Jennifer sat back against the soft cushions inside the limo.  JC had his arm around her, and every so often, one would steal a kiss from the other.  Jennifer plucked a rose petal from her bouquet and ran it through her fingers.  “So,” she began in a soft voice, “where exactly are you taking me tonight?”

JC smiled at the look of curiosity on Jennifer’s face.  “Well, the entire time I was away on tour, I had this dream of spending a romantic evening with the most beautiful woman in the world.  Unfortunately, though, Tyra Banks wouldn’t return my phone calls, so I thought of you next.”  He could only grin at the mixed expressions of shock and mild anger Jennifer wore, but before she could physically hurt him, he explained himself.  “I’m kidding, sweetheart…you are the one for me…the only one for me.”

“That’s better,” she replied, raising an eyebrow, “but you better be joking about that Tyra Banks thing.”

“Oh, you know I am.  So anyway, everything we do on our date tonight is everything I dreamed about doing with you.”

Jennifer sighed and laid a hand on her boyfriend’s cheek.  “That is so thoughtful…I love you,” she declared before leaning in to kiss him.  They shared a long, passionate kiss, then gazed into each other’s eyes.  They sat there, just looking at one another, when the car stopped.

“Sir?” the driver said, lowering the partition glass slightly, “we’ve arrived.”

“Thank you,” JC murmured, still watching Jennifer.  He kissed her again, lightly this time, and whispered, “Close your eyes.”

“Why?”

“Because I want to keep this a surprise, and I don’t have anything to use for a blindfold.”

“Fine,” Jennifer agreed hesitantly.  She complied, then felt JC take her hands to help her out of the car.  “Lord, do you know how hard it is to get out of a car when you can’t see anything?”

“Be patient, my love.  We’ll be there soon.”

Jennifer exhaled audibly.  “This better be good,” she stated under her breath.

JC heard her comment and grinned.  Oh, trust me, Jennifer, he thought, you’re going to love this.  He led her into an elevator.

Jennifer felt the floor move.  “So we’re going up somewhere.”

“Yes.  Keep your eyes shut.”

“I will.”

The elevator reached the top floor.  When the doors opened, JC led Jennifer out onto the rooftop of a tall building.  He brought her to the railing at one side.  She could feel a light, cool breeze flow over her.  “Can I open my eyes now?  Please?” she implored.

“Okay.  Open ‘em.”

Jennifer slowly opened her eyes and looked at the sight in front of her – it was Orlando, lit brilliantly.  She gasped and looked out over the city.  “It’s beautiful.”

JC turned her to face him.  “Just like you.”  He tilted her chin up and kissed her.

When they pulled apart, Jennifer beamed at him.  “I like the way you think, sweetie,” she said, then looked around.  The rooftop around them was actually Jennifer’s favorite restaurant, Alexandria’s.  There were strings of lights hung everywhere and fresh flowers on every table.  Jennifer took it all in, completely stunned that JC could pull all this off, but then she noticed something.  “Where are all the other diners?  This is a popular restaurant, you know.”

“Oh, that.  I reserved the entire place for tonight.  That way, we can enjoy a romantic evening alone,” JC explained.  He then signaled someone, and a string quartet began to play near a dance floor.  JC lifted Jennifer’s hand and kissed her fingers.  “Would you give me the pleasure of dancing with me?” he asked.

Jennifer nodded, unable to speak.  Walking hand in hand, they made their way toward the music.  JC smoothly took Jennifer into his arms, and they began to sway to the music.  Jennifer closed her eyes and leaned her head on JC’s chest.

JC pressed his lips onto the top of Jennifer’s head and tightened his hold around her.  Closing his eyes, he thought back to the first time he had ever seen Jennifer.   It was over a year ago that we first met, and I fell in love with you from the start, he remembered fondly.  Look where we are now.  His thoughts were interrupted by a sniffling sound.  Frowning slightly, he looked down to see Jennifer quickly wipe a tear away from her lashes.

“Jennifer?” JC said, concerned that something was wrong.  “What’s the matter, darling?”

