“I love you too.”
He kissed me a lot longer than he should have considering we were in a public place.
I tried unsuccessfully not to cry when we returned to the hotel to meet Will’s car to the airport.
Will turned to me and held my shoulders. “I want you to have fun. I’m going to be working anyway so even if you were in London, we still wouldn’t see each other much.”
“A little is better than not at all.”
“You’ve had fun the past few weeks, haven’t you?” He tilted my head up to look at him.
“Yes.”
“Then continue as you have. It’s only about ten days this time.”
He let go and I looked down again.
“I know. It’s just hard to let go of you, and it’s even harder now,” I said sullenly.
“We’ll have a lifetime.”
I smiled through my tears and Will kissed me before turning away to leave.
Pam and I were practically right behind him as we had to get to the Berlin Hauptbahnhof, or Central Train Station, to catch an eight o’clock train to Stockholm.
Chapter Thirty-Three
The long train ride to Stockholm gave me a welcome opportunity to write postcards as I hadn’t sent any since I was in France. Pam and I arrived in Stockholm just after Noon and did some sightseeing before checking into our small hotel near Stockholm University. We walked around Gamla Stan, the city’s Old Town, and did a little shopping. Our evening out that night was brief when we realized how expensive it was to drink there.
The next day we took a boat tour of the archipelago at Pam’s request. Pam was enjoying it immensely. I thought it all started to look the same after a while. Since I was on a boat, I took the opportunity to snap a camera picture and text Will.
“On a boat again w/out u. If u were here, I’m sure we could have found a quiet place alone. Miss u.”
The return text appeared immediately. “I promise I’ll make up for it when u get here ;-) ILY.”
“ILY2”
I became sad when I noted the chill in the air and remembered being wrapped up in Will’s arms at night on the Thames in London. I wasn’t cold then, and, if Will were here, I wouldn’t be cold now.
The never-ending scenic tour finally finished and my mood improved when we visited the Vasa Museum to see the Viking Ship. I had always been somewhat interested in Vikings since I heard a theory that red hair may have come from the Vikings rather than the Celts.
That night, we went out to a bar near the university which was slightly cheaper than the bar we visited briefly the night before. We received attention from some Italian guys which made Pam happy. They also bought us drinks, which helped with our starving student travel budget. I tried to be sociable, but, honestly, I didn’t notice whether the men were attractive and witty or not. All I kept thinking about was Will.
We spent the next day at Skansen, which was sort of the Swedish version of Colonial Williamsburg, before getting on an overnight train to Oslo, Norway, just after dinner.
We arrived midday Thursday in Oslo. We visited Vigeland Sculpture Park before checking into our centrally-located B&B hotel. The next day, we continued on the Viking theme, visiting the Viking Ships Museum. We then went to the Kon-Tiki Museum and rested back at the hotel before we were to go out to a club.
We picked the biggest club in Oslo and arrived fairly early since we wanted to have dinner there and had heard that there was a long line to get inside. I wore the dress I had worn in Berlin as it was the only thing I brought for this sort of thing. I giggled to myself when I remembered Will’s reaction to it.
Pam and I were pretty popular that night. First, at twenty-five years-old, we were on the younger end of the crowd. Second, we had the two redheads together thing going on. Third, I think Will may have been right about my dress.
Pam and I moved between the various rooms that played differing kinds of music. We tended to go back and forth between the 80’s music in one room and the room playing indie British bands in another. We both were asked to dance a lot. It was particularly fun when we ended up in a big group in the 80’s room acting very silly as we tried to dance like they did back then. We did it poorly and looked stupid, which made it even more fun. I took a break to go to the restroom and, while waiting in the usual line, I decided to text Will.
“In Oslo & having fun as u asked. What r u doing 2nite?
The response was fairly quick. “Pub w/cast & crew. U?”
“How did u hear phone?” I tried to change the subject.
