Infinity and Beyond

29 - Something to Ask

Ashton

The woman behind the counter returned from the locked door, a small cardboard box in her hand and her pristine ponytail swinging side to side on the back of her head. I waited nervously as she took a craft knife from under the counter and cut the box open, lifting out a tiny bag and, from that, another smaller box. This one, of course was different. It was a soft material with rounded edges and it didn't have any other bags or boxes inside of it. Just one diamond engagement ring.

"Is this the one, sir?" she asked me clearly.

"Holy shit," Calum muttered beside me, receiving a few turned heads and disapproving looks from other shoppers.

"That's it," I answered, smiling. "It's perfect."

"If I can just get confirmation of your details and payment then, please," the lady requested, the articulation in her voice just what I would have expected from a shop like this. It was like being in a whole other world - there was barely a guy in sight, and if there was he had gelled back hair and dazzling white teeth, and all the female workers were in flawless tight blazers and pencil skirts. The shoppers seemed just the same, though they were sparse, and I felt very out of place being not only male but also in skinny jeans and a jacket rather than a shirt and tie.

"Sure," I said, wasting no time in handing my credit card over. The sooner I had the ring, the sooner we could get out.

"Lovely. Thank you. Can I interest you in anything else while you're here? Wedding bands, maybe?"

"Well, she hasn't said yes yet," I joked and she and I laughed. My response seemed to satisfy her enough to allow us to leave, so I picked up the bag with the ring safely inside it, then placed it in another that I had with me. Leaving before anyone saw us was fair enough, but it would be for nothing if someone noticed the bag and word got out anyway.

"Boy, that was something else in there," Calum commented once we were back out in the streets. "Did you see that ring on display next to you? It was ten thousand pounds!"

"Really? Well, uh, you know that doesn't surprise me," I realised after my initial astonishment.

"How come? Wait, how much did you pay for that ring?"

"I'm not telling you that!"

"Okay, it was a lot, wasn't it. Man, you better hope she says yes after that," Calum laughed.

"Yeah well...her parents have to first."

"Then let's go and ask them."

The journey to Emily's parents house was one of the most tense of my life, and as much as I tried to take a keen interest in what her mum was telling me about the family I couldn't focus. Even talking about Emily I wasn't relaxed entirely. If anything, it was worse then, because it was just reminding me of why I was in England, and of what had brought me to their house. When Calum left the room to go to the bathroom and it was finally time, I felt like my heart was about to jump out of my mouth, land on my lap, then run away without me.

"There's something I wanted to ask you while I'm here," I started to say. "Actually, it's sort of the reason I'm here."

"What's that sweetheart?" Emily's mum asked.

"I, um...you know I really love Emily. I would never do anything to hurt her and all I want to do is make her happy, for as long as can. So, I, er-"

"Yes, Ashton," her dad interrupted me.

"Huh?"

"Yes. You can marry our daughter," he stated and Emily's mum smiled at me, tears brewing in her eyes. I, on the other hand, was just confused. "I can see the ring box in your pocket. I noticed it nearly two hours ago. We've just been waiting for you to ask - we already answered between us when we were getting the tea and biscuits."