Foreign Affair ›› n.h. mature

Ninety-Five

Niall Horan

"Honey, hand me that nine iron please."

"Here you go." Liv passed it to me. I found a golf course on the island so it's how we're spending an afternoon of the trip.

"So now that I've got this officially locked down, am I still supposed to let you win every now and then?"

"You think you've ever let me win?" Liv laughed. "And when you say locked down are you talking about marrying me?"

"Yes I have and yes I am," I answered. We climbed into the cart to go to the next hole.

"Well I guess you're not wrong," she said with a smile. "But not about golf! I have beaten you before!"

"Whatever you have to tell yourself," I joked.

...

"I love golfing with you," Liv said before taking another sip of her piña colada, "but this is better."

"You've sucked down like three of those," I said, laughing at her. I ordered another beer. We're sitting at the little tiki bar by the pool. It's evening and we just got back from going out to dinner.

"I'm on vacation! I can have as many boat drinks as I want."

"You're a little drunk."

"No, I'm not!"

"It's cute."

"When does it become not cute though?"

"When you puke," I answered.

"No! Not tonight. But like when does it become not cute years from now?"

"When you're neglecting our children to drink," I joked.

"You know that's not what I mean." She giggled uncontrollably. Yeah, she's drunk. "I just mean everything is so fun now. How many years before my little annoying traits aren't cute but they're just annoying? How many years before your laughing when it's inappropriate is annoying and not funny?"

"Okay first of all, I'm hilarious," I said. She looked at me skeptically and ate the pineapple out of her drink. "And I don't think you need to worry about that." I leaned closer to her.

"Why?"

"Come here."

"Why?" Liv repeated, leaning closer, on the edge of her seat.

But suddenly that became literal as she fell from the stool and I was cracking up. Well I was helping her too but I couldn't stop the laughter.

"I can't speak for how soon it will take you to get annoyed with me," I said while laughing, "but I don't think I'll ever not find you cute." She put an arm around my shoulder and I helped her to her feet.

With her one arm still around me, she placed her other hand on my chest and kissed me. Underneath the overhang a little band was setting up. She sat back down.

"You good?" I held her waist behind her while she was on the stool. "Can I let go? You aren't going to fall again, are you?"