Annalise looked at her watch. He was forty-five minutes late, at least. She checked her backpack. The wine, the candles, the food were all there. What did she forget? There must be something...the blanket!
She ran into her bedroom, grabbed a big stadium blanket out of the closet and, sprinting out of her room, ran right into John, almost falling over. He caught her around the waist, kissed her cheek, and held her close for a moment.
"Are you ready?"
"I am! I just realized I forgot the blanket and grabbed it. Why were you late?"
John kissed her forehead. "I'll explain it in the car. Do you have everything I told you to get?"
Annalise nodded. She knew that there was a picnic in her near future, but she wasn't positive where. John had asked her to trust him, that this would be an afternoon they wouldn't easily forget. She already trusted him.
John took Annelise's hand and propped her backpack up on his shoulder. "Take the blanket." She nodded again. He pulled her out the front door and locked it with his key.
They slid into his jeep, throwing the blanket and backpack into the back seat. Annelise felt her tension from a hard week of work melt out of her as he drove out of the city and into the mountains. John put a CD in, and Annelise smiled at the opening notes to Dvorak's New World Symphony.
The smooth motion of the car twisting through foothills quickly put Annelise to sleep, and she knew nothing until the car stopped. John hopped out of the car and swung a gate open, jumping back in, driving through, and jumping out again, closed the gate.
Now bumping through a well packed dirt road, Annelise paid close attention to the scenery. Trees surrounded the jeep on every side. Fresh air assaulted her senses, and she could hear rushing water on her left side.
The road ended in a densely wooded glade, and John squeezed Annelise's knee. "We're on foot from here."
She hopped out of the vehicle, stretching, feeling more tension melt from her body. John grabbed a picnic basket and handed the backpack to Annelise.
They hiked through a mile of trees, no path easing their way. Annelise couldn't figure out how John knew where to go, but he looked like he knew what he was doing, so she followed unquestioningly. The trees opened to a meadow, and a spring bubbled into a wide pond. "Are we there yet?" she teased. At John's nod, she smiled, turning around, and inspected her surroundings. "How did you ever find this place?"
"Magic."
The air was cool on Annelise's skin, but the spring looked divine. "Shall we swim?", she asked. John smiled, and nodded once more. Annelise bit her lip and checked to make sure John was watching her eyes.