Deceptions, Lies, and Butterflies

Morning found Melissa still wrapped in John’s arms. As her head lay on his chest, he took in her scent and smiled. A moment later he felt her stir. "Good morning," he said. "How about some breakfast?" he asked, reaching over for the menu.

Melissa’s stomach growled, reminding her that she hadn’t really eaten anything since lunch the day before and their desserts had gone practically uneaten. She buried her face in John’s chest in embarrassment. She mumbled, “Waffles, please.”

Laughing lightly, John replied, "Waffles it is." Before calling in their order, he added, "I've heard they make wonderful Belgian waffles here." John then called room service ordering waffles for both of them. He took the liberty of ordering the cherry topping for Melissa and strawberries for himself, as well as some orange juice, coffee and two mugs of hot chocolate.

Melissa decided to make the most of their time while they waited for breakfast to arrive. She tossed the menu to the floor and reached up to caress John’s face, pulling him into a kiss.

John was caught off guard when Melissa started to kiss him. He had been about to make a suggestion for some things the two of them could do that day but decided that could wait. Instead, he wrapped his arms back around her returning her kisses. When they finally came up for air, John said, "Thank you for staying last night," as he brushed some of her hair behind her ear.

Melissa smiled. “Thank you for asking me.” It was then that their breakfast arrived. Again, Melissa answered the door and transferred the food to the table. She caught a glimpse of John as he maneuvered back into his wheelchair and again wondered how he wound up in his condition. She smiled at him as he approached the table. “Coffee?”

"Yes, please," John replied, as he pulled up to the table. After Melissa poured the coffee, he took a sip. "That's good," he said, smiling. They had been eating in silence for a few minutes when John spoke back up. "I thought perhaps we could go on a boat cruise of the harbor, if you like." He glanced up at her. "The tours meet near a place called The Rocks. I've heard it has a lot of nice shops and cafes. We could eat lunch there, after the cruise."

“I think it sounds wonderful. I would love to spend the day with you, and a cruise sounds perfect.” Melissa was torn between her feelings of guilt and affection. She vowed to not let John down. He had already been severely disappointed by being rejected for the walkabout; no way was she going to let him down again.

After finishing breakfast each got dressed and ready for their day of exploration. During their cruise they were delighted that the weather cooperated enough for them to sit outside. Seeing the Opera House in person was much more than Mel could have thought it would be; photos didn’t do it justice. Melissa found herself enjoying each activity more than the one before. As the morning wore on she decided that her feelings for John were growing. She loved the way he smiled, the way he laughed, the way he made her feel.

John found he was immensely enjoying the day with Melissa, as well.

When they had departed from the cruise, they walked to a nearby café for lunch. It was very busy and the two of them knew there would be a wait before they were even seated. In the meantime, she sat on a bench in front of the cafe, while John sat besides her holding her hand. She leaned her head on his shoulder, soaking in the warmth of the sun. “Thank you. For today. For the trip. For everything.”

John smiled. "Thank you," he said quietly. "I'm glad you changed your mind and decided to come." At that moment someone came to escort them to a table. Once they were seated a waiter handed them some menus and left them to decide what to order.

A few minutes later the waiter returned. "Ready to order, mate?" he asked John.

"Ladies first," John then said, smiling at Melissa. "What shall it be?"

“Actually, I’m feeling a little brave. How about the linguini with crocodile? I didn’t come all this way to have something I could have at home.” Melissa then grimaced as she looked at the waiter. “Oh, and I’d kill for a Dr Pepper right now. Please tell me you have one.”

"No, luv," the waiter replied. "I'm afraid not. They're a rare item in these parts, I'm afraid."

After Melissa chose another drink, John then placed his order. Watching the waiter walk toward the kitchen, he then turned back to Melissa. "I didn't know Dr Pepper was such a rarity in Australia," he said. "Something you'd assume they'd have everywhere." Smiling he added, "But you know what they say about assuming."

“I think I may go into withdrawals soon. I admit that Dr Pepper is my one addiction.” Melissa laughed and nibbled on the bread the waiter had set on their table before he took their order. She then helped herself to one of the complimentary stuffed mushrooms, picking it up with her fingers, before placing it in her mouth. It was mouth-wateringly good. She then picked up another and couldn’t resist offering it to John, not realizing the intimacy of the action until it was too late.

Realizing Melissa was offering him one of the mushrooms, John leaned forward and took it in his mouth. As he did so, his lips brushed the tips of her fingers. Chewing the food, he found himself smiling once more. In fact, he realized he had been smiling a lot lately. Swallowing the mushroom, he thought about what she had said about Dr Pepper. He decided he'd have to make it his mission to find her at least one bottle to drink. John then picked up another mushroom, holding it out to Melissa. He waited until she swallowed, before kissing her on the mouth.

She didn’t want the kiss to end. Everything around them faded and blurred and it was just the two of them sharing the sweet sensation. Every time John touched her Melissa felt a tingling down her spine.

Unfortunately it wasn’t long before the waiter returned with their entrees, breaking the spell of the moment. John pulled away from her, when he heard the waiter approach. Glancing up at him, as he set down their food, John couldn’t help notice the look on the waiter’s face. Once the waiter had left, John turned back to Melissa. "Looks like someone was a little jealous," he said, with a slight laugh. However, John suspected the waiter was surprised to see someone his age with such a beautiful young woman.

