Come Sunday morning Ray woke up nice and early and immediately headed into the restaurant. He had taken the whole day off but wanted to prepare some tasty food for their picnic and thought that utilising the restaurant's kitchen and plethora of wonderful fresh ingredients was the best way to do that. When he got there, he had a good hour before anyone else would turn up and so set to work at once concocting a feast of food for himself and Liz. By half past eleven everything was ready to go and so he placed it all into a cooler bag and headed off to Liz's apartment.

Liz had gotten up quite early herself. Not by design but just because once she'd woken up and instantly remembered today was the day of her picnic with Ray, she just couldn't sleep anymore. She quickly drank some coffee and then took a shower. She found a pretty summer dress to wear, some simple sandals and a straw hat.. Ray had told her he would bring everything they needed but she couldn't help but think she should provide something. Suddenly she recalled she had a frisbee in her closet and went and fetched it. It may not be much but she had been under instructions not to worry about bringing anything.

At ten to twelve her doorbell rang and she grabbed her bag and a jacket and headed downstairs to meet Ray. When she opened the door she saw he was dressed in a light blue shirt with the sleeves rolled up and lots of buttons undone, along with a pair of cargo shorts and loafers. He looked very summery and relaxed and she grinned openly at him. Ray couldn't help but return the smile and, briefly placing the cooler bag and another bag he had down on the ground, he stepped towards her and gave her a quick kiss. Liz returned the kiss and then reached to take one of the bags from the floor to carry.

'Oh, no, Lizzy. You'll not be carrying anything. This date is all about me spoiling you'.

'I'm pretty sure our last date was all about you spoiling me?', Liz laughed at him.

'Hmm, well, yes….. I'll give you a turn someday. But indulge me for now, please?'

She beamed at him and handed the bag back, 'Okay, fair enough. Although you're going to make me look very high maintenance should anyone I know see us. You're laden like a camel and I've just got my tiny bag'.

Ray laughed and turned to lead her away down the road towards the park. 'I promise next time we go on a date, I'll insist you carry everything, if you'd like?'

'Depends if we're going to a restaurant or if we're going scuba diving. Not sure I could handle two oxygen tanks if I'm honest'.

Ray laughed again and turned to her, 'Let's just say right now that our next date won't be scuba diving'.

They headed off down the road together in the direction of the town's main park. It was a large area with a small lake with boats to hire and various amenities. It would be very easy to spend a whole day there in the right company. When they arrived, Ray asked Liz where she would like to set up their picnic area and she chose a spot near a tree with a little bit of shade. They wandered on over and Ray set down their bags and rolled out a picnic blanket he'd brought. He'd even provided two cushions for them and Liz had to laugh.

'Seriously? You brought cushions? That's very organised, Ray'

'Well, if we eat even half the food I've brought we're probably going to fall asleep so I figured it'd be nice to have a pillow should that occur'

'Uh-huh. Well, I have no intention of falling asleep. I think maybe falling asleep in the middle of your second date with someone wouldn't come across too well'

'Well, I certainly wouldn't mind. It would give me a chance to stare at you whilst you dozed', Ray said, slightly wiggling his eyebrows and smiling suggestively at her.

Liz whacked him on the arm, 'Well, now I'm definitely not nodding off. If you feel the need then please go for it though. I'm pretty sure I have a marker pen in my bag. I think you'd rather suit a large black moustache'.

Ray laughed and sat down on the blanket. He turned to the cooler and pulled out a couple of lemonades he'd brought from behind the bar. They were still nice and cold. 'Would you like one?'

'Oh, yes, please. It's starting to get really hot, isn't it?'. Liz gratefully accepted the drink from him and held it to her cheeks briefly before opening it and drinking deeply.

'So, are you hungry, Lizzy? I have to admit, I think I've brought about half the restaurant with me'

'I only had a small bite for breakfast as I kinda figured you might go overboard', Liz said as she nudged him with her shoulder.

'Well, you figured correctly. I couldn't decide what you'd like most so I brought lots of different things. Made a few of them this morning. What would you like first?', Ray asked as he brought the cooler over towards her for her to look inside.

