say diamond door knob. It’s gigantic and very sparkly, not really my style, but pretty nonetheless. I wonder if he is hoping to hypnotize me with bling and lull me into saying yes.
“No, no, James.” I reach across the table and snap the lid shut. “This isn’t what I want.”
He releases my other hand and sits back from the table. “Why not? We can get you a different ring, if that’s what you want.” He looks angry now.
“It’s not about the ring, James, it’s about us. We’re not ready. I’m not ready. There’s something I need to talk to you about, actually, I uh—”
He cuts me off before I can figure out how to say what needs to come next. “Charity, you’re being unreasonable. Listen to me. I’m offering you a future here. We can get married and start a life, a real life together. You don’t have to work in that little rinky-dink café making coffee anymore. You can do something with your life!”
My mouth flops open in horror. I feel like he just slapped me across the face. In the entire course of our relationship he has never said anything like that before.
“Rinky-dink? Is that what you really think of me and my life? Wow.”
“You know what I mean,” he says, rolling his eyes like I’m being dramatic.
“No, I don’t. And do you want to know why? Because I don’t know you.”
“Charity, you’re being ridiculous.”
“No, I’m not!” I struggle to keep my voice under control. “I don’t know you, not the real you. Unless you really are just a shallow guy who doesn’t like anything more than golf and expensive dinners with a bunch of rich people you don’t even know! All you talk about is work, what kind of car you want to buy next, and how much money other people make and how they spend it. I don’t care about any of that shit!”
“You’re making a scene,” he hisses under his breath, his eyes nervously darting around the restaurant to see if other people were listening in.
“I don’t care. I don’t know these people, let them think whatever they want of me.”
“We need to leave,” he says, still watching the nearby diners. He reaches up and gestures for the waitress. “We can discuss this elsewhere.”
I shake my head in disbelief. “You’re unbelievable. I can’t believe you would even think that a proposal was appropriate after everything that has happened in the last week. Actually, you wouldn’t if you really knew that was going on.” The last part, I say mostly to myself, but James picks up on it.
“What are you talking about? Why not?” he demands.
I sigh, figuring the bomb has already gone off. What more harm can really be done?
“I’m in love with someone else, James. I am very sorry that I betrayed you, it’s not who I am, but it happened.”
“What!” James reels back. “You’ve been cheating on me?”
I have nothing to say, so I stay silent.
He stuffs the ring back into his pocket. “You know what? Just go. I’ve put up with quite a few of your antics over the course of our relationship, but this exceeds the limit. You’ve humiliated me enough without making an even bigger scene here! I’ll probably never be allowed back as it is.”
I shake my head, stunned that being put on the blacklist at a restaurant is his major concern right now.
“I’ll go, but just a little tip, for your next marriage proposal, it’s not a business merger! You don’t come armed with a diamond ring and a list of pros and cons, when asking someone to spend the rest of their life with you.”
James’ face darkened another shade of red and I could tell he was about to explode again.
Not even chocolate cake could keep me here another minute. I stand and leave the restaurant, without even bothering to look back.
And this time I remember to grab my own coat!
Chapter Fifteen
I cruise on autopilot back to town, trying not to think or feel. Before I fully realize what I’m doing, I find myself parked in front of the Beverly Inn. I lean
“No, no, James.” I reach across the table and snap the lid shut. “This isn’t what I want.”
He releases my other hand and sits back from the table. “Why not? We can get you a different ring, if that’s what you want.” He looks angry now.
“It’s not about the ring, James, it’s about us. We’re not ready. I’m not ready. There’s something I need to talk to you about, actually, I uh—”
He cuts me off before I can figure out how to say what needs to come next. “Charity, you’re being unreasonable. Listen to me. I’m offering you a future here. We can get married and start a life, a real life together. You don’t have to work in that little rinky-dink café making coffee anymore. You can do something with your life!”
My mouth flops open in horror. I feel like he just slapped me across the face. In the entire course of our relationship he has never said anything like that before.
“Rinky-dink? Is that what you really think of me and my life? Wow.”
“You know what I mean,” he says, rolling his eyes like I’m being dramatic.
“No, I don’t. And do you want to know why? Because I don’t know you.”
“Charity, you’re being ridiculous.”
“No, I’m not!” I struggle to keep my voice under control. “I don’t know you, not the real you. Unless you really are just a shallow guy who doesn’t like anything more than golf and expensive dinners with a bunch of rich people you don’t even know! All you talk about is work, what kind of car you want to buy next, and how much money other people make and how they spend it. I don’t care about any of that shit!”
“You’re making a scene,” he hisses under his breath, his eyes nervously darting around the restaurant to see if other people were listening in.
“I don’t care. I don’t know these people, let them think whatever they want of me.”
“We need to leave,” he says, still watching the nearby diners. He reaches up and gestures for the waitress. “We can discuss this elsewhere.”
I shake my head in disbelief. “You’re unbelievable. I can’t believe you would even think that a proposal was appropriate after everything that has happened in the last week. Actually, you wouldn’t if you really knew that was going on.” The last part, I say mostly to myself, but James picks up on it.
“What are you talking about? Why not?” he demands.
I sigh, figuring the bomb has already gone off. What more harm can really be done?
“I’m in love with someone else, James. I am very sorry that I betrayed you, it’s not who I am, but it happened.”
“What!” James reels back. “You’ve been cheating on me?”
I have nothing to say, so I stay silent.
He stuffs the ring back into his pocket. “You know what? Just go. I’ve put up with quite a few of your antics over the course of our relationship, but this exceeds the limit. You’ve humiliated me enough without making an even bigger scene here! I’ll probably never be allowed back as it is.”
I shake my head, stunned that being put on the blacklist at a restaurant is his major concern right now.
“I’ll go, but just a little tip, for your next marriage proposal, it’s not a business merger! You don’t come armed with a diamond ring and a list of pros and cons, when asking someone to spend the rest of their life with you.”
James’ face darkened another shade of red and I could tell he was about to explode again.
Not even chocolate cake could keep me here another minute. I stand and leave the restaurant, without even bothering to look back.
And this time I remember to grab my own coat!
Chapter Fifteen
I cruise on autopilot back to town, trying not to think or feel. Before I fully realize what I’m doing, I find myself parked in front of the Beverly Inn. I lean
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