"I picked these up for you from the florist," Howard handed Emma a bouquet of daises.

"Get those out of my face! I hate daises, especially yellow!" Emma smacked them out of his hand. Howard grimaced as the delicate flowers fell on the sidewalk, instantly breaking into pieces and scattering. He always wanted to bring a girl flowers. He remembered he was ecstatic when he left the flower shop with them, but he had to remember the reality of this.

They were seated in an outdoor café and it was the evening. He noticed a couple from afar. They looked like they were really enjoying themselves. The man was holding the woman close and the woman was smiling as if even looking at him brought her delight. Howard glumly stared down at his coffee cup, wishing he could have something like that.

"Well you seem awfully quiet this evening. Usually you banter about trumpets or Weather Report or whatever," she said. She sipped her iced tea.

"I've been thinking…"Howard traced the rim of the cup with his finger.

"There you go again, thinking. If you're not talking my ear off, you're having a conversation with your own mind. Stop delaying and tell me already."

"I do have something to say!" Howard almost shouted while gripping his cup. He was really considering doing what Vince suggested.

"How dare you raise your voice at the woman who loves you!" Emma exclaimed.

"Wait… you love me?" Howard asked. He didn't know what to think of it at all.

"Yeah that's right. I do," she grinned and sipped her tea.

"Whoa there! Just wait a second and really think of this! You can't be serious!" he cried out.

"Of course I'm serious, I'm a grown woman and I know what love is," she said.

"No, no you're not. You're much too young to really even know…"

"I'm older than you think I am! Much older Howard!"She hissed while abruptly getting up from her chair and slamming her hands on the table.

"Shhh… Emma we're in public…" Howard whispered.

"Why don't you think I love you? I see your face every day and I've grown accustomed to your hobbies and quirks! You don't know how I feel inside! All the men in the world are the same, so stupid and heartless!" she slammed her arms on the table and hid her face. She let out a loud cry.

"Oh dear…" Howard winced hopelessly. "Emma, Emma, Emma, you have to understand…" he got up and walked around to her side of the table.

"Understand what? All I've ever done is love you with my whole heart and soul but you continue to push me away… you don't care about me at all…" she sobbed.

"Well y'see," he patted her shoulder, "You can't love me because I don't think I…"

"What! You don't think you what? The last thing you want to do is break a tortured woman's heart! I don't think you've ever heard of a woman's scorn have you?" she tilted her head and raised her eyebrows menacingly.

"Well what I mean to say is…" He felt feeble as a spider shrinking on a hot stove. He knew he would regret what he was about to say but it couldn't be worse than what she could do. "I… I love you so much that I can hardly contain it. There is so much love I feel for you within me that not even I can fantom it. It's constantly growing and expanding and I uh… just don't know what to do with it all."

Emma giggled coyly. "Then kiss me you fool!"

"Um… alright." He said weakly. She closed her eyes and puckered her lips, eagerly presenting herself. He put his hands up to touch her face but then put them back by his sides. He leaned towards her but then recoiled as if she could strike like a cobra. Finally, without further hesitation, he quickly pecked her on the lips.

Emma blinked. "What the hell was that?" she asked bluntly.

"What the hell was what?" Howard said.

"Oh don't give me that! You know damn well what that was. That was nothing, a whole lot of nothing and gave it to me! You told me you had so much love for me that you could hardly stand it!" She glared.

"Well I'm sorry. I do, I do, I really love you Emma...," he whimpered.

"Actions speak more than words you dunce! That wasn't even a kiss, that was a puff of air! Now is your love for me deeper than the dark depths of the ocean or not?"

"Well… which ocean's deeper again? Is it the Atlantic or Pacific or even the Arctic… not Indian of course…"

"What the hell are you doing now? Do you think it really matters which ocean I'm talking about?" she yelled.

"Well possibly if you want to be more precise about how much…"

"I'm not asking for a geography lesson, I want to know if you really love me! Now tell me!"

"Y-yes…"

"There you go! Now quit stalling!"

"Now tell me… which part of the ocean? For there could be rocks and trenches in the way, in fact several. You know the bottom of the ocean is a lot like a plateau underwater and..."

"Howard!" her voice boomed.

"Alright, alright! Easy!" Howard said. He softly placed his hands on her shoulders. "Now tell me calmly, if you may, what's with all this fuss?"

"I only want you to prove to me that you love me with a kiss. Just a kiss please. Show me you love me Howard, please. No talk of oceans or immense emotions trapped inside. Just show me please and I'll know," she pleaded.

Howard sighed. He despised when she'd do this. She'd scream and yell at him in a way that would frighten even the largest animals at the zoo he cared for but then she'd become delicate and sentimental. He couldn't believe that he began to ache inside as her eyebrows drew back and her lips pouted. Her expression made him want to believe there was an innocent longing for him to love her.

He tilted her chin up. Maybe he misunderstood her. It could be possible that all this hostility from her could be simply a cry for help. He held the sides of her face and kissed her. She placed her hands behind his head. It wasn't bad at all kissing her. He wasn't sure if he had feelings for her, but it still felt nice. Her lips were soft and sweet and soft. He placed his arms around her waist and caressed her back. Just as everything seemed to be going well, suddenly Emma rammed her heel into his abdomen.

"Ugh!" Howard cried out. He immediately grabbed at his stomach, thinking she punctured him. He groaned from the pain and hunched his back. "What was that for?" he shouted.

"You pervert! I told you to kiss me not go all the way!" she shrieked.

"What are you talking about? That's all I did, he said.

"Get out of here!" she yelled.

"Emma you're being unreasonable, come now," Howard offered his hand. She snarled and flung her tea in his face. He rubbed his eyes with irritation, feeling ready to strike her but that wouldn't make him any better than her. He adjusted the collar of his shirt and glared.

"Goodbye," he said in a gruff tone and walked off without looking back.