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BLUE CHAMPAGNE

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Daniel Mush chuckled to himself as he watched his friend disappear in the darkness. He knew Skittery would be excited over the news of his dream woman being in town. He hated seeing his friend gloomy most of the time, so he was glad to be the one who got to break the good news to him.

Mush sighed in contentment as he turned around to make his way back. It was almost time! He had been looking forward to when the clock turned nine all day long – that was the heavenly hour that he would be talking on the phone with his girl back home.

He made his way through the city streets checkered here and there with a pool of light, feeling the wind at his feet. The night air tickled at his nose as the moon smiled down at him. He found himself at the mess hall soon enough and made a beeline to little phone booth in the corner. Fumbling in his pockets for his dime, he deposited it in the slot and waited for the operator to answer.

"Operator – how may I help you?"

"Uh, hi! May I please be connected with Oak Terrace 5549?"

"One moment, please," the nasally voice responded back.

A soft tone reached his ears. "Hello?"

"Heya, sweets,"

"Daniel! Oh, it's so good to hear your voice! I thought nine o'clock would never come..."

Mush smiled. "I've missed you, too, baby."

"I've been thinking about you all day! Mama keeps saying I need to get my head out of the clouds, but I told her that's the best place to be," she broke out in a golden laugh.

"It's so good to hear you,"

She giggled. "I said that already!"

"I know, I can't help it. I wish I was there with you right now..."

"Me, too," she responded so quietly, he barely heard her.

They both fell into an aching silence. Strains of a familiar song floated through the ear piece, eliciting a pleased grin from the boy.

"Is that our song?"

"Mmhmm. I think this is about the tenth time I've listened to it today. And you know, if they actually made blue champagne I would drink that, too!"

He chuckled. "Yeah, and we both know how well you hold your alcohol!"

"Hey! I'm not that bad!"

"Remember New Year's?"

A violent blush covered her. "Hey – that's not fair! I still say that fountain in the plaza was meant to be swam in!"

"Yeah, and I'm sure Mr. Blandings really liked it when you called him 'Ol' Baldy'!"

"Okay – okay, you've made your point! See, just another reason we should stay together; I need you to keep me out of trouble!"

"I wouldn't mind doing that, I guess."

"You guess?"

"Well, you know. I could suffer through it," he teased, loving to get a rise out of her.

"Oh, I can make you suffer alright, mister!"

"Aw, you sound so adorable when you're angry!"

"Daniel 'Mush' Sanders, don't think that you're too old for me to take over my knee!"

"Sounds good to me," he replied saucily.

"You are incorrigible!" she said with a twinkle.

"That's why ya love me, right?"

"Oh, you're such a fool," she laughed, caressing the phone, wishing it were his hand instead.

"I'm a fool for you," he replied in his best Cary Grant suave.

"That's good because I don't think I can get along without you."

"And you won't have to." Pausing, he took a deep breath and squeezed his eyes shut tightly, blocking everything out except for what he wanted to say. "Marie?"

"Yes?"

"Do you think your brother would let you use his car?"

"Tonight?" she asked, confused.

"Yeah, tonight."

"I suppose so – why?"

"Well, I know you're and hour and a half away, but I'd really like for you to be here – "

"Is everything ok?"

"It will be if you say yes..." he bit his lip, nerves all jangled.

"I don't understand..."

"Hang it all, woman! Don't you know that I'm asking you to marry me?" He almost dropped the phone as a delighted squeal pierced his eardrum.

"You wanna marry me? Tonight?"

"Yes! Oh, I know it's crazy, baby, but I love you! And I'm shippin' out tomorrow, I need to know that you're mine before I go!" He rushed the words out before he could change his mind.

"OH! Of course I...Oh, Danny! You've just made me the happiest girl in all the world!" She gasped. "But, I don't have a wedding dress! And it'll be really late by the time I get there, and where –"

"Ssh – don't you worry about any of that. Just wear that peach dress ya got – that would be perfect! And there's a justice of the peace that said he'll marry us any time tonight; I just have to give him a call," his words were blurring into each other with his budding excitement.

"You've been planning this all day?"

"I've been planning on marrying you since the day I met ya, honey; but I only just got the nerve up to ask you today."

"Wow – in just a few short hours I am going to be 'Mrs. Daniel 'Mush' Sanders..."

"Yeah, but you can leave out the 'Mush' part," he countered playfully.

"Ah, no! I like your nickname – it's adorable!"

"Great – just what every man wants to be called – adorable," he grumbled even though he was grinning like an idiot.

"Where will we...what I mean is, after we get married, where will we stay?" she asked in a rush, an embarrassed flush creeping up her.

"One of the guys here has a buddy who's got a vacation home a few miles from here – he said we're welcome to it."

"Well, I'm going to pack a bag and then I'll be on my way!"

"I'll be waiting! Oh, and Marie?"

"Yes?"

"Bring your Blue Champagne record, huh? We'll have the J.P play it for us for our wedding song."

A brilliant smile stretched across her face. "I'm so glad I'm marrying you!"

"Let's hope you always feel that way!" he joked before saying a quick goodbye and hanging up.

He sighed contentedly before exiting the booth, looking around.

"Race!" he called out, running up to him. "Hey, remember when you said earlier that your buddy would let me and Marie use his place for our honeymoon?"

Higgins smiled. "Yeah – so youse really goin through with it, huh?"

"Of course – my Marie is gonna marry me tonight!" Mush's face took on a dreamy countenance, causing his fellow soldier to smirk.

"Alright, it's your funeral..." Race laughed. "Yeah, I'll get a hold of him, get him to open up the place for you."

"Gee, thanks, Higgins! I gotta go get ready!" Mush rushed, "Isn't marriage just about the most beaut-y-ful word in the world?" he gushed before tearing out of the room with a large grin.

"Marriage ain't a word – it's a sentence – a life sentence!" Race chuckled at his friend's retreating back. "Whew, that kid's gonna have his eyes opened real quick," he muttered to himself bitterly before heading over to the track. He needed to get a hold of his buddy to set the place up for Mush, and the best place to find him was at the night races...and it just so happened that Race had a few dollars and a little bit of time before the last race started...maybe he could make a nice little profit before the night was over after all.

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Sorry, it took so long to get this up here! What did you guys think?