I open the car door with much trouble and trip my way into the parking lot while trying to fix my shoe. I run to the door and open it and the secretary points to the left. She must get this a lot. I have on minute to get to her door. Or my drams are going down the drain.
Standing before her door I fix m shirt and knock softly.
Ten seconds left.
She opens the door and allows me in. “Hello.” She says softly. “Miss Nichols please have a seat.” I sit on the mot confirmable chair in the world, and sigh with a smile in my face
“Hi.” I extend my hand and she takes it lightly in her own. “It’s really nice to meet you Mrs. McCain.”
“It’s Miss.” She smiles. “I looked over your work and I’m surprised by someone your age with this much... experience.”
“I took classes all through high school and college. I took small jobs in the summer painting in New York also. And--”
“I know.” She laughs softly. She holds up my resume. “I have it all right here. I’m very impressed with you. I’m surprised that someone with this talent has a tendency to be late.
With all honesty, I was ten seconds early while being seven minutes late.
“It will never happen again. I promise. I’ve just been so caught up--”
“I heard about your mother. I’m very sorry.” The look in her eyes is sincere. I have this thing with people; I just know what they feel. She feels sad for me. But on with it lady. What can you do for me? She looks through the papers some more and sighs.
“I have something for you.”
Oh please let it be good.
I close my eyes and pry quickly for a second.
Oh please let it be good.
It’s been two hours since she left and it’s eight o’clock at night and I’m watching the animal planet as they do surgery on a cat with a broken leg or whatever. They're saving its life. The door opens and I hear it close with a slam. Something's up.
I crawl out of bed and down the stirs and find her raiding through the fridge. “Sorry I wasn’t here earlier. I had a meeting.” She takes out a Dr. Pepper and opens it.
“Okay.” She turns to me and I nod with a smile. “Hungry?”
“Starved.” She’s in the cupboard now looking for something. Its either sweets, the meeting went bad. Or some real food, the meeting went good. “I have nothing to eat in here.” She laughs softly a she closes the doors to it. She sighs and leans against the counter and takes another sip of her Dr. P.
“What was the meeting for?”
“Work.” She shrugs.
“Wal-Mart?”
She shakes her head and her nose scrunches. “No.” She laughs. “Something way... better.”
“What? You’re killing me Laur. Tell me.” I laugh as I stand beside her and lean against the cabinet.
“It’s a surprise.” She smiles. “Are you busy next week?”
“No.” I shake my head. “I have this huge break. Remember, the whole...” She nods immediately before I can say the rest.
“Yeah I remember.”
I nod in return and it’s silent around us. Nothing but the crickets in the yard signing a soft melody. “How about a late dinner?”
“Are you cooking?” She smiles.
“I’m paying.” I laugh.
She grabs her keys. “Even better.”
We’re sitting here in this fancy restaurant clear on the other side of town eating a wonderful supper. Him with the shrimp and fish. Me with my lemon chicken and angel hair pasta with garlic butter. Oh, it’s heaven. What an end to a nice day.
A perfect day.
“How about desert?”
I look up at the chandeliers and down to him. “You know, that sounds good.”
So we order a giant ice cream shell. It’s this Mexican desert with this huge tortilla shell with cinnamon and vanilla ice cream with all the toppings you could imagine. We finish it off with no room for anything else. We can’t even finish our margaritas. Which is a waste.
“I’ll get the bill. You can head out to the car if you want.” He stands up and helps me out of the booth and I smile as I kiss his cheek.
“Thanks for this.” I look around the beautiful room and smile. “It’s the perfect ending to this day.”
“There's more to come.” He kisses my cheek and I smile as I let go of his hand and walk out the door. I stand outside and watch as he goes to the register and pays for out meal. I quickly leave before he sees me and head towards the car. I unlock the doors and slip into the passengers’ seat with a sigh.
He’s at the door now and I forgot to unlock his side. I laugh as I reach over and pull the lock up. He gets in and shakes his head as he laughs. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.” I laugh.
And we’re heading home and my heart is pounding for no reason at all. It’s something in the air tonight that’s making me feel so... vibrant. I look up at the moon and sigh as a star twinkles. No one’s on the back roads at this time at night. It’s just us, the stars, and the blue moon.
I see him staring at me out of the corner of my eyes and I smile as I look back at him. “I love you.” I whisper.
He smiles and takes my hand and I rest them on my thigh as I continue to look up at the sky. “I love you too.”
And it beings a smile to my face.
Patsy Cline’s Crazy plays softly in the background as it fades and Toni Braxton fills the stereo with her soft voice. I know the song instantly and I turn to Justin and he smiles as he squeezes my hand. I vowed those same words that she’s singing when we were together, right before we broke up. Right before I knew about Britney and what she was doing to him.
Right before everything in my life started to fall apart.
I grab the wheel and turn it towards me and we make a sharp left down into some woods and Justin’s yelling at me like crazy as we slam into twigs and braches. Nothing can hurt my car. It’s to damn old.
We stopped in a patch of green moss by the waterside. I smile as I look over at him. The music still plays in the background and he laughs slightly as he stares at the log sitting by the lake. “Wow.”
And I can't stop carin' about.
About the apple of my eye.
And I can't stop doin' without.
Without the center of my life.
And I can't get you outta my head.
And I know I can't pretend.
That I won't die if you decide, You won't see me again.
And I can't stop thinkin' about.
About the way my life would be.
No I can't stop thinkin' about.
How could your love be leavin' me.
And I can't get you outta my mind.
God knows how hard I tried.
And if you walk right out my life,
God knows I'd surely die
He opens the door and I do the same as he walk hand in hand to a spot that I knew he had forgotten about. A spot where all this began. A spot that I’ll hold in my heart forever. It’s our spot. It’s where we had our first kiss, our first date. “It’s still the same.”
He nods. “Yeah it is.” He smiles as he leans over and kisses my cheek. He turns me to him and I can still hear the music playing from the car. “Will I never make love to you once again, please understand if love ends. Then I promise you, I promise you that that I shall never breathe again.”
I smile softly as I look into his blue eyes. The moon and the water make them such a dark color. I lean in and kiss him softly. My life wouldn't be complete without him. It just wouldn't.
His arms surround me and I hold him tight. I never meant to cry. But this whole experience for these last two months has caught up with me completely. Everything happened so fast. He wipes the tears away from my eyes and kisses my eyelids softly. “I really do love you.”
“I love you too.” I sniff as I wipe at the form of a tear lingering on my cheek.
I watch as he gets on his knee and takes out a box. My heart drops to the floor. He’s shitting me. He can’t be doing this. Not now.
Not now!
“Lauren. I love you.” He smiles softly at the shock on my face. I know it’s there. I know it is. “Relax, no engagement.”
Then what do you call this? You’re on your knees!
“More like a promise.” He smiles and stands back up and holds out the box to me. I take it genuinely and slowly open the velvet lid. Inside is a pearl diamond ring. My mouth has to be on the ground.
Am I drooling?
“Do you like it?”
“Justin,” I’m breathless. I’m speechless. YES I LOVE IT! “Yes.” I look into his eyes. “I love it.”
“Good.” He takes my hand and kisses it as he takes the ring out and slips it on my ring finger. “It fits like a glove.”
“It’s perfect.” I smile as I admire it on my hand. “Why?” I look up at him.
“Because I love you. And I am making a promise not to let you go again. Because if I do. I’ll never breathe again.”
I laugh softly as I jump into his arms and kiss him as passionately as I can smiling.
I could spend the rest of my life with this man.
Maybe I am.
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