Liz's eyes opened wide when she saw how much was in there. 'Some of it I thought we could have later, at dinner time. Assuming, of course, we spend the whole day together?' Ray added slightly nervously, realising he'd sounded quite presumptuous saying that. However, Liz smiled back at him immediately and replied, 'Well, I'm not letting a single bite of this feast go to waste so that sounds like a good idea to me'.

She picked out some fresh bread and some dips Ray had made that morning. 'Ooh, I can't resist freshly baked bread. I'm gonna start with this I think. What about you?'

'Sounds perfect', Ray said and reached over to rip some of the bread off the piece Liz was offering to him. They sat quietly for a few minutes, just enjoying the food and the tranquility of the day. Once the bread had been devoured Ray reached into the bag and brought out some grapes and a huge chunk of Parmesan.

'I hope you like strong Italian cheese?'

'Ooh, I love it. And paired with grapes? Mmm….'. Liz plucked a grape from the bunch and popped it into her mouth before Ray had a chance to offer her one. 'My favourite fruit', she offered as an explanation for her impatience.

Ray smiled and handed her the whole bunch. 'Okay, you get started on those and I'll cut us off some cheese'. Ray quickly finished doing this and then brought out a bottle of chilled rose wine. 'I hope you like rose? I wanted something chilled so was going to bring white but then thought red would go better with cheese. So, I kinda got stuck between the two and just went with rose'.

Liz laughed at him, 'That's such a dorky way of thinking'. Ray looked crestfallen and Liz rushed to reassure him, 'Oh, no, I didn't mean it like that. I think it's adorable. And I love rose! Sorry, was just teasing. Here, let me pour some'.

Liz took the bottle from him after he'd opened it and poured them both a generous glass.

'To you, Ray', Liz said as she clinked glasses with him

'To you, sweetheart'

They sipped their wine and nibbled on their cheese and grapes. Liz had to admit she was already feeling pretty full and it didn't look like they'd even scratched the surface of all the food Ray had brought. After a few minutes, they'd both finished their food and were becoming increasingly relaxed due to the effects of the wine. Ray lay down on the blanket and rested his head on one of the cushions. Liz saw an opportunity and lay down next to him, her head on his shoulder. She reached over and grabbed his hand, which was resting on his stomach and entwined her fingers with his. She then looked up at him and saw him smiling down at her, the affection very obvious in his face. He leant in and kissed her gently and she kissed him back. After a few seconds of kissing they both just lay back down again and held each other close.

Half an hour later, Liz blinked herself awake. Oh no, she thought to herself, I did fall asleep after all. She sneaked a look up at Ray to see if he was indeed staring at her but he was sound asleep too. She stifled a giggle and then rested her head back on his shoulder. She decided drawing a moustache on him probably would be a bit mean, although the idea did still tempt her. As she lay there, waiting for him to wake up, she spotted a couple of teenage boys playing frisbee nearby and was reminded she'd brought one with her. Once Ray woke up she decided she'd challenge him to a game. She closed her eyes again and waited for him to come to. She didn't have long to wait though as within seconds of having this thought the boys' frisbee flew over towards them and landed right on Ray's knee. He came awake with a start and yelped. Liz giggled and quickly reassured him it was okay as she lifted the frisbee and tossed it back to the sheepish looking teenager standing a few feet away. Ray looked at her with such a befuddled expression on his face that she couldn't resist leaning up to kiss him. 'Don't worry, Ray, it was just a frisbee. You musta been in quite a deep sleep?'

'Er, yes, I guess so'. Ray sat up and rubbed his eyes. 'Sorry I dozed off. How long was I asleep?'

'Well, I can't tell you exactly. I fell asleep too!'

Ray smirked and then quickly reached up to rub his upper lip. Liz laughed at him, 'Don't worry, I didn't draw a moustache on you. I thought about it, don't get me wrong. Just decided to behave myself. For now….'

