Okay so I don't know what is going on with the email notification because I didn't know that anyone had reviewed, so I'm sorry if this took a bit longer than usual. I thought that everyone must have hated it. Hopefully that's not the case. So - on with the show!

Afternoon Tea

Marissa and Ryan went to a small coffee shop nearby and had tea with Edna and Cyril. They were actually quite nice people, just lonely. They had no children of their own and had only moved to Miami recently so they knew very few people there and were having trouble making friends. Ryan excused himself to go and make a phone call and when he returned he waited for a break in the conversation and asked.

"I was wondering if you would like to join us for dinner tonight after all?"

Edna looked at Cyril and replied. "I thought you had a birthday party to go to?"

"Yeah we do. But I've just spoken with the host and he would be pleased if you could join us. You see we're already going to be a surprise for the birthday girl so it just means that she will have a couple of more surprise guests." Ryan assured them.

"That's very nice of you Ryan but we really couldn't impose. It was bad enough that we basically blackmailed you and Marissa into spending time with us this afternoon when I'm sure you had other things planned." Cyril replied.

Ryan looked over at Marissa and thought that Cyril was definitely right about that but he turned back to him and pressed him further. "Nonsense. And you need to meet the Cohen's. I assure you, whenever they get together, it's the more the merrier."

Marissa added. "I promise he's telling the truth. They are terrific. They have always included me and made me feel welcome."

"You don't think that perhaps, that is because it is so obvious that Ryan loves you?" Edna asked.

Marissa looked at Ryan. "Obvious hey?"

Ryan smiled but said nothing.

"He might as well have a neon sign on his forehead." Edna laughed.

"If you are trying to embarrass me, you will have to do more than that." Ryan suggested to the old lady as he squeezed Marissa's hand. Marissa laughed.

"I don't think you should be laughing" Edna said to Marissa. "You're no better than him."

"Sorry?" Marissa asked wondering how the attention had got turned onto her. She was enjoying watching Edna tease Ryan.

"Well Cyril and I thought it should be you two getting engaged not your friends." She added. "It's obvious that you are both very much in love."

Ryan looked over at Marissa and a silent connection was made. They both knew that today's events would bring them one step closer to being able to share their news with the world. But today was Seth and Summer's day.

Marissa broke away from Ryan's gaze and turned back to Edna "So will you join us?" Marissa asked again.

Edna looked to Cyril and then back to the young couple. "Are you certain it won't be a problem?"

"Definitely. I wouldn't have asked if I'd thought otherwise." Ryan assured her.

"Then okay. We'd love to." Cyril replied. "You just tell us where and when."

"Oscars on the Beach at 7. Do you know where that is?" Ryan asked.

"Yes we do. We actually went there for our wedding anniversary a few weeks ago and we've been looking for an excuse to return." Cyril informed them.

"Well then we'd better get going. I can assure you it takes me a lot longer to look respectable than it does Marissa." Edna said standing up to go. "We'll meet you there."

"Are you sure you're right to get there? We could come by and collect you." Ryan asked.

"No No. We'll be fine. It's no trouble for us at all. We're looking forward to it." Cyril assured them as he and his wife moved towards the door.

"Okay see you soon." Ryan replied.

"Bye." Marissa said as the elderly couple left and she turned to Ryan. "What happened there?"

Ryan shrugged as he pulled out some cash to pay for their bill and put it on the table. "I just thought it might be an opportunity for them to meet a few more people their age. So I called Sandy and told him about them and he agreed and said to bring them along. Plus …" he said as a big smile appeared on his face.

"Plus?" Marissa asked.

"I sort of anticipated that they would take off as soon as it was settled so they could go and get ready and … that means if we head straight back to the hotel then we should have time to …" Ryan raised his eyebrows at her making sure that she got his meaning.

"Why Mr Atwood whatever are you suggesting?" Marissa teased as she pulled him towards the door almost knocking over a chair in her haste.

Ryan laughed as he caught the chair and steadied it and then he trailed behind her. "If I'm the one doing the suggesting then how come you're the one leading?" he asked.

"I just want to make sure that you remember the way." she replied pulling him back out into the street only to be confronted by two photographers obviously intent on making a nuisance of themselves.

Marissa hesitated not sure what to do and dropped Ryan's hand as if it burnt.

Ryan just took her hand back in his again and started to jog down the street. "Come on. We're only a block from the hotel. I figure we can out run them."

"Just don't use up all your energy." Marissa laughed.

Ryan turned to smile at her. "Why? Am I going to need it?" he asked.

"You bet." She smiled as she followed behind.

---

Marissa and Ryan were ready by 6:45 and she called Seth and Summer's room to see if they wanted to walk to the restaurant with them. They knew that Sandy and Kirsten had gone to collect the Nana so it would just be the four of them.

The phone rang for quite a while and Marissa was just starting to think that perhaps they had left without them when Summer answered.

"Yeah." She said breathlessly. Marissa figured that she had probably run for the phone.

