With all of Elle"s antic.i.p.ation Monday seemed to arrive quickly. The weather had been warming up lately. The mornings and nights still tended to be a little cold, but the days were warming up. Despite the chill in the air Elle was glad to be awake early that morning.Adam had insisted that he would take care of everything and was keeping the utmost secrecy regarding their trip. David had called her coworkers at Tae to notify them of her absence and Adam had taken care of everything else so Elle had nothing to do that morning but get dressed and wonder at where they were going.
"You still won"t tell me where we"re going?" Elle asked as they boarded the car.
"You"ll see for yourself when we get there."
Elle glared at him but Adam had been perfecting his blank stare for years and looked back confidently. Eventually Elle fell back into her seat with a sigh.
"Fine, you win."
While Adam drove Elle played with the radio. She let the loud music fill the silence in the car. The weather warmed up significantly as the sun rose in the sky. After about an hour of driving they rolled the windows down.
With the upbeat music filling her heart and the spring breeze blowing through her hair Elle felt such a pure feeling of joy. Her family had rarely gone on trips even when her mother had been alive. Both Adam and Elle had been constantly working hard for the last several years, albeit in different ways. It was a new and rare feeling for both of them; the feeling of being so at ease.
They drove for a long time while making a few stops along the way. The first time they stopped was to eat an early lunch. The next time they stopped was at Elle"s insistence so that she could admire a pa.s.sing field of flowers that had begun to bud. But as the day went by her joy and antic.i.p.ation turned into irritation.
"Can we pull over?" She asked for a second time.
"Saw more flowers?" Adam teased.
"No, I just want to stretch my legs."
They had been driving through a rural community and after spotting a bakery they pulled over to get refreshments and walk around. Afterwards they got back in and continued on their drive. Eventually Elle began to feel sleepy. She could feel her eyelids fluttering, trying to stay awake, when Adam abruptly called out.
"We"re almost there. Can you see it?" He asked.
Elle looked up. She couldn"t see anything but the road ahead of them and the thin forest around them. Elle frowned and was about to ask Adam what he was talking about when suddenly she saw it. Through a crack in the tree"s she could see crystal clear water, sparkling in the sunlight.
"The sea!" She exclaimed. "We"re at the beach?!"
Adam chuckled at her childlike wonder. "That"s right. We"re at the sea."
They drove to a city. It was a popular travel destination but it was still early in the season to be at the sea so not many people were around. After following the main road for a little longer it led down to the beach. It stretched for miles in either direction. A long portion was public, but a smaller portion, in a more secluded area, was made into a private property that could be rented out. This was where they were headed to now.
Finally, after a long day of travelling, they pulled up to the private villa.
Elle got out of the car and looked in awe at the home in front of them. The exterior was made out of light colored wood which brought out the green in the tropical garden surrounding it. It was a giant two story building.
Adam gently took her hand and led her around the place. Each room was more impressive than the last, but the bedroom was by far her favorite. It was a giant room with a great canopy bed that had soft, sheer, white netting hanging down in bustles. If you walked further into the room it led out onto a large upper level deck with a beautiful view and a set of stairs that led onto the beach below.
Elle was no longer smiling. Instead she wore an expression of deep thought. "When had he prepared all this?" She wondered. The kitchen was stocked with food and the walk in closet was full of clothes for her. Elle couldn"t begin to describe what she was feeling.
She turned around and looked at Adam who wore an anxious expression. This always serious, always stern man, doing such gentle things for her.
"Do you like it?" He asked eventually. Adam"s voice was obviously a little nervous. "I know I prepared it without asking you."
His voice fell away as he was suddenly cut off by a pair of soft lips covering his. Adam was stiff with surprise for a moment before wrapping one arm around the girl"s waist as he returned the kiss.
"I love it." Elle said with her heart full to the brim. "I love it so much.