Picnic In The Sky, Addy!

Saturday, June 23rd - 10:15 am

Leo Lockwood was a married man, again. In fact, he had been a married man for eight days. Of those eight days, each and everyone had been spent devising ways in which to charm and woo the woman he called wife. It was sort of backwards. Marriage first, then the process of getting to know one another and if you were lucky, falling in love. Addy was worth getting to know, he'd found himself eager to impress her and make her comfortable, even if he couldn't exactly make her happy. Leo would try though, he was completely committed to seeing where this marriage went, for better or for worse. He was still a bit wary of the whole 'husband' thing, he'd not had much practice, considering his first marriage had been over in less than twenty-four hours. He just prayed that he didn't cock this up entirely and make an ass of himself.

Which was why, on a bright and sunshine filled day he had decided to give Addy the first surprise of their married life. Leo had woken early, sneaking out of the house at sunrise. He had heard that sometimes on the weekends, there were hot air balloons at the fairgrounds. Leo had never really taken a hot air balloon ride, he liked the sound of it. He figured it would at least be a unique first date day idea. He'd managed to charm one of the owners into taking the newlyweds up in one. Leo had agreed to take some aerial photos for the man, in exchange for his service. It was really a win-win situation. 'Date Days' had been created in a way to ease into this marriage, to go slow. Leo had suggested that every week, one day would be set aside and spent together. He'd offered to initiate the very first one, making sure he'd set the bar high when it came to Addy's turn. Leo didn't know what else would top a hot air balloon, but he was excited to see what she would come up with next week.

After making sure that everything was a go, Leo returned home. He hoped that Addy would be awake and that he wouldn't have to resort to waking her up. If she was anything like him, when someone disrupted his sleep, it made him a very very grumpy person. Leo didn't hate a lot of things, but being suddenly awakened ranked at the top of his list. He tried to not let the door slam, as he walked into their house. Leo set down his keys on the coffee table and stood still to listen, to see if he could hear any movement from his wife. He thought he heard the water running in the shower, but he didn't feel comfortable enough to just poke his head in and find out. The intimacy that comes with marriage was still on a back burner for them. Leo wasn't in a rush to sleep with his wife. Sure, he'd love to get to know her in the biblical sense, but it wasn't the only thing he was interested in.

Addy was sweet and gentle, she was the kind of woman that deserved to be wooed, romanced and literally swept off her feet. Leo had just enough patience to take up the challenge. He was bound and determined to show that the art of courting wasn't dead. So, he decided to take a seat on the couch, wait it out a few more moments. Leo began to whistle as he propped his feet up on the coffee table and flipped on the television and began to surf the channels.

For most of her life Adelaide had woken up at five thirty sharp every morning. She’d had a very specific and ridged routine that she had never veered from. Wake up, take a shower, get dressed, eat, go to classes or rehearsals, practice some more, eat again and go to bed at a reasonably elderly hour. Wash, rinse, and repeat. It had been a cycle that was hard to break, but one that was necessary. At first waking up when she pleased and having an abundance of free time had been maddening. Now it was actually starting to grow on her.

Sleeping in, having fun, doing whatever it was that came into her mind on a whim, they were luxuries and luxuries that she couldn’t afford. That was all different now. She pouted slightly, as she wiped the fog off the bathroom mirror. A small jut of her bottom lip that just as quickly disappeared as it came. She couldn’t say that it made her happy that it was all over, everything that she’d worked for and put into her dancing and her future. It actually made her quite sad at times over the last year, when she stood still long enough to think about it. She was happy now, but in a different kind of way. It was hard to explain, even to her own practical mind. There was a whole in her that nothing seemed to fill. It was why she’d resigned to the crazy idea of the vow. Even if a marriage couldn’t fill the void of what she’d lost, at least it might be able to make her forget that it was there.

A towel wrapped securely around her body, Addy poked her head out of the bathroom door, took a quick surveillance to see if her husband was around, assured that the coast was clear she made her way into the bedroom to get dressed. Before she shut the door securely behind her, she heard the light sounds of the television coming from the direction of the living room, which assured her that he’d returned from wherever he’d disappeared to that morning before she’d woken. Towel pulled tight around her, she skimmed her clothes, hanging neatly in the closet. She dressed quickly, ran a brush through the tangled mess of her hair and added some mousse to let it curl wild on it’s own since she didn’t have the patience to fuss with it today.