“Oh, nothing,” she replied, looking up at him with tears glistening in her eyes.

“Come on, tell me,” he prodded.

“It’s nothing, really,” she insisted.  “I’m just a mushy fool.  No one has ever done anything like this for me.  I’m touched.”

He wiped away another tear from her cheek.  “Are you really?”

“Yes!”  Surprised, her eyes widened.  “Never in my wildest dreams did I believe someone would love me enough to do all this for me.”

“I love you, Jennifer, and I did all this for you, and only you.”

“I know, and I love you, too.  Thank you…from the bottom of my heart.”

JC smiled at her.  “I just want you to be happy.”

“I am, really I am.  Like I said before, I’m just a mushy fool.”

“You’re not a fool…you may be mushy, but never a fool.”

Jennifer sniffed, then giggled at JC’s remark.  “You’re incredible, you know that?”

“Yeah,” he replied with a grin, “but it wouldn’t hurt to keep hearing so.”

She laughed out loud this time, delighted in her fortune of finding such a wonderful, romantic man.  She raised up to kiss his lips, then hugged him tightly.  “I don’t know how to thank you for all this.”

JC flashed a devilish smirk.  “I could think of a few ways.”  He wiggled his eyebrows at Jennifer as a smile spread across her lips.

“Oh, really?” she said teasingly.  “How about if I…” she stood on her tiptoes to whisper something in his ear.  JC blushed at Jennifer’s suggestions.  Noticing this, she looked up at him.  “I thought it took a lot to make you blush,” she taunted.

“Well, that’s a lot of…stuff you suggested,” he replied.

She gave him a sly grin.  “Think you could…um…keep up with me?”

“I don’t know, but I’d sure love to try!”  They exchanged smiles as a waiter approached.

“Excuse me, sir?” the waiter interjected tactfully.

“Yes?” JC answered, looking at the man standing a few feet away.

“Your dinner is ready.”

“Thank you.”  As the waiter turned and left, JC took Jennifer’s hand and led her to a table.  He pulled out her chair so she could sit, then he took a seat of his own.  They held hands while gazing at each other in the candlelight.

“We’ve been together for almost one entire year,” Jennifer reminded him.

“I know.  Our one-year anniversary is coming up pretty soon,” JC added.  “June sixth.”

Jennifer smiled sweetly.  “You remembered.”

“Of course.  How could I forget the first time we said ‘I love you’ to each other?”

Thinking back, Jennifer’s face brightened.  “On the Ferris wheel at that amusement park.”

“Yeah, it stopped at the top, and we just looked out over Orlando for a while.”  JC’s thoughts matched Jennifer’s exactly.

“And then we turned to each other and said it at the same time.”

“Yeah.  That was the best night of my life.”

“Really?”

“Sure.  I found out that the woman I loved was in love with me, too.”  JC raised her hand to his lips again.  “And almost a year later, we’re still in love.”

“More than ever,” Jennifer agreed.

Before they could kiss again, the waiter standing nearby coughed lightly to attract the couple’s attention.  Both Jennifer and JC looked over at him.

“Excuse me, sir,” the waiter spoke, “your dinner is ready.”

“Thank you,” JC replied.  He released Jennifer’s hands so the waiter could place the meals in front of them.

Jennifer glanced at her plate.  Recognizing what was placed before her, she grinned widely.  “Oh my gosh!” she exclaimed, lifting her eyes to JC’s smiling face.  “It’s my favorite!”

“Yeah,” he confirmed, “French-baked chicken with wild rice and steamed vegetables on the side.”

“How did you get them to make it?” she asked, pleasantly surprised.

“It doesn’t matter, as long as you enjoy it.”

“Oh, I will…trust me!”  Jennifer sampled the rice and sighed.  “It’s perfect.”

“Much like you,” JC complimented.  He lifted his champagne glass, then waited for Jennifer to take hers.  “A toast,” he began, “to you, my one and only, and to the love we share.”  Jennifer beamed as they touched glasses and drank.  Then, they set their glasses down and started to eat.

