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Laurel pats her husband on the chest. “Yeah, that's what we figured.”
He looks at her again, obviously offended once more. “You guys figured that part out already too?” His shoulders droop.
“Yeah, we figured it out a little bit ago.”
He glances from Laurel to me and back again. “So what's about to happen?”
Laurel touches the tip of his nose with her fingertip. “You’ll see.”
Of course, he doesn't seem to like that answer and throws both hands up before turning to the bartender to ask for another drink. He's quickly served, and I can't help but laugh a little bit at his expense. Who knew that Arson doesn't like secrets?
Laurel pulls out her phone and glances at something, then looks up at me. “It's about time.” With that she grabs Arson’s arm and whisks him away, and I realize that the only people left in the room are me and the bartender.
A moment later, the front doors open and I have to catch my breath as Alisha walks through in a dove-gray dress and stunning sapphire jewelry. I know she loves dressing up and it's something she hasn't been able to enjoy as much as I'd like, so I'm going to spend as much time as I have spoiling her with dresses and jewels to enjoy. And tonight, she's dressed to kill.
She scans the room until her gaze lands on me. A beautiful slight smile curves the corners of her lips, and she makes her way in my direction. I notice that my heart is slamming and my mouth has never been so dry.
“What's going on?” She seems confused as she asks the question and I can completely understand why.
“All the time we've been spending together has made me incredibly happy.” I realize now that maybe I should write the script for this whole thing, because winging it probably isn't going to be the best way to go. However, I'm going to give it my best and hope I do right by her.
“You make me incredibly happy too.” She runs her hands up and down her arms glancing around as if aware of the quiet of this room without the pulsating, loud music. We can still hear the music from the next room, but the noise isn’t deafening.
Somehow amidst the large empty space, this moment still feels intimate, as if she and I are the only two people left in the world.
I take a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves.
“Even in a place this empty, I don't feel alone with you by my side. The moment I met you I knew that you were going to be a pain.” As I say the words, I see her eyes narrow, but her smile widens. “I now know that you're actually the missing piece of my life that would complete me in a way that I never thought possible.”
Her expression softens, and I love the way that she's focused on me speaking to her. Her hand finds her chest and rests there while her eyes shimmer and she listens to me.
“Some of the moments we shared together have been difficult, others have been absolutely amazing. But all of it has been an adventure.” I reach out and gently brush a couple of stray hairs away from her face. She closes her eyes and leans into my touch, and I gently run my thumb along her cheekbone, enjoying the softness of her skin. “I want to spend the rest of my life on an adventure with you.”
As I say those words, she turns around, hearing the news across the room. As planned, I quickly drop to one knee, pulling the ring box out of my pocket. She turns to face me again and takes a step back, her mouth dropping open in surprise.
“Will you forever be my plus one to any parties that may come up?”
She lets out a soft laugh at my question, no doubt thinking about that first party I'd taken her to, the beautiful memories we’d made, and the connection we’d shared even then, and I open the box.
She gasps as she stares down at the ring. The white gold band gives way to a beautiful solitaire diamond while two rose gold threads rise up around the diamond and meet on either side of the gem. I had chosen the ring because when I looked at the unique design, it had whispered eternity to me. Or maybe because both threads almost have an infinity pattern to them, or maybe because I can imagine her wearing the ring forever. No matter what the reason, this one just felt right and I trusted my gut.
But now, while she stares at the ring and stares at me, I can't help but wonder if I made the wrong decision. Her eyes sparkle brighter than the diamond and her breath seems to catch in her throat.
“You asked Laurel to lie to me to get me here so you could propose?” She almost sounds ready to laugh, and I wonder if she’s going to leave me hanging forever. Then again, maybe I deserve it for not being upfront and honest with her from the start. Having her best friend trick her to get her here might not have been the best move.
But then again, I'd done this gesture to be sweet, damn it. Surely she'll forgive me for this, right? Part of me wants to tilt the box slightly at angles just so the lights and the club will reflect off the diamond and maybe bring her back to this moment so she can tell me yes or no. Because as it stands, with the silence stretching out between the two of us, I'm starting to get nervous.
My palms begin to sweat, my heart beats harder, and my mouth is so dry my tongue sticks to every surface as I try to move it around. Maybe she's just doing this to mess with me.
“Of course, I asked Laurel to lie to get you here. How else was I going to make sure you'd come so I could do this?” I want to wipe away the sweat on my brow, but I'm afraid to move.
“You seem nervous. Why are you nervous?” She sounds so sweet and concerned she must not realize she hasn't answered me.
“Just wondering if you're going to tell me no.”
Surprise radiates from her and she seems to internalize a moment, as if going back through our conversation in her mind. “Didn't I say yes?” she asks, as if confused.
I shake my head no and she laughs, reaching down to take my face in both her hands and presses a kiss to my lips. “Yes! My answer is yes.” The second she says the words, I see her hesitation, but I take her hand and slip the ring on her finger. The ring fits perfectly, as if it was made just for her finger. Of course, it was made just for her finger, however, I guessed her size.
