Thank you to everyone who read and reviewed the last chapter. Your flood of support was overwhelming but so much appreciated. I hear you all – ignore the hater(s) and don't give them the satisfaction of even acknowledgment. I will try! I hope you enjoy Carlos and Steph's time together.

Loved Up

I could barely keep from squirming in my seat as we drove up to Asbury Park. Carlos had been tight-lipped about the plans he had made, but I was super-excited to be going. Carlos had dropped me home so I could pack for an overnight stay. It was getting cold, even during the days, but I packed a swimsuit in case it would be warm enough on the beach to swim. I debated packing a dress for dinner, but if we were going to be doing a ghost tour, then a cocktail dress and heels were likely to be inappropriate. Instead, I packed a pair of tailored black pants and sweater in luscious plum that matched my name and added some low-heeled black pumps. I found some of my favourite jewellery to complement the sweater and called it good.

I changed into jeans and a deep burgundy top. I added a deep purple leather coat with a mid-length peplum skirt that I had splurged on last year, while still working at EE Martin. It would go with everything I was taking and would even be warm enough and even dressy enough for the evening. I put on some brown mid-heeled boots and admired the effect in the mirror. I felt classy but casual. I finished packing all my other essentials, makeup, and hair products, and some more clothes for tomorrow.

I was giving Rex a generous serve of hamster nuggets and fresh water when Carlos returned after about an hour. He had changed into black trousers and a black-and-gray patterned sweater. His hair was pulled back into his customary leather tie, and he looked casual and delicious. He stood, looking at me, and I loved the admiring heat in his gaze. He picked up my bag, and we left.

On the drive I pestered Carlos at first to know what he had planned, but he maintained an irritating, smug silence and eventually I gave up. I was surprised when he pulled up at the Berkley Oceanfront Hotel; I thought we would be staying at a bed and breakfast. The valet opened my door, and I was pleased I had chosen to wear something a little dressy, as the hotel was impressively luxurious and beautiful. Carlos led me into the lobby, and I stood for a moment, looking out over the garden bar and view to the ocean, lit with the pinks and purples of sunset. It was a gorgeous hotel and I felt spoiled and pampered already, even without seeing the room!

We were led to a luxury suite looking over the ocean, and I was immediately drawn to the view at the window, while Carlos tipped the valet who brought our bags. I felt Carlos come up behind me, and his arms slid around my waist as his mouth nuzzled my neck. "Like it?" he enquired.

"I love it, Carlos, it's so beautiful. And I feel so spoiled, everything is so luxurious."

"Good," he replied, "I'm allowed to spoil you for your birthday."

I tuned in his arms and met his mouth with my own. We spent several minutes kissing each other, then Carlos reluctantly drew back. "If we're going to make it to all our plans tonight, I can't spend the next several hours ravishing you, as much as I would like to."

I nodded, and we separated slowly before moving to unpack our small bags and freshen up. "What time are our plans?" I asked, hoping he was finally ready to share.

"We have a dinner reservation at seven, since the Boardwalk tour begins at eight-thirty. After the tour, I booked another tour of the Paranormal Museum. It's a private tour, just for us, two hours to explore the museum and see the exhibits. I didn't realise Asbury Park was such a ghostly place, Babe," he finished with a smirk.

I grinned at him, "Now you know why I wanted to come, Carlos!" I walked up to him and gave him a gentle, lingering kiss, "Thank you Carlos, it sounds perfect. And I love that you have done so much to make it what I wanted."

"De nada, Babe."

As it was six-fifteen now, we sat at the picture windows in a comfortable loveseat, sipping some complimentary sparkling wine, and watching the sky darken over the ocean. At quarter to seven, I got up to change into the clothes I brought, and Carlos changed his sweater for a black silk shirt and leather jacket.

Carlos had reserved us a table at the Watermark restaurant on the Boardwalk. We arrived at the elegant restaurant and Carlos ordered us both a Sangria, which was completely delicious. We sat in the darkening skies, eating Tapas and chatting casually. I loved the filet mignon kebab, garlic shrimp, and the goat cheese stuffed mushrooms, but my absolute favourite was their spicy fries with special middle eastern spices.

After dinner, we strolled up to the museum building, which looked fairly normal on the outside. By now, I was fairly vibrating with excitement, and I was pretty sure Carlos was laughing at me, even if he wasn't laughing out loud. We were met by a man with dark hair, who introduced himself as Ken. He was carrying a lantern and was very informative and entertaining as he led us along the Boardwalk, sharing spooky tales of creepy true events. Carlos was right, I hadn't realised that Asbury Park was so haunted! I loved every minute. Carlos was listening intently as well; he seemed interested, especially in the true events and mysteries. There was one other couple on the tour with us, with two daughters who looked to be about twelve and thirteen. The girls squealed over the spooky tales and jumped appropriately (as did I) when the guide deliberately tried to startle us. Carlos just raised an eyebrow.

