Surprise! [Flo]

[Darryl Bond]

Darryl paced a few times. People turned to look at him. He glared back behind his sunglasses.

Okay, so maybe pacing like he was nervous in an airport wasn't a good idea. He took a seat in the terminal, and tried to not fidget. He should have done this already. Like a week ago, when he knew he was coming home. But no. He didn't because he was nervous about the reaction.

He sighed and pulled his phone out his pocket and called her before he would chicken out.

It rang. And rang. And rang.

"Hello? It's Darryl. I...I have some news." He bit his lip.

[Florence Bryant]

Flo was busy in the kitchen making BBQ ribs for her and Gwynie to tuck into with a movie when her phone buzzed in her back pocket. "Gwyn, go get the cutlery out, I'll be in in a sec." She called, wiping her hands and pushing the phone out of her jeans.

Huh. Darryl?

She tried not to look excited. Maybe because Darryl was Darryl and they'd only been on one date. And there was Mason now too. Awkward.

Flipping her phone open, she was about to say something when he blurted out he had news.

"You haven't got SOMEONE ELSE pregnant have you?" She said, with a little laugh.

[Darryl Bond]

Darryl couldn't help but smile when he heard her voice--even if what she said made him roll his eyes. He sighed and looked down at his lap for a moment. "No. I haven't gotten any one pregnant." He didn't even have time to have sex. He didn't even wanna think about how long it had been.

He sighed again, about to tell her then he chickened out. "How are you and Gwynie doing?" He was stalling. Obviously.

Darryl, what if she is glad you are coming home?

[Florence Bryant]

"That's good." Said Flo conversationally, checking the ribs in the oven and shouldering the phone. "I don't want to have to send you to the Talk." She chuckled gently, then began to chop tomatoes for a salad.

"We're fine, I'm cooking up dinner right now. Gwyn wants to know if you've brought her a present." She smiled, pausing to look at her daughter. "And I want to know if you've bought me a present."

The woman paused for a moment.

"Y'know, leaving for a movie after one date just makes a girl feel unwanted." She teased, pretending to sound upset.

[Darryl Bond]

Oh the Talk. Darryl remembered the time he had to sit through it when he attended Hammel. He had taken Sean's voice and mocked him from the audience. He was shortly taken out of the seminar and got a week's worth of detention. But still. He knew all about sex and didn't need the discussion. Especially now that he was a father (still an alien feeling.)

He grinned a little. "I have quite the surprise for Gywnie. And you as well. I promise. But I'll tell you about that in person." He smiled a little. He at least...mentioned it, now. He looked at the people around him in the airport and checked the time on his watch to make sure he wasn't going to miss boarding.

"I do apologize for my quick exit, but it was an opportunity I couldn't turn away from." It was a very lame excuse, but he couldn't really admit that he'd been thinking about Flo and their date nearly nonstop this whole summer. "How about I make it up to you? Another date?" His charming smile was back. It caught the eyes of a few ladies that were waiting around them, but he didn't let them (and their legs) distract him.

[Florence Bryant]

Flo's talk experience hadn't been much better. She'd gotten so giggly at one of the slides that she'd ended up conjuring a lion into the talk and losing control of it. That was a disaster and a half. It disappeared an hour later but the site had to be closed off for a wild lion.

"Ooh, a good surprise?" The woman said eagerly, grinning. "And in person? Does that mean you're coming back soon?" She tried not to sound too excited. It'd be nice to see Darryl again, albeit there'd be some epic decisions to be made. Oh men. Why did two have to come at once?

"It's alright, I was just teasing. I'm sure Mii and Tory will have a really secure future now." Flo went to shredding lettuce. "Another date? Hm..." She pretended to think about it. "Alright. You can pick this time too. I don't want you bruising any more, peaches~"

[Darryl Bond]

Yeah he'd be home soon enough. Try six hours. He scratched underneath his fedora. It almost felt weird not wearing the wig. And for the first time in six months he hadn't had to put on gold caps over his teeth. He drew in a long breath. "Yes I'll be heading home soon. I'm uh..." Palms are sweaty, mouth going dry.

Say it! Say it!

"Gate E-35 is now open for boarding. Gate E-35 is now open for boarding."

"Shoot. Flo I have to go. My airplane is boarding. I'll see you tomorrow?" Well there was always THAT way. He rolled his lips over his teeth as he stood and lifted his carry on bag over his shoulder and made his way up to the guy to check his ticket for seating, his ears craned her hear Flo's response.

[Florence Bryant]

"How soon is soon?" Flo laughed, sounding genuinely excited. Pulling away from the phone, she called to her daughter. "Hey Gwyn! Darryl's coming back!" She put her cheek back to the phone once more, sticking the salad into a bowl.

Then she heard the tanoy and let out a girlish squeal. "DARRYL." She said, nearly dropping the phone into the bowl.

"You're coming home NOW aren't you?" She grinned, scratching her chin. "Do you want me to meet you at the airport to drive you home? When will you be touching down?" Flo paused, waving a hand at Gwynie's curious face.

"I... guess I'll be seeing you soon. Have a safe flight, Darryl. Don't hook up with the air hostesses on the way back."

[Darryl Bond]

Darryl could barely hear, but he caught the excitement in her voice. "If there aren't any delays I should be in a little before midnight." He wasn't looking forward to the long and drawn out plane ride, with a change of planes in Missouri, but he'd get to Vermont soon enough.

"My car is in the long term parking. Or at least it should be. We could have breakfast in the morning though." He had to speak up a little to hear, thanks to the excited chatter of children behind him, but he was walking through the tunnel to the plane now, so it was a little better.

"And the air hostesses have really dropped their standards these days--besides the bathrooms are far too small." He was kidding about the air hostesses, but not about the bathrooms. There really wasn't any sort of room for hooking up. He smiled. "I'll see you soon. Bye." A foolish grin he had upon his face, but he was now looking forward to getting home even more.

[Florence Bryant]

"Alright. Call me to let me know you got home safe?" Flo asked softly, finishing up the salad and setting it down in the living room. "I don't want to have a crap night worrying if you managed to get here without exploding." A laugh echoed from her lips.

"Breakfast sounds great. Do you want it here or something?" She twisted her finger round her hair, then jumped as the ribs went with a ping in the oven. "I'll even make pancakes." She added as an extra bribe.

But then Darryl said something about air hostesses and facepalmed. Nice to know he hadn't changed. "Ass." She said with a laugh. "Like they'd take you." Opening the oven door, she shifted the phone back into her hand.

"See you in a while, crocodile~" Her voice lilted, and she shut the phone. Well. Now she had breakfast plans.