The Valentines Day Proposal

by Bella Winters

  Chapter 26 – Brandon

  “Brandon?” Lola murmurs beside me, knocking me in the side. “Someone is at the door.”

  “Hmm?” I grumble back sleepily while I snuggle further under the duvet. “What?”

  “The door,” she repeats herself without opening her eyes. “Someone’s at the door.”

  As her words wash over me, my eyes snap open. The door? What could that mean? Who is it? I’m not expecting anyone so for some reason that leaves me anxious and scared. No one comes to see me at this time of the morning. I leap up and throw some clothes on at the speed of light while my mind races. This can’t be good, it just can’t be good.

  I thunder down the stairs and towards the front door, looking disheveled and messy. I grab onto the door handle and fling the door open without even asking who’s there.

  “Oh… Dad.” Shit, I don’t know what to do. I know I want to introduce Lola to my father, to make this much more real, but that’s something I want to do on my own terms, not by mistake. Not like this. “Is everything okay?”

  “Yes, son. Can I come in?” He doesn’t wait for permission, he just pushes past me and does what he wants as per usual. “What’s going on with you at the moment?”

  “Erm.” I run a hand through my hair and glance towards the stairs. “What do you mean?”

  “I mean the fact that you haven’t been at the office much. It isn’t like you at all. You’ve been very dedicated for the last year and now… now things are changing again.”

  Oh God, this isn’t the chat I need to be having right now. I haven’t decided what I want to do yet so I don’t want to talk about it. “I’ve just had a lot going on, that’s all.”

  “Yeah, Sandi told me. She said you aren’t talking about it to anyone, but everyone knows that there’s some girl in the picture.” He narrows his eyes at me. “Is that true? Are you really throwing everything away for some gold digger?”

  Fucking Sandi. Honestly, what a nightmare. Even when I don’t tell her anything she finds a way to wreck things for me. This has to be a revenge thing because I’m not interested in her. I’ll fire her, if I have a job to go back to. If I even want to go back.

  “Dad, not every woman is a gold digger…”

  I know why he has this opinion, it’s because of my mother, but that doesn’t mean everyone is the same. He might want to throw himself wholeheartedly into work and to just screw around, but that isn’t me. I know that now.

  “Son, don’t be a fucking idiot,” he dismisses me as if I’m a child who knows nothing. “They’re all up to something. You just need to figure out what…”

  I part my lips, ready to yell at him but I don’t get the chance to do so. Before I can say anything, a sugary sweet voice interrupts the pair of us.

  “Hello.” I spin around to see Lola standing on the stairs in one of my oversized tee shirts. “Mr. Heath-Smith, I presume?”

  I give her a warning look as she moves closer with her hand outstretched. She doesn’t know what she’s getting herself in for here. I never let my dad meet anyone, which is why I wanted this meeting to be controlled by me. It’s already spiraling.

  “Yes,” my dad replies coldly. “And you are?”

  “Oh I’m Lola Boots.” Her bright smile seems to disarm him. She has a way of melting people, which I haven’t noticed before. “Good to meet you.”

  “You are dating my son, are you?” He dives right in. “Are you the one who’s made him miss so much work.”

  “Oh.” Lola is taken aback, of course she is. He’s being so rude. Her father has been nothing but nice to me and my dad is like this? It isn’t fair. “Right, well, I don’t know about that…”

  “Dad, what I do is up to me. Don’t you think?”

  “I suppose, but like I just said you’ve been amazing for the past year. Now you’re never about.”

  I nod slowly, wondering how my morning went downhill so drastically. This is supposed to be the time that me and Lola are working things out, seeing what might happen next. I don’t want to be here in the middle of this awkward situation. It’s all wrong.

  “Dad, now isn’t the time and place for this conversation…” I try, but he completely rail roads me as usual.

  “What do you do, Lola Boots? Are you not missing work right now to spend time with Brandon?”

  She holds her head high and answers him confidently. “I care for my father, which is why I’m in the city so he can see a medical specialist. When I’m not doing that I’m running the farm for him, working in the local store to pay for his treatment, oh and I sing.”

  I cringe and slide my eyes closed as I wait for my dad’s scathing response. He won’t like this at all, he’ll see Lola as a small town, country bumpkin who isn’t good enough for me. It’ll make him even more convinced that she’s a gold digger. Then if he ever finds out that I paid for her dad’s treatment he’ll do his nut in. My shoulders hunch up around my ears and I brace myself desperately for what’s about to happen.

  “Well that is impressive.” My eyes snap open as he actually sounds in awe. “You are a very hard working girl. And to look after your father like that, it’s a lot to take on. Do you mind if I ask what’s wrong with him?”

  I take a step back and watch in sheer admiration as Lola somehow charms my father. I know him well and I can tell that he actually thinks she’s something special as she talks all about her father’s illness and the effect that it’s had on him. When she discusses looking after him, she does so in a way that isn’t only a show off at all, which of course impresses my dad. Actually, I’m starting to think that he might like her more than he does me. All the iciness surrounding him has thawed and he’s treating her well.