Melissa covered John’s hand with her own. “There’s no one else I want to be with.” She sincerely meant it. The pangs of guilt were growing stronger with each passing moment yet every part of her longed to be with him. When she was with him she felt … complete. She blushed as he gazed at her and returned her eyes to her plate. “This looks delicious.”

John's heart had felt like it would burst with happiness when he heard Melissa's words. "It does," he said, glancing at his own food. While the two ate he thought about what else they could do that day. "Perhaps we could walk around the market when we are done," he suggested. John remembered her telling him how much she loved butterflies and how beautiful they are. He remembered a riverboat cruise they took before he was due to leave for the walkabout and Melissa had oohed and ahed over the Blue Triangle butterflies. He also remembered her telling him about the stuffed butterfly she always carried with her. John wanted to find something special for her to remember their time together and thought for sure he'd find it in the market.

Melissa had used most of her savings already and wasn’t planning on doing much shopping, but any excuse to be with John was one she’d take. It should have felt awkward to be walking with him, but it didn’t. As they window-shopped and browsed through the stores she couldn’t help but be thankful that she had the opportunity to be with him. She knew he was disappointed to not be on his walkabout, but she was secretly glad his plans had fallen through thereby extending their time together.

While Melissa was browsing at one stand, John took the opportunity to seek out the gift he wanted to purchase for her. He came upon a jewelry stand and there it was. It was perfect. A blue butterfly on a black rope chain. Making his purchase, he put it in his pocket, before relocating Melissa.

Melissa was glad to spy John’s approach. She wasn’t sure where he had disappeared to, but she wanted to soak up as much time with him as she could. “How far do you think we’ve walked today? I think I’ve walked more today than I have all year long.”

Thinking for a moment, John replied, “I'd say, oh maybe a mile or two." He winked at Melissa.

She gave him a sheepish grin. “You aren’t going to believe this after how much lunch I ate, but I’m actually a little hungry.”

John glanced around. "Let’s see. I remember an ice cream stand.” He looked back at Melissa. “We never finished our deserts last night. Do you like banana splits?"

“Chocolate, cherries, whipped cream… what’s not to love?”

'What's not to love indeed,' John thought, gazing at her adoringly. "Banana split it is, then," he replied, with a smile. As they approached the ice cream stand, he saw someone walking away with a banana split. "That looks huge," he said. "How about we split one?"

“Promise me a bite of chocolate and the cherry and you’ve got a deal.”

"Excellent," John replied, heading to the counter.

Melissa couldn’t keep from grinning. She felt silly for smiling so much, but she just couldn’t help it. Everything about John made her happy. She secured a table for them while he went to get their ice cream. She knew she should have been worried about the calories from the banana split, but all she could think about was how romantic it would be to share the frozen treat with him. She felt like someone with a schoolgirl crush, especially when he caught her staring at him. She blushed when he caught her.

As he waited for their order, John had turned to see Melissa glancing toward him. He couldn't help but notice her smile. It was as if the more he saw of her, the more beautiful she became. Was that possible? "Here we are," he said, when he arrived at her side. He placed the banana split on the table between them, before handing Melissa a spoon. "Dig in."

Melissa closed her eyes as she savored the frozen treat. “Mmmm, what is it about ice cream, fruit, and chocolate? It’s so yummy. This was a wonderful idea.”

"Mmmm," John replied through a bite of banana split. He scooped up another bite and held out the spoon to her.

Eyeing all the chocolate John had scooped on the spoon, Melissa leaned forward in anticipation and slowly let him feed her the bite. She knew it was very suggestive, but that was the idea.

Feeling his heart beat a little faster at Melissa's actions, John quickly took a bite for himself. He then set down his spoon and said, "I have something for you." Pulling out the small box that was in his pocket, he handed it to her. "It's just a little something for you to remember our time here."

As Melissa carefully unwrapped the gift from its tissue paper she felt both elation that John would be so sweet as to buy her a present and, at the same time, a sinking feeling. When she unfolded the last piece of tissue a beautiful necklace was revealed. It was simple in design, but to her it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. Tears slipped down her face as she held it in her hands. “John, it’s… it’s beautiful. I really don’t deserve this. Thank you so much.”

"Yes, you do," John replied, reaching up to wipe the tears from her face. "You don't know how much," he said softly. He then took the necklace out of Melissa's hands. "Here, why don't you try it on," he said, slipping it over her head. "I know how much you like butterflies," he added, smiling at her.

“I love it. I love even more that it’s from you. But you’re wrong. I don’t deserve this, any of this.” Melissa brushed away the tears and wondered if she would ever be rid of the guilt she felt.

Tilting Melissa's face so he could make eye contact, John couldn't understand why she was saying such things. Wiping another tear that had rolled down her face, he leaned forward and kissed her cheek. "You deserve all of this and more," he insisted.

Melissa was silent for several minutes before she spoke again. “Would you mind terribly if we went back to the hotel? I’m… not feeling very good. I think I just… I’d like to just go back now. Please.”

Glancing up at her, John could see that Melissa did not seem to feel well. "No, of course, not," he replied gently. He was disappointed she wanted to call it a day, but certainly understood. Besides they still had several more days to spend together. There was no sense in wearing themselves out trying to do everything at once.