"Summ. It's me. Are you guys ready to go? We thought we could walk there together." Marissa suggested.

"Ah … ah … aaahhh" Summer said.

Marissa looked over at Ryan and smiled.

"Summ?" Marissa couldn't help but grin as she heard the noises coming from the other end of the phone. "Are you coming?" she asked laughing to herself at her little joke.

"Oh … oh … oh … Yeah" Summer replied barely able to speak.

Marissa started to laugh. "Okay so we'll just see you there. We'll explain that you might be a little late. Enjoy. Oh and Summ?"

"Ah…ah…ah…yeah…" Summer groaned.

"How's the count going?" Marissa asked.

"THREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" Summer answered as Marissa replaced the phone back into its cradle.

---

Marissa turned to Ryan and laughed.

"What's so funny?" he asked.

"I think that Seth and Summer may be running a little late … or a lot late. They are doing a little celebrating of their own." She replied. "She sounds like she's enjoying herself so much, I'm even feeling a little jealous." She looked over at Ryan.

"What a quickie in the shower just isn't enough?" he asked.

"No. Not any more." Marissa replied. "See what you've done to me." she added as she moved around to rub her hands over the smooth fabric of his shirt. Knowing what lay beneath the shirt, the smooth taut muscles that covered his torso only made Marissa want to peel the shirt from his body and start all over again.

Ryan gulped as her felt her hands upon him. "Well we could always call Sandy and tell him we got held up." Ryan suggested.

"That's true." She smiled. "For me at least. You did hold me up …. against the wall of the shower." She thought about their recent activities. Her body still tingled from the afterglow of their love-making. It seemed the more she had of him, the more she wanted. "But we can't. We have to be there on time to meet Edna and Cyril. They don't know any of the others and they'll be lost without us." Marissa regretted every word she said. She wanted to feel him back inside her. She knew she would never be able to get enough of him.

"Yeah. You're right." Ryan replied taking a deep breathe and trying to concentrate on thinking about Edna and Cyril. Anything but Marissa. Otherwise they would never get out of the room. It was as if the taste of her in the shower had only made him want her even more. He knew he was going to spend the dinner just waiting for the end of the evening when they could return to the room and spend some private time together. "Come on. We'd better get going. But with a bit of luck, it won't be a late night and we can come back and I'll see if I can satisfy you the next time around." Ryan suggested kissing her lightly as he put the room key in his pocket.

"And the next time?" she asked.

Ryan smiled. "Then too."

"And the next time?" Marissa asked again a big smile finding its way on to her face.

Ryan looked at her surprised. "Are we going to have one of those nights, are we?"

"If I have anything to do with it we will. Summer's going for six tonight and you know that I have a very competitive nature." Marissa assured him.

"Why six?" Ryan asked.

"Well when we were shopping this morning, I happened to let slip that Skip and Annabel had used a packet of condoms on Wednesday night. Summer obviously felt that she had been missing out so she decided that she wanted to see if they could break six tonight. I hope Seth slept well last night. He may need to call on all of his energy reserves." Marissa suggested.

"And you're expecting to break it too, I gather?" Ryan asked.

"Well, I don't see why I should miss out. Why? Don't you like the idea? Not feeling up to the challenge?" Marissa asked.

"I didn't say that." Ryan replied laughing as he pulled her towards him.

"Good, because I have a few things in mind that I think you might be interested in." Marissa suggested.

"Well then, I think you should be in charge. It sounds like you are full of ideas and I'd just love to help you make them a reality." Ryan added. "But if we don't leave now then I don't think you'll be able to get me out of here at all."

"Okay then. " Marissa said. "Let's do it."

"I thought we just agreed that we'd do it when we got back." Ryan teased.

"Sorry. Let's go. Is that better?" Marissa asked.

"Not really. I liked your first suggestion more." Ryan replied as he pulled her back from the door to kiss her once again.

"You know you're making it very difficult just to get out the door?" Marissa stated.

"Yeah. But the problem is that now that the paparazzi are on to us, I'm going to have to be on my best behaviour once we leave this room and you know how hard it is for me to do that around you." Ryan replied.

"I have noticed it's often 'hard' around me." Marissa replied.

Ryan laughed. "Out the door now or we're going to miss dinner all together." He said as he opened the door to move into the lift vestibule.

Marissa laughed as she moved before him. Ryan closed the door and followed her to the lift. He took her hand in his and smiled. "You know what Seth and Summer getting engaged means?"

"Um. That they are going to get married?" Marissa replied innocently.

"I mean to us?" Ryan added sure that she already knew where he was going with this.

"Um … That we will be in the wedding party and I'll get a new dress?" Marissa looked innocently back at him again.

"Is that all it means to you?" Ryan asked pretending to pout because he knew she was just teasing him.

"I may have a couple of other ideas. But I should probably wait until we're back in the room to discuss them with you." Marissa replied as the lift arrived and they entered it.

"Let me assure you. When I get you back to the room … talking is not what I had in mind." Ryan replied leaving her in no doubt about his intentions.