They were seated in the restaurant at a wide table against a low wall on the large veranda. The whole place had been opened up to take advantage of the beautiful weather, and the tables were covered in pristine white tablecloths, with hanging pots of flowers and vines and lights all the way around. There was a small area for a dance floor, and a number of chairs in a semi-circle, as if they were preparing for some musicians to arrive later. Fran and Max had a perfect view of the hillside and water, as well as the dance floor, but still had enough privacy if they wanted it. When the waiter came around and asked if they wanted to see the wine list, Max said they wouldn't be having alcohol that evening, so he requested just the regular menus.
They sat close to each other, and Max explained what each item was- teaching Fran the words for "potato" and "salad" and "chicken."
"You know, Fran, some of these choices on here can be for two. They can do multiple courses, and bring them out for us to share. Would you like to try something like that?" Max asked.
"Oh, that sounds romantic! I'd be up for that, Max, if you are," she smiled at him, imagining him offering her bites from his fork.
"Alright, then. Now what would you like for the main course? They have several seafood options-"
"Oh- no seafood. That might not be so great for a date, if you know what I mean…" she raised an eyebrow and grinned.
"Oh, yes, true. Alright, then, no seafood tonight. So there's beef, chicken, ah- pheasant, and let's see, I think this is a vegetarian option? I think that's eggplant, with pasta."
"What do they have for beef?"
"Let's see here… well, they have the classic beef bourguignon, alouettes sans tetes- you might like that one, and a steak au poivre, then a chateaubriand. Does any of that sound good to you? Would you like something like slices of steak, or is a stew a better option?" Max asked.
"You know, the chateaubriand sounds like it could be nice. I've had that before, so I know a little of what to expect. But having it in France- then we can see how it's supposed to be done! What about you, does that sound alright with you?"
"That sounds wonderful, darling! And it comes with a sauce and potatoes. The courses before that are a soup and a salad, and bread and cheese. Then there will be a dessert course after, and you don't have to have anything heavy for that if you just want the sorbet."
"Mmm! That sounds so good! Yes, can we do that? And can we try some of their coffee, too?"
"Absolutely! Would you like a glass of water as well?"
"Yes, please! And thank you!"
"You're welcome." Max waved the waiter over and ordered their meal and their drinks, and then they turned their chairs slightly so they could look out over the water and watch several boats coming back to shore. Fran reached her arm over Max's shoulders and rested it there, leaning against him. Max reached up and clasped her fingers between his and smiled. He really liked it when she initiated contact with him, especially like this. He turned to look at her and smiled, and she smiled, too, her eyes twinkling in the sunlight. She kissed his cheek, then they both turned back to watch the boats. Soon, they heard the chairs by the dance floor being scooted around, and saw two musicians setting their instruments down. One had a guitar case, and the other had some kind of square case, and they both wondered what was in it. They soon found out when the man opened the case and pulled out a small concertina. Fran patted Max's arm.
"This should be good!" She said. She loved seeing authentic, local musicians play when she was able to travel with the family to different countries. The two men set up their instruments and moved the cases out of the way, and then one pulled out a pack of cigarettes and offered the other man one, then took one for himself. Max looked over at Fran to see what she thought. She curled her nose a bit, then they looked back to see if the breeze would carry the smoke off in another direction, and thankfully, it did.
The two musicians began to play softly in the background, and it was wonderful. Fran and Max began to really relax and enjoy watching the other groups of people come in and be seated at the other tables around them. Their first course of bread and cheese was brought out, followed by the salad and the soup, and Fran quickly dug in to satiate her hunger. The musicians alternated for a few songs, letting each other have the limelight, before they came back together for another song. The crowd clapped for them when they finished, and a few people yelled things out to them, and everyone laughed. Fran didn't understand what they said, but apparently the people all knew each other. Everyone in the restaurant had a smile across their face, and the wonderful smells from the kitchen were driving both Fran and Max crazy. They couldn't wait for their main course.
As the sunlight began to fade, and the strings of bulb lights came on around the veranda, Fran cuddled up against Max. He reached over to the spare chair to retrieve her sweater and handed it to her.
"Thank you," she whispered, as the music in front of them continued. When the two men stopped to take a break, a number of other musicians came in with their instruments and began setting up. Fran was so excited. "This is gonna be good! Oh, Max! I'm having such a good time today!"
"Really? I'm glad to hear that. I'm having a great time, too. How is your food?"
