“Hello?” Kristen croaked her first word of the morning on a sleep laden voice.
“Kris! Are you up?” Mitch asked, excitement evident in his voice, annoying the ever so sleepy Kristen.
“Does it sound like I’m up?” She mumbled, groaning and pulling the covers over her head, laying her phone next to her head.
“Well, come on! I have a HUGE surprise for you!” Mitch was decidedly not going to let anything dull his mood.
“I think you have a HUGE case of annoying energy, actually.” Kristen said, a little less sleepy, but still crabby. “What time is it anyway?” She asked, peeking at her phone with one lazy eye.
“Time for you to get up, throw on a swimsuit and meet me out front in thirty minutes!” Amping his cheerfulness up to a level, Mitch laughed and continued, “Come on. You’re going to love this, babe. Really!”
After a drawn out groan and a couple of kicks with her feet, she responded, “A bathing suit, huh?”
Knowing he’d hooked her, a fish at heart, he grinned. “Yup, and I’ll take care of everything else. Even grab you a cup of that caramel machamucholatte thing you like to help wake you up.”
“It’s a caramel macchiato you moron, and ok. I’ll be ready in thirty minutes.” She didn’t wait to hear him say good bye, instead she ended the call and dramatically threw the covers back, the down comforter landing over the two snoozing cats and snoring dog lying next to her.
7:30. Ugh. Typically Kristen’s weekend days started closer to 11. She looked longingly at her bed, the covers as she left them. Her pets also liked to sleep in.
As she stomped into the kitchen, Kristen took a deep breath, her nostrils absorbing the smell of brewed Sidamo, and poured a cup, thinking she might as well get a head start on the waking process.
The cats and the dog finally made their way into the kitchen with noisy cries for breakfast and a head pat or chin scratch. Just as the last drop of creamy coffee slid down her throat, the doorbell rang.
Still moving slowly, Mitch pressed the button again and again in hyper impatience.
“Enough!” Kristen yelled and wrenched the door nearly off it’s hinges. She smiled at the grinning handsome man in her doorway. He held a bouquet of flowers, picked from her own yard, and he leaned in for a long tight hug.
“Good morning, gorgeous.”
“Mmm, ‘morning. This better be good!” She said as she eyed her flowers. “Um thanks?” Kristen took them and quickly went to the kitchen and plopped them in a handy vase.
“Ready? Better bring your sunglasses!” Mitch led the way to his newly bought Mini Cooper, opening Kristen’s door for her.
She had to admit, Mitch was always a gentleman. His mamma had taught him well. “So what’s the plan?” She inquired once he got settled.
“Can’t tell.” He replied simply and sped off down the road, to the freeway in the direction of the Columbia River.
True to his word, he bought her coffee, and they were off again.
“Why are you so annoyingly chipper this morning?”
“You’ll see!” He said and kissed the back of her hand.
Finally, they reached a marina, which housed dozens of sailboats and yachts.
Kristen glanced at Mitch, a questioning look in her eyes, but said nothing. He took her hand and led her to a rather modest, yet beautiful sailboat and he helped her on board.
“Mitch, what is this? What’s going on?” To the best of her knowledge, Mitch had never sailed before, nor did he know anyone that did.
“Well, isn’t it obviously a sailboat?” He teased, smiling his trademark grin. “You can put your stuff down below, I’m going to get things ready.
Kristen watched as he switched switches, checked gauges and went about his business. He certainly looked like he knew what he was doing.
“You might want to take a seat while I get us out of here.”
“Okay.” A little nervous, she couldn’t decide whether to go below to the comfortable kitchenette area, or stay above.
Reading her mind, Mitch said, “You’ll be fine up here.”
Amazed at how smoothly Mitch maneuvered the marina into the open river, she began to relax. It was a mild day on the river, the sun was warm, the breeze was light, Mitch had thought of everything….. cheese, sausage, crackers, fruit, the works! He even let Kristen take the wheel for awhile. Her hands shaking as she nervously steered the boat through the water.
Mitch explained he had been taking lessons for several months.
“But, why? I never knew you wanted to be a sailor!”
“Because I wanted this moment to be perfect, Kristen.” He reached in his pocket and never taking his deep grey eyes off of hers, he grabbed her left hand. “Kristen, would you make me the happiest man in the world and marry me?” Mitch’s eyes became a little misty.
“What? Oh, my gosh! Mitch really?” Kristen looked at the antique style ring on her finger, her heart pounding. She looked back at Mitch, her eyes misted as well. “Of course!” She wrapped her arms around him and gave him a kiss.
Mitch released the breath he’d been holding, just as there was a loud crack in the sky and rain started pouring down! So involved in each other, they had not noticed the ominous clouds above! Kristen let out a squeal as Mitch hurriedly made way to the wheel to turn the boat around towards the marina.
The ride back was not nearly as smooth as the ride out, and after multiple tries against the rising wind, Mitch finally made it into the moorage space with only minor damage to the boat. There was nothing that could ruin this perfect day however, and Mitch grinned without shame as he helped his new beautiful fiancée off the sailboat.