The tour finished back at the museum, and Ken led Carlos and I into the tower store of books and curios, until we were joined by a smiling lady who introduced herself as Kathy and told us she was the owner of the museum and bookstore. Kathy led us on the tour, explaining some history (she was a historian) and weaving in the paranormal tales very skilfully. Even Carlos looked impressed at her knowledge, and the artefacts and curios were very interesting and beautifully displayed and organised. We thoroughly enjoyed the two hours, and I was thrilled at the end when Carlos bought me a cute drinking glass with a "back from the dead" theme and a spooky alchemist candle.

We strolled back to the hotel, and I felt like I was glowing with the pleasure and thrill of the wonderful evening. In our suite, we shared a long, warm shower, before I showed Carlos my thorough appreciation for the incredible experience he had shared with me.

I awoke to the sound of the ocean and the morning sun lighting the beautiful hotel room. I could smell coffee, and I smiled to myself as I stretched languorously. I opened my eyes to see Carlos sitting on the loveseat, sipping his own coffee, and reading something. I slipped out of bed and into the adjoining bathroom to freshen up, and then donned the soft, terry bathrobe that was supplied. I found that Carlos had ordered a pot of coffee, and I poured myself a cup and doctored it up to my taste. I then carried it to the window, with the pot in my other hand, where I refreshed Carlos' cup. He looked up at me with a smile and word of thanks, and I put the pot back.

I stood at the window, admiring the incredible view of the sunlit ocean and beachfront, and sipped at my coffee. Eventually, I turned and leaned back against the sill to talk to Carlos, "What time is it?" I asked.

"Almost nine, Babe."

"Did you make plans for today?" I asked.

He shook his head, "Not really. Whatever you want to do is fine. I got some brochures from the concierge downstairs. They're on the coffee table if you want to have a look."

I went over to refresh my own coffee, and picked up the small pile of brochures, before sitting in the loveseat chair beside Carlos. The Silverball Retro Arcade seemed like the must-visit attraction, and since I loved the arcades at Point Pleasant, I knew that was one I wanted to see. I felt like I wanted to have a really relaxed day, just walking along the Boardwalk, window shopping, visiting the arcade, and eating good food. I told Carlos this, and he agreed easily.

We finished out coffees, and then went in to dress and pack up our bags. Carlos organised to have the bags stored until we were leaving, and completed the checkout, paying for late departure and parking. We then went out onto the Boardwalk and found a café to enjoy a late breakfast. I ate French toast and bacon, while Carlos had an omelette stuffed with mushrooms and feta cheese. After breakfast, we strolled along the Boardwalk, browsing and chatting. I was surprised that Carlos was holding my hand, and it felt like we could be any couple on holiday, just enjoying the beach and the coastal atmosphere.

At the arcade, Carlos paid for us to stay an hour, and we played on the free games. Carlos blew me away at almost everything, pinball, skeeball, video games, and, unsurprisingly, a sharpshooter game. But I think he was slightly shocked when I narrowly managed to beat him on the air hockey table. Mary Lou and I had loved air hockey, and we had played many hours at Point Pleasant arcade. When we were fourteen, we had scammed some older boys who thought we were dumb girls and had bet us five dollars each that they could beat us. Needless to say, we won ten dollars!

We strolled down to the casino, where we explored the historic Carousel Building, which had been converted into an art installation. It was lovely, classic architecture. After that, we strolled back to a beachfront grill bar we had noted, for a late lunch. I was moaning over the most incredible lobster mac and cheese I had ever eaten, while Carlos just shook his head at me. I did taste his shrimp salad and I have to admit it was pretty good, but that lobster mac was orgasmic!

At the Galleria, in the Convention Hall Arcade, I was captivated by a large, beautiful shell that had a wonderfully detailed sandcastle painted onto it by a local artist. It was fashioned into a keychain, and it was exquisite. I was surprised when Carlos' hand came up and took it off the stand before he walked over toward the cashier. I hurried after him, hissing, "Carlos no! It's too expensive."

He paused to look at me, and grinned, "I thought we agreed I could spoil you for your birthday, Babe?"

I stood, resigned, as he paid for the lovely gift, then turned and smiled at me as he handed it to me. "Thank you, Carlos. It's truly exquisite and it will remind me of being here with you."

He drew me in kissed me sweetly. "You're very welcome, Babe."

It was nearly three when we finally left to drive back to Trenton, and I was feeling pleasantly drowsy with the glow of a wonderful night and day spent with the man I love. I fell asleep to the low hum of the Mercedes, my hand resting in Carlos' hand.

On Monday morning, Carlos, Lester and I drove up to Newark. Carlos and I had a meeting with the attorney handling our claims against the building owners of the Newark building. They had reached a tentative settlement, and we were meeting to peruse and sign the agreement. We dropped Lester at Carlos' apartment and headed to our appointment.