"It's fantastic, but I can't wait for the steak!" She patted his arm, then buttoned up her sweater.
"Me, too. I think I can smell it cooking back there!" Max rubbed his stomach, and Fran laughed. And soon, right before the new musicians all began to play, the waiter brought out their main course. Gorgeous slices of beef laid out across a board, a gravy boat filled with sauce, a serving dish of roasted small potatoes, and another dish of grilled asparagus. Fran was wide-eyed. They both shifted in their chairs and spread their napkins back over their laps, and then the waiter served them portions of each dish.
"Oh!" Fran grinned. She could smell the aromas coming from the food. "Merci!" She said to the waiter.
"Oui!" Max said. "Merci!" He nodded at the waiter, and the waiter stepped away, only to come back and refresh their glasses of water. He asked Max if they would be needing anything else, and Max requested a cup of coffee for each of them with the dessert course, and the waiter nodded.
"Tres bon, monsieur!" And he hurried back to the kitchen. Fran and Max picked up their silverware and began to cut what was on their plates.
"Oh, Fran, if you might indulge me…" Max drizzled some of the sauce over his steak, and then poked his fork into a piece. He reached it over to Fran's lips, and she happily took it from him. He watched her begin to chew it, and she closed her eyes.
"MMMmm!" She sighed. Max grinned, then poked a piece for himself and tried it. Then Fran got a bite of potatoes on her fork and reached over for Max to take it, which he did.
"Mmm, that's really good, too!" He got a bite for her to try, and carefully fed it to her.
"Mmmm…" Fran said. "Perfect! But don't tell Niles I said that!" They both laughed, and then went back to their plates of food. Fran drizzled more sauce over her steak and potatoes, then tried the asparagus. As they savored their meals, the musicians began to play gorgeous melodies, and almost angst-ridden chords as they tapped their feet to the rhythm. Several couples got up to dance, as if this was not the first time they had been to this restaurant or heard these musicians. Fran watched as the couples moved around the floor, stopping and starting, stomping their feet or sliding them over the floor. Then one man clutched his partner tight to him, then pushed her away. She spun back to him, and then he dipped her, and Fran cheered and clapped, making Max laugh. The other people in the restaurant seemed to get a kick out of Fran's enthusiasm, so they also began to cheer and clap. Max reached over to Fran's knee and got her attention.
"Fran, after we finish this, would you like to go out there and give it a try?" He asked.
"Dance?" She asked. Max nodded. "Absolutely! But don't expect me to be as good as them, they're fantastic!"
"They are, aren't they?" They turned back to watch the couple again as they strutted and stomped, and then froze right in time with the music, only to slide across the floor again as the music kicked back in with a long, slow, rising crescendo. Fran was absolutely loving every minute of it, and Max felt the rush, too. He couldn't have planned a better evening.
When that song stopped, the dancers went to sit back down at their tables, and the musicians began to play a slow number. Several other couples got up and headed for the floor, then clutched each other and began to sway slowly back and forth. Max picked up his napkin from his lap, wiped his mouth, and set it on the table. He stood up and held out his hand to Fran.
"May I have this dance, Fran?" Fran looked up at him and almost squealed. She put her napkin on the table and took his hand, then got up and pulled him to the dance floor. They smiled at each other as he held out his arms to her and they began to dance, trying to match the simple one-two one-two beat of the concertina. They watched the other dancers as they moved more naturally, then kept their feet close together and copied the way they swayed. Side to side, side to side, then slowly moved around the floor with the others. They stayed for another couple of songs, learning other ways to dance to the traditional music. When the third song finished, everyone clapped, and Fran pulled Max back to their table.
"Thank you, Max! That was so much fun! I've never danced like that before!" Fran hugged him before they sat back down in their chairs.
"You're very welcome. And you know, I don't think I've ever danced like that before, either. It took me a minute to get used to that rhythm. But that was fun!"
"It sure was! Now we better finish the rest of this up before they bring dessert out."
"Yes, let's. Oh, and I asked for coffee as well, with the dessert."
"Oh, good!" She took a deep breath and spread her napkin back across her lap. She couldn't stop smiling. "Max, I really can't get over how much fun I've been having today. Really- this has just been the best day!" Max looked over at her as he spread his own napkin on his lap, then reached over for her hand and took it in his.
"I'm so glad you're having a good time, Fran. I am, too." He lifted her hand and kissed it, and smiled, then gently rested it down against her knee.