**

After they had finished and their plates had been cleared away, dessert was served.  They enjoyed a creamy chocolate mousse topped with whipped cream, and strawberries dipped in dark and white chocolate.  Jennifer and JC were sitting very close together, feeding each other and stealing kisses in between bites.

“So how did you enjoy dinner?” JC asked.

“It was amazing!  I’m impressed!”

JC chuckled.  “So are you ready to move on?”

“You mean there’s more?  I was thinking we would go home and…” Jennifer took JC’s finger and dipped it in the whipped cream.  Lifting his hand, she took his finger into her mouth and began licking it seductively.  Her tongue swirled over his finger, and he could only stare as her.

“Oh, Lord,” he choked out, “you’re good at that.”

Jennifer only smiled and gave his finger one last lick.  “So where are we going next?” she inquired.

JC tried to think clearly again by shaking his head.  “What?”

Chuckling, Jennifer stood and pulled JC to his feet.  “Come on, sweetie, what’s next?”

Blinking, JC thought about what he had planned for them.  “Oh, yeah…sorry…you really know how to clear a man’s mind of all rational thought.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”  Wow, Jennifer thought with a smirk, he’s completely under my power…this could be fun.

“Okay, now I remember.”  JC took Jennifer’s hand, and together, they walked back towards the elevator.  “I think you’ll like what I have in store for you.”

Once they were back on the ground, they climbed into the limousine and drove off.  Anxiously awaiting her next surprise, Jennifer turned to JC.  “So do I get to know where we’re going next, or are you going to keep it a secret?”

JC simply leaned down and brushed his lips against hers.  “It’s a secret,” he murmured.

“Well, at least tell me how long it will take until we get there.”

“No.”

“Please?” Jennifer begged, curiosity eating away at her patience.

“No, honey.  Besides, I’ve got something else in mind to keep us busy until we get there,” JC declared with a sly grin.

“Oh, really?”  Jennifer replied with a raised eyebrow.  “And what’s that?”

“This.”  JC began nuzzling her earlobe, then trailed soft kisses along her neck.

Jennifer raised her hands to play with his hair.  “I could get used to this,” she sighed, closing her eyes.

JC took hold of Jennifer’s waist and pulled her closer to him.  His hands skimmed over her hips and onto her back.  She felt his fingers brush the zipper down the back of her dress.  Drowning in her emotions, Jennifer’s hands slowly worked their way under JC’s jacket.

JC tried to think only of Jennifer in his arms, but doubt pushed its way into his mind.  Come on, JC, he thought to himself.  You don’t want something this special to happen in a car, do you?

But I love her, his body wanted to say.  I need her.

If you really love her, his mind answered, show her when you two are at some special place, not in somewhere as cold and impersonal as the backseat of a car.

You’re right.  “Jennifer?”  JC raised his head to look at her.

Jennifer only sighed and tried to pull his lips back to hers.  Feeling his resistance, she opened her eyes fully.  “What?  Is something wrong?”

“No…yes…I mean…” Before JC could explain himself, the limousine slowed to a stop.

“Sir?” the driver said after lowering the partition glass.

JC simply looked at the man in front.  “Yes?”

“We’ve arrived.”

JC looked back at Jennifer.  “I’ll explain soon,” he promised, and then before Jennifer could protest, he softly kissed her lips.  “Close your eyes again.”

“Again?” Jennifer pouted.  “This secrecy thing sucks.”

Chuckling at Jennifer’s attitude, JC leaned down and touched his lips to each of her eyelids to close them.  “Sometimes, you are so impatient,” he joked.  “I wonder how we ever got together in the first place, seeing that I’m not exactly fond of impatient women.”

“Well,” Jennifer huffed, a little upset by JC’s words, “if that’s the way you feel, then…” she turned away without finishing her sentence.

JC grabbed her arm and pulled her back around to face him.  “Whoa there, speedy, don’t be so hasty.  You know I was just joking.”  He looked closely at her face; her eyes were still shut.  Grinning, he whispered, “Boy, you really take me seriously when I tell you to keep your eyes closed.”

