Love's Not A Competion

Moving In

"Juliette." A voice whispered in my ear.

"Go away!" I grumbled.

"We'll miss our flight." Ricky told me.

"I don't want to go home." I replied. "I want to stay here, eat lots and get fat."

"You can eat lots and get fat at home if you really want." he told me.

"The food's not as good." I continued to grumble.

"We make good pizzas though." he said.

"True." I sighed. "Fine, we'll go back to reality."

At the airport we had pizza for breakfast as one last part of our first holiday together. I hoped there would be many more.

Tomorrow I would be back to making prosthetics and getting them ready for application. A few more jobs offers had come up and I was glad to be making my way in the world I wanted to belong to. I also had a job with Jessie and then some casualty make up on Ricky for the next video for Kaiser Chiefs.

When we got back home from our flight there was a message for me on the answering machine of the land line at Ricky's. Just as he'd said he'd got his lawyer to sort out the rent increase with my land lord. They'd settled on two options. The first was that my rent wouldn't be raised but I would have to pay for the next three months now and still be contractually obliged to live there paying rent for the rest of the six months on my contract. The second option was two pay two months worth of the higher rent but my contract would be over at the end of this month which was in just two weeks time.

As much as I wanted to move in with Ricky as soon as possible I couldn't afford pay up that much money so soon.

"I can help you with the money." Ricky told me as he watched me think about it.

"I can't accept your money." I told him.

"I want to help you." he insisted. "Which ever one you choose is going to leave you short of money for a while isn't it?"

I nodded. "But it's a lot of money."

"We're talking a few hundred, not millions. I can lend you a few hundred now and if you really want to then you can pay me back when you've made it big." he said.

"With or without interest?" I asked.

"Without! What kind of boyfriend would I be if I added interest?" he laughed. "You're tempted by the offer though, aren't you?"

"A little." I confessed.

"Think of it as a business. I'm investing in you and spending more time with you. That came out wrong. I didn't mean it to sound like I'm buying you." he stopped and mentally back peddled. "Ok, I'm doing something with time and money!"

I giggled at his babble. "You're funny! Shall we make it a deal?"

"Yes!" he grinned. "So does this mean you've decided if you're moving in here?"

"Well, that's all up to you. It's your house and if you want me and Tibby here permanently then we'll be in by next month." I replied.

"Get your keys." he said.

"Why?" I asked.

"I have an idea. Get your keys for here." he told me.

"I'm a bit worried." I said as I went to get them from my handbag. I put them on the table in front of him when I sat back down.

"Juliette Swan, will you do me the honour..." he started to say as he got down on one knee next to me.

"Seriously? You're proposing?" I asked.