“On vibrate. Hoped 2 hear from u. What r u doing 2nite?”
“Dancing.”
“Really?”
“Yes. 2 80’s music mostly. Very silly.”
“W/just Pam?”
“Big group.”
“Wearing ur club dress?”
“Yes.”
“Figures. Told u it would make u popular.”
“U make it sound like it’s obscene. It’s not. Just a little short. So is everyone else’s here. No big deal.”
“Not obscene. Sexy. Colors beautiful w/ur hair 2.”
“Glad u like it.”
“Understatement.”
“Wish u were here. Sure I could find a dark place like in Berlin.”
“Me 2. We need 2 do that again.”
“How r ur costars?”
“Good. Don’t worry. I only have eyes for u. Anyway, not a romantic part. I play kind of a dork in this 1.”
“Not playing against type this time r u?”
“Very funny ;-)”
“ILY. C u in 5 days.”
“Can’t w8. ILY2.”
I rejoined Pam and the large circle of people she was dancing with in the 80’s room. We continued to dance the night away until the early morning hours.
Despite the fact that we were able to sleep in because our train wasn’t until Noon, we didn’t get a whole lot of sleep due to the lateness of the hour in which we left the club. We figured we could do a little on the train, assuming we could get a car to ourselves.
We arrived in Copenhagen, Denmark, around nine at night and since we had overdone it a little in Oslo, we ended up just crashing at our pension rather than going out on that particular Saturday night.
The next day, we needed a little hair of the dog despite the passage of time since our last drink and thought that the Carlsberg Brewery Tour would be just what the doctor ordered. It was. After the tour, we decided to visit the Tivoli Gardens Amusement Park. We had an early lunch first to sober ourselves up enough to go on some of the rides.
I took a picture of the park from the Ferris wheel and sent it to Will with a text. “At Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen after Carlsberg Brewery Tour. Ride not best idea after beer :-( C u in 3 days. ILY.”
The return message came back about two hours later by which time we had sobered up enough to handle the rollercoaster and were standing in line for it.
“U weren’t sick were u?”
I responded since we had a few more minutes in line. “No. Better now. Going on rollercoaster now.”
“Glad ur having fun. Jealous of u @ club tho. C u in 3 days. ILY.”
“ILY2. U working today?”
“Yes. I wrap day u return. C u @ airport.”
“Can’t w8. My turn on rollercoaster. Have fun.”
“U2. Miss u.”
Only a few hours later, Pam and I needed to catch the overnight train to Amsterdam, where we planned on spending the last few days before returning to London.
Although Pam and I were having a good time, I was getting anxious to return to London. I missed Will terribly and was very excited at the prospect of getting officially engaged. Consequently, the time in Amsterdam dragged.
There was plenty to see, although some of the things to do in Amsterdam did not appeal to me. I was not a recreational drug user so the offerings in that regard didn’t tempt me. The Red Light District also didn’t have much appeal. Not only were there the prostitutes sitting i
n the windows, there were also live sex shows. Not my cup of tea. I had seen one of the shows as part of a European tour the summer I went to Cambridge. I actually found it kind of sad and managed to get blazing drunk that night along with my friends on the tour.
We visited the Anne Frank House on our first day and wandered around the canals. On the second day, Pam humored me by going to the Rijksmuseum, although I was never a fan of the Dutch Masters, and the Van Gogh Museum.
While out at dinner that night, I decided to tease Will via text to get his reaction.
“@ show in Amsterdam. Thinking of u ;-)”
The response was immediate. “What kind of show?”
“Seen the shows here?”
“Heard about them.”
“I’m kidding. Been 2 1 tho’. Just not this trip.”
“Really?”
“Yep. Was 19. Interesting experience.”
“Not interested now?”
“Those who can, do. Those who can’t, watch. I’d rather do than watch - altho’ it’s been a while since Berlin.”
“Can u w8 til tomorrow? I promise u’ll get 2 do.”
