Andrew and Elsa: The Proposal

Elsa was in her element, pointing things out to me and giving little insights into interesting events and the history that had taken place. For my part, I tried to listen and hear what she told me, but inside I was anything but calm. My heart was pounding and my stomach was rolling, and that was only getting worse as we progressed through the house and got ever closer to the garden.

I was thankful that Elsa was so wrapped up in just being there again, with me this time, that she didn't notice how quiet I was being. I couldn't have faked it if she'd asked how I was feeling, my thoughts were all too occupied to try and lie that I wasn't feeling overwhelmed as the moment I'd been building to got ever closer.

If I'd thought the house was spectacular, and I did, my mind was blown when we passed through it and entered the garden. That was where the true beauty was hidden, and as soon as we walked into the warm open air and I took in the perfectly arranged plants and trees, all focused around the water that dominated, it really did take my breath away.

As I stood in awe, I felt Elsa slip her hand into mine, squeezing it. That little gesture of love brought me back to Earth with a bump, and a tear almost came to my eye as I felt the warmth and softness of her touch. It felt like the most wonderful thing in the whole world to me.

"Come on, I want to show you the bridge, it's my favourite part," Elsa said and pulled me down the path that led to the Japanese bridge.

So the moment I'd thought about for so long had arrived and I was scared half to death. Not because I was about to propose, but because there was always that tiny bit of my brain which worried that maybe Elsa would say no.

"Isn't this place amazing?" Elsa said as we walked hand in hand onto the bridge.

I couldn't reply with words right away, because honestly I couldn't find any for what I was seeing and experiencing. The beauty was breathtaking, the sunshine was streaming down through the willow trees and creating the most gorgeous shadows and images on the water where the lilies glided silently. All around the slow moving water were flowers and reeds that I had no names for, but that was okay because whatever they were truly called it would not make any difference to their splendour. I had never really cared for gardens, but now I knew why, it was because I'd never experienced one like this before.

The sounds were just as intoxicating as the views too. The soft quietness of the waters were offset by the birds in the trees calling as one, and then there was the buzzing of the insects all hard at work in the petals of the flowers, humming happily. It was both tranquil and alive with energy at the same time, two contradictory states that I'd never known could coexist in such a balanced way.

"Andrew?" Elsa's voice filtered into my thoughts and dragged me back from wherever they had been.

"You were right, this place is... it's perfection," I said, looking at Elsa with awe. They were the only words I could think of to say at that moment.

"I love this place, it's more than I ever dreamed it would be," Elsa gushed as she turned a full circle to take in a panoramic view of all there was to see.

"You're more than I ever dreamed of," I said softly as I watched her eyes wander all around, trying to take in every detail so she'd not forget a single thing after we left.

"You're too sweet. Thank you for bringing me here," Elsa said with a beaming smile before she wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled me down for a soft, slow kiss.

I wrapped my arms around the woman I loved and let her guide the action, allowing Elsa to have the experience she desired. I wanted every second of the next few minutes to be forever etched in her mind for all the right reasons.

We kissed on the Japanese bridge in Monet's garden for what felt like a lifetime, as if the master himself had added us to one of his paintings and immortalized that moment forever. In my head he did, and even now I can recall every minute detail which I could not do justice if I had a thousand years to describe it in words.

The warmth and softness of Elsa's lips felt incredible, as did her embrace. I felt a slight tinge of disappointment when she broke away from me and turned to gaze out at the scene that was forever changing as the lilies were carried ever on their relentless journey on the glassy surface on which they resided. The breeze sighed and the leaves and reeds rustled softly all at once. I knew in that instant that it was time to do what I'd brought Elsa to Paris for.

"I've got a silly little gift to give you whilst we're here," I told Elsa, sliding my arms around her waist as I stood behind her and rested my chin on her shoulder as we looked out over the water, watching the lilies float slowly and peacefully along.

