Josh felt it was only right to make up with Tom. They had been partners in crime for years, and they really were best friends. Plus, Madison wouldn't let him spend the night if he didn't. And true to their gender, the makeup took about as long as the breakup. They agreed to get together later in the week, but Josh had other plans today.

He and Calvin had both spend the night at Madison's apartment, he but was up long before she was. While in a cab to his favorite flower shop, he called up Sarabeth's and asked for Emily. "Can you whip me up a doggy bag?" he asked. "I'll be coming by in about 45 minutes."

"What do you want in it?"

"Madison's usual."

"You're still with that girl?"

"I'm not with her at all," he said. "I'm asking her out today and I've gotta make it special."

"Alright, Romeo. I'll make it happen."

"Thanks." He hung up just as the driver pulled up to the flower shop. "Keep the meter running. I'll be out in a few minutes."

Once inside, he asked for a single red thornless red rose. After that, his next stop was Sarabeth's. With the morning traffic, he did get there within the amount of time that he had told Emily. She was walking towards the front door as he came in, holding a brown paper bag.

"Garden omelette and a morning fruit bowl," she said.

"Thanks a million."

"So, you feel pretty good about this girl, huh?"

Josh smiled at the thought. "Yeah, I really do. Hope you're not too disappointed."

Emily smirked and rolled her eyes. "I'm sure I'll find some way to get over it. Now, get out of here and go do what you do best."

Josh left Sarabeth's feeling elated. It blew his mind, the thought of being with Madison and being able to kiss her every day and just be in her constant company. He grinned from ear to ear and couldn't stop until the cab pulled up to Madison's apartment building.

He exhaled deeply as he turned the key to her door. She hadn't actually given him the key; he grabbed it from her kitchen counter. He heard the shower running and sighed with relief. He had been concerned that Calvin would skid across the apartment and blow his cover. He gave the dog the attention he wanted and then got to work.

He scribbled a note on a neon pink Post-It that he found in the drawer and stuck it to the rose's stem. He pulled the omelette from the bag, still plenty hot, and positioned it neatly on a white ceramic plate, along with the fresh fruit and a coffee made just the way she liked it.

Josh was ready to burst with pride when he heard the shower water go off. He grabbed a fresh towel from the closet and strode to the bathroom. It had been almost a week since Madison had given him the permission, as it were, to ask her out, and anything intimate up to this point had been kept strictly above the belt. Madison's pace was slower than other girls he had been with, but he didn't mind.

He opened the bathroom door and found that she was turned away from him (she would have smacked him silly if she thought he was trying to sneak a peek). He wrapped the towel around her and she was only startled for a second, and then she smiled. "Where have you been?" she asked.

He kissed her shoulder gently. "I got you some stuff."

She adjusted the towel and turned around to face him. "What kind of stuff?"

"Get dressed and I'll show you."

He left her to the privacy of the bathroom and waited on the couch. She appeared minutes later wearing Josh's flannel pants and a plain white t-shirt. He knew it was hers and not his because of the way it hugged her curves.

"Why did you take a shower just to change into another pair of pajamas?" he asked.

"Just because I want to be lazy today doesn't mean I can't be clean."

Touché, Josh thought.

Madison looked past him, trying to see what he had gotten her. "Did you make breakfast?"

"No, no," he laughed. "You would've come running out here like a bat outta hell if I'd done that. I went to Sarabeth's and asked for your usual."

"How do you know my usual?" she asked.

"I didn't," he admitted. "But Emily did." He smiled proudly.

"Clever boy," she praised him.

She took a seat at her kitchen table and Josh carried over her breakfast, concealing the rose and note behind his back.

"What are you hiding?" He never was good at behind discrete.

He sat across from her and slid the small gifts her way.

Madison snickered. "You're cute." She twiddled the rose between her fingers and read the note aloud. "Dear Madison, I have to tell you right now, I'm a horrible writer. I think I'm pretty good at painting, though. So put down this stupid note and look at something worth seeing."

She looked up to see a painting that had taken Josh's seat. Where the hell did he hide that? she wondered. The funny thing was that it was a painting of Josh, holding a small white sign that said "Maybe you'll go out with me now."

A huge smile crossed her face as she looked up at Josh, standing behind the self-portrait looking proud as ever. She went to him and kissed him deeply, unable to remember the last time she was so happy.

"I'll take that as a yes," he chuckled.

"Absolutely."


And it is done! Thanks to the handful of people who followed and reviewed this story. Chapter one of the sequel is already in the works, so I hope some of you will read that too.