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The game, the problem

After meeting up with the girls, they had a leisurely lunch and it was nearing 2:30pm when Summer suggested they retreat to their respective rooms for a little nap.

"Noooo. I don't think that's a good idea." Seth answered. "I'm in the mood for a game of shuffleboard. What about you Ryan?"

"Shuffleboard? What? Are you the one that's turning 70?" Summer asked.

"Excuse me. Who's the one that wants to go and take an afternoon nap? That sounds like a very 70 year old thing to do. I think you've been watching too many Golden Girls reruns. At least I'm suggesting we get out and do something." Seth stressed. He was starting to panic. If he couldn't get her to play shuffleboard then all his plans would be ruined.

Marissa looked at Ryan wondering how they were going to stop their friends before this ended in a full scale argument. He looked back at her feeling helpless.

"How do you know that I wasn't planning on 'doing' something as well?" Summer asked.

"What sleeping?" Seth asked. "Very energetic."

"I had thought of 'doing' you. But I can see that spending the afternoon in bed with me doesn't interest you." Summer replied starting to tear up. She wiped at her eyes not wanting to let anyone see just how disappointed she was. Ever since her discussion with Marissa she had been thinking about getting Seth in to bed and now ... when they had an opportunity, he didn't want to even start. How would they ever get to six? She wouldn't mind betting that Ryan would be happy to spend the afternoon in bed with Marissa.

"Um Summ. Why don't we do both?" Marissa interrupted.

Seth looked at Ryan wondering just what he should do. This was definitely not going the way they had planned.

"Great idea." Ryan added. "A quick game of shuffleboard … followed by a 'nap'" Ryan used his fingers to indicate the quotes around the nap. "Sounds good to me." He looked at Summer. "What do you say Summ? Give it a go?" Ryan asked. He could see that she was wavering, keeping her gaze on Seth all the time.

"I guess … " she shrugged. "but maybe I don't care how long the shuffleboard takes. The appeal of the 'nap' seems to have vanished." Summer replied glaring at Seth.

Seth looked to Ryan for help. This wasn't at all how he wanted the afternoon to start.

"Come on. Let's go." Ryan said as he got up from the table. He looked across at Seth and saw nothing but panic written all over his face. Ryan had hoped that he and Marissa would have been able to leave Seth and Summer on their own, so that Seth could 'do the deed' in private. He didn't really want to be there when Seth proposed. He thought that it should be something just between the two of them. And he had hoped that he and Marissa would have been able to retire to their hotel room for the afternoon for one of those 'naps' that Summer had mentioned. But from the looks passing between Summer and Seth, he knew that he and Marissa would need to be there for the whole thing. The way they were looking at one another at the moment, if they were left alone together, it looked like Summer would go the full rage blackout on Seth.

---

They started the shuffleboard game and Summer had chosen Ryan as her partner. It was obvious that Seth was disappointed. This wasn't the way it was supposed to be happening. He looked at Ryan for some guidance. Ryan moved closer to him and when Summer was busy having her turn, he whispered to Seth. "It'll be all right. Don't you see, she's just disappointed because she wanted to spend time with you alone. This is a good sign. Don't panic."

Seth looked at him and nodded, obviously still not sure about whether to go through with it or not. "But what if …" he started.

"No buts. You're doing this." Ryan was starting to feel like some sort of mental skills coach.

Seth took a deep breathe. "Okay. But when? It all seemed so easy when you first suggested it."

"Just wait until the end of this game and then you can do it." Ryan glanced over at the new park bench that was so important to their plans only to see an elderly couple sit down on it.

Seth followed Ryan's gaze and then looked back at him horrified. "Now what am I supposed to do?"

"Don't worry. Marissa and I will get rid of them." Ryan assured Seth. It seemed that all their plans were going belly up at the moment. "Just finish this game and then challenge Summer to another on her own. Marissa and I will volunteer to go and get some drinks and while we're at it we'll also get rid of the unwanted guests." Ryan added. "Here's the ring." He handed the small box to Seth who slipped it into his pocket and looked his brother in the eyes. "Good luck. I know you don't really need it. Just remember, she loves you."

Seth smiled. At that very moment, Ryan was the best brother a man could ever ask for. He had said exactly what Seth needed to hear. He turned back to the game with renewed fervour and decided he couldn't wait for the moment.

---

As planned, at the end of the game, Ryan and Marissa decided that they would go and get some drinks and Seth challenged Summer to another game. She reluctantly agreed. It seemed that she didn't have any other option as the other two made it quite clear that they wanted some time alone. "We promise that we'll bring you back a drink." Marissa assured Summer.

Summer felt a bit like she was being deserted but she didn't seem to have any other option so she started to play again; her heart not really in it.

Seth on the other hand seemed to have taken some sort of happy pill and his demeanour was only making Summer even more reluctant.

---

After some discussion, it was agreed that Ryan would get the drinks while Marissa made her way over to the park bench to talk to the couple that were sitting there.

As she approached them, they started to look at her strangely. "Um hi." She said in greeting. "I know this might sound strange, but I was wondering if perhaps you would mind sitting somewhere else?" she asked.

They couple both looked at her strangely. "Why don't you sit somewhere else?" the small grey haired woman answered curtly.

