confused.”
“Well, you know I’m here no matter what you decide. I know you well enough to trust that you will figure this out and make the best choice for you. But I do think you need to talk to James.” She takes my hand and forces me to look at her. “Whether you end up with him or not, he deserves to know the truth.”
As much as I hate to admit it, she’s right.
***
I head home and call James as soon as I get there. He apologizes for not checking in the night before, but apparently playing hooky in the morning led to a pretty late night at work, and he didn’t have a chance to call. He lets me know he is wrapping up at work for the day and can’t wait to see me later tonight for our “mulligan dinner” as he has taken to calling it.
I will never understand golf people.
I agree to meet him in the city so he doesn’t have to drive all the way here to pick me up. I can’t help but think that it will also spare us another awkward car ride back if the night should take a turn. I have a sick feeling, it will. We finalize our plans and get off the phone.
He drops another “I love you” bomb before the call ends, but I had already started to hang up, so I’m hoping he figures I just didn’t hear him.
I guess he will know the truth soon enough….
My face flushes at the thought of it. I’ve never really dated a lot and I have never been the one to end a relationship. Although, once he knows I’ve been seeing Brandon, he’ll probably be the one to actually end the relationship.
That’s just a formality, I suppose.
I try my best to push those thoughts out of my head as I go about getting dressed. I’ll need to leave soon if I want to beat the nasty, Seattle-area traffic.
***
A few hours later I’m sitting across from James. We are seated at a different table, but I can’t shake the déjà vu feeling that hovers around me. He is quite handsome in his business suit, and with the beginnings of a five o’clock shadow. He seems antsy, and I can tell he’s had a long day at the office and is ready to unwind.
He orders an appetizer and a bottle of wine before we really start talking. I try to stop my foot from bobbing under the table, hoping he is too tired to pick up on my nervous energy.
“So, Charity, there is something I wanted to talk about tonight. In the spirit of our clean slate,” he starts, after we finish our small talk.
I inhale sharply and my posture stiffens.
“I want you to know how happy I am that we are moving forward, and I am so looking forward to this summer. But all this talk got me thinking about our future, beyond just this summer.”
I nod. My mouth is dry, and I don’t think I could speak even if I wanted to.
He takes my hands and rubs his thumbs along my wrists. “I know you want to take things slow, and I appreciate that, sweetie, really, I do. It’s just that I need some reassurance that you’re in this for the long haul. I’ve had a moment of clarity and realized that I do want us to get married someday. This rough patch helped me see that. We can take all the time you need, but to me, that would be the end goal.”
I pull back one of my hands and take a gulp of wine.
“James,” I say, barely above a whisper.
He ignores my pleading and plows ahead with his speech, “In light of our clean slate, I would like to take this chance to move forward, not cement things where they are and have this whole conversation again in six months. I’m a proactive man.” He reaches for his pocket.
Oh my gosh….No, no, NO!
He pulls out a small, velvet, fancy box.
I inhale sharply.
He pops the lid open to reveal a ginormous diamond ring. “I thought this might help you make up your mind.”
What is happening? Did he just propose?
I stare at him for a moment, completely flabbergasted by what just happened. Is he insane? A week ago, I bolted from this very same restaurant at the very hint of a proposal.
My gaze shifts back to the ring. Or should I
“Well, you know I’m here no matter what you decide. I know you well enough to trust that you will figure this out and make the best choice for you. But I do think you need to talk to James.” She takes my hand and forces me to look at her. “Whether you end up with him or not, he deserves to know the truth.”
As much as I hate to admit it, she’s right.
***
I head home and call James as soon as I get there. He apologizes for not checking in the night before, but apparently playing hooky in the morning led to a pretty late night at work, and he didn’t have a chance to call. He lets me know he is wrapping up at work for the day and can’t wait to see me later tonight for our “mulligan dinner” as he has taken to calling it.
I will never understand golf people.
I agree to meet him in the city so he doesn’t have to drive all the way here to pick me up. I can’t help but think that it will also spare us another awkward car ride back if the night should take a turn. I have a sick feeling, it will. We finalize our plans and get off the phone.
He drops another “I love you” bomb before the call ends, but I had already started to hang up, so I’m hoping he figures I just didn’t hear him.
I guess he will know the truth soon enough….
My face flushes at the thought of it. I’ve never really dated a lot and I have never been the one to end a relationship. Although, once he knows I’ve been seeing Brandon, he’ll probably be the one to actually end the relationship.
That’s just a formality, I suppose.
I try my best to push those thoughts out of my head as I go about getting dressed. I’ll need to leave soon if I want to beat the nasty, Seattle-area traffic.
***
A few hours later I’m sitting across from James. We are seated at a different table, but I can’t shake the déjà vu feeling that hovers around me. He is quite handsome in his business suit, and with the beginnings of a five o’clock shadow. He seems antsy, and I can tell he’s had a long day at the office and is ready to unwind.
He orders an appetizer and a bottle of wine before we really start talking. I try to stop my foot from bobbing under the table, hoping he is too tired to pick up on my nervous energy.
“So, Charity, there is something I wanted to talk about tonight. In the spirit of our clean slate,” he starts, after we finish our small talk.
I inhale sharply and my posture stiffens.
“I want you to know how happy I am that we are moving forward, and I am so looking forward to this summer. But all this talk got me thinking about our future, beyond just this summer.”
I nod. My mouth is dry, and I don’t think I could speak even if I wanted to.
He takes my hands and rubs his thumbs along my wrists. “I know you want to take things slow, and I appreciate that, sweetie, really, I do. It’s just that I need some reassurance that you’re in this for the long haul. I’ve had a moment of clarity and realized that I do want us to get married someday. This rough patch helped me see that. We can take all the time you need, but to me, that would be the end goal.”
I pull back one of my hands and take a gulp of wine.
“James,” I say, barely above a whisper.
He ignores my pleading and plows ahead with his speech, “In light of our clean slate, I would like to take this chance to move forward, not cement things where they are and have this whole conversation again in six months. I’m a proactive man.” He reaches for his pocket.
Oh my gosh….No, no, NO!
He pulls out a small, velvet, fancy box.
I inhale sharply.
He pops the lid open to reveal a ginormous diamond ring. “I thought this might help you make up your mind.”
What is happening? Did he just propose?
I stare at him for a moment, completely flabbergasted by what just happened. Is he insane? A week ago, I bolted from this very same restaurant at the very hint of a proposal.
My gaze shifts back to the ring. Or should I
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