Love Me Plus Size

Part 3

Kyle

"Glad you could make it Kyle," my friend, Zack, says, "wanna beer?"

"Yeah," I reply taking the drink and stripping off my tie. Undoing the top two buttons of my shirt I drape the grey tie over the back of the couch. Popping the can open I take a large swing enjoying the coolness from the liquid.

I sigh as I sit myself down on the couch next to my childhood friend, Caden. Leaning back, I relax against the softness of the cushions. The movie Taken is playing on the 60-inch flat-screen TV mounted on the wall.

"Long day?" Caden asks.

"Busy," I glance at him, "but doable. How about you? Do you have time to be drinking and sitting around? I thought you were in the middle of another big project and the deadline was closing in?"

Caden is an architect and having his own booming business usually means he's constantly busy.

Caden smirks proudly. "Already finished, just gotta present to the client Monday morning." He holds up his beer. "So, I deserve this as an achievement to my accomplishment."

"If you have all this free time, shouldn't you be spending it with your lovely new wife?"

The corner of Caden's lips arches up in a half-smile and I can tell he's thinking about his newly wedded bride, Erin. He takes a swing at his drink. "Of course, but Erin seems to have other ideas. She's spending the weekend at a spa resort with her friends. She specifically said, 'no boys allowed.' So, here I am."

My attention shifts to Zack. "And I'm assuming Cherry's on that trip too, given that she's one of Erin's best friends."

"Yep," Zack grimaces. "I got the same message as Caden. No boys allowed."

"Speaking of Cherry," Caden says, his stare shifts to the edge of the sectional couch where Zack currently sat. "Have you decided when you're going to ask her?"

There's no reason to question what Caden's implying. Zack and Cherry have been in a relationship for two years now and it's only a matter of time before Zack pops the question. Honestly, I'm surprised he hasn't already asked her to marry him.

The grin on Zack's lips extends slowly. "Soon. I'm taking her to New Zealand for her birthday in two months. I plan to ask her before we come back home."

"That's great to hear man," Caden replies raising his drink, "good luck."

"Thanks, just thinking about it makes my palms sweaty." Zack rubs his hands against his worn-out jean, drying them. "There's always a possibility that she might say no. Cherry's so radiant and independent, always living by her own set of rules. That's what I love about her but it's also the main reason I've waited so long to ask."

Caden shakes his head in distress, his voice gruff. "Yeah. Getting on one knee, holding the ring, pouring out your heart, and saying you love her, only to have her say no, seriously sucks. It's a damn horrible feeling."

I chuckle my laugh full of humor. "Yeah, take it from the guy with experience. He's the king of being rejected when it comes to proposals." Caden glares at me and I couldn't help but laugh louder. "How many times did you proposed to Erin only for her to say no. Five? Six times?"

"Four," he replies, his chin tilting up in triumph. "Plus, it wouldn't have mattered how many times she said no, I would have continued to ask her for the rest of my life if I had to. She's the only woman I have ever wanted to marry and grow old with and that statement still stands true today. Sure, each rejected proposal hurt and stabbed my male pride, but at the end of the day I knew she loved me, and that's all that mattered."