Lean on Me

Part Two - Chapter Eight: The Dinner Date

Fernando smiled pressing a kiss to Cassidy’s lips as they prepared to go out to dinner together while his parents watched the twins and his older children where spending time with their mother.

“So what’s the occasion?” Cassidy asked as they walked into the restaurant that Fernando had made reservations at; he smiled knowing that tonight was going to change everything for them, he just hoped that she would say yes.

“No occasion, I just wanted to do something nice for you,” Fernando said looking at her, he knew that they had only been together for a while now and he wanted to make sure that there was nothing that could come between them anymore.

Cassidy looked at him confused as she wondered what had brought this on, she knew that Fernando had something planned and it made her curious; she was wearing a red closet wrap front tulip dress paired with black pointed high heels and a black glitter clutch bag for their date.

It didn’t take them long before they were seated, Cassidy watched him curiously wondering what had brought this on; things had been going well for them lately and even with George’s meddling in their relationship.

“We’ll have a bottle of the reserva red wine,” Fernando said smiling at the waitress that was serving them, he had everything planned out and he knew that tonight had to be special if he wanted it to stand out from everything else so far in their relationship.

Cassidy raised an eyebrow at him as the waitress left them alone, she was amazed that he had done all of this for her and with so little time especially since they were to return to London soon.

***

“Okay Fernando what is going on?” Cassidy asked looking at her boyfriend, she couldn’t believe that they had been together for fourteen and a half months now and that everything seemed to be going so well for them.

Fernando looked at his girlfriend knowing that this would be the time was coming, they had just finished their main course and had ordered dessert with champagne; he wanted everything to be perfect when he asked her to marry him.

“It’s nothing… just in the fourteen months that we have been together, I couldn’t have been happier,” Fernando said as the waitress brought them their dessert and champagne; he smiled as he took his girlfriend’s hand as he thought about what he was going to say.

Cassidy raised an eyebrow at him as she wondered where he was going with this, she knew that he had been preoccupied lately but this didn’t add up.

“Is that Sergio?” Fernando asked nodding behind her, Cassidy looked at him confused before she looked behind her and tried to see what he was looking at.

While her back was turned the footballer quickly slipped something out of his pocket and popped it into her champagne before Cassidy turned back to face him; she shook her head wondering what he was up to.

“How about a toast?” Fernando said nervously there was no going back now and he knew that he had to ask her now before he lost his nerve.

Cassidy nodded her head, they hadn’t done much for their anniversary since they had been preparing to move home and she was pregnant but she could tell that something was going on.

“To our small family and our future together,” Fernando said as the couple toasted their relationship, his brown eyes stayed focused on Cassidy sipping carefully on the champagne before she noticed that there was something in her glass.

“Fernando?” Cassidy whispered as she carefully pulled the 18ct white gold quarter carat diamond cluster ring from her champagne and stared at him speechlessly; she watched as he carefully took the ring from her and dried it before he got down on one knee in front of her.

“Cass in the last sixteen months since I met you, I have been happier than I have ever been… the last fourteen months mean so much to me and I don’t know what I would ever do without you,” Fernando said staring up at his girlfriend, Cassidy covered her mouth in shock as she tried to wrap her head around what he was doing.

Cassidy hadn’t expected anything like this when he had asked her out to dinner and now the brunette understood why María Paz had wanted to help her dress for the date; she knew about the proposal and what Fernando had planned.

“You have made me feel so alive and I want to spend the rest of my life with you… Cassidy Hilary Smith will you marry me?” Fernando asked looking up at her worried that she would day no; he swallowed as there was a pause that seemed to go on forever, he felt faint as he started to panic that she was going to say no.

“No,” Cassidy whispered staring at Fernando taken back, she blinked as she realised that she had said before shaking her head; she swallowed as she looked at her boyfriend who was staring at her devastated.

“I didn't mean that. I just wanted to try it, to say it, to assert my own sense of free will, but my free will wants you,” Cassidy looking at her boyfriend, who looked at her confused; he wasn’t sure if she had said yes or not but the look on her face made him hope that she had.

Cassidy chewed on her lip as she looked at him, she couldn’t believe that she had said that without thinking; the last thing that she wanted was to make him think that she didn’t want to marry him.

“So it's a yes?” Fernando asked looking at her, he shifted as his legs started to ache; he watched her hoping that she would make sense soon, he wanted to marry her more than anything and he hoped that he would get to.

“Yes, of course,” Cassidy said looking at him, she smiled as Fernando stared at her for a moment before he slipped the ring onto her finger; he quickly pulled her into his arms and kissed her thrilled that she had said yes.

***

“So are you ready to go back to London?” George asked kissing Olalla, she wasn’t happy with how he was acting towards Fernando; he didn’t like the footballer and never would.

Olalla nodded her head smiling at George as she thought about how much had changed for her, she turned her attention back to her children as she thought about how she could have been celebrating her third wedding anniversary with Fernando if she hadn’t made a mess of things.

Olalla shook her head as she sighed and moved to check on Georgie, she wouldn’t change her son for anything in the world but she wished that she could have the security that Fernando gave her when they were married.

“I have the house sorted so we don’t have to worry about anything when we get there,” George continued ignoring the fact that Olalla didn’t seem thrilled that they were going to be living together.

Olalla just nodded her head wondering if there was a way for her to win Fernando back; George wasn’t truly interested in her anymore only their son.

Olalla still loved Fernando and while Cassidy was still in the picture that she didn’t stand a chance in winning her ex-husband back leaving her out in the cold.

###

Author's Note:

I'm sorry... I really love A Time Traveler's Wife xxx