More James! No Sebastian! Kind of a short chapter though sorry): Chapter 2 & 3 were supposed to be one long chapter but I felt like it was too long so tadah.
xoxoxoxoxoxo
“She’ll have the chocolate tart.” James folds up the dessert menu and hands it to the waiter. “And some more champagne please.”
I narrow my eyes at him playfully. “And what makes you think I want the chocolate tart?”
“You always have the chocolate tart when we come here. It’s our anniversary tradition.”
“Just like our appetizers and mains?” I raise a brow at him. “And they changed their menu a few months ago. The chef had to specially make our meals. Bit of an inconvenience, isn’t it?”
He gestures around the restaurant. “He isn’t cooking for anyone else except us.”
“Because you booked the whole restaurant. Again.”
“I didn’t want to inconvenience the chef by making him cook a special meal for us on top of the regular menu.” He grins at me cheekily.
“So you solved that by booking the whole restaurant.” I roll my eyes and laugh exasperatedly.
He shrugs. “It’s our tradition.”
“Don’t you think it would have been nice to try the new menu?”
“We can always come back. I promise I won’t book the whole restaurant. Just a big private section.”
“James. Seriously, we don’t always have to eat the same thing every year.” The waiter comes back then and pours us a glass of Perrier-Jouet pink champagne. Also a tradition, but something I didn’t discourage.
“I know, I know. It just feels… right. I promise for our next anniversary I won’t book the whole restaurant. And you can order anything off the menu.”
Reaching over for his hand, I stroke his long lean fingers with mine. “Except the chocolate tart. I’ll always have the chocolate tart.”
“Because nothing less but chocolate will do for dessert.”
“You got that right, mister!” I laugh and reach for my glass, taking a nice long sip. This was our second bottle, so I was already a little bit tipsy. As I was setting flute down on the table, something caught my eye. Something sparkly. Something resting in the bottom of the glass.
Oh, do I need a drink.
I down the rest of the champagne carefully, and gingerly drop it into my hand.
It’s an engagement ring.
Well, what else was I expecting? Snuffleupagus?
A pink heart shaped diamond, surrounded by tiny white diamonds forming a heart, set into a shiny platinum band. Girly and sparkly and pink; just so not me. It’s also huge. I can’t even begin to guess how many carats but just trust me on this. It’s ginormous.
Gently a hand reaches out and plucks it out of my palm, then slowly pushes it on my ring finger of my left hand.
It fits perfectly.
Oh, boy.
I look up to find James on one knee, his eyes sparkling with emotion.
“Say yes.” He whispers. “Say yes to waking up next to me everyday, because there’s no one else I’d rather see. Because everyday with you has been incredible. Because I can’t imagine being with anyone else. Because I love you, and adore you and I will spend the rest of my life loving and adoring you. Say yes.”
“Oh my god.” I hear myself say involuntarily.
“Chloe?” His brow furrows slightly. “What does that mean?”
I hesitate, looking back down at my ring. The restaurant staff is rustling about excitedly, whispering to themselves. I hope James had the sense of mind to ban cameras of any sort; I do not need this going up on the internet.
“Chloe? I love you. Say yes, please say yes.”
I feel like I’m swimming, trying to emerge from the murky depths of the sea, trying to find a way out. James is… amazing. He’s successful, handsome, kind and generous. Why am I hesitating?
My stepmother’s voice comes to mind. “Girl, you better get yourself pregnant with his baby because Lord knows that’s the only way you can hold on to someone like him, someone so much better than you.”
I frown to myself, and James’ frowns harder, but I barely notice as I touch the giant ring on my finger. Well, she’s wrong. I’m not pregnant. James is proposing of his own volition. I would know if I was pregnant, right?
“Am I pregnant?” I hear myself blurt out.
James blinks up at me 5 times before recovering his composure. “Uh… no? At least I don’t think so.” He pauses. “Are you?”
“I don’t think so.”
He tilts his head to the side and studies me, then gets up, sliding into the chair next to mine, still holding my hand. “That’s not why I want to marry you, you know.” I stare at him blankly. “I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Having a baby won’t change my mind.”
Swallowing, I find my voice. “Oh.”
“Put me out of my misery, Chloe. Please say you’ll marry me.”
“Oh James. I’m sorry, I was just so taken aback. But yes, I will marry you.”
Immediately, he sweeps me into his arms, hugging me joyfully, murmuring words I can’t comprehend.
I am engaged to James Callaghan. I am probably the luckiest girl in the world.
But maybe we should get a pregnancy test on the way home.
