Shooting Stars

Forty-Two: Proposal

"Baby, calm down. What's wrong?" Namjoon looked at Anna as she sat next to him on the sofa. He had invited her for dinner at his place, but she seemed out of sorts. "You've been jumpy for weeks now. Are you okay?"

"I'm just nervous." She got to her feet and walked toward the large picture window that overlooked the beach. Namjoon's house was perfectly situated to catch the beautiful sunsets. "All I can think about is tomorrow. What if...what if everyone laughs? What if I shouldn't have been nominated? All those other people---"

"Are not as good as you," Namjoon finished for her. He walked up behind her and enveloped her in a hug. "Don't think about it anymore. You hardly ate anything after all the trouble I went through to give you a nice dinner."

She leaned back, her head resting on his chest. "Yeah. All the trouble your staff went through to set the table and prepare the food and ---"

"Okay, okay," he cut her off with a laugh. "It was my idea,though. Anyway, they're all gone now, and we're alone." He gently turned her around to face him. "If you could only see yourself with the sunset behind you. You look like an angel." He kissed her forehead. "You're my angel, my happiness, and I have something very important to ask you."

She leaned away from him. "Do you mean...?"

He flashed his beautiful dimpled smile and reached into his jacket pocket. He took a deep breath and got down on one knee. "Anna?"

"Oh, my God, Namjoon," she whispered. Her eyes widened when he held up a box opened to reveal a gorgeous diamond ring.

"You can't possibly be surprised, can you? You've known about my feelings for a while."

"I just, well, I'm still a little surprised." This was a big step. Her entire life would change. She briefly wondered what Jin was doing, what he might think about this. Then she closed her eyes. Why would he even cross her mind right now?

"So, will you marry me?" Namjoon was still looking up at her hopefully.

She brought both her hands to her face. All thoughts of Jin and the awards show instantly vanished. "Yes. Yes, I will."

He stood up and slid the ring onto her finger. "Thank you for making my dream come true. Every day I love you more, and I can't wait to devote my life to you."

"Are you sure about this?"

"I've never been more sure of anything in my life." He looked into her eyes. "I love you."

She placed her hand on his cheek and reached up to kiss him.

He gave a soft groan and pulled her closer, his lips attacking hers. No matter how much he tried to hold himself back, he couldn't. With superhuman effort, he broke the kiss.

"Anna, my love," he panted. "You're the only woman for me. The only one I could ever love this much. You can't imagine how I feel right now."

She giggled. "Uh, I know how you feel. I can feel it through your pants." She laughed again when she saw him look embarrassed.

"Oh...I'm...sorry," he sputtered. "It's just that I...that you..." He averted his eyes.

She kissed him again. "It's okay." She took a deep breath and slid her hands down from his chest to his waist. "I think I'm ready." She hooked a finger on his belt.

"For?"

She looked at him with raised eyebrows, and he gasped.

"Oh, for...for..." A huge grin split his face. "Are you sure?"

"Yes." She took several deep breaths and began to unbutton her blouse. It was time to move on.