"Well you see. It's not really for me. My friend over there …" She pointed towards Seth and Summer. " … wants to propose to his girlfriend and the proposal is actually engraved on to this park bench." Marissa tried to explain. The couple didn't move or say anything. "You see he wanted to make it special for her and since 'Notting Hill' is one of her favourite movies, he thought that doing it this way would be more memorable. That's why he got my …" Marissa looked for the right word " … boyfriend to organise a new park bench and put it here on purpose. It was only organised this week."

The old lady looked at Marissa. "We know it's new. That's why we like it. All the others have been here for years. We like the new one. It doesn't leave any marks on our clothes." The woman stubbornly commented.

Marissa looked at the man hoping that he may be more reasonable. "But you have to understand ... He had the plaque on this bench especially made just for her. Surely you would like to see them happy. You could sit on the next one along and watch it all happen ... knowing that you played a part in a young couple's happiness."

The man looked at Marissa. "Why would I care? No one cares about us being happy anymore."

"I'm sure that's not true." Marissa assured him. Marissa sighed and looked for Ryan. She was supposed to have the easy job. What ever happened to old people being pleasant? She could see Ryan coming in the distance and walked over to meet him. "We have a problem."

"What? Why are the people still there? Are they just minding the seat?" Ryan asked as he looked back at the still occupied park bench in question.

"No. Remember how you thought that old people were pleasant." She looked at Ryan as he nodded. "Well this pair is the exception to the rule. They don't want to move because they like the new seat. They don't like the old ones. And they couldn't care less about Seth proposing."

"Oh boy. This wasn't supposed to be this difficult." Ryan replied as he made his way over to the elderly couple who were now staring at the both of them. As he reached them, Ryan extended his hand to the man and said "Hi. I'm Ryan Atwood."

The man looked at Ryan's out stretched hand and said "And why would I care?"

Ryan pulled his hand back and turned to roll his eyes at Marissa. He realised he should have guessed that if the guy was impervious to Marissa's charms then he would have no problem with ignoring Ryan's. He hoped he might have better luck with the lady and turned to her. "Um hi."

"Don't bother turning those beautiful baby blues on me, sonny. Sure they would have made me go weak in the knees 40 years ago but it's too late now. I'm passed it. We like the new seat and that's all there is to it. So you're friend will just have to wait until we've left." She stated sternly.

Marissa couldn't help but smile at the fact that even this crusty little old lady had not been impervious to Ryan's good looks but then how could she blame her for that. It just proved that she may have been ornery but she wasn't blind.

Ryan looked to Marissa wondering what he could try next. It was obvious that Seth and Summer were nearing the end of their game and they would be coming to join them shortly. Ryan could think of only one thing. He said to Marissa "Can you hold these a second?" as he passed over the drinks in his hand and then he turned back to the couple squatted on Summer's bench. He reached in to his pocket and pulled out his wallet and turned back to the couple. "How much will it cost to get you to move?"

The couple were surprised but looked at one another silently sending messages but saying nothing.

Ryan pulled out $100. "All you have to do is move for 10 minutes. Then you can come back." He suggested.

The two on the bench still said nothing but firmly stayed where they were.

Ryan looked to Marissa who just shrugged her shoulders, she had no other ideas, so she thought bribery was worthwhile trying..

Ryan extracted another $100 note and tried again. "Please. I just want to make my friends happy. Surely you understand that?"

The elderly pair glanced at one another again and then finally he spoke up.

"$500 and …"

Ryan instantly started to pull the extra notes from his wallet upon hearing his words but then stopped. "And what?" he asked.

"And dinner." The old lady added.

"Dinner? You can buy dinner with $500." Marissa said.

"No. We want you to take us to dinner." The old lady explained.

"We'd be happy to, but unfortunately we have a birthday party to go to this evening and we return to LA tomorrow." Ryan added. "I'll happily throw in another $200 and you can go out to dinner tonight on me."

"Nope. Won't do. If you are going back to LA tomorrow then we have to have dinner with you tonight otherwise we're not moving." The husband explained as he crossed his arms in front of him suggesting that brute force would be the only other alternative.

Ryan looked at Marissa hoping that she might have some ideas. Marissa thought for a moment. She remembered a comment that the man had made when she had first spoken to them and she wondered. "Much as we would like to take you with us this evening it is a private celebration and I feel that you may feel left out but we'd be happy to have you join us for afternoon tea." She glanced at Ryan who was frowning obviously wondering what she was on about.

After a few exchanged glances between the two of them the old lady replied. "We seem to have come to an agreement. She held out her hand to Marissa "I'm Edna and this is my husband Cyril and we'd be happy to join you for afternoon tea." she said as if she was accepting a gracious invitation.

Marissa smiled, relieved that they had finally come to an agreement and shook her hand as Ryan shook hands with Cyril.

"Um hi." Ryan said. "I'm Ryan and this is Marissa my girlfriend."

"How do you do." Cyril stood and nodded to Marissa all of a sudden the picture of gentlemanly manners.

"We'll just wait over here until you're ready for tea." Edna stated as they stood up and made their way to the next bench along.

Ryan shook his head and looked at Marissa. "What was that all about?"

Marissa looked sad and said. "I think they are just lonely. They didn't care about the money. All they wanted was the company."

"Oh." Ryan said now feeling bad about all the thoughts that had been running through his mind about money hungry gold diggers. He looked over at his 'new friends' realising that by the time they had afternoon tea with them he would be pushing it to get any sort of 'nap' with Marissa. This day just wasn't working out the way he had planned. He looked up and noticed Seth and Summer making their way towards them, the game of shuffleboard obviously finished. Ryan looked around wondering what else could possibly go wrong.