I kept a smile plastered on my face as we swept from one side of the room to another, putting on a show. But was it a show? I wasn’t sure either one of us knew anymore.
The only thing I was sure of was that in this moment, in this crowd of people, with our fingers laced together like a life raft, there was only him and me.
And tomorrow, it would all be gone.
We clung to each other for dear life, smiling and laughing and toasting like we couldn’t be happier. Nuzzling into each other in “private” moments when we pretended no one was watching. Posing strategically for pictures and leaning my head affectionately against his shoulder whenever the CFO happened to walk by.
It was the performance of a lifetime. By the time we’d completed the rounds and spoken with everyone, I could honestly say that I might have believed we were dating. At the very least, I’d think we were fooling around…
“What do you say?” I murmured in Marcus’ ear as we finally detached from the last group of people and headed back to the center of the floor. “You ready to blow off this joint?”
He nodded. “Absolutely. I just…have a final announcement to make first.”
“Sure, honey,” I said.
He kissed my cheek. “Thanks for being so supportive.”
I clapped his arm and grinned. “Go get’em, tiger.”
He nodded shortly and turned on his heel.
I stared at him, but before I could say a word, he’d disappeared once more through the crowd. I clapped politely as Marcus took to the stage. The band stopped playing at once, looking surprised, and I glanced at the minions, wondering what was going on.
“I’m sorry for the interruption,” he said, suddenly amplified as the same little man rushed forward with another microphone. “I just couldn’t let everyone leave without making one final announcement. As most of you know, I’m here tonight with a person who’s very near and dear to my heart. A person who’s new to my life, but has caused me to see things through a different perspective.”
Time slowed to a dead stop as he lifted his hand and beckoned to me through the crowd.
“Rebecca, would you please come up here?”
I smiled as everyone clapped and cheered me on. I felt myself walking slowly toward the stage, keeping my eyes on Marcus the entire time. Why did he have up his sleeve? Was he going to expose us?! Come clean in some final act of contrition to prove he’d actually developed a conscience over the last few weeks?
Thoughts raced half-formed through my mind as I came to a stop beside him. He wouldn’t do that to me, would he? I stared anxiously into those ocean eyes. Eyes that, for the first time, looked almost as anxious as mine.
Marcus sank down onto one knee, hand reaching around in his pocket.
“What are you doing?” I whispered.
My voice came out quick and low, and for a moment, there were no pretenses between us. He flashed me his signature smile.
He stared deeply into my eyes and said, “Rebecca, you know me better than anyone else in this world, yet you still you manage to love me. You are my best friend, my one true love. I’ll never forget the moment we first made eye contact in that little coffee shop. The chemistry was explosive and powerful, far deeper and inexplicably beyond any calculation of time and place. I can’t even describe a feeling like that, and it is not something that can be replicated or forced. It just flows in us, around us, and we go where it takes us. It is that feeling that has brought us here, together, today in the Caribbean. You stole my h
eart that day at the coffee shop, and I want you to keep it forever.”
Numb with disbelief, I just stared at him.
He slid a glittering diamond ring on my finger. “Rebecca White…will you marry me?”
Oh, that son of a bitch!
To be continued…
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