144 Celebration 2

After reaching the hotel, Liz was really excited about the note and what the CEO might have meant by it, but she was also very, very tired due to not having slept all night the day before.

Hence, after having an early dinner in her room, Liz fell asleep at 9 after calling Mary once and making sure that everything was all right back at home.

Luke was apparently still recovering, and it seemed that he was spending quite some time in their house, playing with Derek or lazing around.

Liz was happy when she heard this, as Luke usually wasn't someone to sit and do nothing.

After having a very relaxing slumber, Liz woke up at sharp 8 AM.

She planned to take time to get ready, so she leisurely bathed herself before putting on a green dress.

Looking at herself in the mirror, she took a deep breath to calm herself down before walking out the door.

This time, there were no roses when she got off from the elevator, but there was something better: the CEO, waiting for her with an easy smile on his face.

This was the first time she was seeing him in casual clothes, so she was quite surprised.

Even when he had come to their home for dinner, he had dressed formally.

He was now wearing a brown leather jacket over a t-shirt and blue jeans, which fit him so elegantly that he looked like he was straight out of a movie.

His hair was also not gelled back perfectly as usual.

Instead, it was wavy, granting him a completely new persona which Liz loved.

He was holding a large package in his hands, and as Liz wondered what it was, he noticed her and walked in her direction.

"Good morning! How was breakfast?"

"Great! The sunny side. Up eggs were an absolute delight, and the sausage was just right. The- I mean, it was good."

When Liz was very happy, she usually babbled in this way.

Telling herself to calm the heck down so that she wouldn't ruin the whole mood, Liz asked, "So, what did you mean by 'celebration'?"

"Ask me that again by the end of the day."

Saying these cryptic words, William reached for her hand and took it in his, leading her towards the exit of the hotel.

His hand seemed warmer than before, and once again, Liz completely adored the feeling.

After they reached outside, Liz gasped.

Sitting on the curb was a red Porsche 911, shining in the sun with it's top tucked away.

The only reason she recognized it was because it was a hugely popular model that she had seen many times on TV.

So far, every time, it had always been a sedan in which the both of them had traveled.

Now, feeling the entire vibe change due to both his clothes and the car he had chosen, Liz realized what the 'celebration' was.

It was a casual day spent with him!

Unable to control her happiness, she almost jumped right where she stood.

Work really had been very, very stressful, and there was really no better way to let their hair down than going on a day-long date.

Besides, ever since that hug in the hotel and the police station, Liz found herself yearning for William more and more.

She wanted to talk to him, spend time with him, know more about him, find out each and every detail about his life…all while he got to know about her.

Seeing that they might be doing just that, she turned to William with a wide smile and noticed that he was standing beside the car holding the door open for her.

After she sat down, they set off on one of the most fun-filled drives that Liz had ever been on her entire life.

First, they drove out of the city before starting on the route inwards to explore Canada.

As a large country with many vistas of scenic perfection, both Liz and Will chatted idly while being awed by the many sights of breathtaking forests, shimmering lakes and pristine snow-capped mountains that they encountered along their way.

Half the time, Will put the car on cruise control so that he could focus his entire attention on Liz, who spoke very animatedly due to the overwhelming joy she was feeling.

Will talked about the most interesting things he had seen since becoming the CEO, such as one time when a man had offered him 1000 cows as a jest if he could get a software developed to monitor their manure.

Liz, on the other hand, mainly spoke about her time in school, like how she and Luke had been the only two who stood up to all the bullies instead of others from similar backgrounds who only meandered along.

Lunch was by the side of Lake Ontario, as the package in Will's hands had been the best delicacies of Toronto all packed on express order for them to enjoy.

Munching on fish tacos, sourdough bread and king-size slices of pizza, the two looked out at the calm and at times tumultuous surface of the lake, feeling their hearts act in the same way whenever they looked at each other or held hands.

In the evening, they stopped in Ontario to pick up fresh blueberry buttermilk pancakes before starting back on the way to Toronto.

Time lost all meaning as Liz and Will lost themselves in the happiness that came from being together.

Finally, as their last stop, Will drove the car to a very scenic beach in Darlington Provincial Park, an hour away from Toronto.

Night had already fallen, and the beach was mostly empty, so when the two took off their shoes and walked on the sand while the water lapped at their feet, it was as if they had entered a different dimension that belonged only to them.

They had talked quite a lot already, so now, they just walked in silence while holding hands.

The moonlight suffusing her skin, Liz turned to the side to see Will's face.

It felt so close to her, and also so far.

He was looking out over the ocean, so when she saw his strong jawline, she felt like moving closer and tracing it with her eyes.

'Whoa, whoa, slow down there.'

Ignoring the voice in her head for once, Liz bent forward towards Will's face, and as he suddenly turned around because he felt something, their faces were so close, with just a few hairs of length between them.

Time seemed to stop.