Bright and extra early I find myself walking into a Starbucks location that I normally don't go to. I usually stop at the one that is next to the office but I needed a change. That mini-trip to the beach was exactly what I needed. I knew what I had to get accomplished today and I knew how this day would end.

Standing in these long lines in the morning are the worst but the coffee is worth the wait. I order my coffee and wait. The world was looking up once it was finally in my hands. I felt a sense of accomplishment over a simple cup of coffee. As I turn to walk out of the front door I see a man that looks familiar sitting in a dark back booth typing away on his computer. I walk closer and his face is clearer now. I sit down quietly in the booth without him even glancing up at me. "Justin!"

He doesn't look up at first, maybe he thought he had imagined that I was sitting there. When his eyes finally glance up he sees that it's actually me sitting there.

"Em." He says it with a sigh of relief but I can hear the pain that still resides in his voice.

"How are you?" I asked.

"I manage to get through the weekend without you."

"I told you, you could do it." I lower my coffee onto the table reaching my hand across the table and shut the laptop that he typing away on.

"Hey, I was writing something."

"I think what I have to say is a little more important."

His face lights up with excitement. "And..."

"I love you. I really love you."

"I love you to."

"We both screwed up. I shouldn't have ran. I should have let you explain. But you made choices you shouldn't have, however everyone has a past. It's just how we chose to deal with the past in the present that changes our lives. I want to be your wife. I want to wake up next to you every day for the rest of our lives."

"Are you saying, what I think you're saying?"

"I need you to be beyond honest with me. I want to know the stupid things; I want to know the serious things..." I stand up in front of him, leaning down to his face, "I want to marry you... I love you." I leaned in to kiss him and he pushes me back.

Cocking his head sideways, "All in?"

"All in. No running, I prom..." his lips are smashing against mine before I could finish the sentence.

            When our lips finally part he shuffles around in his pocket. Lifting his hand into the air, "I believe this is yours." He holds in his hand, my ring.

"Do you carry around a couple hundred thousand dollar ring with you all the time, hoping a pretty girl says yes?"

"Only one girl and she said yes!"

            He slipped that ring back on the finger where it belonged, it felt so right. He lifted me into his arms and began to spin around. The world around us didn't exist anymore. Which wasn't the best choice, we had to contain ourselves before grabbing our things and running out of that coffee shop.

            Nearly four seconds after arriving at the car, Justin had me pinned against the driver's side of my car. His hands, his hands were all over my body... We instantly knew that it wasn't going to stop with just that. We both jumped into my car and sped as fast as we could to get back to his place. He gently held my hand as he drove. Caressing the side of my hand that reassured me how much this man cared. Our hands fit together. It was a simple gesture that makes my world perfect with him.

            Every piece of clothing was shredded as we walk through those doors. I jump onto him and latched my legs around his waist as we walk up the stairs, hoping to at least make it up the stairs. Dropping me onto the bed he climbs on top of me. Staring up into his eyes, I see my future, I see my husband, I see the father of my children. It's a clarity that I had never had before. I could imagine him as my husband but I couldn't see the reality of it until that moment. I see him in every involvement of my life. I wrap my hands around his jaw line to hold him steady for just a moment. "I love you" I said as I slowly brought his face down to meet mine; I was trying to breathe in every moment with him like it was the first time all over again.

            Moments after exhaustion set in I lie there in his arms hoping I wasn't dream and that this has all really did just happen. The clock on the nightstand was brightly showing that I was late for work. My phone had been ringing off the hook but I didn't want to get up off that bed. I was content just where I was, but I knew I couldn't do that. I had to be responsible and get my ass in the office. I thought Justin had fell asleep so I lifted his arms slowly and sat up on the bed, looking around the room for my articles of clothing that are probably too wrinkled to even wear now. I don't see anything in here that is mine. I begin to step off the bed, and he pulls me back down next to him.

"I have to go. I'm already late. I'm, sure everyone is in panic mode by now."

"They can manage without you."

"I wish they could."

He was quiet for a moment, "Move in with me."

"Seriously?" I asked with a smile on my face.

"Yes. We will have to move eventually anyways when we get married. And I don't want to spend another night without you right next to me."

"I will move in with you." I said, calmly.

"With no argument?"

"I have nothing to argue over. I want to live with you. I want to wake up next to you every morning."

"I love this side of Emily... I just love you."

"I just love, you."

