The Art of Loving

[1] On a Secret Mission

Hello everyone!

I'm glad you have found this book. It's the second book of Brian and Ellie's story, so if you haven't read the first book The Art of Living then you should probably do that first because this story might not make that much sense if you don't know the beginning of their story.
But if you have read the first book then everything is fine and I'm glad to see you here too. 😊

In any case, I hope you enjoy the chapters to come, that's all from me for now. Thank you for reading!

[oh and in case anyone is wondering, the pricing in this chapter (and actually all other chapters and stories too) is as close to realistic contemporary prices as my research could get me, so no current prices]

• • • • • • •

For once Ellie woke up alone again, something that had only happened twice before since she and Brian got together, or at least since the first time they shared a bed. Officially they still weren't a couple, they were still just 'very close'. Whatever that meant. But they were more than just 'very close', and least to Ellie that was very obvious. And even though they hadn't done anything else except for being very close, Ellie loved their relationship. He had managed to make her so comfortable around him, in a way that she had never thought it would be possible.

Ellie rolled over and reached for Brian's pillow that was permanently on her bed now. It smelled like him which was wonderful and it usually helped Ellie if she couldn't sleep. She hugged the pillow and closed her eyes for a few moments before she got up. It was the day before Brian's birthday and she had big plans, which was why she couldn't really afford to waste any time.

She was the one who had come up with the idea of sleeping each in their own flats that night, mostly because they had been so busy with being together during the past two weeks that she hadn't had the time to buy Brian's present yet. She knew where she had to go to find what she wanted, she just needed the time to go there alone. That was why she had told Brian she had an early appointment that she couldn't miss and that was much easier to reach from her flat. She couldn't exactly tell him that she had to buy his present.

But that wasn't all she had planned. She had quite big plans for the day, which was why she took a long shower to make sure that she looked as good as she could. Once she had made sure she looked and smelled as good as possible, she got out of the shower to get ready to go out as soon as possible. That was why she only had a quick, simple breakfast before she put on her shoes, packed her handbag and got ready.

The weather wasn't as nice anymore, the sky was grey, and it was slightly windy, which was why Ellie was glad that she had decided to put on a thin summer jacket. It wasn't cold but it wasn't exactly warm either. Her destination wasn't too far away so Ellie decided to just walk, and hope it wouldn't start raining. On the way there, she couldn't help but go over her plan for the day again and again in her mind, wondering if it really was a good idea.

Of course it was. She knew that. It was a good idea, it was right, and she wanted that. She really wanted to do that, because it was definitely time for that step. And it would make Brian happy. Not as happy as the other thing she had planned, but definitely still very happy. And since she liked to see her Brian happy, she once again reminded herself not to freak out again before she got the chance to do it. She had to go through with it this time. Because she knew it wasn't actually as scary as it seemed.

Letting her eyes wander over the people she encountered, she made the time pass eventually, and soon she found herself standing in front the shop her professor had recommended to her. When she had handed in her project, she had taken the chance of asking her professor if he knew any good places where she could get Brian's birthday present, and the one he had recommended as the best one was only 20 minutes away from where she lived.