Take My Breath Away

"Beats me. Why don't you call Grandpa and ask him about it? But the mission is highly confidential. Grandpa probably doesn't know much about it. Prepare for the worst," Niles told Blair. Wesley could be assigned to a mission and no one would know when he'd be back. It was an occupational hazard. Niles got used to it. Maybe Blair needed to be, too.

"Okay," Blair said.

"Blair, you're so lucky to have someone like my brother. I'd marry rich, too, if I were a chick."

"It's not too late. You still have time," Blair joked.

"I've got a star to pursue in this life. I got you a birthday present too. I sent it off a few days ago. You're welcome. I'm your brother-in-law, after all. Remember that, next time my brother decides to beat me up. Bye."

"Um, bye."

Sitting in the lounge, staring at the bunny, Blair didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

'I hate you, Wesley! I hate you! I hate you!

You didn't tell me anything about being deployed elsewhere. You've been gone for two months and didn't call me even once. And now on my birthday you give me two big surprises!' Blair complained inside, touching the diamond ring in her pocket.

'But why did he tell the delivery guy he was my husband? The other day, when he drove me home, he also told my roommate he was my husband.

Is he planning on proposing?

No, probably not. That's not his style.

I could probably die of old age before he decided to propose.

Ack! This is so depressing.'

After work, Blair went to her uncle's for dinner. The Ji family threw her a birthday party.

By the time she got back to her dorm, she had two other birthday presents waiting for her, one from Niles and the other from Cecelia, both expensive. Blair gave them each a phone call to say thank you.

The night wore on, but Blair still couldn't sleep. She stared at the diamond ring and the bunny. He asked her to wait for him, but for how long? Till she was so old her hair turned white and she had no teeth left?

There were words engraved on the inside of the band, "I Love You."

She wondered whether Wesley had had them engraved or they came with the ring.

The ringing of her phone derailed her train of thought. The call was from an unknown number. Somehow her gut feeling told her it was Wesley.

Her heart raced. She answered it. "Hello?"

"It's me."

The familiar voice from the other end immediately opened the floodgates. Tears streamed down her face.

She was thrilled, but also mad at herself. She had tried and tried. But right now, it was plain that she still wasn't over him. Hearing his voice was enough to make her day.

"Happy birthday!" Wesley said quickly.

Blair said nothing. She was trying to keep her emotions in check.

"You got my presents, right?" he asked.

Blair raised her head to force back her tears. "Yeah," she responded.

"Do you like them?" he asked. Actually he initially planned to send her a bullet handicraft, maybe a necklace or something. Then he remembered that she had tons of dolls in her bedroom and that she had once asked him to buy her roses, so when he happened to see this bunny when he was on a rescue mission in a mall, he decided to buy it for her as a birthday present.

The diamond ring had been made of a crude uncut stone Wesley found in D City. He had it cut into a diamond ring and sent it to her.

Neither the gift box nor the card bore his signature. Just "L." Since the mission was classified, he couldn't do more.

He believed she would know it was him.

"No, I don't," Blair said, pulling out a tissue to wipe her eyes.

After a moment's silence, Wesley asked, "Then what do you want?" He would give her anything.

"Why did you say you were my husband?" she said, choking on the words.

He could tell she was crying. He wondered why. "I wanted everybody to know you were married so no one at your office would hit on you."

"But you don't like me. And now you scared everyone else away. Do you want me to be single and alone all my life?" Blair huffed.

"You won't be." She was already married. She just didn't know it yet.

"Let's cut to the chase. Why did you buy me those presents?"

"I miss you."

Blair suddenly laughed. "Cut it out. I won't fall for that again."

"I never lie."

Blair was silent. That was right. He didn't lie, at least to her.

"I have to go soon. I just wanted to tell you that you came on to me first, and you're stuck with me forever. Wait for me," he said.

Blair clenched her teeth. "No. I have a date tomorrow!"

"A date? With who?"

"None of your business! Everyone at work thinks I'm hot." Usually, her male coworkers were lined up outside the office, wanting to drive her home. But not today. They heard she was married and off-limits.

The young translator was actually relieved. It saved her a lot of trouble turning them down.

"Don't make me angry, Blair. You wouldn't like me when I'm angry," he warned. Blair knew what he meant.

"I'm already in tears," she retorted stubbornly, ignoring the implication of his words.

"Don't be like that! Quit crying!"

"No! I'm not your soldier!" she protested.

"But you're my wife. You're supposed to obey me! Just like my soldiers do! Do you want to be punished?"

Blair's face went pink with embarrassment. "No, I'm not your wife. You want to punish me? You're so mean!" She had said that on purpose. She was aware how nice Wesley was to her. Sometimes even she herself couldn't believe she had such a caring man in her life.

"Yes, I want to punish you. I want to punish you by making you kiss me and decide where we're going to have sex next time. Do you like that kind of punishment?"

Now her face was burning. "Wesley, are you calling just to turn me on? It's not working," she announced in a feigned careless tone. But her voice was thick with lust.

"The other guys were watching porn. And I thought of you," Wesley continued.

'Porn?' Blair's jaw dropped. Having no idea what kind of mission he was on, Blair jeered. "Porn? What kind of mission are you on, anyway? I'm not sure I know you anymore!"

"I have to go. Listen, they're restricting my phone time. Call Damon or Curtis if you need help. And... I love you." He was afraid that if he didn't say it now, he would never have the chance. But since he had her on the phone now, he'd say it as much as he could.

Then he hung up.

'And... I love you.'

Blair was still lost in those three words. Tears gushed from her eyes like a broken dam.

He said it! He finally said it! All the waiting paid off.

"Boo...hoo..." She cried her heart out in the serenity of the night.

'Wesley, I hate you! I hate you! I hate you!

If you don't like me, why keep teasing me and say something like that? You're such a jerk.'

Blair felt the man was deliberately torturing her.

Even so, she was still looking forward to lunar July 7th, Chinese Valentine's Day, coming soon.