“I better.”
“Trust me. I can’t w8 either. C u tomorrow. ILY.”
“ILY2.”
On our final day, Pam and I visited the historic fishing village of Volendam, feeling like we’d stepped back in time several hundred years. We did silly things like have our picture taken in traditional Dutch costumes. I was not planning on showing that photo to Will. It would remain well-hidden in a scrapbook.
Before we knew it, we were scrambling to get our bags in Amsterdam and get to the airport to meet our plane for London.
Chapter Thirty-Four
As Pam and I exited the plane at Gatwick, it seemed like it had been weeks since I had seen Will instead of the ten days it had actually been. I was anxious about what I had to look forward to in my few remaining days in London. I didn't know what to expect. Will always managed to go overboard for me and, as this was a very important moment in our lives, I wondered what he would do.
Once I saw Will there waiting for me at the back of the crowd, all my thoughts and anxiousness disappeared. All I could see was him. He had a huge smile and open arms waiting for me as I walked as quickly as I could with my bags toward him. He kissed me like we hadn't seen each other for ages. When he finally let go, he gave Pam a kiss on the cheek in greeting.
As we drove Pam to Jane's place, which was not all that far from Gatwick, Will was smiling the entire way, lost in thought.
Finally, he spoke. "Pam, will you and Jane keep Friday evening open? I have somewhere for you to be. I'll ring you later with the details."
I interrupted, "What are we doing?"
"You'll have to wait and see."
He looked back at Pam. "Will you?"
"Of course." She smiled like she had a pretty good idea what it was about.
Actually, I did too. It had something to do with our engagement, and I was dying to know what we were doing and when. I was a planner and never really good with surprises, especially when they were this important. Unfortunately, during the trip from Jane’s place to Will’s flat, I was unable to pry any further information out of Will.
When we arrived in Hampstead that evening, there were no paparazzi. They must have realized that I had gone.
Will and I had the opportunity to be alone and took advantage of it as we always did.
"It's nice to have you home with me again," Will said as he led me into the bedroom, pulled us both down onto the bed, and cuddled into me.
"I missed you. I'm excited to be back in more ways than one."
"So then, what do you want to do?"
"What do you think?" I made my thinking crystal clear to him.
"I think that's an excellent idea."
As we lay together afterward, I started to think again about what the week had in store for us.
"So what's on the agenda for us this week?"
"You’re going to have to wait and see." He kissed me.
"You're not going to tell me anything?"
"No."
"Can you at least tell me what we're doing tonight?"
"We're doing what we're doing tonight."
"Oh."
"Don't sound so disappointed."
"I'm not. This is my favorite thing to do with you."
"Mine too, but you're not happy."
"I am."
"You don't sound it. What's wrong?"
"Well, we kind of have this thing sort of hanging out there."
"This thing. You mean that question I haven't asked you yet?"
"Yes." I looked down nervously.
"Don't worry. I haven't forgotten. I'm just not quite ready yet. I promise that when I am, you'll be the first to know."
"Does that mean we're waiting until we get back to L.A.?" I must have sounded disappointed.
"No."
I relaxed a little. "Okay." I perked up. "I'm sorry. I'm not trying to ruin your surprise. I'm just anxious that's all."
"So am I."
We rolled over and continued with the evening's planned activity.
The next morning, I dug through my bags and gave Will the souvenirs I had bought for him. Of course, they were nowhere near as nice as the things he had bought for me, but he was appreciative, never having received gifts from me before. I gave him a Murano glass picture frame from Venice to be used for one of the pictures of us from this trip, an intricate beer stein I had bought for him in Munich that I figured would look nice on one of his bookshelves in the living room of the flat, and an intricately carved small scale model of a Viking Ship from Oslo also for his bookshelves.
"What is it with you and boats?" he joked as I gave it to him.
I ignored his little joke and went on, "The last thing is a present for you, but I'm the one who has to use it. I'll be right back.”
