Chapter 2: Caerus Cabin

We arrive back at the car just as the sun is encroaching on the horizon. Angela turns to me, "Do I have to put my clothes back on?" "Who ever said you had to." We both climb into the car and merge back onto the interstate. A few hours later, we arrived at my home, Caerus Cabin. I drive the car down a long and meandering drive entombed by cedar trees. Before long they open up to a three story cedar cabin on the mountainside, overlooking the town below. The house itself is circled by lushous foliage and flowering plants in full bloom. I hear Angela gasp beside me, "Oh. My. God. It's beautiful! You never told me you had this big of a house." "Well, you never asked." I pull the car around the back of the house and into the studio layout living room, where I get out and help Angela. "Welcome to mi casa." Angela looks around in utter awe at the interior of the house. In the center of the spacious living room in a large atrium that contains several different indigionious trees and plants. Along the left wall is a staircase leading up to the studio master bedroom and bath. Under those stairs is a hallway that leads to several different rooms of varying purpose. Along the right wall is a full kitchen and another staircase leading up to a game lounge with recreational tables and a full bar. Along the back wall is an elevator leading down to the harbor, which is stocked full of all kinds of varying watercraft. "Well, I would love to give you the full tour, but first, lets get showered off, shall we?" "That, sounds like a good idea." I lead her up the stairs, across the bedroom, though the marble bathroom, and into an all black, 20x15 foot room. "Is this a shower?" "You better believe your ass it is. Watch this." I press on the far wall and it lights up with a touch screen control interface. "Pretty cool right?" I press a few buttons and the ceiling lights up, becoming a storm cloud as thunder booms out of the walls and warm rain comes down from the ceiling. I turn and look at Angela. "You need any soap?" "Yea, please." "Coming right up." I press a few more buttons on the wall and two racks eject from the right side wall. Each rack contains hundreds of different soaps, shampoos, conditioners, shaving creams, and so on. " Take your pick." "Hmm, " She glances over at me, "How about I wash you up first." She gives me a wink and a sexy smile. I smile back. "Ooo, sounds good." I pick up a few soaps and send the racks back into the wall. Angela takes the bottles and starts soaping me up, staring at my feet and working her way upward." Now if you don't mind I'll return the favor." "Go right ahead." I soap her up and when I get to her face, I land a small kiss on her cheek. "Now, how about we get dressed and I'll give you the tour?" "Sounds wonderful Richard." Where would you like to start? We have the house, the lake, the gardens." "You have gardens?" "Pffft, duh I have gardens. You want to start there?" "Yes please." I turn off the shower and step out with Angela right on my heels. We dry off and I escort her to a closet full of women's clothing. " Pick what you like. There should be something here that's your size." "I'll find something. Now go." "Alright, alright I'm going." I leave her be and go to my own closet, putting on cargo pants, a v-neck t-shirt, and hiking boots. I walk out to see Angela in only slim underwear. "Woah, is that all you're going to be wearing?" "Yea, is that ok?" "Weird fashion sense but fine by me." I give her a warm smile. "Now let's get going." I lead her down the stairs and out the back door, along the large terrace, and to a branch off of three paths. "Take your pick. One winds through the alpine forest and crosses over babbling brooks, one meanders around a large japanese garden, and the last journeys down to a long dock overlooking my private lake. All of the paths intersect again, it just depends on the scenery you wish to look at." She takes a moment to consider the possible options. "Let's take the japanese garden path." "I hoped you would pick that one." I turn to her and smile before grabbing her hand and pulling her down the middle path. "Ya, know, now that I think about it, why in the two years we've been dating have we never done any of this. I've never seen your house, we never slept together, nothing." "I guess I just never thought about any of that. I just liked seeing you everytime we met." We meander down the winding cobblestone path, hand in hand, before the trees open up to a large japanese garden in full bloom. The path winds around a lake with an island in the center. Off to the far side is a majestic waterfall cascading over the mountain rock and into the glassy lake. There are flowering trees ringing the whole of the island and the path. Angela gasps, "Oh wow. This. Is. Beautiful! Once again, why have you never taken me here before?" I turn back to her as we walk around the lake. "Because I have been saving this place for a very special time." We cross over a wooden bridge and find ourselves on the island, surrounded by cherry trees. In front of us is a whitewashed gazebo overlooking the glassy water, with a direct view of the waterfall. We walk to the far railing and stop, looking out at the scene before us. I put my arm around her shoulder, and I can feel her shiver slightly with the wind. I take off my jacket and wrap it around her. "You sure that underwear was such a good idea?" "Har har. No, in heinsight, it was probably pretty stupid." "Yup." She gives me a light punch on the arm. "Whatever." "You know Angela, I told you I didn't bring you out here till now because I wanted to wait for a special occasion. Well, I think that time has finally come." I push a secret button on the floor and silently pull a ring out of the nearest fence post. "What do you mean by a 'special occasion'? You mean me moving in with you? I wouldn't consider that much of a special occasion." "No, it's not you moving in with me, while that is wonderful, it's something much more special than that." I lower myself onto one knee in front of Angela. "Angela Melacine, over the course of time that I have known you, I have always had a deep feeling that we were meant to be. And against all odds here we are." "Richard, a-are you" "Angela, will you pick your jaw up off the floor and answer this question for me?" "S-Sure" "Will you make me the happiest fox this side of the Rocky Mountains and be my wife?" I open the box, revealing the ring, which combines a topaz crystal and an amethyst crystal swirling into each other and meeting at a diamond in the middle. "I-I.. I don't know what to say." "How about…" "YES Richard! Yes I will marry you, you lovely bastard!" She pounces on me and our lips lock together in a sort of synchronized harmony of love. I feel her pull off my shirt and unbutton my thick cargo pants. Things happen. As I stand up, putting my pants back on, I look at Angela, laying there, looking back up at me. "If you were trying for a kid during that, I'll be surprised if we don't get one." I helped her back onto her feet, and gave her my shirt, as her underwear had been shredded and were now floating in the lake. "You're sure that no one will see me?" "Positive. And if someone does, that's trespassing and I have the right to shoot them." I cock an invisible shotgun. "Well ok then." We leave the island and I stop her, pointing to a set of railroad tracks that snake off into the woods. "How do you feel about taking the train?" "Train? What train?" I whistle and a few moments later, an AD60 Garratt locomotive comes thundering down the line toward us. "That train." Angela looks back at me in awe. "How many more tricks do you have up those sexy sleeves?" "A magician never tells his secrets."