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Alice turns to me, a scowl on her face. “I can’t believe that scumbag kept it from you for so long, especially when he promised to do it in the beginning.”
“He claimed that since you said no and we didn’t end up together at the end of the show, he wasn’t obligated to pay.”
“But you did everything you’d agreed to do ,” she says with a frown.
“I know. He was just trying every angle to avoid donating the money to my charity.”
“You just wanted to bring up how I told you no again. Are you still upset about it?” Alice asks, poking me in the side and laughing.
“No, I got you in the end along with everything promised to the charity, so I’m happy. Just quit telling me no, okay?” I wrap one arm around her waist, and she leans into me as we walk through the stalls of Pike Place Market.
“I can’t make any promises,” she says, stopping beside a stall and picking up a small handmade trinket—or so the sign on the table says.
I send up a small prayer that this whole endeavor goes smoothly.
My parents and Ivy arrived early this morning, and so did Alice’s mom and her cousin, Desi. Vicky is here as well, stating that she wanted to be here for this monumental occasion since she doesn’t get to keep up with Ivy and me as much as she would like now that she lives closer to her son and daughter-in-law. I know she spoils her grandchild, and I’m happy that she’s happy. They are all supposed to be waiting for us outside the market, where I plan to propose to Alice.
Nerves assault me, and I swallow thickly as I watch her. Sometimes, I can’t believe my own luck, and the fact that I get to wake up with her every single day makes me smile.
“What are you smiling about?” Alice asks, and I realize she’s turned around and regarding me curiously, her head cocked to the side.
“Nothing, just enjoying the view,” I say with a wink to distract her.
“You are such a creep,” she says with a laugh as she turns and continues to walk.
I notice she puts a little extra sway in her hips since she knows I’m watching her ass. A chuckle escapes from my lips, and I think I might see her shoulders shake with suppressed laughter.
I hurry to catch up with her, glancing around to see if I can spot any family members but breathe a bit easier when I don’t.
“Are you hungry?” I ask Alice after we’ve browsed a few more stalls, and she turns to me, lips pursed as she considers it.
“I could eat,” she tells me, and I nod.
Everything is going according to plan. I place my hand on her lower back, propelling her along until I find what I’m looking for, stopping in front of the food truck.
Alice raises one eyebrow at me. “Chicken and waffles?” she asks, and I nod, pulling my wallet out as I order from the small window.
“I think it’s a tradition now, right?” I ask her.
“I’m not sure we can call it a tradition unless we do this every year.”
“It’s done. I promise to bear the weight of taking you to Seattle every year to eat chicken and waffles,” I tell her, and she wrinkles her nose, shaking her head.
“You make it sound like a chore,” she says, reaching up as a man leans out the window and hands us two paper containers filled with our food.
“It’s not a chore if you are with me,” I say, taking one of the containers and pressing her against me with my other arm. I lay a quick peck on her lips and then smile against them when I feel her own lips forming one.
“Hey, move on,” someone grumbles behind us.
I pull away, shooting the person a dirty look. No one can ruin this day for me. I kiss Alice once more for good measure and then grab her hand, pulling her along with me.
I find the same bench we sat on outside the market last year, and thankfully, it’s not occupied. I sit and pat the wood beside me, and she sits. Then, we eat in content silence for a moment. Well, she eats, and I nibble since nerves have taken over my stomach. I don’t know what it is about this woman that gets my stomach in a knot, but she still manages to do it, even all this time later.
“You know,” she says, licking a crumb off her lip. She finishes chewing and swallows the bite in her mouth. “The only thing that would make this more perfect—” She cuts off as her eyes widen, and I follow her gaze.
We watch a suspiciously fluffy cream dog trot our way down the sidewalk, a brown-haired girl holding the leash with a huge smile on her face. Alice is frozen, and I slowly pull the food from her hands and lay it beside mine on the bench. I slide off, landing on one knee in front of her. She glances at me and then back at Waffle and Ivy as they come to stand beside me.
I grab Alice’s hands, and she finally focuses on my face, holding my eyes with her own as I stare at her. I clear my throat, and her fingers squeeze mine quickly and then release. She blinks a few times, and I clear my throat again.
