Chapter 5
A week later Jeff walked into the college theatre, looking for Annie. He found her on the stage directing a team of painters.
"Hiya Annie."
"Jeff!" She gasped. "What are you doing here?"
"I was looking for you."
Jeff took a look around. "So what's going on here?"
"We're getting ready for our annual performance."
"Annual performance?"
"Yes. Every year we put on a show to raise money for local charities. This year we're doing the King and I."
"Fantastic" said Jeff, trying to sound interested. "So what role are you playing?"
"I'm not in the play. I'm the stage director."
"Shame, I reckon you would have made a terrific Anna Leonowens."
Annie started to blush at Jeff's compliment. She looked up at him and gave him a huge smile.
"Thank you for saying that. So why were you looking for me?"
"To give this to you."
It was only now that Annie noticed that Jeff was carrying a purple gift bag. He held it out for her. Annie gingerly took the bag off him.
"Jeff what's this?"
"It's a gift."
"A gift? What for?"
"It's a thank you for helping me out with the professor. Without your help I would have never even got near him."
"Jeff you didn't have to."
"I know didn't have to do this. I wanted to."
Annie's smile turned into a look of confusion as she looked into the bag.
"Jeff what's this?" She said as she pulled a small bear out of the bag.
"Well I was trying to find you a gift, but nothing looked remotely good enough for you. So I phoned my mother..."
"Awww you called your mum!"
Jeff immediately cringed with embarrassment. Why did he feel the need to share that with her? What was going on with his brain to mouth filter? He looked down at Annie and saw her smile stretched across her face and her eyes were the widest he had ever seen. She looked unbelievably cute and adorable. Cute and adorable since when had he started using words like those. He shook his head and continued.
"Yes I called my mum and whilst we were talking about what to get you, I remembered seeing a lot of stuffed toys in your dorm room. This lead to my mother remembering about my stuffed toys and how she still had my favourite bear from when I was little. The very bear you now hold in your hands."
Jeff was now pointing to the bear. Annie's widened her eyes even more as she followed Jeff's finger down to the bear.
"J-Jeff I can't accept this. I mean, this is something from your childhood. It's important to you; otherwise your mother wouldn't off kept it."
"Annie you're right Bailey is important to me..."
"Bailey?"
"Yes the bear is called Bailey."
"Awww..."
"Stop that!"
"Sorry"
"So as I was saying, Bailey is so important to me that I would rather he be with someone who could fully look after him, then stuck in my mother's attic."
At this Annie just wrapped her arms around Jeff and buried her head into his chest. Jeff responded by wrapping his own hands round Annie and placing a chaste kiss on top of her head, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
"I promise to take care of him" Annie whispered to Jeff.
"Annie" a shout came from the stage.
Annie and Jeff broke their embrace and looked over at the stage.
Annie sighed an apology and walked over to the stage. She spoke to a man and then beckoned Jeff over.
"Jeff can you help us out for a moment?"
"No problems. What do you need me to do?"
"We need to set the lighting for the waltz scene. And I was wondering if you would step in for the king?"
"Annie I hope you're not asking me to dance?"
"J-eeee-ffff" she whined. "Its not going to be that terrible."
"Trust me it will be. I don't know how to dance, let alone to the waltz."
Annie held out her hand.
"Just follow my lead."
Jeff took a deep breath and took Annie's hand. She started to twirl around the stage. Jeff was trying to keep up the appearance that he did not know how to dance, but as the lights went dark and a spotlight shone on them, everything went out of Jeff's mind and the only thing he could concentrate on was Annie's eyes. Moving around, Jeff had managed to lose himself in those eyes.
"Jeff?"
"Huh?"
"The Music's stopped."
"What?"
"You can let go of me" Annie said with a giggle.
Jeff's hands instantly dropped to his side. He flashed an awkward smile.
"Well I should let you get on with things. I'll be on my way."
"Take care of yourself Jeff. Bye."
Jeff turned around and went to head out. He stopped and looked at Annie.
"Hey Annie, you doing anything tonight?"
"Nothing planned. Why?"
"I was wondering if you can meet me at the National Botanic Gardens tonight at 10?"
"Why 10?"
"Trust me its a very important time. Will you be there?"
"I will. Its a date."