Marry Me

6. Ridiculous Deal

Alex Kellen.

It didn't take me long to prepare another course for dinner. Cooking, after all is second nature to me. I simply prepared some stir fry and we sat at the convertible dinner-desk. Space was limited in the cabin but the view and the quiet surrounding made up for it. I would have arranged us to have dinner outdoors, if only the weather hadn't gotten so chilly towards the evening.

May glanced at Maddie who was peacefully snoozing on the rug. "How about Maddie's dinner?"

"She already had it. She has hypothyroid so her meals and medication has to be on a fixed time basis."

May smiled, the awkwardness finally dissipating between us. "You look after her well."

I merely nodded as she continued babbling about Maddie. After dinner, we moved to the rockers on the tiny porch of the cabin, watching the sun sink into the horizon.

I had feared her reaction so much that it scared me. Never in my life have I expected someone to like me. Not even my parents.

But May...was different. And she deliberately avoided the topic of my occupation.

That only made my nerves worse than ever. When I couldn't stand it any longer, I called her name in a soft caress. "May?"

She stepped out her stupor and turned away from the sun. "Y...yes?"

"So... What do you think?"

She sighed, realizing that she couldn't avoid the inevitable anymore. "Of what? You being the Mafia boss?"

I took a deep breath. "Yes. About that."

"That was sure as hell not what I had expected."

I smiled at her wryly. A part of me was relieved that she wasn't running for the hills. Not right now anyway.

There was along pause. I could sense that she wanted to say something. So I held on to the painful silence, waiting for her.

"Alex?"

"Yeah?"

"What do you want with me? I need you to be serious this time."

"I'm always serious, May. I kind of have to be."

"Just answer the damn question!" May snapped.

"I want you in my life. As my life partner."

Her emerald green eyes widened as she realized that I was being god damn serious. Her body stiffened with shock and she turned away, her sight back on the sun. Silence filled the gap.

My thoughts occupied my mind, wondering how the hell did I land myself in this kind of situation. Why am I attracted to her like this? Why her? And how long is this going to last, assuming she said yes?

But why would she say yes? For hell's sake I just asked her to marry me and we don't even know each other. Well I know enough, thanks to Eden but May? She doesn't know much about me. And my occupation was probably a deal breaker.

So again, why am I in this situation?

I didn't know how many minutes passed... Maybe even hours. The sun had disappeared and the stars began to shimmer in the dark sky. It was a moonless night.

Sensing it was getting late, I called out to her softly. "May?"

There was no answer. I smiled inwardly, thinking she was giving me the silent treatment. Gently, I nudged her shoulder with my fingers. Again no answer. I turned the rocker around to face me and almost laughed out loud.