Book Club

Popping The Question

Penelope rolls her eyes and opens the box to spite him. Her jaw drops again. Derek smirks at her undermining benevolence. "This is- This is beautiful."

"It was my Grandmother's. When I was little she told me to use it when I truly loved someone. She described it as your heart fluttering and your body heating up every time you even think of the person," Derek continues, "I felt that as soon as she walked into the round table."

"Awww that's so sweet!" Penelope shuts the box and runs over to Derek and hugs him.

After a minute of silent hugging, Derek pushes away, "Can you help with these?"

"Absotootly, I can," Penelope pulls over a chair and starts plucking petals off of the stems.

After they finish picking petals, Derek asks Penelope to 'do her thang' and hack into the restaurant and change the reservation to today. It may have kicked out a different unknowing couple, but who really cares. Derek starts spreading petals from the front door in a path to the couch. Penelope almost cries, "Derek this is going to be perfect." Penelope sets candles out, but does not light them. That would be a fire hazard. Derek hugs her and walks her to the car.

Soon enough 6:30 rolls around and Derek gets himself all buttoned up in his fancy suit. Meanwhile, Emily has been getting ready since 5. She knows better than to dress down like last time. She puts on this form fitting red flare dress, paired with red pumps making her only 3 inches taller. She puts on her everyday makeup with a bit more mascara. She grabs her curler and begins to curl her hair.

Derek and Emily both hop in their own cars at the same time of 6:47. They arrive at the restaurant a few minutes later. Derek steps out of his car and his jaw drops. Emily blushes to match her dress. Derek quickly kisses then admires her defined figure in the dress, "Now that's what I'm talkin bout." Derek loses his breath as she does a twirl. Derek begs, "Again, again."

She twirls one more time and holds his hand, "You ready to go in."

"You don't know how ready I am," Derek winks, takes her hand, and walks in. Derek walks in and up to the counter. A woman with the name tag Marilyn is working. Derek clears his throat and announces, "Derek, party of 2."

"Follow me, please," Marilyn shows them to their small booth and hands them their menus. Derek skims the menu and makes a quick decision, "I will have the Pumpkin Ricotta Gnocchi with Pancetta and Seared Radicchio. It sounds amazing."

Emily nods and announces, "I'll go for the Curried Roasted Eggplant with Smoked Cardamom and Coconut Milk. Sounds delicious."

The waiter comes over, "Hello, my name is Mark, can I get drinks for you?"

Derek and Emily both ask for water, but Derek stops Mark before he leaves, "We have our order if you would like it."

"Absolutely," Mark flips open his order pad and clicks his pen.

Derek orders for the both of them, "Can I get Pumpkin Ricotta Gnocchi with Pancetta and Seared Radicchio? And can she get the Curried Roasted Eggplant with Smoked Cardamom and Coconut Milk? That'll be all."

"I'll go put them in," Mark takes the menus away from them and walks towards the computer to put the orders in.

Derek holds her hand across the table, "You look gorgeous."

"You look dashing yourself," Emily smiles.

Derek admits, "I have to admit, I talked with your mother last week."

Emily is taken back, "How? What? Why?"

"I stole her number from your phone," Derek leans back ready for more questions.

"Why? Why- Why did you..." Emily can't finish her question.

Derek tries to explain without giving away, "I wanted to meet her. You talked about her on the first date and I just wanted-" Derek looks at her souring face and rethinks his wording, "I can see that was a mistake. I- I don't even know what to say."

"It's just..." Emily takes a deep breath, "She's a lot to handle."

"Really?" Derek seems surprised.

Emily explains, "She asks a lot of questions and is headstrong. She is an Ambassador-"

"I know, she introduced herself as that," Derek smiles.

Emily smiles back at him, "I'm fine with you talking to her, it's just that I had wished you would have told me. I hope she didn't scare you..."

"She was lovely," Derek says. Emily seems surprised. The waiter comes back with food and water. Derek mentions, "That was fast."

"We try to serve everybody as fast as we can," Mark places the food with Derek and Emily then places the water next to the dishes.

Promptly after paying the bill they go across the street for ice cream. They get the same as they previously got on their first date. After joking around and slowly eating ice cream Derek suggests, "I know it's not Friday, but maybe we could do some reading."

"Sure!" Emily packs into her car and drives behind Derek. Derek made sure he was the first to the door. Derek opens the door slowly to reveal a trail of rose petals to the couch. Emily gasps, "Derek... This is... beautiful..."

Derek holds the door open, "M'Lady."

"Thank you, good sir," Emily slowly admires and takes in the rose petals, then sits on the couch. While Derek grabs his lighter and lights the candles, Emily notices new copies of Mother Night on the table, "We already read Mother Night."

"I was thinking we could reread Mother Night. I've been doing some research, and I want to see if the text has any new hidden mysteries," Derek sits in his wobbly accent chair while Emily lays down on the couch.

She laughs, "Who are you, Doctor Reid? And what have you done with Derek?" Derek laughs back at her joke. Emily reaches for her copy of Mother Night to find it is lighter, "Did you do something to my book?" Derek shakes his head in denial. Emily shrugs her shoulders and puts her attention back towards the book. She opens it to find a velvet box put in a cut-out hole inside the book. She looks up at Derek, "What is this?" She grabs the small box and opens it to find a sparkling ring. She looks at Derek who has made his way down on his knee.

Derek begins, "Emily Elizabeth Prentiss, the moment I saw you, I fell head over heels in love with you." Emily adjusts herself to properly face Derek. He continues, "I can't see myself in the future where I am not with you." Emily starts to tear up as Derek takes a breath. He takes the ring box out of her hand and faces it towards her, "Will you marry me?"

Emily stares at Derek for a moment, but then soon responds overjoyed,

"Yes! Yes!"

Derek slips the ring on her finger and kisses her. Emily puts the hollowed books down and kisses him back passionately. Emily falls back onto the couch and lets Derek take charge. She manages to mutter in between kisses, "I love you."

"I love you too," Derek says back.