She emerged from the bedroom humming to herself, her hair still damp, and made her way through her house, towards where she assumed her husband was camped out. Either him or a very easily distracted and sloppy burglar. But as far as she could tell there was a very slim crime rate in this town. This was her first experience with small town life, and while she was still acclimating to the quiet and somewhat calm nature of Evergreen, she couldn't help but compare it to something similarly as creepy as Pleasantville. She wouldn't even be surprised to hear that people didn't lock their doors at night. Which the new york girl in her scoffed at internally.

She studied him for a few moments from the doorway to the living room. He really was a terribly handsome man. And she was enjoying getting to know the other parts of him as well. They'd been married for eight days now. The longest relationship she'd ever been the other half of. With a man anyway. Dance had been her significant other for so long, that men and dating of any kind, they had taken a side rail to her dreams and her passion. For what felt like the first time in her life, she didn't know what she was doing. And it was kind of exciting, in a terrifying sort of way.

Today was D-day. Date day. Her first date, not only of her marriage, but of her entire life. She was nervous, and oddly excited for it. Like a little girl on christmas morning. Curious to see what he'd come up with, more curious to see what she'd have as competition when it was her turn to plan out a date. Adelaide played to win and it seemed that they were both out to wow each other.

" Good morning." she said brightly, setting herself down on the other side of the couch, tucking her legs underneath her. "And what have you been up too?" she asked lightly her eyes flickering from the tv screen that he was watching, legs propped up on the coffee table, to her husbands face.

Leo turned, breaking himself away from the television as his wife sat down. He quickly removed his feet from the coffee table. Like he had been caught stealing cookies, from the cookie jar. There was nothing in her expression that revealed whether or not she had minded. Except the slight glance, she had given his feet. In any case, Leo decided that coffee tables weren't really elaborate foot rests, he had just been in the habit of using them as such. He moved his right arm, to lay against the top of the couch and leaned back. Leo regarded his wife, with a half-cocked grin. "Morning, love." It had practically become his habit, in terms of conversing with women, to add 'love' to the end of all his sentences. Maybe it was a British thing, maybe it was just a Leo thing. He really didn't know and so far, no one had ever complained, much. "Oh, I've been a very busy man. I have been making the final arrangements for our first official D-Day."

He wasn't going to say anymore. The fun in it all, was the element of surprise. Leo could already picture, the look on Adelaide's face. Her lovely lips, formed in a round 'O' and those blue eyes of her's wide with surprise. At least, he hoped. This marriage was new and something altogether already different. Leo was aware that his wife, had already drawn him in. Addy just had something about her, something that transcended most other women. He could only think of one other person, who radiated on the same level. It was a good sign, a good sign indeed. Leo leaned to grab the remote control and flipped the television set off. "Are you ready to go?" He asked, not wanting to rush her. They had the whole day. If she wanted a few more moments, he would gladly give them to her.

The hot air balloon would wait. He had arranged for the ride to begin at eleven. Really, whenever they arrived. Leo had asked that a basket of fresh fruit and a picnic lunch, also be included. He was determined to pull out all the stops, he wanted this day to be beyond perfect. Leo was a romantic and even though he could practically charm anyone, he was saving all of it now, for her and only her. He figured that most men fell into the safety of marriage, to take for granted that once hitched, all wooing and romance stopped. In his mind, that was when you needed to step up and keep it interesting and new. Leo hoped that this relationship, as new as it was, was something the both of them could invest in and grow to like one another. Perhaps romance lay in the cards. Only time would tell.

“More than.” Addy replied with a wide smile full of anticipation and lingering excitement ready to burst when he asked if she was ready to go. She wasn’t quite sure what to expect out of this date. Not only because she’d never been on one before but because they’d been married exactly eight days and she didn’t know all that much about this man that was her husband. She knew that he was a photographer, and that he was English. That he was perfectly polite and seemingly accommodating. That he was dashingly handsome and she wasn’t quite sure yet if he himself was ridiculously charming or if it was just that accent working it’s magic on her.