I scurried into the bathroom and changed into the black French lingerie from Paris that didn’t leave much to the imagination, having opaque fabric only where it wasn't needed. I returned to the bedroom and Will’s eyes went wide.
"I think I like this present best,” he said as he grinned like a kid in a candy shop.
I managed to keep Will’s present on for a little while anyway since it was missing fabric in certain important places.
We finally got up and got going a little while later after Will told me we had somewhere to be. I realized, when he told me we would be taking my suitcase, today might be the day.
We drove west out of London beyond Heathrow to the Berkshire countryside and arrived at a private Tudor-style cottage on the estate of a large manor house hotel. I was a little shocked to find that we had a Butler waiting to attend to us - as if this wasn’t way out of my league already.
As we ate the lunch that was waiting for us when we arrived, I asked, “How long are we here?”
“Until Saturday. I’m taking you to the All Castles are Grey wrap party on Saturday night in London so we have until then.”
“It’s beautiful here. You went overboard as usual.”
“I only promised that we would be alone. And we will be for a while.”
“What do you mean we’ll be alone ‘for a while’? What have you got up your sleeve?”
“You’ll have to wait and see.”
After lunch, Will and I took a cruise on one of the vintage launches moored near the cottage. The day was somewhat grey, but the weather was fairly warm.
I noticed then that the cottage was situated near the Thames River. I was nervous thinking that this might be time for the proposal. When we boarded the launch, I realized that, with the skipper there, we would have no privacy and that this couldn’t be the time. I relaxed.
“Not as private as our last cruise on the Thames, but I thought you’d like it. I know how you like boats.” Will winked.
I rolled my eyes. “I told you. It’s not the boats per se. It’s being with you on them. You have no idea how much I wanted you there i
n Venice and Stockholm. I’m glad that I finally get to be on one with you again.”
Will placed his arm around me. He turned to kiss me and continued to do so on and off while the skipper of the launch was facing away from us, piloting us west through breathtaking views of the estate and beyond the bridges at Maidenhead. The skipper provided a running commentary as we passed by the sights. We went about an hour downstream before turning back toward our cottage.
The Butler wasn’t there when we returned to the cottage. I was glad that we had our privacy since I was a little revved up from all the kissing on the launch. So, apparently, was Will.
“We’re alone,” I commented as we entered the cottage.
“Yes. I made sure of it. I remember how boats turn you on.”
“I told you . . .”
“Just kiss me, will you?”
A long while later, Will looked over at the clock and told me it was time to dress for dinner. I realized that I was going to have to wear the same dress I wore for my birthday lunch. At least it was evening this time. As I started to get dressed, Will stopped me.
“I have something for you. Wait.”
He pulled a garment bag and some shoes out of his hanging bag.
“What did you do?” I asked as he handed the garment bag to me.
“I did nothing. I asked my sister, Emma, to ring your sister and find out what you liked. Emma did the shopping for me.”
“What did she tell Kelly?”
“Not a lot. Just that we were going somewhere special and I wanted to surprise you. I figured you would want to be the one to break the news, although Emma tells me that Kelly was suspicious.”
“Hmm.” Leave it to Kelly to be nosy.
I pulled the dress out of the bag. It was a gorgeous midnight blue cocktail dress and had a designer label. It was form-fitting at the top and billowed out a little from under the bust. It was also fairly short. I was really hoping it would fit. The shoes had high heels, were strappy, and were designer as well and there was a matching evening purse to go along with them.
“Your sister has good taste. It’s all so beautiful.”
“Not as beautiful as you. Get dressed. I want to see you in it.”
“K.”
The dress and the shoes fit although I hoped I wasn’t going to be doing a lot of walking in the shoes. I was not exactly the most graceful person in the world. The shortness of the dress and the height of the heels did show off my legs a bit. And I was now dressed more appropriately for the caliber of the hotel.
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