"I'm never gonna forget this trip, or today. Never!"
"I don't think I could either, even if I tried." She smiled tenderly at him, and then the music kicked in again and a number of people cheered, breaking Max and Fran from their romantic trance. They both looked over and saw a middle-aged woman come in, waving her hands at everyone. Fran and Max looked at each other, questioningly. The musicians started playing an upbeat number, and the woman clapped her hands over her head to the beat. She moved over in front of the group as they played, and then suddenly began to sing.
"Oh!" Fran squeaked, and then clapped her hands quietly, before picking up her fork and going back to finish all the food she could eat. Max found himself tapping his foot to the music as he ate, and grinned as he watched the festivities around them. He picked up the camera and snapped several photos of the musicians and people dancing, and then took a picture of Fran as she watched them. She swatted him playfully, then took the camera from him and got a photo of him, too, looking right at the camera. She knew she was going to need a copy of that picture in a frame by the bedside!
When they finished their main course, the waiter suddenly appeared to remove their dishes, and was gone from sight just as quickly. Several minutes later, he appeared with a neat, thin slice of chocolate layer cake for each of them along with two small metal dishes- each with a scoop of lemon sorbet with a sprig of mint on the side. After he set the dishes down, another, younger man appeared with a pot of coffee, flipped over their cups, and filled them with the hot, steaming brew. He set down a small bowl of sugar cubes and a creamer on the table, and then nodded and hurried away. Fran picked up her cup of coffee to see how it smelled, and because of her expression- Max did the same.
"Oh, that's nice!" He said softly, so he wouldn't interrupt the music. Fran nodded in agreement, and then poured some cream in hers and picked up a couple of sugar cubes with the small tongs, and dropped them into her coffee. As she stirred hers, Max did the same with his, but added a little more cream than Fran. They slowly made their way through dessert as they watched the entertainment in front of them, and watched the couples dancing on the edge of the dance floor. Fran knew she was going to want to go back there, but the high intensity of the current songs might be a bit much for the both of them, so she decided that they should wait for some more slow music, if that happened at all.
When they finished dessert and nursed their hot coffees, Fran shifted her chair up against Max's, then wrapped his arm behind her and around her waist and leaned in against him as they watched the musicians continue to play, and the woman sang along with them on several songs. Fran was so content, and Max unconsciously played with the bottom edge of her soft sweater, rubbing it back and forth between his fingers. Right then, he didn't have a care in the world. He wasn't worried about the children, or work, or anything outside of that restaurant. He held Fran there in his arms, rested his chin against her shoulder, and watched the strumming and the finger movements of the musicians as they played. He was happy- genuinely happy. It wasn't just his belly that was full as he sat there with Fran, his heart was full, too. He filled his lungs with the scent of her perfume, then gave her a light squeeze and kissed her shoulder.
Fran noticed, and squeezed his hand in hers. She turned to look at him beside her, and smiled, then tucked his arms tighter around her middle. She stroked the back of his hand as they watched and listened to the music.
Soon, the musicians took another break, but a bit longer this time. Max checked his watch- it still wasn't that late.
"Would you like to stay a while?" He asked Fran.
"Could we? Just to see if anything else kicks in? They didn't put their instruments away, so they're probably coming back on."
"True. Alright. Would you like anything else to eat or drink?
"I better not. I think I'll just stick with water for now, but if you want something, go ahead."
"I think I'm alright. If I have any more coffee, I'll be awake all night. Are you warm enough?"
"I'm good, especially with you warming me up!" She grinned, and rubbed his arm. He loosened his hold on her and sat up, so he could put his arm around her shoulders. He reached with his other hand and took hers, and rested it on his thigh. They were quiet for a little while, watching the others in the restaurant interact- boisterously. It seemed like everyone but the two of them knew each other, and were having a big reunion of some sort.
"Do you feel like we crashed a reunion, or a party we weren't invited to?"
"Aw, Max! Not really. It's been fun, and they've been really nice. But it would be nice if we knew what they all were talking about. I mean, not that I'm eavesdropping or anything!" Max laughed.
"Well, I have been trying to figure out what they're all talking about, but I only catch pieces, and I think they've all been drinking, so it gets a bit mumbly. But hey, since it's a bit quieter now, maybe we could talk a bit. There was something I wanted to ask you."
"Ask me? Sure, go ahead. What did you want to ask me?" Fran turned a little so she could look at him.
