Best Thing In Town

Mike held out his hand and smiled at Audrey when her smaller, more delicate, one slid into his grasp and she emerged from the passenger's side of his BMW. Just looking at her with her hair done up, her light 'dusting' of make-up, contacts in, the red heels and the red dress she wore that showed off the shape of her stomach...he had never been so attracted to a woman as he was at that moment.

She stirred something in him. Passion, love, devotion, desire, admiration. She was what love was all about. The very fact that she loved him back was enough for him to live the rest of his life off of. He had his music, his daughter Estelle...and Audrey was the music in his mind, body and soul. She was so addictive. And as the Shakespearean quote went, "If music be the food of love, play on."

He immediately linked his arm with her's as they entered the restaurant and were directed to their table. Mike pulled out her chair for her and did every gentlemanly thing he could think of, before sitting down across from her.

"This is all so beautiful," Audrey commented, unfolding the cloth napkin and draping it across her lap.

"Well, don't get too comfortable," Mike spoke. "They're probably gonna ask you to leave soon."

She narrowed her eyes with a frown. "Why's that?"

"'Cause you're making all the other women in here look bad." He gave her a playful smirk which she reciprocated. "You know, I did some researching online these past two days..."

"Yeah? On what?"

"Zodiac signs," he replied just as the waiter approached them with the wine list. They decided on a bottle of Merlot and the waiter disappeared with a nod.

"What about zodiac signs?" Audrey wondered, continuing their conversation.

"Well, checking out our compatibility. I'm a Taurus. You're a Virgo. Both are earth signs. There was this one site in particular...some Australian astrologer named Milton Black. And my favorite part of the page said, and I quote, 'You are both quite consistent in your demands for sex. As a result, you are more comfortable in a well-developed, stable and lasting relationship. You are loyal to each other and know what you want from the relationship. Lovemaking will be very fulfilling for the both of you.'" He smirked, watching how she grinned at that.

"That so?" Audrey tilted her head to the side, which caused her earring to jingle a little.

Nodding, Mike studied the way her upper lip curled more toward the left in a goofy smile and how the faintest of dimples exposed themselves momentarily on her cheeks. She was the best looking woman in the entire restaurant in his mind and if anyone dared to challenge him on that, he'd rip their balls off and shove them down their throat, shake their hand and send them off crying.

Dinner came and went, both of them laughing and smiling and talking amiably about this and that. They talked a little bit about their unborn son, and what name they liked best. They came up with other suggestions, trying to see if there was a common ground. But it was still in the air. And it wasn't like they didn't have time.

When the waiter came around with the dessert cart, Audrey felt her mouth watering. As if she wasn't already craving different foods all at once, adding chocolate bliss to it as well? She may as well have died and gone to heaven. She picked her choice of cheese cake that was topped with chocolate syrup and a strawberry. Mike simply took a piece of chocolate cake that he fed a forkful to Audrey in a sexy way. He licked his lips at the sight of her slipping the cake off his fork, so he leaned forward across the table and kissed her lips.

When everything was completed, Mike paid the bill and tipped the waiter. The valet grabbed his car for him and brought it around to the front. As soon as they were inside the BMW, they drove in silence for a little bit until Audrey looked over at him, just watching his profile as he kept his eyes on the road. He was so handsome. She loved his profile. She could stare at it for hours.

He looked over at her just as he brought the car to a stop. Audrey looked out the windshield to see that they were parked on the side of the road, next to some sort of rundown playground.

"Where are we?"

"It's a surprise."

Audrey narrowed her eyes questioningly as he slid out of the car and shut the door. She watched as he walked in front of the car and made it over to her side, opening the door and pulling her gently from it. He shut the door behind her and took her hand in his, leading her into the playground. He pointed to the swings and had her sit down on one of them as he moved around behind her and began to push her.

"Mike?" she began apprehensively. "Why are we in a playground?"

"I used to play here when I was a kid. Then, when I got older, me and the guys used to hang out here and smoke. Sometimes we dropped acid on the slide. I don't suggest anyone doing that," he added.

Strands of her hair fluttered around her face as she swung back and forth, while Mike continued to push.

"Okay..."

He sighed. "This is where I spent some of my youth. I did things here that a child does...that a teenager does, that a young adult does." He grabbed a hold of the swing and slowed her down until she came to a complete stop and he walked around to in front of her and crouched down. "It wasn't until I met you that I became a man. So, I figure, why not make it official and do something a man does, in a place that's been a part of me since I could remember."

She furrowed her brow only slightly, trying to grasp where he was going with all this when she took note of him moving from his crouching position to bending on one knee and pulling something from his jacket pocket. Her heart instantly did a somersault in anticipation.

Holding up a simple gold band with a solitaire diamond, Mike swallowed down a lump in his throat due to nerves as he took her left hand in his.

"Audrey...the only way for me to officially be a man is if you'll marry me."

She placed a hand on her chest and laughed. "Oh wow."

"Is that a yes?" he wondered nervously.

"Well...I dunno," she replied, looking from the ring to him. "It depends."

"On what?"

"On whether I can have a kiss first."

Mike smirked and situated himself so that he was kneeling on both knees and leaned in to wrap his arms around her waist, not minding her protruding belly in the least. "You can have all the kisses you want for the rest of your life." He kissed her with all the love he had in him, smiling against her lips as she placed her hands on either side of his face and held him there to look in his eyes afterward with a smile of her own.

They searched each other's eyes for a second before Audrey just seemed to radiate.

"So, is that a yes?"

"That's a 'hell yes,'" Audrey grinned, kissing him again as he slid the engagement ring onto her left ring finger.