“Yeah, but I won’t be around to see it.”
“Why is that?”
“I’m taking two months off to think about some things,” he walked over to my side of the desk and pulled me to my feet. “I’m going on a long vacation.”
He ran his fingers through my hair and pressed his forehead against mine.
“Well, I hope that two month vacation goes well for you.”
“I’m sure you do,” he laughed. “I want you to come with me.”
“I can’t just quit my job, Matt. I mean, I love you, but—”
Shit! Why did I say that?
He raised his eyebrow. “But what?”
“I—I have a lot of work to get done around here, and I—”
He kissed me, grabbing fistfuls of my hair, locking me in his arms.
“I love you too,” he slowly released me.
My heart exploded. I didn’t know what to say. I just looked into his eyes. I could feel tears falling down my face, but I didn’t make a move to hide them.
“I knew you had a mushy side,” he wiped my tears with his fingertips. “Can you come with me for an hour or two?”
I nodded. He took my hand and led me to the service elevator.
“Just so you know,” I looked up at him. “I put in a request for the maintenance department to install password codes on this.”
“Of course you did.”
When we reached the alley, he opened the passenger door to a silver BMV.
“Why do you need two BMWs?” I put on my seatbelt.
“I don’t. This is Joan’s. It was her Christmas bonus last year.”
“Oh. Where are we going?”
“You’ll see.”
We didn’t speak during the car ride. He simply looked over at me every chance he could and smiled.
“Welcome back to Sterling Dance Academy,” he put the car in park.
“We’re going to a recital?”
“No, no one is here today. They’re all at my wedding,” he laughed.
He opened my door and grabbed my hand. He led me inside the building and used his cell phone as a light. He opened the door to what appeared to be a ballroom and let my hand go.
I heard him walk up some steps, and then a blinding spotlight landed on me. I stepped away from it and heard the first few notes of Frank Sinatra’s “New York, New York.”
“Now,” he jumped down and brought me back under the spotlight, “I’ve only done this in movies, so excuse me if it’s not as smooth.”
“What are you talking about? We’ve danced before.”
He got down on one knee and smiled. “Melody, no one has ever made me feel the way you’ve made me feel these past few months…”
I felt the tears coming.
He continued. “I know we haven’t known each other that long but I do believe that ‘when you know, you know,’ and I knew as soon as I stormed your office that day that you were someone special. I love you, and I want to spend the rest of my life getting to know you even better.”
I froze. I wasn’t sure what to say.
“Oh yeah,” he pulled a ring box out of his pocket. “And I promise this is a ring you’ll never have to return. Melody Carter, will you marry me?”
I nodded my head and cried.
He stood up and wrapped his arms around my waist, kissing me until I was out of breath.
Before he could kiss me again, I pulled away.
“How do you know what size ring I wear?”
“I don’t,” he laughed. “As a matter of fact, we’re going to have to get you a real ring tomorrow.”
“Why? What’s wrong with the one in the box? You said I’d never have to return—” I stopped as soon as he opened the box and revealed the “ring”: A strawberry flavored Ring Pop.
“I take back what I said about marrying you now.”
“I love you too,” he laughed and picked me up, clasping me across my thighs, draping me across his shoulder. “We’ve got a lot of lost time to make up for Mrs. Sterling. My place?”
“Our place.”