"Well, I'm sure the others- Niles and the children- already see what's going on with us. And how we've been with each other, since we talked. We talked about reevaluating our relationship. I'm sure they've seen us holding hands, but I've kind of been trying not to kiss you right in front of them. I mean, not in a bad way. It's not that I don't want them to know how I feel- how we feel. But since tonight- since this is our first date…"
"Mmm hmm?"
"Would you maybe be ready to- would you be okay with… would it be alright if I call you my girlfriend? I mean, ah… Fran- will you be my girlfriend now? Officially?" Max asked her nervously. He was pretty sure he knew what her answer would be, but it still made him nervous to ask.
"Yes, Max! A million times over! I would love to be your girlfriend! Will you be my boyfriend?" She reached up to clutch his face in her hands and he smiled from ear to ear.
"I would love that, Fran." Fran kissed him firmly several times, and it apparently caught the attention of several people in the restaurant, who nudged each other and smiled. An older, white-haired man with a fancy mustache got up from his chair and came over to them. He waved his arms and introduced himself.
"Bonsoir, monsieur, madame! Je suis Felix. Je voulais juste te souhaiter la bienvenue! C'est le restaurant de ma famille. Visitez-vous?" Max let go of Fran and stood up, then reached out to shake hands with the man.
"Oui, nous sommes vacances, ah- je suis Maxwell, et voici ma petite amie, Fran," Felix shook hands with Max, then with Fran. "Oh, Fran, his name is Felix, he said this is his family's restaurant. He's just welcoming us, and he asked if we were visiting."
"Oh- okay! Tell him this is a wonderful place, and the food was delicious!" Fran said.
"Oui- ah, dit-elle pour te dire… que cet endroit est merveilleux, et la nourriture était délicieuse!"
"Merci! Merci! N'es pas français? D'ou venez-vous?"
"New York." Fran watched as Max tried to speak with the man in slow French, and the man waved his arms a bit as he talked. His cheeks were a little rosy, and Fran was pretty sure he must have consumed a few. He shook Max's hand again, and waved at Fran, then mimed as if he was removing his invisible hat and bowed. Fran wasn't sure what to say to him.
"Oh! Ah, merci!" She said, and Max sat back down next to her. "Oh, I feel dumb, I wasn't sure what to say!"
"Oh, don't feel dumb, darling. It was all I could do to keep up with what he said and then try to figure out how to respond. He realized we weren't French, and I told him we were from New York. He wanted to buy us a bottle of wine, because he said we were a nice looking couple, but I told him we weren't having alcohol tonight. I hope I didn't offend him. I don't think I did. It was nice of him to come over and introduce himself, though."
"It was."
The waiter came back around and cleared a few things from their table, and asked if they needed anything else, so Max told him just another round of water, but he could go ahead and pay the check if that would make things easier. The waiter nodded, and hurried away, then came back moments later with a fresh pitcher of cool water with slices of lemon floating on top, and set down the check on a small tray next to it, and Max thanked him. Max read over the check, and then pulled out his wallet.
"Fran? Is there a bit of scrap paper in one of the bags? Or might you have something in your purse? I want to leave a tip, but trying to convert from francs to dollars and back again is a bit more than I can do in my head."
"Oh, sure, sweetie! Here, let me get my purse." Fran reached over to the chair with their bags and her new dresses, and grabbed her purse. She dug out a piece of scrap paper and a small pencil from an inside pocket and handed them to Max.
"Thank you, sweetheart." As Max sorted out the math, Fran lifted the pitcher up and filled her glass, then Max's, and set it back down, then took a long swig from her glass.
"Mmm! That's good!" Max smiled at her, then took out a number of bills from his wallet, double checked his math, and then set them on the tray under the check. He handed the paper and pencil back to Fran and she put them away.
"Thank you for pouring the water," he picked up his glass and took a sip.
"Anytime, sweetie!" She wrapped her arms around his and squeezed in close to him, just as they were approached by another person in the restaurant. This time it was an older woman.
"Hello- you speak English?" The woman asked.
"Yes- yes we do," Max said, and Fran let go of him as he got up from his chair again.
"Oh no- don't get up, don't get up, sit! I just wanted to say hello and welcome, my husband, Felix, says you are from New York. You are visiting?" Max sat back down in his chair.
"Yes, New York City. My name is Maxwell, this is Fran."
"Oh, hello! Where are my manners!" She said in a strong, French accent. "My name is Olivia. We just didn't want to leave you two out of all the festivities, but are you having a nice time?"
