Today’s photo prompt is provided by The Haunted Wordsmith who says to  find your inner muse and set it free. No limits on word count, let your imagination run wild. Have fun!

Here is my take on it:

Love Takes Flight

The colors shown bright on the lowered clouds above the city Delores observed from the helicopter. How lucky she was to have a rich boyfriend to take her on a night flight over San Francisco. Others would be so envious if they knew, however, her boyfriend was still a secret as he was significantly younger than she.

She met him when he came into her jewelry shop, he was shopping for a gift for his sister he said. As she helped him pick out a worthy piece, she noticed he wasn’t wearing a ring. Delores was intrigued and asked what a nice young man like himself was still doing single. Now it was his turn to be intrigued. Delores was an attractive woman for 35, she had never been married, had not had the time for it really. She worked too much, designing and selling her jewelry was a full-time occupation, she loved it very much. He noticed her brilliant smile, soft skin, and unlined face right away.

She discovered his name was Valerie, an odd name for a man, he was of Swedish descent and had made is fortune in the gas and oil business. He doted on his younger sister, this was made clear when he picked out the most expensive pair of earrings she had in the shop. Her eyes grew wide and she asked him “Are you sure?” He said “Of course I am. My sister has made me very proud and I want to show her my appreciation. It’s her birthday soon.” “How old is she, if you don’t mind my asking.” “She going to be 21 on Sunday. By the way, you can call me Val,” he said with a smile.

What could this girl have done to make him so proud, Delores wondered, yet did not feel it was her place to ask. She boxed his present and offered to gift wrap it. “Sure, and when you’re done with that, how about some dinner?” Delores guessed he had noticed she wasn’t wearing a ring either. “Oh no, I appreciate that but I still have tons of work to do. Besides, I must be 15 years older than you.” “Well, you have to eat, right? And no, I don’t think so. How old do you think I am?” “Well, you look about 20, but you surely didn’t have time to make your fortune that early!” He said, “You were close, I am 25. I got my broker’s license early, right out of high school, and started work in my father’s firm.”

Delores thought about it for a moment and decided what the heck, she did feel famished. “Ok, I will join you for dinner on one condition.” “Name it,” he said. “I want to know all about your little sister and what she has done to make you so proud.” “Deal.” So she closed up shop and together they walked out into a muggy night heading for the nicest restaurant in town. They talked and ate and she felt like she had known him forever. He had an easy manner, laughed at her jokes and was obviously kind and generous. Not bad on the eyes either. Muscular, tan and perfect teeth, teeth were one of the first things Delores noticed about a man. He told her that his sister had made the Olympic gymnastics team which had been her dream since she was in elementary school. Well, now that made sense! Delores found him charming and funny and hoped they got to see each other again some day.

Val called her the very next day to her surprise and asked her if she wanted to go out again after work on Saturday and even invited her to his sister Kat’s birthday party on Sunday. Delores said “Of course,” which is how she now found herself looking down at the beautiful city from the helicopter. Luckily, she was a bit of a free spirit and this kind of thing made her heart race with excitement. She decided that ten years wasn’t such a huge gap in age, that also made her heart race a little.  “Where are we going,”she asked through the headset. “It’s a surprise,” he answered and she knew then she was in for a very interesting romance, one she’d been waiting for forever.