Chapter Six

Nicole walked into the Beach house and stopped dead. The whole house was filled with lit candles. She inhaled fragrances of rose and vanilla and something sweet but sensual. She looked at the table and in the centre was a vase with the very same blue flowers that he had picked for her when he proposed. The table was set for two people, a bottle of champagne chilling in an ice bucket, she noticed that it was her favourite pink champagne too! A large gift-wrapped box was on the coffee table. She gasped at how lovely it all was and how much effort Geoff had taken.
"Hello Princess" he murmured as he walked downstairs.
He was wearing a tuxedo with the bow tie at a rakish angle, his wonderful blond hair slicked back like a 1930's Hollywood movie star. A lock had escaped and was curling on his forehead she noticed, and it made him look even more adorable.
He walked over to her and took her in his arms for a passionate kiss, sweeping her backwards draping her over his muscled arm as he ravished her mouth. She gasped and swooned and actually noted that her knees really did go weak. Wow.
He set her upright, one arm around her waist and holding out a small package in the other.
"This is for you." He declared.
She took the gift from and read the note attached.
"For the cutest Bridezilla in the world with all my love – Your future Husband" she read aloud. "Oh no!" She gasped "that means I can't talk about it!"
He smiled wickedly and deep inside her she felt her heart thud.
"There is a P.S." he whispered in her ear. His warm breath tickled sensitive spots on her neck she didn't know she had and she felt a sudden need to sit down.
She turned over the label and read.
"PS the 'Bridezilla' rule is rescinded for tonight!"
Tears sprang into her eyes. Ridiculous, she thought, but she felt as though her heart were about to burst with happiness and love.
"Oh Geoff!" was all she could say.
He kissed his way down her neck and onto her delicate shoulder. She shuddered and moaned softly, much to his amusement.
"You can open it you know!" he murmured, and his tongue slipped out to draw a delicate circle on the interesting hollow in her collarbone.
She moaned and almost dropped the box as she turned around and wrapped her arms around him and pulled his head to hers so she could kiss him. He resisted and pulled away.
"We have until Midnight Princess, then your pumpkin awaits to take you home!" he whispered his lips within kissing distance of hers.
He smiled down on her and she looked at him with wonderment but he half shook his head. She could only collapse in the chair he had pulled out for her. He opened the champagne and poured out two glasses. She sipped at hers before turning her attention back to the small gift. She took her time to open the gift, noting with a wry amusement that normally it would have been ripped open by now. The ribbon came off and she made a note to save it as it was the exact blue as what she now called her special flowers. With small movements she opened the wrapping and peeled it back to reveal a blue jeweller's box. She gasped before she even opened it and then again when she did. It was a small flower pendant on a silver chain in blue stones, with yellow crystals at the centre.
"Only crystals I'm afraid!" Geoff said, "But one day maybe I'll drape you in real jewels."
"I don't care. It's my flower and it's beautiful. "She gasped blinking back tears of happiness that were threatening her mascara. "Please…" she whispered.
He lifted it out of the jewel box and placed it around her neck, taking the time to ensure that it was properly kissed at the same time. They were interrupted by a knock on the door. Geoff went over and answered it, taking delivery of the pizza box, and paying for it.
Nicole sat sipping her champagne and laughed, she looked at the crystal glasses and the expensive dinner service and had to admit she was a bit puzzled by what they would be eating but pizza was somehow perfect!
"Now come on Nic, you know I can't cook!" Geoff said wryly.
"Neither can I!" she confessed. "What the heck are we going to live on?"
Geoff served up the pizza and smiled.
"I'm sure we'll learn in time!" he said, refilling her glass.
She saw that they ate the pizza and the ice cream he had collected from the freezer without her opening the other package. Gosh, she wondered, had she changed that much. Then gasped for a different reason as Geoff removed the tuxedo Jacket and loosened the bow tie so that the ends trailed down on to his shirt. He undid a couple of the shirt buttons and went over to the stereo.
"Now I've been giving this some thought and we need to pick a song to have a first dance to. I've put together a CD of all our favourite songs and I think we should test them out." Strains of a soft romantic melody oozed around the room. She gasped again as she recognised it as the one song they had first danced to together.
"Would you care to dance Princess?" he asked, holding out his hand to her.
She stood and moved into his arms marvelling at how well they fit together. They began to move as one and if she didn't know better she would have sworn that he had taken dance lessons.
"No sweetheart, " he said, "This is how we fit together, no lessons, just you in my arms!" he whispered as if she had somehow spoken the words aloud. Although she knew she hadn't!
They danced until an alarm went off somewhere in the room.
She looked up puzzled.
"It's midnight and you need to go Princess, your pumpkin is here!" Geoff said.
"But…" she protested.
He helped her gather everything together to take with her, noting with amusement that she tucked the gift ribbon and gift label into her purse so that she could save them. He picked up the other package that she hadn't even opened and carried it outside for her.
She gasped when she saw the coach and horses waiting to take her home, then tears fell from her eyes unchecked.
"I love you, I'm so in love with you." She gasped to him.
He placed the gift in the back of the carriage and then turned to her and swept her into his arms for another passionate romantic wonderful Hollywood kiss. She blinked up at him trying to stem the tears.
"If I'm a Princess" she said at last, "You are most definitely my Prince Charming."
She hated turning away from him but she climbed into the carriage and it set off taking her home, with her longing to go to sleep so she could dream about tonight.
Her phone beeped and she took it out of her purse to look at the message.
"I love you too! I always have and I always will!" she read.
Tears ran unheeded down her cheeks as she arrived home and walked inside. The coach driver carried her gift package inside for her. And she sank onto the floor beside the box. She opened it and inside was a beautiful scrapbook with bits and pieces already inside, photos from when were at school. A scrap of material from a dress she had made once that he said he liked. Calligraphy written poem, which she could see, he had written out for her. She looked through it and saw bits from their past and pages and pages for their future. She stood up and climbed on to the sofa hugging the scrapbook to her, ignoring the pointed corners digging into her arms. She pulled a throw over herself and fell asleep almost immediately, dreaming of her Prince Charming.