Jennifer smiled.  “I may be impatient, but I can take things seriously when they need to be.”

“I know, and that’s only one of the thousands of reasons why I love you.”

“Thousands, huh?”  Jennifer smirked.  “Okay…let’s hear a few more, since you have so many.”

“Hmm…” JC pretended to think.

“Hey, I’m not getting any younger here.”

“There’s that impatience I adore so much.”  JC laughed at Jennifer’s expression of frustration.  “Open your eyes, sweetheart.  I want you to look at me when I tell you why I love you.”

Jennifer complied and looked around at their surroundings.  “Uh…sweetheart?” she began hesitantly.  “What are we doing at a marina?”

“You’ll see,” he replied mysteriously.

“Fine,” she agreed easily.  “So how about you tell me these reasons you love me?”

“Gladly.”  Placing her arm in the crook of his, they began walking towards the end of one of the docks.  “Well, for starters, I love the way you run your fingers through your hair at random moments.  I love the way you cup your chin in your hand when you’re thinking or daydreaming.”

Jennifer looked questioningly at her boyfriend.  “I do that?  Really?”

“Sure…it’s adorable.  Now let’s see…oh, yeah.  I love the way you bury yourself in bed in the morning so the sunlight won’t wake you.  I love how your eyes sparkle when you’re really happy.”  JC looked over at Jennifer’s face.  “Much like how they look right now.”

Jennifer beamed back at him.  After quickly kissing his lips, she whispered, “That’s so sweet…now keep going.”

JC let loose another chuckle.  “Hey, no problem.  I love the way your head fits on my shoulder.  I love the way you quietly sigh when I kiss you.  I love the way you always look people in the eye when you’re listening to them.  I love the way you put your friends first.  I love…”

“Okay, okay!”  Jennifer cut him off, laughing.  “That’s enough!  I didn’t think I told you to list every single reason!”

“Hey, you just said you wanted to hear some reasons.  You never said how many ‘some’ was!”  They stopped at the end of the dock.  Turning her to face him, JC looked Jennifer directly in her eyes.  “I love you, Jennifer,” he declared.  “I love everything about you.”

“I love you, too, JC,” Jennifer sniffed.  A tear threatened to fall from her eye.  “But if you make me cry, I’m going to ruin my makeup, and I’ll hate you forever because of it.”

JC grinned and took both of her hands into his.  “I’ll have to risk it.”

Jennifer sniffed again and gazed up at his face, waiting for him to continue.

“Jennifer, will you…uh…will you…um…” This is harder than I thought.  Why can’t I just ask her?  JC calmed himself by taking one deep breath.  It’s because she means so much to you.  Just do it.  He tried again.  “Jennifer, will you…”

Will I what?  She held her breath, wondering what he was going to ask her.

A loud horn blared at that moment, interrupting JC’s question.

Startled, Jennifer looked towards the noise.  “What’s going on?”

JC sighed and glanced over as well.  Perfect timing, he thought sarcastically.  “You’ll see.”

Jennifer watched in awe as a white ship appeared.  Beautifully lit with multiple strings of lights, the ship slowed and stopped next to the dock, in front of the couple.  “Wow,” she breathed, gazing up at the top deck of the ship.

Amused, JC enjoyed his girlfriend’s staring.  He snapped his fingers in front of her face, breaking her trance.

Suddenly becoming aware of her surroundings, Jennifer blinked and turned her gaze to JC.  “What’s…” But before she could ask anything, JC laid a finger on her lips to silence her.

“Honey, do you remember when you told me ‘Sailing’ was your favorite song on our album?”

“Yes,” Jennifer answered with a dreamy look in her eyes, “because you sang it.”

JC grinned.  “Well, I figured since you liked the song so much, maybe we could do a little ‘Sailing’ of our own.”

Jennifer sighed, touched by JC’s thoughtfulness.  “I don’t just like the song, I love it.  I love the song, I love your plan, and…” she paused to lay a hand on JC’s cheek, “I love you.”  They kissed passionately as the ship’s crew prepared for boarding.

