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Chapter 26 - Unwanted Attention

"Dios Mio, Grace, did L actually ask you to marry him?" Jinya squeaked, giving Fritz a side glance that caused him to tug at his collar and clear his throat uncomfortably.

This was being nipped in the bud, I decided firmly as I set down the wine glass I had been pinching between my tensed fingers. "No, he offered me a friendly promise of protection claiming that I could only travel with him if we were married. In name only, mind you. Don't listen to his version of events. They are entirely invalid."

"That's much less romantic." she pouted. "Aren't you in love?"

"IN LOVE?" L and I both sputtered, then stared at each other in fear. I released a dismissive scoff.

"Absolutely not!" I turned back to the expectant others, willing them to believe me. I couldn't have everything come out now, in front of our friends when that sort of moment is meant to be private and intensely romantic, rather than terribly embarrassing.

"Highly unlikely." L seconded, in the middle of rubbing icing off of his tie after dropping his bite of cake. "Doesn't that sort of thing happen at first sight? When my eyes first fell on Grace, I wanted her gone."

"And I wanted to be gone." I added, wanting the conversation to disappear as well. "Hardly the solid basis for a romance."

Jinya sat back in her chair and crossed her arms, unhappy. "This gets worse and worse. What kind of fool proposes without being in love? Why would you want to marry someone just for work?"

"I don't think anyone would." Liam slipped me a teasing grin that I wished to wipe off of his face. "If they were being honest."

"Oh and L? If you want someone to take a proposal at least half seriously, you don't say "I'm completely lying" directly after. Kind of throws a mixed signal." Anne's eyes were bright with merriment as she gave her fiancé a supportive smile. I couldn't take much more of this and started to plan snatching one of the bread and butter puddings off of L's cart and making a run for the door.

"Er, duly noted." L replied calmly setting down his napkin and turning to face me. "Perhaps that addendum was added once I saw your reaction. To think, if you had consented, we could be man and wife at this very moment."

I hated that I felt pleased at that possibility, and rolled my eyes. "Oh yes, Mr. and Mrs. Deacon of course. I change my surname for no man."

"I had presumed that you would keep your name as well." he said quietly, "Or an alias would be created for your safety."

I met his eyes wordless, unable to breathe. He didn't seem to be joking anymore.

"Well," Anne slammed her hands down on the table in an effort at a distraction. "I'm going to be Anne Cornell. Or Anne Walters-Cornell. No aliases for me. Still haven't decided on which one yet though."

"Well you've got time." Liam kissed her cheek as the tension at the table dissipated. "To think a whole year to plan everything down to the color of the napkins! We can have everything exactly as we want it!"

"Yep, one year." She spoke with unbridled happiness. "Just think where we will all be in one year!"

"Just one request," L began then, pushing away his empty plate and reaching for a whole tiramisu off the cart. "At the wedding, please do not require ties."

Our laughs rose above the tinkling of glasses like music.

***

L smiled back at me. We were together in headquarters, I rifling through a filing cabinet, he crouched in the red armchair concentrating on the five different news reports emanating from the television sets. I felt such an easy peace between us, a comfortableness that made me more daring.