MY PRETEND WIFE

The Proposal

Richard paced back and forth as he waited for Maine to arrive. He had just spoken to her less than five minutes ago but he was already feeling restless. He had been awake last night until the wee hours of the morning thinking of Jake's suggestion. He had been extremely surprised when he suggested Maine as a prospect wife. It must be because he's always drilled into his mind a thousand times that Maine was off limits. She was an untouchable for him for so many reasons. For one thing, she was Joyce's best friend who in turn was Kris' wife. She was too close into his circle that it would make things too complicated if he ever pursued her and everything ended up badly. He does not have any plans of being in the receiving end of Joyce's rage. She can be scary sometimes. He had seen her in action before and he was not in a hurry to experience it firsthand. Another thing was that he has always perceived Maine as a girl who took relationships seriously. She was a dreamer, an idealist while he on the other hand was a cynic when it came to matters of the heart. She was a believer of true love and he was far from that. He had seen so many failed relationships in his life that he came into a conclusion that love does not last. He couldn't remember how many times they've argued in the past as they debated on their principles and beliefs regarding that matter and in the end they've reached an impasse and decided to drop the subject all together. Apart from all this, he had to admit that the main reason why he did not pursue Maine was because she was his friend - a very good friend for that matter. Aside from Jerald she was the only person who knew him inside and out. He valued his friendship with her and he did not want to taint such a wonderful relationship with something so trivial such as love.

But now, as he was posed with such a life-altering decision, he couldn't help but agree with Jake and the rest of the gang that she might just be his life saver. For the first time, after being friends for so long, he allowed himself to imagine Maine as a lover - someone to spend the rest of his life with. He imagined waking up beside her every day, taking cups of tea over stimulating conversations, taking her out to lunches and dinners, and he found out after mulling over these that he did not mind it at all. He did not mind having Maine around for the rest of his life. In fact if he wanted to be completely honest with himself, he was actually kind of looking forward to it. Now, if only she could also see it that way.

Maine stood nervously in front of RJ's unit. She had been standing there for five minutes now but she couldn't bring herself to go inside or even at least knock. She took a deep breath and adjusted her dress as she tried to calm her nerves. Her instinct was telling her that something big was about to happen but she couldn't put her finger on it. She chewed on her bottom lip as she tried to decide if she was ready to enter and face RJ but she couldn't stand in front of his door the whole day. With her heart hammering incessantly in her chest, she reached out for the door knob and opened the door.

Richard looked up immediately as soon as he heard the door open. He watched Maine step inside and close the door gently behind her.

"You came." he said as his gaze locked on hers.

"I told you I was coming didn't I?" Maine said with a wry smile.

Richard smiled. He stood up from the couch and headed towards the kitchen to get something.

Maine watched RJ as he moved around his unit. With tentative steps, she walked further inside and placed her purse on the table then followed him to his kitchen.

"Did you want some tea?" Maine asked.

"That would be nice." he agreed.

She had been to his studio so many times that she already knew her way around it. She took the small tea pot from the shelf and started to boil water. She also took out the matching tea cups and placed it on a wooden tray that she found in one of the cabinets. Maine was so busy with the task at hand that she did not notice Richard was watching her with an amused smile on his face.

Richard, in the other hand observed Maine as she moved purposefully around the kitchen. She looked right at home inside his little kitchen that he couldn't help but smile. He started imagining her making breakfast for him in the near future and his smile grew wider. RJ! Don't get ahead of yourself. She hasn't agreed yet. He reprimanded himself. He moved back into his living room to wait for her before she could catch him staring. A few minutes later, Maine stepped out of the kitchen with the wooden tray on her hands. He took it from her and placed it on the table. Maine settled herself on the bench as RJ poured out the tea for them.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" Maine finally asked after they had finished their tea.

Richard gathered the cups and placed them on the tray before answering her. "I have both good news and bad news." He said as he stood up and brought the tray back into the kitchen.

"Tell me the good news first." Maine said. Richard turned around and walked back into the living room where Maine was waiting for him.

"My mother talked to me a few days ago and she said that she's thinking of turning the company over to me." Richard disclosed.

His news was rewarded with a beautiful smile from her "That's wonderful!" She exclaimed. "I knew you would do a good job."

Richard looked at her and smiled back. In spite of his nervousness, her smile was infectious and he couldn't stop himself from returning her smile.

"What's the bad news then?" She asked with a puzzled look on her face.

Richard took a deep breath. This was the moment he was dreading. "She did have one condition though." He whispered.

"What is it?" she asked curiously.

"She wants me to get married." He said.

Maine's heart stopped. He's getting married?! She could feel tears prickling at the corner of her eyes. She knew it. The moment she was dreading for had finally arrived. RJ is getting married.

"I see." She said slowly as she tried to stop the tears from falling. RJ must not see her cry.

"That's why I need your help." he said with a nervous smile on his face.

In spite of her heartache she couldn't help but feel baffled with his request.

"How in the world can I help you?" She asked.

Her eyes grew wide in surprise as RJ slowly walked towards her. He looked at her with so much intensity that she was reminded of a panther stalking his prey. She started to move back as he approached her. She kept on moving back until she hit the wall. With quick labored breaths she watched him as he approached her, trapping her against the wall, until there were only mere inches separating them. With a sexy smile, he opened his mouth and uttered the words that almost made Maine faint.

"Will you marry me?"