Ray narrowed his eyes at her suspiciously. 'Okay, I'll take your word for it. Man, I need a coffee. I brought a couple of iced coffees from the restaurant. They won't be as cold now but do you want one?'

'Ooh, good idea. I'd like to remain awake from now on I think'. Ray passed her a coffee and they each sipped away, slowly waking up again. After a few minutes they were done and Liz turned to her bag and rummaged around briefly. 'So, I was thinking, do you wanna play frisbee?'

Ray grinned at once and leapt up. 'Hell, yeah. I love a bit of frisbee. I have to warn you, I'm pretty good though'.

'Oh, okay. Well, let's see whatcha got then, Admiral'.

Ray bent down and helped Liz to her feet. He took the frisbee from her and started trotting off in the direction of the lake. After about thirty yards he turned back and then threw it back to her with some gusto. It flew straight into her hands with unerring accuracy.

'Okay, that was a good start, big shot. Let's see how good you are at catching though!' Liz pinged the frisbee back towards Ray and whilst it wasn't as powerful a throw, it was just as accurate. He snatched it out of the air with one hand, did a pirouette and then shot it straight back at her. Liz laughed at his antics. He was such a goofball. She loved to see this playful side of him.

They carried on playing for about twenty minutes, weaving in and out of the trees and moving about the whole time. Once they'd both tired themselves out, they headed back to the blanket and gratefully sat back down. Ray instantly reached back into the cooler and drew out two more lemonades.

'Well, that was harder work than I remember. Must be a bit out of shape'.

'I thought you did gym work and went running?'

'I do! But it would appear running around like a teenager is maybe a bit beyond me now'

Liz laughed at him and snuggled into his side, wrapping her arms around his waist. 'Ah, well, teenagers are overrated anyway. I much prefer a mature man'.

Ray put his arm around her and pulled her in close, 'Well, that's lucky, sweetheart. I fear my champion frisbee days are behind me'.

Once they'd gotten their breath back, Liz had another idea. 'Would you like to go hire a boat maybe? I mean, I know it's not a battleship or whatever but it'll be fun?'

Ray laughed at her, 'I would much prefer to be in a small rowing boat with you than a battleship. Far less diesel fumes in the air. Plus I wouldn't have to share you with hundreds of woman-starved sailors'.

Liz got up and started to roll up the blanket and put it and the cushions into the bag. Ray stoppered the wine and packed up the food. Within minutes they were down at the small dock, paying for a small rowing boat for an hour. Having stowed all their stuff at one end, Ray helped Liz aboard and waited till she was seated securely at the prow before he too got on. He sat down between the oars and manoeuvred them away from the tiny pier with a couple of quick graceful tugs on the oars. He really does look at home on the water, Liz thought. Even if it is just a rowing boat.

Once they were out in the middle of the lake, Ray shipped the oars and reached back into the cooler. He once again produced the wine and their glasses. 'Would you like some more wine, Lizzy?'

'Absolutely. Having had a snooze and some coffee and some exercise, I think I'm good for more now', she readily agreed.

They sat out in the middle of the lake for some time, just chatting and giggling. However, after about half an hour, it became clear that the weather was turning. They looked up to the sky and saw large grey clouds heading their way.

'Ah, that's a shame', Ray said. 'I think we should probably head back to shore, those look like rain clouds'.

Liz nodded at him but just as she did so, a sudden gust of wind blew out of nowhere and her straw hat was blown off and into the water. She leant over to try to reach it but her arm was too short.

'Here, let me, sweetheart. You just stay there'.

Ray stood and walked up the boat carefully, keeping his weight low. Just as he reached the point at which he could reach the hat, Liz shifted to the side to allow him more room. Unfortunately her moving her weight coincided exactly with Ray leaning out the boat. He stood no chance and fell straight in.

Within seconds his head popped back up and he spat water out his mouth. 'Ray, are you okay? What happened?'

'I'm fine, Lizzy. And what happened was you basically tipped me in by wobbling the boat'. He pulled a stern look at her but couldn't keep it up for long and burst out laughing.

