Special Tutoring

Himmel Auf Erden

*** Thank you lovelycampos for saving my ass. Anyway my dear readers, Himmel auf Erden means heaven on earth. Love, Vardin.***

"What are you doing here?"

Bewildered, my lips formed a confused O as I tried to understand that it wasn't a dream. Like Amy, I had been sure that Trevor won the auction.  But before I could pinch myself, Ethan brought his hand from around his back, presenting me with a simple bouquet. I reached out instinctively to take hold of it.

Calla lilies bound by a green silk ribbon. I admired the delicate white petals.

"They remind me of  you. Pure and sensuous." I raised my face to meet his, my expression incredulous. Is this how he saw me? He raised his hand to push a stray tendril of hair behind my ear before he laid the most feather-like of kisses on my lips.

The agog audience at Stella's cheered and hooted. But I couldn't hear them. I was only conscious of Ethan and I standing in the dim lighting, alone in our own world.

"Come." He said, reaching for my hand beforing hefting his backpack onto his broad shoulder. He led me to the counter, where Mrs Phillips herself was waiting patiently with a wicket basket. Ethan thanked Mrs Phillips, took the basket from her and led me out of the cafe.

The cold snapped me out of my daze, despite my coat. Ethan's arm bracketed me protectively as he tried to navigate us out of the festive throng.The shopping arcade was abuzz with color and sound, as all the shops tried to outdo one another with their Christmas decorations and everyone tried to finish their shopping in time. A discordant "Jingle Bells" blared from a speaker somewhere.

I wasn't confident that Ethan would be able to hear me so I kept quiet and concentrated on matching his long strides. He seemed intent on something, because he didn't say anything either as he got us out of the crush.

We walked along the streets that I knew so well, and where he had carried me past just mere weeks ago. Wait a second, wasn't this the way home? Oh man, after that PDA, he'd better not be thinking of hiding at his place again! Now that we were finally on our first date, I'd be damned before I would let him end it this quickly.

"Why are we not having the coffee and cake at Stella's?" I whined.

"Because we have something else to do, and I don't like having an audience when I am out on a date with you. Here," he diverted us from the usual route home and onto a lonely path up into the hilly area of the park. Hmm, I really liked the idea of a moonlight pinic, if that was his intention. His gloved hand closed around mine possessively, and we climbed up the hill in companionable silence.

We came towards a thick and high hedge, behind which stood a derelict building. I recognized the place. It was an abandoned swimming pool. My father used to bring Qin and I here during summer when we were younger. Ethan helped me through the prickly branches in the gap.

I gasped.

Fairy lights twinkled cheerily on the naked branches of the trees around the shallow children's pool, which surface was covered by ice.  A portable fire stove stood beside an old weatherbeaten bench, beyond which, the wide expense of the city opened before us, its lighting making the night scene a glowing yellow contrast against the unblinking stark sky.

"Like it, liebling?" Ethan was bemused and pleased by my reaction.

 "It's gorgeous! Did you do all this?" (Stupid question. I know)

Ethan chuckled. "Of course. What did you think? Elves?"

He escorted me gallantly to the bench, and sat me down. He placed his backpack on the ground and started to build the fire so that we could keep warm. I decided to make myself useful. I set aside the bouquet carefully and opened up the basket. Under a thick woollen blanket, I found way more items in the basket than what the cheer team had arranged with Mrs Phillips for the coffee and cake date. Other than the generous slices of peach cobbler, cookies and sandwiches, there were champagne glasses and cups for the bottle of apple cider and big flask of fresh coffee. There were even many little heart-shaped white candles and matches. I got up to spread the blanket on the bench.