's. Which wasn't exactly a lie. He found the phone number for the Marriott Hotel & Spa in Napa Valley and called them. After making reservations for New Year's Eve and the night after, Ryan went to go take a shower. Marissa was coming over later and he wanted to be clean. He decided against shaving; Marissa liked him somewhat scruffy.
When Ryan got out of the shower, Marissa was sitting on his bed.
"Hey," he said, walking over to kiss her. "Give me a sec to get dressed."
He threw on a wife beater and boxers. Then he joined Marissa on the bed. He couldn't stop smiling.
"Why are you smiling so much?" Marissa asked between kisses.
"Got plans for New Year's?" Ryan asked mysteriously.
"No," Marissa giggled.
"Now you do," Ryan replied, kissing her again. Marissa pushed him away.
"What are we doing?"
"You don't want to know," Ryan pushed the subject off, kissing her passionately. Marissa sensed urgency on his lips. She pushed him away again. It was hard for her to do, but there was plenty of time for that later.
"Yes, I do," Marissa insisted, resisting Ryan's attempts to shut her up by kissing her.
"Fine," Ryan gave in. "We're going to Napa Valley. How does the Marriott Hotel & Spa sound for 2 nights?"
Marissa's eyes widened. "You're the best boyfriend ever!"
Ryan smiled as Marissa threw herself on top of him. Wait until New Year's Marissa, just wait. Mm. He smelled Marissa hair as she held him tightly. Ryan kissed her, his tongue exploring the oh-so familiar mouth. Even after years of no contact, he still knew her mouth, her body, like the back of his hand. She peeled her shirt off and helped him peel his off too. While she shimmied out of her pants, he grabbed a condom from the drawer by his bed. Let the games begin.
A little while later…
Marissa gently laid her head on Ryan's chest, which was heaving up and down. That was by far the best sex they'd had so far. And they'd had plenty of sex since high school.
"Have I told you I love you lately?" Marissa asked, closing her eyes. She was always tired after the mind-blowing sex Ryan gave her.
"No," Ryan teased. "But I haven't either. I love you more than you'll ever know."
"That's where you're wrong, Ry. I do know," Marissa whispered.
A couple of days later…
"Bye, Kirsten, bye Sandy," Ryan said, hugging his "parents."
"Have fun, we'll miss you!" Kirsten said, kissing him.
"Don't do anything I wouldn't do," Sandy joked, and whispered in Ryan's ear, "Be safe."
Hint, hint. Ryan grinned. "Got that covered," he replied. "Thanks again guys, for letting me go."
"We just want you to have a good time," Kirsten said lovingly.
"And um, I love you," Ryan blurted out, before walking out the front door.
Ryan drove next door to Marissa's house and rang the doorbell. Julie Cooper answered.
"Uh, hi Mrs. Cooper," Ryan stuttered. He had never been comfortable around Marissa's mom.
But for once, Julie was receptive towards Ryan. "Hey Ryan, Marissa's just getting some last minute things. You know how girls are."
Ryan nodded his head dumbly as Julie continued. Why the hell was she being so nice?
"She's been talking about this trip all week. Must be pretty special," Julie winked.
"Yeah," Ryan decided to let her in on the secret, considering he couldn't tell Seth, because Seth would tell Summer, and Summer would tell Marissa. "It's a surprise, but for New Year's Eve, I'm taking her on a hot-air balloon ride."
"Ryan, that's so sweet," Julie said with a loving look in her eyes. "You know what? You really are a good boy."
Just then Marissa came downstairs. She kissed and hugged her mom goodbye as Ryan took her bags to the car.
"Bye, mom. I love you," Marissa said. She and Julie had made up, after Julie stopped being a money-hungry bitch and found a guy she loved. Who was, well, a billionaire, but Julie hadn't known that until they were engaged…So, it still counted for something.
As Marissa turned to leave, Julie said, "Hang on to this one. He's a keeper."
In the car, Marissa leaned over and kissed Ryan. "Hey," she said.
"Ready?" Ryan asked.
"I can't wait to get there," Marissa squealed.
Later…
Marissa clutched Ryan's arm as they drove up to the Marriott. "Ryan, this is amazing."
Ryan shrugged. "I'd do anything for you."
He gave the keys to the valet and a bellboy loaded their luggage onto a cart. After check-in, they decided to check out the room. It had a huge king-size bed, a large TV, a desk, and a couch. The bathroom had a whirlpool tub *and* a shower. There was also a balcony ensconced in vines. It overlooked a garden with a pond. Very romantic.
Marissa collapsed on the bed. "This is so comfortable. I could stay here forever."
Ryan eased himself on top of her. "Me too."
He began to kiss her gently, leaning some of his weight on the bed. Marissa liked the pressure, but he was still a little *too* strong for her to handle. After a little while, Ryan sat up. Flushed, Marissa sat up too.
"Why'd you stop?" Marissa asked.
"Because you have a massage and a facial scheduled for 3. And it's 2:45," Ryan answered matter-of-factly.
Marissa threw her arms around Ryan and tackled him from behind. "Are you serious?"
Ryan nodded, kissing Marissa's neck. For all he cared, she could screw the spa crap and stay here…But then Marissa was getting up. "Walk me to the spa?" she offered her hand.
After dropping Marissa off at the spa, Ryan walked to the lobby and went up to the concierge's desk.
"Hello, how may I help you?" the woman asked.