“Kris! Are you up?” Mitch asked, excitement evident in his voice, annoying the ever so sleepy Kristen.
“Does it sound like I’m up?” She mumbled, groaning and pulling the covers over her head, laying her phone next to her head.
“Well, come on! I have a HUGE surprise for you!” Mitch was decidedly not going to let anything dull his mood.
“I think you have a HUGE case of annoying energy, actually.” Kristen said, a little less sleepy, but still crabby. “What time is it anyway?” She asked, peeking at her phone with one lazy eye.
“Time for you to get up, throw on a swimsuit and meet me out front in thirty minutes!” Amping his cheerfulness up to a level, Mitch laughed and continued, “Come on. You’re going to love this, babe. Really!”
After a drawn out groan and a couple of kicks with her feet, she responded, “A bathing suit, huh?”
Knowing he’d hooked her, a fish at heart, he grinned. “Yup, and I’ll take care of everything else. Even grab you a cup of that caramel machamucholatte thing you like to help wake you up.”
“It’s a caramel macchiato you moron, and ok. I’ll be ready in thirty minutes.” She didn’t wait to hear him say good bye, instead she ended the call and dramatically threw the covers back, the down comforter landing over the two snoozing cats and snoring dog lying next to her.
7:30. Ugh. Typically Kristen’s weekend days started closer to 11. She looked longingly at her bed, the covers as she left them. Her pets also liked to sleep in.
As she stomped into the kitchen, Kristen took a deep breath, her nostrils absorbing the smell of brewed Sidamo, and poured a cup, thinking she might as well get a head start on the waking process.
The cats and the dog finally made their way into the kitchen with noisy cries for breakfast and a head pat or chin scratch. Just as the last drop of creamy coffee slid down her throat, the doorbell rang.
Still moving slowly, Mitch pressed the button again and again in hyper impatience.
“Enough!” Kristen yelled and wrenched the door nearly off it’s hinges. She smiled at the grinning handsome man in her doorway. He held a bouquet of flowers, picked from her own yard, and he leaned in for a long tight hug.
“Good morning, gorgeous.”
“Mmm, ‘morning. This better be good!” She said as she eyed her flowers. “Um thanks?” Kristen took them and quickly went to the kitchen and plopped them in a handy vase.
“Ready? Better bring your sunglasses!” Mitch led the way to his newly bought Mini Cooper, opening Kristen’s door for her.
She had to admit, Mitch was always a gentleman. His mamma had taught him well. “So what’s the plan?” She inquired once he got settled.
“Can’t tell.” He replied simply and sped off down the road, to the freeway in the direction of the Columbia River.
True to his word, he bought her coffee, and they were off again.
“Why are you so annoyingly chipper this morning?”
“You’ll see!” He said and kissed the back of her hand.
Finally, they reached a marina, which housed dozens of sailboats and yachts.
Kristen glanced at Mitch, a questioning look in her eyes, but said nothing. He took her hand and led her to a rather modest, yet beautiful sailboat and he helped her on board.
“Mitch, what is this? What’s going on?” To the best of her knowledge, Mitch had never sailed before, nor did he know anyone that did.
“Well, isn’t it obviously a sailboat?” He teased, smiling his trademark grin. “You can put your stuff down below, I’m going to get things ready.
Kristen watched as he switched switches, checked gauges and went about his business. He certainly looked like he knew what he was doing.
“You might want to take a seat while I get us out of here.”
“Okay.” A little nervous, she couldn’t decide whether to go below to the comfortable kitchenette area, or stay above.
Reading her mind, Mitch said, “You’ll be fine up here.”
Amazed at how smoothly Mitch maneuvered the marina into the open river, she began to relax. It was a mild day on the river, the sun was warm, the breeze was light, Mitch had thought of everything….. cheese, sausage, crackers, fruit, the works! He even let Kristen take the wheel for awhile. Her hands shaking as she nervously steered the boat through the water.
Mitch explained he had been taking lessons for several months.
“But, why? I never knew you wanted to be a sailor!”
“Because I wanted this moment to be perfect, Kristen.” He reached in his pocket and never taking his deep grey eyes off of hers, he grabbed her left hand. “Kristen, would you make me the happiest man in the world and marry me?” Mitch’s eyes became a little misty.
“What? Oh, my gosh! Mitch really?” Kristen looked at the antique style ring on her finger, her heart pounding. She looked back at Mitch, her eyes misted as well. “Of course!” She wrapped her arms around him and gave him a kiss.
Mitch released the breath he’d been holding, just as there was a loud crack in the sky and rain started pouring down! So involved in each other, they had not noticed the ominous clouds above! Kristen let out a squeal as Mitch hurriedly made way to the wheel to turn the boat around towards the marina.
The ride back was not nearly as smooth as the ride out, and after multiple tries against the rising wind, Mitch finally made it into the moorage space with only minor damage to the boat. There was nothing that could ruin this perfect day however, and Mitch grinned without shame as he helped his new beautiful fiancée off the sailboat.
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