"You have? What is it?" Elsa asked, her voice seemed far away, and I knew she was lost in the tranquility of the garden. She had the dreamy look I knew she only got when in total contentment. I couldn't blame Elsa either, this was the place she'd always dreamed of visiting and now I was there myself I knew why she'd gushed so much about it. There was a magic to Monet's home that I had never expected to feel, and the Japanese bridge in the garden was the focal point of it all.

"It's just a little something I thought would make this trip to France that bit more special. If I told you what it was, it wouldn't be a surprise though, would it?" I said and kissed her cheek whilst squeezing her a little tighter around the waist, holding her closer to me as a bee buzzed past us on its way to harvest the pollen of the many flowers that grew all around us.

"You know how I feel about surprises," Elsa replied playfully and shrugged her way out of my embrace, taking a step away and turning to face me, her face lit up and radiant with happiness.

I did. She wasn't the sort who liked waiting for things, or to have them sprung on her. That didn't bode well for what I had planned obviously, but I knew in this instance she'd make an exception.

"Just go stand over there, down the bridge a few steps, where the light will be better for you to see your gift properly. Turn around when I tell you, okay? And no peeking," I told Elsa, and how I kept my voice sounding natural? Well, I have no idea.

"Okay, but you'd better have pants on when I turn around," Elsa giggled, that wonderful sound which normally made me smile filling the air, but I just could not raise my lips this time.

I was more nervous than I'd ever felt in my entire life. My heart was pounding so hard in my chest that I could hear it in my ears. This was the moment I'd been picturing in my head for months, and yet for all the planning and practice runs I'd done when I was alone, now it was here I could hardly even think straight.

I knew I only had one chance to get this right, and that pressure only exacerbated my nerves. When I reached into my pocket to get the ring out I wasn't sure I could even do it. My fingers felt numb and every fiber of my being was shaking, but I knew I had to overcome all that.

Looking at Elsa helped more than I can ever say. Seeing her there, walking across that most beautiful of bridges, with such perfect scenery surrounding her, reminded me exactly why I was doing this. She was the most gorgeous, wonderful and special woman in the world, the person that I had fallen for the very first second I had laid eyes on, and I knew in one glorious instance of clarity that I wanted to spend every second of the rest of my life with her as my wife.

Taking a deep breath I slipped my hand into my pocket and pulled the small black box out. My heart was still beating out of my chest, but I wasn't scared any more. I was feeling calm for the first time in I couldn't remember how long, a serenity that came from letting go of fear and embracing the future. It never even occurred to me that Elsa would say no to what I was about to ask her, that possibility just didn't exist in that perfect moment.

Without even realising it, I took a step towards the woman I was about to offer my heart to, unconsciously wanting to be closer to her. I knew she wouldn't turn around until I told her to but I had to hurry regardless, lest I lose my nerve, but time had seemed to slow down for me. Seconds became hours, and as I prepared to get down on one knee I couldn't help but take in my surroundings.

The colours all around were radiant. Green, red, blue, yellow, white... all of them burst and swirled together creating an explosion of beauty. The wind blew slightly and caused some of the pink blossoms to spill from the branches and flow past and yet everything, no matter how beautiful, paled in comparison to Elsa. In my eyes she was like a shining golden angel in a sea of shadows. It reminded me just how much I loved her, and why I couldn't see my life going on without her in it.

I could hear the flowing water tinkling beneath my feet, and somewhere overhead there was birdsong. The air was warm and still. It was like I had stepped into a painting by Monet himself, yet one that was alive with vitality and created with colours that only existed in the real world which no paint, no matter how close, could match.

How could anything be more enrapturing? More perfect for what I was about to do? The question sat in my head, and yet I knew the answer instinctively. It couldn't. I had brought Elsa to Paris to declare my love for her atop the Eiffel Tower by the twinkling lights of the city at night, but as I stood on the Japanese bridge in Monet's garden I knew this was the correct place for such an act. Once more Elsa had led me onto the right path without even knowing it, and whilst I would never tell her that, I would also never stop trying to make her know just how incredibly grateful I was.

Not letting my eyes leave her, I dropped to one knee and opened the box, holding it out and offering Elsa not just a ring but my heart as well. I said before that time slowed down, but as I knelt there waiting for the woman I hoped to spend the rest of my life with to turn around, it stopped. That is a stupid movie cliché I know, but that was exactly how it felt to me.

