“Yeah, I would, Charlette,” he replied to her enticing offer of a hike.  “After last night’s pizza and brews, a hike sounds awesome!”  Paul watched with curiosity as she rummaged through the fridge.  Wonder what she’s looking for, he thought.  She couldn’t possibly still be hungry as he was sure to dole out generous portions of fried rice earlier.<br/><br/>And then she made an announcement, sweetening her original offer.  “A picnic?” he repeated.  “Bonus!” he stated with an obvious enthusiasm.  Paul was never one to shy away from the outdoors, and they could probably use some clean, fresh air anyway.<br/><br/>“Oh, for sure I’ll bring along a camera,” he confirmed.  “And as a matter of fact, I do have a key.  It really comes in handy for easy access at any time.  Paul smiled at her as Charlette prepped the fixings for their picnic.<br/><br/>It was turning out to be a good day, after all.  The awkwardness from earlier seemed to dissipate like morning fog.  At that moment, he liked her for not holding a grudge at his veto of sleep-ins, or throwing a hissy fit of any kind.  In his eyes, that showed some maturity, and he’d be sure to remember this.