"Is there any way I could arrange a special dinner for tonight? Possibly in the garden overlooking my room?" Ryan requested.
"What's your room number, sir?" the woman typed something into a computer.
Ryan gave her the number. "I want to have a special candlelit dinner for my girlfriend. But it's got to be before 9."
"Okay, Mr. Atwood. How about 6:30? Candlelit dinner for two, in the Champagne Garden. What would you like for your meal?"
Ryan thought of Marissa's favorite food. "Filet mignon. Everything else you can choose," Ryan smiled as he slipped the concierge a 20.
"Thank you, Mr. Atwood. Have a nice evening," the woman responded, smiling even more broadly.
Later…Ryan is in the room, taking a nap and waiting for Marissa to return from her massage and facial.
Ryan was dreaming of New Year's Eve. A sumptuous dinner, followed by a romantic hot-air balloon ride, and possibly, no scratch that, definitely followed by a night of mind-blowing sex. Hey, dreams can come true. And this one probably would.
He woke up to see Marissa staring down at him. She had crawled on top of him. "Hey," he said. "How was it?"
"Amazing. Just like you," Marissa replied, kissing him. "I'm going to take a shower."
After Marissa got out of the shower she was choosing what to wear. Ryan was also getting dressed; he had already taken a shower.
"What should I wear?" Marissa knew they were going out to dinner.
Ryan was putting on his dinner jacket. "A dress? A skirt? Actually, I prefer you with no clothes, so I can't really help you out."
"Well, you're putting on a dinner jacket, so I'm going to wear this," Marissa went over to the garment bag she had brought along and pulled out a white strapless Versace concoction. It was like a corset in the back, with lace-up ribbons and plenty of skin. Unfortunately, the lace-up skin bearing part ended right before Marissa's butt. She put some makeup on and slipped her white Jimmy Choo's on.
"You look absolutely amazing," Ryan breathed. Was it just him, or was it getting hotter in there?
"Thanks. You look hot," Marissa replied. Ryan took her hand and they walked to the elevator. "So, where are we going?"
"It's a surprise."
They walked past the hotel restaurants and outside. Ryan followed the second path, which the concierge had told him led to the Champagne Garden. When they arrived, Marissa gasped. A table with candles was waiting, as was a waiter with a bottle of wine.
"Oh Ryan, you didn't have to do all of this," Marissa bit her lip. She was pleased, very, very, pleased.
After eating their delicious meal, Ryan thanked the waiter and slipped him a 50. The waiter grinned broadly, just as the concierge had done. "Thank you, sir. Happy New Year."
"What now?" Marissa asked, wondering if there were any more surprises in store. "Do you want to go back to the room…?"
Ryan considered this. Hell yeah. But they could always do that after the hot-air balloon. "No, let's go for a drive. We can park somewhere in the middle of nowhere and watch the fireworks."
Marissa sighed. The night was getting more and more romantic. Ryan got the car from the valet and they drove in silence for a while. He parked at a "random" winery. There, Maura was waiting.
"Ryan, I think other people wanted to stop here. Let's go somewhere…More private," Marissa suggested, seeing Maura and a man (the operator).
"No, this is good," Ryan firmly insisted.
Sighing, Marissa took Ryan's hand and walked over to the "couple."
"Are you ready?" Maura pointed behind her, where, out of nowhere, a gorgeous red and white balloon had appeared.
Marissa gasped. "Is that for us?"
Ryan smiled. "One hot-air balloon, just like Jessica Simpson had on Newlyweds."
"You were actually listening to what I was saying?" Marissa's eyes shone with undeniable love for Ryan.
"Of course," Ryan said. He was known to space out during chick flicks and while Marissa talked. So, this was unexpected. That he remembered.
"This is Joshua. He'll be your operator tonight," Maura introduced the operator. Joshua said hi and disappeared into the balloon cart thing. Ryan hopped into the other side of the basket, and helped Marissa up.
"Enjoy the ride," Maura waved, as they began their ascent. The balloon was perfect. Ryan and Marissa couldn't see or hear the operator. But, if they needed him, there was a little door in the wall separating them.
Ryan looked down. There was the bottle of wine he had requested. He put his arm around Marissa as they went up, up, and away.
"This is unbelievable," Marissa said, looking down at Napa Valley. "This whole night…it's just been amazing."
"It's not over yet," Ryan pointed out. Marissa shivered, so Ryan took off his jacket and gently draped it around her arms.
"I love you," Marissa murmured, kissing Ryan. Ryan kissed her back. Her tongue left a burning sensation in his mouth, from the wine they had had. He didn't mind. They continued to kiss, until Joshua peeped his head through the door.
"Just wanted to tell you that midnight it three minutes away," Joshua said, re-closing the door.
Marissa looked up at Ryan, gazing into those beautiful, enigmatic blue eyes. Tonight, there was no mystery hidden within them. Just love. Pure love for Marissa and only Marissa. They looked out at the landscape that was so far beneath them.
Just as the fireworks went off, Ryan grabbed Marissa and kissed her passionately. "Happy New Year, babe," he whispered. Then he resumed kissing her like there was no tomorrow. Oh, yeah.
Joshua began the descent back to Earth. Marissa and Ryan thanked him and Ryan slipped him a 50. They drove back to the hotel and ran up to their room screaming like little kids. Marissa pushed Ryan down on the bed. They made love, more powerful and passionate than ever before. Happy New Year indeed.