Liz had a worried look on her face and was just about to apologise profusely when he started laughing.

'You jerk!', she said as she moved quickly to the side of the boat he'd fallen off. Her sudden movement caused the boat to lurch again and Ray quickly shot his arm up to steady it.

'Okay, sweetheart. I think it's best you stop moving now'. He grabbed her hat and passed it to her then reached up to hold the sides of the boat. 'If you could sit in the middle on the other side, I should be able to get back in without capsizing us'.

'Should?'

'No guarantees when you're out at sea, Lizzy'

'Ray, it's a lake the size of 6 football pitches'

'I'm sure the same principles apply', he grinned at her.

Liz did as Ray had requested and he easily managed to pull himself up, the boat never in any danger of rolling over.

'So, Ray, were you really an Admiral or did you get that nice uniform in a fancy dress shop?'

Ray chuckled and then flicked some water off his hand towards her. 'That was not my fault. I think you'll find I was scuppered by the landlubber literally rocking the boat'.

Liz giggled, 'Okay, I'm sorry. You know I didn't mean to do that. But we should get back now. Those clouds are getting closer and the wind's picking up. Now that you're sodden you're gonna be freezing in no time. Would you like me to row?'

'I thought you said we should get back quickly?'

'Cheeky!'

Ray grinned and once more positioned himself at the oars. 'Hold on tight, Lizzy, I'm gonna open up the engines'.

'Dork'

Ray wasn't kidding though and they were back at the dock in about ninety seconds. They swiftly disembarked and headed back up towards the exit from the park. The wind was pretty strong by now and Ray had started shivering a little. Liz suddenly had an idea and pulled the blanket out of the bag, turning Ray to her and then throwing it around his shoulders and wrapping it tightly about him. He smiled thankfully at her and they continued on back towards her apartment.

Once they got in, Liz put the bags down by the door and went straight to the bathroom to turn the shower on. She came back and grabbed Ray's hand, pulling him towards the bathroom. He looked really cold now and she felt so guilty about soaking him. She hastened him towards the shower and showed him where the clean towels were before heading back out into the living area. Whilst he was in there she put the food and drinks from the cooler into the fridge and tidied up the apartment a little. Before too long, she heard the shower stop and she turned towards the bathroom door just as Ray opened it.

He stood there with just the towel wrapped around his waist. 'Er, Lizzy, I don't have any spare clothes. What should I…'

But the rest of his sentence was just a blur to Lizzy. She was captivated by the sight of his perfect chest and arms. He had wonderful muscle tone, broad shoulders, just the right amount of chest hair. And, as an added bonus, his calves were well-defined too. She felt her mouth fall open and knew she couldn't hide the fact she'd been caught lusting over him.

Ray smirked, 'Earth to Lizzy, come in'.

'God, sorry, I, um, I was just thinking what to do about your clothes. If I put them in the dryer they probably won't take too long. Here, hand me them'.

Ray leant back into the bathroom and picked them up. Liz took them and went straight to the small washer/dryer she had in the kitchen. After quickly squeezing out as much water as she could in the sink, she placed them in the dryer and turned it on.

She then turned back to Ray. 'I'm sorry, I really don't know if I've got anything that would fit you. Shall I get you a blanket to wrap round yourself for now?'

'Actually, I'm okay now. That shower was wonderfully warm and I'm sure my clothes won't take long'.

Liz gulped at the thought of him not putting any more clothes on and turned to the kettle, 'Well, let me at least make you a hot drink'.

As she was turned away, Ray walked up behind her and placed his hands on her waist. 'It's okay, sweetheart', he breathed in her ear, 'I'm not in the slightest bit cold now'.

She turned back to him and, before she could overthink it, threw her hands around his neck and pulled him down towards her. Their kiss was anything but gentle this time. They both knew that the moment had arrived.

Liz pulled back for a second to look Ray in the eyes. His pupils were huge and black and she could tell he was hugely turned on. She smiled up at him and said in a low voice, 'Okay, Ray, I think maybe I'm ready this time. Kiss me again'.

'My pleasure'.