Edward leaped to his feet and pulled her up into his arms, his strong arms catching her waist to keep her mouth from crashing into his. She kissed him and he let her, widening his stance so that they were at the same height, his hips cradling hers. Eager breaths mingled as they tasted each other before he took over. His lips roved lightly over her face before he returned to her mouth for a deeper kiss.
Gladys broke away panting, “Wow, it just keeps getting better doesn‘t it?” She whispered. Edward grinned again. “This is just the beginning, come I‘ll show you.” He took her hand and strolled to his desk. One of the drawers was open and he picked up two colorful, long but narrow strips with his free hand. “Plane tickets for a two-week trip. We‘ll return Easter Monday.”
Gladys couldn‘t help the tiny scream that left her mouth before she calmed down. He‘d insisted she get visas for London and the United States earlier in January after their engagement but she thought it was for their honeymoon later in the year.
“But why now? OK, where are we going?”
He continued smiling, his hands hanging by the hooks of his belt. “I have some business meetings in London and New York but I‘m hoping we‘ll be able to fit in a quick trip to Barbados in between. We can check out whether it will make a good place for our honeymoon…”
“But that will spoil it for then…”
“Then we‘ll go somewhere else when the time comes. I have to travel for those meetings but I don‘t want to be away from you for so long. I hope you don‘t mind?”
When he talked like this, it melted her heart and made her love him more. She knew that beneath was the young boy trying to overcome rejection. She shook her head. He surprised her by how he was willing to work at this relationship.
“Please don‘t say no. I want you to take a few days off. You‘ve been sick and yet so busy planning the wedding too. I‘m sure your aunt will be happy to take over for some days.”
Gladys shone her love through her eyes “She will…”
“You can also do some wedding shopping while I‘m absorbed with work.” He seemed to notice then that she was again nodding happily. “I may have been too optimistic though, what about your office? Can you get time off?” She snatched her hand from his grip and jumped around the desk. She did her happy dance. “I‘ll try to get unpaid leave but if doesn‘t work, I‘ll resign. Don‘t laugh, this is serious.”