I could feel shock and disbelief seeping into my bones as I read the settlement documents. Fifty thousand dollars! Fifty thousand freaking dollars! Each! I wondered if I was hallucinating. This was way more than I had ever expected. Although the experience had been traumatic mentally and emotionally, we had really been unhurt physically. So, I had not expected to receive very much money in compensation. But this? This was enough to give me a really solid nest egg. I could invest it. Or even put down a deposit for an apartment.

I guess I had been silent for too long, since Ms Elden spoke, "Is there a problem, Ms Plum? Do you feel it is insufficient?"

I looked up at her incredulously, "Insufficient? This is way more than I expected. Sorry, I'm just speechless. Wow."

"Well, they were clearly negligent. They really had no legal recourse. If this had gone to court, I expect they could be facing much higher costs awarded by a sympathetic judge."

Carlos spoke up, "I suppose that sounds reasonable," he said. "It seems commensurate."

I looked at him in disbelief. Reasonable? Commensurate? To me it sounded incredible, but I guess Carlos was used to bigger contracts than me. Fifty thousand was almost as much as my annual salary at EE Martin. "Well, I am satisfied, anyway." I thought for a moment, "I hope Mr Rodriguez got a really big settlement, seeing this."

"I'm afraid I am not privy to that; it's likely to be confidential, possibly even subject to non-disclosure."

I looked at her, "Sorry, I shouldn't be speculating. It's just that he was so good to us during the events, and I feel so awful that he was badly injured. I know it wasn't our fault, but I can still see his mangled hands…" I trailed off in a little distress.

Ms Elden gave me a sympathetic smile, "I have no doubt that his attorney is fighting hard on his behalf. His life has been forever changed, and the NFD won't let him be undervalued." I nodded.

"Well, I am more than happy with the settlement you have negotiated, Ms Elden."

Carlos agreed "Given our circumstances, I am satisfied too. I think we are happy to sign."

Ms Elden spoke, "That's fine, Ms Plum, Mr Manoso. I'm very pleased we have been able to negotiate a satisfactory settlement for you." She sorted the documents into two piles for our signatures, "You'll need to sign in front of a notary public. We have several staff in the office who can witness it."

We agreed and she stepped out to get the necessary witness. When she was gone, I turned to Carlos to ask, "Our circumstances?" I was puzzled by his previous statement.

He understood my question immediately, "Well, we have both recovered mostly from the experience. If there had been longer-term effects, like being unable to use elevators, or suffering from PTSD, I would be asking for more. The fact that we are both ok makes this acceptable to me."

In thought about that for a minute. He was right. Our work opportunities could have been limited if either of us had developed a phobia about elevators, or if we were suffering from nightmares or PTSD. Finally understanding, I agreed with his assessment.

Ms Elden came back with a young man carrying a wooden box with stamps and ink pads. He introduced himself as Ryan Olsen and we spent the next few minutes signing and stamping the documents where Ms Elden indicted. When we finished Mr Olsen offered to make us copies and we waited a couple more minutes until he returned with our copies and stood to say our farewells and thanks. I still couldn't believe I was going to have fifty thousand dollars!

That night, Monday night, I stood at Newark airport, holding back tears, and trying to hold it together. Carlos seemed almost as reluctant to let go of me, but I turned a brave face to Lester to give him a hug. He was still on crutches and was flying back with Carlos to Miami.

"Look after yourself, Les," I chided him. "Don't overdo it on that leg."

"No worries, Beautiful," he smirked at me, "Luz is picking me up at the airport and promised to make sure I rest in bed." I rolled my eyes at him but was pleased he was still seeing Luz. I liked Luz.

I gave Carlos one last lingering kiss as their flight was called, "Come back to me soon," I begged in a whisper.

"As soon as I can, I promise, Babe," he murmured in reply. Then he picked up his and Lester's bags and they walked up to the gate.

Three days later, I was chatting with Carlos as usual in our evenings. I had told him about a form I needed signed for the realtor to request some site drainage and plumbing reports. "No worries, Babe. Send it through." He paused, then spoke a bit more hesitantly, "Babe? I spoke with my counsellor today."

I took a breath, wondering where this was going, "I know, Carlos. Is everything ok?"

"Yes, he thinks I am making good progress. We've been talking about my responses to emotional issues. I asked him… Well, the thing is, I asked him about working from Trenton. He was a bit taken aback, but he agreed to look into it for me. If he can find another counsellor in New Jersey, and we can get it authorized by my superiors, I might be able to come home, Babe."

"Home?" I whispered, "Trenton is home?"

"You are home, Stephanie. Wherever you are is home."

I felt a sob rack me, and tried to hold back the overwhelming flood of emotions his statement brought me. "You are home to me too, Carlos," I sniffled. "I would love it if you could come home to me."

After several minutes of reassurances, we murmured our loving goodbyes and hung up. So, I spent the next few minutes mopping up a flood of tears, before getting up to go and dance a jig of joy as I prepared for bed.

I have no legal background (plus I am Australian) so I have no idea if the $50k is realistic or not. So please forgive me if I have over or underestimated the amount. I would love to hear your thoughts on anything, so please review if you can. :)