"Alright, you can turn around," I said and this time I couldn't hide the slight tremble in my voice.

A million thoughts flashed through my head all at once as seemingly in slow motion Elsa turned, her beautiful face looking all the more dreamlike as the sunlight cast it in a golden glow as it filtered through the trees all around us. I hadn't thought that I could think of her any more perfect, but seeing her there in that fraction of a second, I truly felt like I had died and gone to heaven.

At first Elsa didn't register in her head what was happening. She had a slightly confused expression as she looked, expecting to see me standing there holding a bracelet or necklace, I didn't doubt, but finding I wasn't where she'd expected me. As soon as her eyes moved down and she saw me kneeling with the ring it suddenly dawned on her, however.

I felt a huge swell of emotion as she gasped and almost immediately tears welled in Elsa's eyes and a trembling hand came impulsively to her mouth. The urge to get up and wrap my arms around her was overwhelming, but I knew I couldn't do that. I just held her gaze.

Before she could say anything I started to speak, not trusting myself to wait any longer. I just had to get the words out or they may never come and so they spilled from my lips, I'd said them to the mirror a thousand times and yet speaking them to Elsa was different. Now it mattered. My whole life had led up to that moment, everything I'd done was just a prelude that had to be to bring Elsa and I to that spot, to that one perfect backdrop as I asked the most important question I ever would.

It felt like even the air around us held its breath in anticipation, even the slight breeze that had been making the leaves of the trees sway had stopped. The water still babbled under the bridge and the birds serenaded the scene with their song, but everything else was still and silent, like the universe had granted me just this one chance to do this right, to make Elsa feel as special as I knew her to be.

I looked lovingly at Elsa and took my opportunity gladly, without fear or worry any more, knowing that nothing could ever possibly happen that would dislodge this memory as my favourite of all time. I'd spent years, a whole lifetime in truth, building to this as the words, unbidden, formed in my mouth and floated to the woman I knew I was not good enough for, but who loved me anyways.

"Elsa, I never knew I could love anyone as much as I love you. You have improved my life in more ways than I can ever tell you. I can never repay you for the joy you have brought into my life, but if you will allow me I would like to spend the rest of my life trying... Will you marry me?"

Elsa

Joyous laughter erupted from my mouth. I couldn't hold it back anymore.

"Of course!" I responded. "Of course!"

It was the only thing I could say and it was all that mattered. Of course I wanted to spend the rest of my life with Andrew. It was the easiest answer I had ever given and I would say the same forever.

Andrew began to stand as I closed the gap between us so I could embrace him immediately. I wrapped my arms around his neck as tight as I could and his arms came around my waist.

"I love you," I heard him murmur in my ear.

I pulled back to look at his face.

"I love you too!" I laughed again. I was still speechless and the only sound I could make was ecstatic laughter. I think I was the happiest I had ever been in my entire life. Andrew put a stop to my giggles with his mouth on mine. We kissed there on the Japanese bridge in Monet's garden and it was the most perfect moment we'd ever had.

Andrew broke the kiss and pulled back bringing the little black velvet box between us. I had barely even looked at the ring while Andrew had proposed to me because I was so overwhelmed by what he was saying but now I had a chance to look at the gorgeous ring on the velvet padding. It was a circle cut ruby surrounded by a halo of white diamonds on a yellow gold band.

"Oh my God, it's beautiful!" I gushed as Andrew carefully pulled the ring from the box and took my left hand to slip it on my finger. I was pleased that Andrew remembered that I had once said I wanted a colored stone for my engagement ring-of course he remembered. It felt like he remembered everything I'd ever told him; he listened to me so well.

I held my hand up in the early evening sun and gazed at the ring for a moment before throwing my arms around Andrew's neck again and kissing him as hard as I could. I think we would have stayed like that for hours if we didn't hear the applause of some passersby who'd witnessed the entire thing. I pulled back and giggled again as we both waved sheepishly to the watchers.