"Yes, actually. A wonderful time. The food is delicious, and that music was quite a treat! Will they be playing some more?" Max asked.
"Oh, yes. I'm afraid we wear them out sometimes. We are celebrating a little tonight, some of the cousins are here- some of the musicians. They have been in Paris for a while, so we are happy to see them. So I am happy to hear you enjoy the music. They are very good!"
"Yes, they are! Quite good! We had a nice time dancing a little while ago."
"Oh, yes, we saw you two! You are very good dancers. Oh, I see you have a camera with you- would it be improper of me to ask if you would like me to do a photo of the two of you here? I am good with cameras," she gestured to the camera that sat near the middle of the table. Max looked over at Fran and raised his eyebrows.
"Sure, Max, that's fine with me, if you want."
"Well, alright then! Would you do that for us? Thank you very much!" Max picked up the camera and made sure it was wound, then took off the lens cap and handed it to Olivia. She looked like a professional as she looked down at the settings, then looked through the viewfinder as Fran and Max cuddled each other closely. She snapped the photo and smiled.
"Wonderful! One more?"
"Sure!" Fran and Max said together. Olivia pulled an empty chair over and sat down, and snapped another photo of them at eye level, with the decorations and lights visible behind them.
"Very pretty! They should be good photos, I have a steady hand!" They laughed and Olivia handed the camera back to Max. "Well, I will leave you alone, and I hope that you two will have time to dance a bit more before you leave. And we hope you have a nice evening!"
"Well, thank you! We will! Thank you very much!" Max got partway up from his seat to say goodbye, then sat back down.
"Thank you, Olivia! Merci!" Fran said. "They're so nice here! So, when they start playing again, do you really want to dance?"
"I do! I would very much like to dance with you again. Would you like to dance with me?"
"I sure would, boyfriend! But then after that, we might need to start heading back, or we'll never leave. They'll have to kick us out!" Max laughed, and so did Fran. Max wrapped his arm around her shoulders again, and soon the musicians gathered back up their instruments, then tuned and tested them, and were quickly back into a steady rhythm and into their next song. Fran and Max tapped their feet and moved to the music, and then the group shifted into a song with a much sexier tempo, and someone jumped up from one of the tables and ran to the upright piano at the back, and began playing along with them. Max took his cue and got up from his chair, then held his hand out for Fran. She happily took it and jumped up from her seat, and they hurried over to the dance floor with the other dancing couples. Max pulled her close at the waist and held her hand at his shoulder, and they began to move back and forth to the beat. Fran got such a kick out of it. She'd never danced like this with anyone, or to this kind of music. She felt so exotic and worldly, and here she was- with her debonair English boyfriend, dancing in a restaurant in the South of France! She couldn't believe it!
Max smiled as he looked over her happy face, and tried to surprise her with a few sudden moves, then spun with her, and spun back. She laughed with him and people clapped, and then the band shifted into another number. It was a little faster this time, so Max stepped back from Fran, then watched the other dancers to see how they handled it. Very quickly, Fran and Max matched their movements and their pace, almost surprising themselves. They smiled and laughed with the others dancing around them- everyone was having such a good time.
When the musicians finally ended the song, everyone stopped dancing and clapped and cheered, and someone even whistled. Max took Fran's hand and led her back to their table, where they then chugged a bunch of water. Fran was about to sit down when Max caught her elbow.
"Ah, Fran? Should we start heading back to the house? We still have to walk back, and I'd like to give you that surprise I got for you."
"Oh! And I need to give you mine! Yes, why don't we do that. And I think I'm worn out from dancing, anyway. Yeah, let's get all of our things and head out. Do you want your jacket?"
"Yes, I better put that on, in case it's a bit chilly on the way back. And Fran, if your sweater isn't enough to keep you warm, please let me know. You can put on my jacket if you need it."
"Well, thank you. But I think some cool night air would be nice right now. We sure heated this place up! I can't even feel a breeze coming in!" She said, and handed him his jacket. Max laughed and helped her gather their bags. The waiter came over to see them off, and they thanked him, and then they headed across the restaurant to leave, waving to their new friends and thanking the musicians as they passed by. Max clutched Fran's waist as they headed out the door, and then went down the lit stone steps to the road. He took her hand in his as they walked down the hill, partly in the road, and partly on several sets of steps, until they finally were back on the main road and could head straight back to the beach house.