And what sort of man was he anyway? A movie and lunch? A picnic in the park? Bowling? She didn’t know, but she’d been driving herself a little crazy trying to puzzle it all out for the last few days. And what else was there that people did on dates? Was there a plethora of options out there that she didn’t even know about? Wouldn’t even consider. And what exactly was there to do in Indiana? Besides get married and tip cows or whatever people outside of New York did. Whatever it was though, she was excited for it, had been buzzing with it since she’d opened her eyes that morning.

Addy grabbed her purse, slipped on her shoes and she was ready to rock and roll. When he was ready they headed outside their cute little suburban house and out to the car. Their house the type that previously she’d only seen on television if she ever chanced to be watching. Cute little split level with a white picket fence and all of that jazz. It was an adorable sort of different from skylines, ballet dorms or her trendy loft apartment in the city. Her mother was over the moon about the marriage thing, if not the Indiana thing. She’d always thought her daughter would never get married, the type that would be married to her job, even to the great Michelle Sinclaire, prima ballerina and dance extraordinaire, there was such a thing as too dedicated, and too focused. If there was ever an example of obsessive it was Adelaide.

She started to pepper him with questions when she realized as she stared daydreaming out the window humming to the music floating out of the radio speakers, that they were heading outside city limits. Not towards the movie theater or one of the restaurants in town. Her intrigue was caught, she perked up, sat up straighter in her seat as she looked around, twisting her neck to try and get a better look at their surrounding and get her barring’s, maybe figure out where they were headed. But she didn’t know the lay of the land yet, she could barley find the grocery store, but she hadn’t been here all that long and that was what gps was for right? Now she was kicking herself, because she had no clue in what direction they were heading.

Addy cocked her head to the side, and studied him through a sidelong glance over the top edge of her sunglasses, one elbow hanging partially out the window, tapping her fingers in a quick staccato on the side of the door. What she was told was a rather irritating habit that came out when she was thinking really hard, but one she didn’t notice while she was doing it. “Where are we going Leo?” she asked sweetly, batting her long eyelashes at him.

No way was he going to spoil the surprise. Not even with that sugary sweet smile of hers. No. Addy would not lure him into spilling the beans. Leo turned to look at her, giving her a half smile and shook his head. His left hand remained on the steering wheel, while his right gently went to reach for her hand. Leo wasn't sure if the gesture would be welcomed, but he thought that his wife had the softest skin of any woman he'd known. He gently brushed her knuckles and replied, "Ah, not so fast. I am not telling. You will have to wait until we arrive! What kind of husband would I be to spoil our first ever D-Day!?" He was caught up in her gaze, it was an act of will to break his own eyes from hers and to return his attention to the road. Leo had gone over and over ideas, several he had tossed aside as they didn't even seem worthy enough for the likes of Adelaide Lockwood. It wasn't that she was stuck up or beyond anything resembling normalcy. But, he wanted to make a grand gesture and he wanted it to be memorable and completely out of the ordinary. He figured that he couldn't really go wrong with a hot air balloon.

As they neared the fair grounds, he wondered if she would put two and two together. Leo couldn't very well hide a hot air balloon. But, maybe she would just assume that there would be another activity awaiting them. Leo turned into the entrance, pulled in a grassy spot and turned the car off. He once more looked at his pretty wife, searching her face for any indication that she suspected anything. "Well, Mrs. Lockwood. Are you ready for the surprise?" Leo widened his eyes, it was an expression that gave him such a boyish look. Like a child on Christmas Day. Underneath it all, Leo Lockwood was really a big kid at heart, always finding the wonder of life and holding on to that childlike innocence. He almost felt sorry for everyone else, all those people who went about life, unaware of the pure joy that being alive simply was. "Now, once we get out of the car, I need you to do something for me." He allowed her to open the door and step outside of the car.

Leo pushed the button, releasing the trunk. He called to Addy, asking that she close her eyes and keep them closed. After rummaging for a few moments, he found what he had been looking for. A small bag. He picked it up and removed a silk scarf from the inside. Leo approached his wife and placed a hand gently on her shoulder. "Addy? I trust you. But, in case you decide to peek, I brought a blindfold. Now, don't panic. I promise that I won't lead you to certain death. But, I need to place this around your eyes. Here, hold on to me. Once I place the blindfold on you, I'll take your hand and lead you to the surprise. Trust me, love." He added, knowing that it may be a lot that he was asking his wife. They hadn't been married long and here he was, asking to blindfold her and lead her to unfamiliar territory. Would he blame her if she looked at him crazily?