I can’t believe he did this for me, Jennifer wondered, her lips still pressed against JC’s.  I love you so much, JC.  With that, she sank deeper into the kiss.

This is perfect, JC thought, his arms wound tight around Jennifer.  Alone with the woman I love.  I hope she knows how much I love her.

While Jennifer and JC were locked in an embrace, the crew had finished preparing the ship.  Standing nearby, the captain noticed the couple still wrapped up in one another.  Smiling, he cleared his throat discreetly to get their attention.  “Ahem.”

Too distracted to notice, Jennifer and JC continued kissing.

The captain chuckled, took one step closer, and cleared his throat again, this time a bit louder.  “Ahem.”

Jennifer heard the coughing and frowned.  Reluctantly pulling away from JC, she asked softly, “What was that noise?”

“Nothing.”  JC took Jennifer back in his arms, about to kiss her again, but the captain coughed one last time, finally getting their attention.

“Sorry to bother you two,” the captain apologized, “but we’re ready to cast off.”

“Oh…thank you,” Jennifer accepted, then looked back at the ship.  Had it not been for the crew, the ship would have been completely empty.  “Excuse me, but where are all of the other passengers?”

“This is a private cruise, miss,” the captain explained.  He bowed slightly and gestured towards the ramp that led onto the ship.  “You’re welcome to board.”

Jennifer turned to JC, who looked back at her smugly.  “Is this another one of those ‘I-booked-the-entire-place-so-we-could-be-alone’ things?” she asked, one eyebrow raised.

JC just smiled and shrugged his shoulders.

Jennifer narrowed her eyes at him, then laughed.  “You’re crazy, you know that?”  She tucked her arm in his, and together, they boarded the ship.

“Sure, I’m crazy…‘I’m crazy for you.’”  JC sang the last few words, making Jennifer laugh again.

The crew raised the boarding ramp soon after JC and Jennifer stepped onto the ship’s lowest deck.  The captain walked over and stood before them.  “We’ll be leaving shortly,” he said.  “Please feel free to roam the ship.”

“Thank you,” Jennifer murmured, entranced by the beauty surrounding her.  She walked towards an open window and gazed out over the moonlit water.

JC watched her wander, then turned back to the captain.  Lowering his voice, he asked, “Is everything already in place?”

“Yes, sir,” the captain replied confidently.  “The photographer is on the second deck for now, where we’ve set up a backdrop.  The string quartet is on the top deck, underneath the covered area for acoustic reasons.  Next to the quartet is the dance floor we’ve set, and there are a few tables placed around the floor just in case.  If you need anything else, the crew is ready to serve you.  Please don’t hesitate to call on any of us.”

JC nodded, impressed by the captain’s thorough review.  “Thank you so much.  This evening means a lot to us.”

“Your lady must be very special to you.”

JC’s gaze shifted from the captain to Jennifer, still standing at the window.  “Yes,” he said under his breath.  “She is.”  As JC began to walk to Jennifer, the captain quietly slipped away.

JC stopped a few feet behind Jennifer; she was whispering something, her face uplifted to the night sky.  Not wanting to bother her, he stood and watched.  After a brief inner struggle, he decided to listen to what she was saying.

“Dear Lord,” Jennifer prayed in a low voice, “thank you so much for sending JC to me.  He means so much to me, and every day I’ve spent with him has been a treasure.  Even though we were apart for so long, You brought us back together, and for that, Lord, I am truly grateful.  Please watch over JC, Lord, and keep him safe wherever he may go.  Please always bring him back to me.”  She paused, lowering her eyes to wipe away a tear.  “I love him so much, Lord, and I hope he loves me just as much.  Amen.”  She sighed and raised her eyes again to gaze at the moon.

She really loves me, JC thought, his emotions running high.  She loves me as much as I love her.  Reaching one hand toward her, he whispered her name.

Jennifer turned around quickly.  “JC,” she gasped, startled by him.  “What are…did you…how long…”

“I heard everything.”

“Oh.”  Jennifer closed her eyes and sighed.  “Everything.”