  “I’m going to make drinks…” I say to them both, but neither of them acknowledge me so I race into the kitchen to try and think this through. My dad is such a hard man, he’s known for being a terrible, harsh person by many people. He started off being cruel to Lola but she’s turned him around. She’s put him in his place. I wish I could do that.

  She really is something else. This just proves it.

  As I walk back into the hallway with the drinks in my hands, my father and Lola are gone. I can hear them in the living room, which of course he’s gone into because he thinks he can do whatever he wants, so that isn’t the weird part. The strange bit is it sounds like Lola is singing. To my father. I never thought this meeting would turn out like this.

  Once I get into the living room, I lean up against the door frame and watch her for a moment. She is sitting on the couch with her eyes closed, bellowing out a familiar tune. Actually, it’s the one she was singing on the first night I saw her. When she was up on that stage with her hot pants on, her cowboy boots, her checked shirt… that’s the moment I felt intense desire inside of me that rapidly turned into something more.

  “That was amazing,” Dad says once Lola finishes. “You have a very raw talent.”

  “What on Earth is going on here?” I ask nervously as I bring the drinks inside. “You giving my dad a show?”

  “Actually, the reason I’m interested is because I’ve just invested in a recording company.”

  “You have?” I exclaim in shock. “I didn’t know you were interested in music.”

  “But I do like to have an extensive portfolio. You know that. Music and recording are just my latest thing. I’m interested in Lola’s music and I think it might be something special.” My eyes widen in shock. What is going on? What’s happened to my father? Who is this man? “I want to pursue it. Would you be willing to record a demo?”

  Lola gives me a shocked look, and I can tell she wants to know if this is a good idea or not. I don’t really know what she should do for the best, but I give her an encouraging nod for now. I don’t want to throw her into my father’s scary clutches, but with me there to protect her, it should be fine. I hope.

  “Okay, yeah, that sounds wonderful. When would you like me to do it?”

  “Do you have time
today?”

  Lola’s face falls, I can see this won’t work. “I don’t know if I can leave my dad alone today. I’ve done so all night long and I’m worried about him.”

  I think she expects my dad to say it’s now or never, and I suppose I do too. I don’t know how serious he is about this, but I hope he is. Lola deserves this big break. Even if it doesn’t lead her into something massive, I think she needs this opportunity. The music business is all about who you know anyway… or so I’ve heard.

  “Oh of course, I completely understand. How much longer are you in the city for? I’ll set something up with you.”

  “Maybe for a week longer, depending on what happens with the doctor. I don’t know if that’ll suit you.”

  “Yep, that’s fine.” He hands her a business card. “Here’s my number. Can I take yours so I can call you when I’ve set something up?”

  “Oh of course.” She takes his phone from him and types in her digits. It’s the weirdest sight in the world, watching the girl I think I love giving her number to my father. “Thank you.”

  The small talk rolls out for a little while longer, mostly from Lola and my father because I’m shocked into silence, but eventually my dad has to go. He doesn’t even mention work again as he says goodbye, it’s almost as if my presence at the office has taken a back seat now that Lola and her singing talent has been revealed… thank goodness! I don’t want to discuss my career for the moment, not when Lola’s is so potentially exciting.

  “What just happened?” she gushes as soon as the door closes behind Dad. “Have I gone insane?” Her hand clutches to her forehead in shock. “I must be mad!”

  “Maybe,” I chuckle. “Since you’ve just met my hard asses father while he’s in the middle of a mood with me for not being as dedicated to his company as he would like, then you’ve managed to thaw him despite the fact that he thinks all women are gold diggers thanks to my mother. Then you sang for him and now he wants to record a demo with you. Not only have you charmed him, you’ve made him love you. Something I don’t think I’ve ever been able to do properly.”

  “Well… I feel shell shocked. I think I need to sit down. That was insane. I mean, even if it comes to nothing just the knowledge that I could be good enough is awesome.”

  As I follow her back into the living room, there’s a smile on my lips. I already worked out that Lola’s the one a while back, but now she has the approval of my father. Something I never thought would happen. This is incredible, it really could be the start of something amazing. I don’t know what way it’ll go, but the possibilities are endless.

  Chapter 27 – Lola

  Standing in a recording studio feels really weird. It’s so glamorous and sleek, it makes me feel more and more like this isn’t somewhere I belong. My clothes feel shabby, my hair messy, my make up all wrong… I’m utterly uncomfortable in my own skin.

  But with Brandon standing on the other side of that glass, supporting me wholeheartedly, I find the courage not to run away. The urge is still there but it isn’t quite as powerful.

  “Right, Lola,” the guy behind the mic, sitting next to Brandon’s dad, says. “Whenever you’re ready we’re recording.” I nod to let him know I’m game. I think. “Right, let’s go.”

  I have a guitar in my hands. It isn’t mine, that’s back at home waiting for me to return. I didn’t see any need to bring it with me to the city because I certainly didn’t think anything like this was going to happen! But it’s fine, it’s the same model so I can make this work.

