"I'll be waiting. Bye, Russ."
Although he would like to keep her on the phone a bit longer, Russ just said, "Bye." and hung up the phone.
Once again, Melanie found herself eagerly waiting for the next ten days to pass so she could see him again. Since the weather had turned hot and humid, she decided to make a potato salad, cabbage salad, raw veggies and dip, as well as a cheese ball and French stick loaf for munchies while the fish were cooking. Since she couldn't transport an ice cream pie, she decided to make a batch of chocolate brownies instead.
Russ called Friday night to make sure they were still on for Sunday. She was happy to see that the weather forecast was co-operating with a few clouds and slightly cooler temperatures. Just right for an afternoon on the lake.
"I'll pick you up at one, if that's okay."
"That's fine. See you then with food in hand."
"What are we having?"
"Now Russ, you don't really expect me to tell you that, do you?"
"Why not? It's a simple question."
"Because life would be really dull without an occasional surprise, so this is it for you. Just wait and see."
"But what if it's something I don't like? What then?"
"Then you eat a lot of fish, I guess. Now be a good boy and quit whining."
"I'm not whining!"
"Are too!"
"Am not!"
Melanie was laughing so hard she could barely say, "Bye, Russ. See you Sunday." Hanging up the phone, she was still chuckling to herself.
By noon on Sunday, she had the food prepared and packed on ice in the cooler. She was wearing clam diggers with a matching top in teal blue. Her hair was confined in a French braid, and this time she had her own hat. She had made a phone call and had a Tilley hat delivered by express post. It had a dark green underside on the brim, something she was advised would keep the glare of the sun on the water from her eyes.
Russ's eyes lit up when she opened the door. "Wow! You look like a model for a vacation brochure! Love the hat, by the way."
Blushing, Melanie pointed to the cooler on the floor by the door. "You can carry that, but no peeking!"
"And if I do?"
"No dessert for you."
"If it's ice cream pie, I sure won't peek." Russ lifted the cooler and stepped back while she closed and locked the door.