JC rushed to get the words out.  “Please don’t be upset, sweetie.  I wasn’t going to listen, not at first.  You looked awfully sad there for a bit, so I wanted to comfort you.  But then you started talking, and I didn’t want to bother you…I guess what I’m trying to say is…” He paused to breathe deeply.

“What is it, JC?”

“Give me a minute, sweetheart…I want to do this right.”  JC reached into his pocket and pulled out the black velvet box he had kept there since that afternoon.  Taking another deep breath, he looked directly into Jennifer’s eyes.  Well, here goes nothing.

Jennifer looked down at the box in JC’s hands.  Oh, my goodness, she thought, her eyes wide.  What does he want to ask me?  She looked back up at his face.  Is it the question?  How am I supposed to answer?

“Jennifer,” he began, “I have never loved anyone more than I love you.”

“Same goes,” she replied with a shaky smile.

Grinning, he continued.  “You mean so much to me, and I hope this will show you just how I feel about you.”  They both looked down to where JC was about to open the box.

Before he could open it, though, the ship’s horn blew loudly, signaling the beginning of their trip.  Jennifer quickly looked out the window, and JC, disappointed that he couldn’t ask her to meet his family yet again, sighed deeply and slipped the box back into his pocket.  Great…another lost opportunity.  “Let’s go up to the top deck, sweetheart,” he said resignedly.  “We’ll be able to see the lights of the city.”

“Okay.”  Jennifer tucked her arm in JC’s, and they walked up the stairs to the open-air deck.

Once outside, Jennifer immediately went to the railing.  “Isn’t it wonderful?” she breathed.  “I love how the city looks all lit up at night.”  Sighing, she gazed out over the illuminated expanse.

JC stood back for a bit.  “Jennifer, I would like to get back to what I was saying…”

“Oh…yes,” she replied, her hands shaking a little due to nerves.  Don’t get jittery, Jennifer.

JC pulled the box out again.  Taking a deep breath, he began.  “Jennifer, I love you so much.  I bought this in hopes that it would remind you just how I feel about you.”  He slowly opened the box to reveal the necklace with the pendant of linked hearts.  “I hope our hearts will always be joined like this.”

Jennifer could only stare at the necklace.  It’s beautiful.  It’s perfect.  It’s us.  She raised her teary eyes to JC’s face.  After taking a shaky breath, she murmured, “I love you, JC.”

“I love you.”  He took her chin with his fingers and gently kissed her lips.  When he lifted his head, he started to remove the necklace from its box.  Tucking her stray curls behind her ears, JC clasped the chain around Jennifer’s neck.

Choked up with emotion, she managed to say, “It’s gorgeous.”

“Yes,” JC agreed, “but only because you’re wearing it.”

They kissed once more, then held each other close as the ship sailed past the brightly-lit city.  The string quartet began playing a slow song, and Jennifer and JC softly sang along with the music.  The couple stood there for a few minutes, enjoying their time together, when Jennifer noticed a bright area on the edge of the water.  “Sweetie?” she asked aloud.

“Hmm?”  JC had his eyes closed and was resting his chin on Jennifer’s hair.

Jennifer tilted her face up to glance at her boyfriend.  “JC, look…it’s the amusement park.”

JC quickly opened his eyes and turned his attention to where Jennifer had pointed.  “Hey!  The amusement park…where we first told each other…” he trailed off, fondly remembering that evening almost exactly one year ago.

“When we first said ‘I love you’ to one another,” Jennifer finished for him.  She sighed and pressed herself closer to JC.  “Look, they still have the same Ferris wheel, too!”

JC chuckled, then remembered something else.  “Jennifer,” he began with a slight frown, “didn’t Kathy and Lance say they were going to an amusement park on a pier?”

“I think so…oh…” Jennifer caught the drift of JC’s words.  “Do you think they’re at that same amusement park we were at before?”

“I don’t know.  But wouldn’t it be interesting if they were?  I mean, that’s where we found love, so…” Both JC and Jennifer turned their eyes to the lights on the far edge of the water, wondering.