  I can feel Brandon’s eyes upon me as I start strumming and I can’t help but wonder what he’s going to think of my new material. These are songs that I’ve written over the last year that are all pretty much fuelled by him and the heart ache he gave me. They’re perfect for today, even if they might cut him deep, because I can still bring those raw emotions to the surface if I need to. My music needs those emotions to make any sort of impact… and if I’ve ever needed to make someone sit up and see me, it’s today.

  My dad is happy that this has happened, much happier than I thought he would be. I assumed he’d put on a gleeful face and that inside it would hurt him because it could potentially mean me pulling away. He might panic that if I’m not there all the time then there won’t be anyone to care for him, but he really doesn’t seem too bothered. With his new farm hand, who’s willing to work for whatever profit we can afford from the farm at the moment, and his new positive health news (fingers crossed, now that some time has passed I realize that it’s best not to get too carried away with the news until I know for sure), he seems to want me to move on with my life. He wants me to have all the happiness in the world.

  I do too, I think. It’s just a bit scary. Very scary. Too scary, actually.

  As the words flow out of my mouth, I truly put my heart and soul into them. I throw myself right back into those soul destroying memories when it really felt like the whole world was falling apart around me. When Brandon first left, I thought I would never be happy again, yet here I am proving that I can be… and somehow with him still in the picture.

  It’s madness, utter madness.

  Still, here I am, singing in a recording studio because I gave him a chance, so my dad was very right about giving me that advice.

  It takes me a while, but eventually I brave making eye contact with Brandon, and as I do a bolt of emotions shoots right down to my core. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of looking at him, of seeing him look at me like that. He makes me feel special and I think he always will.

  I search his face, looking for some hurt, but he doesn’t give me anything to worry about. He must know that this is all about him, but thankfully I think he understands that I’m simply drawing my art from real life.

  Once my first, heart wrenching song is up, I decide to sing one of my more positive ones. It’s a song I wrote when things were really good with me and Brandon when I first started feeling that excitable flush of potential love. It hasn’t ever seen the light of day until now because it was much too painful to sing, but I think it’s important. For me, I need to recall the good times that me and Brandon had, I want him to know that I appreciate it when it was good. He has made a big effort to make things right with me, and it seems to be continuing. I appreciate all of that, and I also am so grateful for what he’s done for my father.

  I want to use my singing to show him that I know he’s not a terrible person. I just hope that I’m doing a good job…

  ***

  “Right, Lola. We will now have a meeting and decide where we want to go next with this. Will you be available at any time if we contact you?”

  “I will make sure of it,” Brandon interjects. “It’s not a long drive, so if the timing is right for you and your dad, I can always pick you up.”

  I nod silently, not saying a word. This is so exciting, my dream is finally happening, but it’s spiraling quickly, moving too fast. I feel like a train is rushing past me at a million miles an hour and I need to jump on now or I’ll miss it. Of course I want this, it’s a dream come true, it makes every single one of my fantasies more of a potential reality… but the problem with dreams coming true is the parts of real life that have to be sacrificed along the way. If I go for this, I might end up away from my dad way too much.

  Still, I haven’t signed anything so I suppose I can still say no.

  “Thank you,” I rasp out, not wanting to be rude. Especially if this all turns out to be a waste of time for them later on. “I appreciate the opportunity.”

  After some hand shaking and some air kissing, me and Brandon finally leave the recording studio hand in hand. The natural light of the outside world feels so bright now, after being in there for hours, is so intense that I have to blink a few times to bring me back to normal. The intensity is still sitting on my shoulders, rolling through my body in waves.

  “Did that really just happen?” I ask Brandon with a bemused chuckle. “That was mad.”

  “I thought you
might not quite believe it, even though you just experienced it, so I took some pictures of you on my phone. I hope that’s okay?”

  He pulls out his phone and hands it to me, and I take a moment to scroll through the reams of images that he’s snapped of me. I have my eyes closed because I’m so lost in the music in most of them, which is how I didn’t know he was taking them, and I have to admit I’m shocked at how good I look. I appear professional, confident, in control… like I belong. It’s the first time since I stepped into this recording studio that I don’t feel like the whole thing was a giant mistake.

  “Wow,” I gasp as I clap my hand across my mouth. “That’s insane. Can I take these to show my father? I know he’ll get a kick out of them.”

  “I’ll send them all too you… then when you need to set up all your social media accounts for your bright new career you’ll have some pictures to start with.”

  “Oh stop it.”

  I shove him playfully, but inside his words create a buzz. Maybe this could be the start of something real. I don’t expect to have the biggest career in the world, I don’t think I’ll actually be playing Madison Square Garden, but anything would be nice. To make money from my music, the thing that I love to do, would be incredible. How many people can say that they actually have a career they love?

  “You shouldn’t have said that thing, you know?” I probe Brandon. “About coming to pick me up whenever they want to see me. Your dad is already mad enough about you not spending enough time in the office and he blames me. If they call me, I’ll make my own way here. The last thing I want is to create any sort of rift…”