It was very quiet outside, after all the chaos and fun at the restaurant. They kept a steady pace as they walked, and breathed in the fresh, cool night air, and looked out over the dark ocean that they could hear lapping at the shore. They walked in and out of the lit sections of the street, and occasionally glanced back and forth at each other. They both felt it was very nice to have this quiet time together, too, to get used to the hand holding, and taking time to process that they were now, officially, a couple. When they approached the next street light, Max slowed down and stopped, and Fran turned to look at him. He moved close to her and looked into her eyes. It was so dark outside, even under the street light, that her irises were almost black. He felt like he could dive right into them, and never return, And he wouldn't mind it a bit. He reached for her waist, gently, the bags in his hands bumping up against her. She grasped the bottom of his jacket and looked up at him, then he kissed her. Slowly, gently at first, then Fran tightened her grip on his jacket, and he kissed her more intimately. He didn't want to go too far, so he backed off a little and let Fran take over the lead. She nearly dropped all the bags to the ground, because she desperately wanted to wrap her arms around him, but she didn't want to mess up her new dresses, either. She let the kiss taper off, and tried to regain her composure.
"Wow…" she gasped.
"Yeah…" Max sighed, then they both opened their eyes and looked at each other in the light of the street lamp. Fran's lip curled into a soft grin.
"Thank you for a wonderful night, Max. I mean it. I had the best time with you!"
"I'm glad you did, I had a wonderful time, too. I've been having a wonderful time with you, Fran. I'll never forget this." He kissed her forehead softly.
"I won't either." They smiled at each other, then began to walk again. Fran knew what she was feeling, and also knew it would be very hard to pretend she didn't. Well, now she didn't have to pretend she didn't. He was her boyfriend, after all. It was perfectly fine for her to fall in love with him now. The thought of it rushed through her, and she caught herself taking a deep breath. She squeezed Max's fingers between hers, and looked over at him. He was smiling as he looked at the road while they walked. He noticed her looking at him, and he looked back at her. The look in her eyes just melted him. He knew he was falling for her, and the thought didn't scare him anymore. He wanted it. He needed to feel that way about her. He squeezed her fingers back, and lovingly shook her hand a little as they walked.
When they finally came up to the beach house, they turned and walked slowly down the drive.
"Hey," Max whispered, "Do you want to go watch the ocean for a minute, before we go inside?"
"Sure," she whispered back. They set their bags by the railing close to the front door, then walked hand-in-hand down the walkway towards the beach. They stopped at the end, without stepping into the sand. Fran slid her arms around his waist, and he wrapped his arms around her back. She rested her head against him and they listened to the sound of the lapping waves, and watched the bit of light from the moon reflected on the waves. Max rubbed his hands softly over her back, calming her, and she clenched him tighter. She turned to look up at him, and he rested his forehead against hers. They knew they didn't need to say anything to each other- they had already said it. They were happy, and they were together. They closed their eyes as kissed each other, but longer this time. They knew they would have to part soon, and get to bed. But they needed to show each other how strongly they felt, and that they meant it.
They let the kiss taper off into soft little kisses, then they hugged each other tightly.
"We better go in," Fran whispered.
"Yeah, it's getting chilly out here. Let's get you inside." They turned to walk back up the walkway, but kept their arms around each other. They walked slowly, smiling at each other the whole time, until they made it back to the spot where they set all of their shopping bags. They gathered up the bags, then as quietly as they could, they went back into the house.
Most of the lights were off inside the house, except one in the kitchen and one in the stairwell downstairs. Max shut and locked the front door.
"Max, will you come down to my room, so we can give each other our surprises?"
"Are you sure? I mean, Niles is down there, too.
"Oh, he's fine. He can think what he wants, if he hears us. We're just exchanging gifts, that's all."
"Alright. I just need to sneak into my room and get it, and try not to wake Brighton. Are you alright carrying these bags? Here, let me take some of them down there for you. And I'll meet you there in just a minute," he whispered, as softly as he could.
"Okay, see you in a minute," She kissed him softly, then headed for the stairs. Max set the camera on the counter, then headed to his and Brighton's bedroom door. He set the bags on the floor, and carefully opened the door. Brighton had left a nightlight on in their bathroom, which Max appreciated, and he tiptoed over to where he had set the bags from their earlier shopping spree. He kicked off his shoes, picked up the bag with her surprise gift, then tiptoed back out of the room and shut the door behind him. He picked up the other bags and walked quietly down the hall to the stairs, then down the stairs to Fran's room. She invited him in and carefully closed the door behind him. He set her bags next to her bed.