"I'm out of town this weekend through Tuesday, we can do it then?" he asked.

"I will arrange for the movers."

"We are seriously doing this..."

"Why wouldn't we be?"

"I just wouldn't have thought a couple hours ago that I would be lying in bed with you, with my ring on your finger, talking about moving in together." He takes my hand and lifts it up so he could see the ring on my hand.

"Everything happens for a reason."

"What will you do with your apartment?"

"I bought that apartment with my sign on bonus. I will rent it to someone... maybe Lex. She needs a new place for her and the baby. Her apartment is tiny."

"Sounds great. Now... crawl back into this bed."

"Justin." 

"Okay. Okay. You can go to work but we are going to dinner at 7:00 sharp..."

"Fine, you twisted my arm Mr. Timberlake." I laughed at him and shimmied out of the bed and tracked myself down the stairs to find the rest of my clothing.

            I couldn't believe how scattered they were. I really didn't think they could end up in the places they did. I slide my panties on the moment I find them. I lean down to pick up my skirt and I hear the front door that is directly in front of me start to open. The door opened quicker than I could move.

"JUSTIN!!! I'm here! Where the hell are you? I waited at that damn coffee shop for over an hour." I slowly look up to see Justin's best friend walks through the door as I stood in just a pair of panties. "Wow. It's nice to see you again Emily."

            "FUCK." I said, as I manage to cover up the top half of my body with the clothing I gathered from the floor as my face turns a deep shade of red.

He reached out his arms in attempt to hug me but then he realizes that I can't move a single inch. "I take it things are worked out between the two of you seeing as you are naked in his house."

            "I... I... will go get Justin." I took off up the stairs not even caring that he was seeing my entire backside. Only me, would something like this happen to.

            I entered the room as Justin was pulling up his sweatpants over his boxer briefs. "Your best friend just got here... and found me downstairs..." I motioned to the fact that I was still naked, "like this."

            He smiles and chuckles. "That's good ol' Trace for you. He always has perfect timing."

"I have to go. I'm so late and slightly embarrassed. Can Trace take you to your car?"

"I love you, don't worry about it and I will talk to Trace about using his key. Have a great day at work. Hopefully I won't be a pain in your ass today."

"I guess I better get used to you being a pain in my ass." I straightened out my shirt. It was only slightly wrinkled.

Justin walks by me and smacks my ass. "I will give you a pain in the ass..."

            I had missed four calls from Tracey and it looked like I had two missed calls from Cheryl. I knew the office was going to blow up my phone. I was officially forty-five minutes late for work and I'm typically in the office at least an hour before everyone else. The traffic was a nightmare trying to get back downtown. I literally parked my car in the garage and my phone was ringing again. It was Tracey.

"I'm on my way. I just... had some things to take care of this morning." I said in to the phone before she could say anything to me. "Give me two minutes. I will be right there."

            When I got off the elevator she was standing at the end of the hallway tapping her foot. Then suddenly her foot slows its pace and her body stiffens, she stops tapping her foot and her face drops. I had no clue what was going on but she looked like she was about to drop something yet again into my lap. As I get closer to her I see the smile on her face get bigger and bigger. "Emily Clarkson. I think you have some explaining to do." She glances down at my left hand.  "Is that what I think it is?"

"Well if you think it is my engagement ring, you are correct."

"When? How? Wow... it doesn't matter. Congratulations." She starts to do that giddy happy dance.

"I just decided he makes me happy, truly over the moon happy. He is the person I want to spend the rest of my life with... He stole my heart and won't let go."

"Finally.  I'm so happy for you... for both of you."

"Thanks. Was there something you needed when you called this morning?"         

"I have completely forgotten why I was calling you so much..." She looks like she is raking her brain hard core. I had seriously blindsided her and she doesn't get blindsided very often. Her face relaxes, "Oh I remember. There is a Chad here to see you. He has been here almost an hour. He said he is a close friend and it was urgent that he sees you."

"Chad Harrington?" I drop my head and the joy that was on my face was gone.

"I'm sorry I don't know his last name. Is it bad that he is here?"

"Yes." Chad. Chad. I don't want to see him again. I don't want to ever see him again. "Will you have security on alert on this floor?"

"What's going on?"

"He is my ex-boyfriend whom I left and he won't get over it."

"I'm sorry, I didn't know. I will get them up here around you office now."

            I took a deep breath and opened my office door.

            In my chair I see the one person that I never wanted to see again.