I slipped my hand into Andrew's and we walked down the bridge to let others have their own moments on the magical bridge.

I was still overflowing with joy and as gorgeous as it was in the garden of Claude Monet, I was more enamored with my fiance than any flowering tree or water lily.

"What do we do now?" I asked, finally remembering how to speak.

"How about one more lap around the pond before we take the car back to Paris?" Andrew offered.

I nodded enthusiastically and followed as he led. When we had gotten to Giverny I had been our tour guide. I had dragged Andrew through Monet's house and all the gardens and around the water lily pond, but now I could barely think about the gardens and flowers and the paintings they inspired. My love of impressionist art had instantly been overshadowed by my love of this man that had just proposed to me.

Andrew led me down the paths and I realized that he had been almost silent for the first few hours that we had been there and now I knew why. He had been anxiously awaiting the perfect moment to ask me to be his wife. Now though, he was very talkative and he started telling me about all the plans he'd made over the last week to get us back to Giverny and how nervous he had been to ask.

Our places had completely swapped because as I had been very chatty and probably overwhelmed Andrew with lots of Monet info as we had toured, now I barely said anything except to respond to Andrew's story. And that was perfect in its own way. I just wanted to listen to him talk and hold his hand as we walked through the most gorgeous locale I had ever been to.

We finally made our way around the entire gorgeous pond and came to the place where the gardens met the house and we made our way to the exit. The car that brought us to Giverny was still there waiting to take us back to Paris for our final night in the city.

Andrew wrapped his arms around me in the backseat of the car and his lips were immediately on my neck. As much as I would have loved to physically show him just how happy I was with our new relationship status, I was too aware of the driver who was only centimeters away and could see everything in the rearview mirror.

"Hey you, it's not that long of a trip back to Paris," I lightly scolded him.

"Thank God," he said with a low purr. He pulled a small bottle of motion sickness meds and took a quick pill to make it back to the city in one piece. "Although, you know I wouldn't mind the distraction."

I turned to face him, and I placed one hand on Andrew's cheek. We stayed like that, cuddled together, kissing and whispering, all the way back to Paris.

As the car pulled in front of the Hotel du Lourve the sun was just beginning to set. Andrew helped me out of the car and thanked the driver who made sure to congratulate us again.

I felt like I was floating on a cloud as we made our way through the lobby of the hotel, up the elevator, and down the hall to our room. Andrew opened the door to our suite and upon walking in I knew that the night's surprises still weren't over. The bed was made during the day as normal, but it was now covered in red rose petals. I walked through the suite and saw that there was a bottle of champagne chilling on the coffee table.

"Looks like the hotel staff was aware of your big proposal plans," I said with a smile.

"Oh yes, they were very excited to help me with the room once I told them."

He took my hand and pulled me to the gorgeous blue velvet sofa that lined the entire corner of the suite. He popped the cork on the champagne and poured us both glasses.

He held up his crystal flute, "To us spending the rest of our lives together." We shared another steamy kiss then both took drinks of our champagne.

"This is our last night in Paris," Andrew reminded me. "I have a reservation at a nice restaurant, but it's up to you what we do."

I gave him a coy smile, "What if I said I didn't want to leave the room for the rest of the trip?"

"I would say I love that idea," Andrew smiled as he upended his champagne then placed his empty glass on the table. I did the same and the moment my crystal glass was on the table Andrew was on me. His hands were on my thighs pressing up under my skirt as his mouth was on mine claiming my mouth aggressively. My arms went around his neck and I pulled him as tightly and closely to me as I could.

Andrew's hands reached my knickers and as he loves to do he dragged his hands all over the lace, loving the feeling of my lace knickers on my buttocks for a long while before finally pulling them down my body. I yanked at Andrew's polo shirt and he got the hint pulling it up over his head and discarding it on the floor.

He was eyeing my wet center and I could tell he was ready to dive in head first, but I wanted him inside me as soon as possible.

"I need your cock," I purred and he immediately changed plans. He shoved his jeans down followed quickly by his boxers to reveal his cock, already fully hard.