"We need to be pretty quiet, I think everyone is asleep."
"Yeah, and Niles is right next door, so why don't you go first?" Fran said, eyeing his bag.
"Oh, no, ladies first!" Max whispered, with a smile. She poked at him, then picked up her bag from the stationery store.
"I thought these might come in handy, for you to carry with you." She handed Max the bag, then he reached into it and pulled out the items in it. He looked at the miniature mechanical pencil and pen, then turned over the sealed stack of pocket-sized notebooks, then saw the embossed comedy and drama masks on them. His eyes lit up.
"Oh, Fran! How thoughtful! I can really use these! And the little pen and pencil! Thank you! Thank you very much! I think I already have a few ideas I could write down. Thank you, darling!" He caressed her arm and gave her a soft kiss.
"You're very welcome!" She whispered back, happy that he liked her gift. Max picked up the bag with her gift, and handed it to her.
"I wanted to get you something for your new job, that I thought maybe would come in handy."
"My new job? Max, I don't even technically have it yet!"
"But you will," he smiled. Fran smiled back, then reached into the bag and pulled out the leather folio he had gotten her.
"Oh my gosh, Max!" She almost said too loudly, then caught herself. She set the bag down and unzipped the folio, then opened it. She flipped through the clear sleeves and looked through the pockets inside, imagining what she might put in them.
"I thought it might be good for you to put something like a legal pad in, for taking notes, and it has room for magazines, if you needed them. And the sleeves for keeping important papers or photos, or whatever you may need to look at for that job. I hope it might be useful."
"Oh, Max! It will! It's perfect! I can already think of a bunch of things I might put in here, that I'd want to have with me. It's so professional, Max! It'll make me feel like a real professional!" She set it down on the end of the bed and reached for Max to hug him, and then gave him a kiss. "Thank you very much, Max! It's perfect, and I don't think I would have thought of getting something like that for myself."
"You're welcome. I'm glad you like it. But it's just missing one thing…"
"What's that?"
"Your business cards!" He grinned. Fran gave him a bashful look as she still clung to his waist.
"You think I'll need business cards?"
"I know you will. You'll be making lots of contacts."
"Aw!" She hugged him again, and he wrapped his arms around her. They held each other like that for a little while, not wanting to let go, then Max saw the time on his watch.
"Well, I suppose it's about that time, Fran. It's getting pretty late. We should both get to bed, so we can be rested up for having a nice day with the children tomorrow. On the beach!"
"Yeah, I guess you're right. We had a pretty busy day today, we should get some rest." They slowly stepped towards the door, and Max took her hand.
"I had a wonderful time with you today, Fran. And an even better time on our date. I enjoyed dancing with you," he said.
"I had the best time with you today, Max! Just the best! And thank you for the wonderful date, and the dancing, and everything! It was perfect! I can't wait to see all the pictures!"
"Yes, that will be fun. Well, I'll let you get to bed. And I'll see you in the morning, alright? First thing."
"First thing. Goodnight, Max. And sweet dreams!"
"Sweet dreams to you, too, Fran. Goodnight." They leaned close and kissed each other firmly, then let it taper to a softer kiss. Max sighed, and Fran tugged at his arm. They looked into each other's eyes and smiled, then Max carefully reached for the doorknob and opened the door and stepped out, then leaned back for one last quick kiss. Fran waved goodnight to him, then carefully shut the bedroom door behind him, and Max tiptoed back upstairs with his gifts, walked down the hall, then stepped quietly into his and Brighton's bedroom and shut the door behind him. He set down his gifts on his bedside table, then dug through his luggage for pajamas. He looked over at Brighton, who was sound asleep with his mouth open, and had an arm hanging off the bed. Max smiled, then headed into the bathroom to get ready for bed.
Fran sat down on the end of her bed and looked through her new folio again. She really loved how sweet Max could be, and how thoughtful. She let her mind wander through the events of the day- of the last few days- as she got ready for bed. She couldn't believe that she was actually Max's girlfriend, and that she would be able to tell everyone he was her boyfriend. She could still feel him in her arms, and the way his kisses turned her to mush. She turned down the covers on her bed and crawled in, shut off her bedside light. She tried to settle herself down to fall asleep as soon as she could, because she knew she was going to have wonderful dreams that night.