FIFTY SHADES OF THEO JAMES

Chapter 10

I could hear the party guests arriving downstairs, their voices magnifying one by one as the crowd continued to swell. Standing at the window in my bedroom I glanced at the over-spill of guests flooding into the backyard, drinks in some hands, food in others. 

In a short period of time I would be down their proposing to Ellie. 

My heart was already racing at that very thought. It shouldn't, since it was just business. But I knew better. So did my subconscious. Ellie was more to me than just some business partner. I was in love with her.

I wracked my mind to try and remember the words I was to say to her in this proposal. The ones I had written from the very beginning when I had this whole ordeal planned out. Those words now seemed unfitting. 

Turning away from the window I opened the dresser beside my bed and took out the two small boxes. The first box was a simple black one that held the ring I first bought. The ring was a simple diamond ring, with a white-gold band. It was nothing special and thoughtlessly picked out. The second box, a red velvet box with gold trimming, held the ring I had purchased shortly after I had fallen in love with her. This was a family heirloom - a polished oval opal set into a striking silver band. It belonged to my great great grandmother who passed it down to her only child, who then passed it down to my mother who then gave it to me. 

This was the ring that I would propose to her with.

Sitting on the bench at the end of my bed I stared at the box with the opal ring inside. Would it be fair for me to continue letting her think this was still an emotionless business deal? 

Somehow I knew I couldn't just lie to her, even if it meant she might leave me because I love her.

Dressed in dark blue slim fit levi jeans and a white button down I started from my room. The music met me at the top of the staircase and I followed it downstairs. I greeted a few of the guests I met and then found my mother who quickly threw her arms around me.

"Happy birthday." She said, kissing me on both cheeks. "I still remember the day you were born."

"Yeah, me too." My sister said. "You were the most hideous thing I had ever seen. Thank goodness you grew into your looks." She teased. "Though, I'm still the better looking one."

I threw my arm over her shoulder and pulled her into a hug. "I will continue to let you think that." I teased back.

Releasing my arm I exchanged hugs with my father and the rest of my family and then we all headed outside. I found Ellie off to the side with her parents and some cousins, aunts, and uncles that had flown into town for the party.

"Hey love." I greeted, sliding my arm around her waist and then pressing my lips to her cheek. 

"Oh, everyone, this is-"

"-We know who he is, Ellie. All the women in the family won't stop talking about him since they saw Divergent." One of her uncles said. "I didn't care so much about the talk until I realized my niece was about to marry the man. Now I gotta keep my eyes on my wife."

Everyone within earshot began laughing. 

"Keep your hands to yourself, son." He then jokingly added.

Holding up my hands in defeat I laughed. 

Shortly after we did the cake and blew out candles. After everyone was served I decided it was now or never. Raising to my feet I held up my flute of champagne and clinked the side with my fork. It took a few moments, but then I had everybodies attention.

"Thank you, family, friends, and co-workers for being here with us to celebrate this very special day." I gazed around the room, the speech I had planned, at the front of my mind. But I couldn't open my mouth to speak the carefully rehearsed words. 

Taking a breath I glanced to my side to look at Ellie. She looked stunning, wearing a rose gold silk dress. Smiling I then gave my attention back to my family. 

"As most of you know, or at least know now-" i laughed. "-Ellie and I have been together for quite sometime. The way we met was so unconventional, that it didn't dawn on me that this was going to be the woman I'd soon fall in love with."

"But here I am. Madly in love with this beautiful, head strong, extravagant, smart woman." Reaching my hand into my pocket I pulled out the box and turned to Ellie before getting on one knee.

"Ellie, when we met I never planned on falling in love with you, and I know you felt the same. You have always expressed how afraid you were to let someone come close to you after all that you had been through in the past." I opened the box and her eyes widened. "I'm here on my knee telling you that you do not need to be afraid ever again. I love you Ellie and I want you to wear this ring as a promise to you that I am yours... completely and irrevocably. Making you happy is what I want to spend the rest of my life doing, even if what makes you happy is watching paint dry." I added jokingly. 

Her eyes stared down at the ring. She knew that this wasn't the speech I had planned from the beginning because I showed her what I wrote. This was real... I was in love with her and I could feel her anxiety rolling off of her in massive tsunami-sized waves. 

"Spend the rest of your life with me, Ellie. Marry Me."

It felt like an eternity had passed as she just stood their with wide eyes. Not one sound was made from any of our guests as they awaited her answer. With every passing moment I felt my heart drop lower and lower. She was going to say no and I would be heart broken and embarrassed.

I should have told her before this... Privately.

Finally, she opened her mouth.

"Uh... I guess everyone is waiting for my answer." She began. "You see, since day one I told myself not to fall in love with him. That we could just be friends. That we could only be friends. For a while it was easy... until  I realized that it actually wasn't. Even though we are together I have spent every waking moment fighting the intensity of my emotions that I had for him simply because I was afraid that it wouldn't last."

"But I guess now I don't have an excuse to not tell you that I love you Theodore. And I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

It took me a moment to comprehend that she said yes. Even after the fact I couldn't move. I was frozen in shock. This woman who was afraid of commitment, love, romance, this woman just committed herself to me.

"Holy shit..." I managed to speak. "You said yes?"

With shaky hands I slipped the ring on her finger and then jumped to my feet and lifted her into my arms. "THIS WOMAN JUST AGREED TO BECOME MY WIFE!" I shouted at the top of my lungs. "SHE SAID YES!"

Laughter, cheers and clapping filled the air as I spun her around in circles.  One by one people came up and congratulated us on our engagement. I couldn't stop smiling and neither could Ellie. 

Part of me felt like she had just said yes because of the business deal, and I would ask her about that later in person, but for now I was going to revel in the joy that this particular moment had brought me.

She was here, she was healthy, she was perfect, and she was engaged to become my wife.