Gently, he tied the scarf around her eyes. Leo made sure to not tie it so tightly. Waving a hand in front of her face, he waited for any sign that she saw the movement. Satisfied that it was properly in place, he enveloped her hands inside his own. Leo guided his wife to the left, careful to walk at a pace that was comfortable and not rushed. They hot air balloon, loomed in their immediate path. Stepping near the balloon, Leo held a finger to his lips. The man who would be attending the ride had been about to call out to the couple. Seeing Leo's unspoken request for silence, the man nodded. It was a charming sight really. The woman was lucky to have a man, so willing to pull out all the stops, just to make her smile. The rush of air from the burner whooshed. Leo gently placed his arm around Addy, letting her know that he was still there and that he wouldn't let anything happen to her. "Alright. Here we are. One the count of three. One. Two. Three..."

Leo untied the scarf and allowed his wife to open her eyes. All the while, he was grinning, spreading his arms wide to showcase the reason for it all. "Love, how does a hot air balloon ride sound? A beautiful first date day, eh?"

They were heading for the fair grounds, that of which she recognized because she passed it on her way to work in Indianapolis. She didn’t know exactly what went on there besides fair’s. But she did now recognize the direction that they were heading. It didn’t however make it any easier to puzzle out. They pulled in and she spotted a family flying kites off in the distance, and a few other people milling around but it didn’t appear that anything big was happening at the moment. And before she had time to ponder it any longer he asked if she was ready for the surprise. She’d find out soon, no more wondering required.

“Yes!” she said giddily when the car was parked and he asked if she was ready for the surprise. Addy shut her eyes obediently, when she opened the door and exited the car, having been watching him curiously as he opened the trunk, because he asked her too and kept them squeezed tight. She heard him rummaging around for something. What, she didn’t know because he didn’t say but she could only imagine it was part of the surprise that he didn’t want her to see quite yet.

So at the word blindfold, both of her eyes blinked open, staring up at him silently for a few beats, trying to figure out if he was joking or not. Was he serious? He was wasn’t he? The look she slanted him as a he touched her shoulder and continued to speak was skeptical. But when he assured her he wasn’t leading her to a certain death and then asked her to trust him, she bit her lip lightly in contemplation put a hand on his arm to steady herself and closed her eyes again, letting him tie the silk scarf around her head and covering her eyes. He did so gently and then took her hand in his, leading the way.

It didn’t seem like they’d walked very far, but with the blindfold it was a little harder to judge distance. It was defiantly the accent, she thought to herself as he led her slowly along by the hand. It made her a bit weak in the knees and jumbled her brain. As she very likely never would have let anyone put a blindfold on her and lead her into the unknown, surprise first date or not. They stopped short and Addy nearly jumped out of her skin at the sudden noise, that she couldn’t quite place. A loud whooshing noise that she couldn’t identify. “Leo?” she said, worry edged her voice at the end of the word. Then his arm came down around her and she let out a slow breath, listened to him counting down from three.

“No way.” she gasped when her husband untied the blindfold from around her eyes, the darkness fell away and what was left in it’s wake left her nearly breathless. Her eyes widened just a bit in surprise and sparkled with absolute delight. It was perfect. “It sounds wonderful.” She breathed, far beyond anything she could have imagined of him. She didn’t know exactly what she expected of him and their first date but this certainly hadn’t been it. “You did this for me?” she asked incredulously, a hand rising up and placed itself over her heart as he stood there, big grin and arms spread out in a tada fashion.

She thought when she’d entered herself in the pools that she’d be trading romance and surprise for the chance to be put together with her perfect match. And really in the end wasn’t that all worth it? Exchanging a few fleeting moments of butterflies in your stomach and mystery for someone who was promised to be perfect for you. Wasn’t that why people did this? To skip over the dating and the romancing of it all and fast forward to the ‘and they lived happily ever after’ part? But he surprised her. Touched that he would go to the trouble of arranging something as amazing as this for her. Especially when she would have been delighted with something as simple as a trip to the movies. She was completely and utterly charmed by the gesture, and if he was going for grand he’d certainly accomplished that.