by Naomi Niles
I looked at Harrison with a confused gaze. He smiled, “Just go with it, Caroline. Just go with it.”
I shook my head, then entered into the vehicle. Harrison followed right behind me, and with that, we were off. We rode past gorgeous buildings that looked as though they were antique. The city burst forth with life and vigor at 12 pm. “Where are we headed, Harrison?”
He put his hand on my thigh. “Just enjoy the ride, sweetheart. We will be there momentarily.” He pointed out the window, “Look at that.” A beautiful glass building extended high above the ground. It reflected the surrounding buildings like a mirror.
“Wow, that is gorgeous! What is that?”
The driver spoke up, “That is one of the most exquisite restaurants in Chania. On the top floor, you can see everything in the city because it revolves slowly. It really helps you see the city, especially at night when everything is lit up. I would definitely recommend that place for tourists. Now, it is expensive, but I am sure that money is no object for you two.”
I looked at Harrison. A smile escaped his face as we continued down the street. “Yes, I think we will have to check that out.”
We arrived at another beach in Chania. The driver opened the door for both of us as we stepped out onto the sand. “Give us about two hours,” Harrison said to the driver as he put his arm around me. We walked across the sand and headed for the edge of the shore. I fixed my attention on the boats that were docked near the long, wooden deck. My eyes lit up as we got closer. “Harrison?! Are we going on a boat!?”
He smiled but didn’t say a word as we continued. “Harrison! How did you know?! How did you know I wanted to go on a boat?!”
“Let’s just say that I am vigilant. I will keep it at that.”
I wrapped my arms around him, then we headed to the deck. As he spoke to one of the attendants, I stood on the ledge of the deck. The boats were amazing. Speedboats, paddle boats and larger boats that looked like small cruise ships. A few minutes later, Harrison tapped me on the shoulder. “Are you ready, sweetheart?”
I intertwined my fingers with his, then followed him to one of the small cruise ships. After he helped me inside, the sailor climbed in behind us. One of the waiters led us to the deck inside of the boat. As we got to our seat, there was a trio of musicians standing almost 10 feet ahead of us. A violinist, saxophonist, and a bass player. I looked at Harrison as he pulled my seat out for me. “This is beautiful,” I said with a smile.
“This is just the beginning.”
He took a seat beside me, and a few minutes later, the boat took off onto the ocean while the band played softly in the background. He rented out the boat and hired a private chef to serve us hors d’oeuvres as we traveled across the water. I took him by the hand and led him to the outer portion of the boat. I leaned onto the edge while he put his arm around me. “Harrison, I…” I wanted to tell him more, but I couldn’t. I wanted to tell him how much I loved him and that I didn’t want to imagine my life without his, but ever since a few months ago, I promised myself that I wouldn’t allude to marriage or anything like it.
“I truly appreciate you taking me out here today. How you knew that I wanted to get on this boat, I will never know. But, I appreciate it.” I tipped up and kissed him on the cheek as we traveled smoothly across the water. The sun was suspended directly above us as we came back to the shore. I didn’t want the date to end, but I knew we couldn’t stay on the water forever.
“Why is your lip poked out?” he asked as we got off the boat.
“I don’t know. I am just thinking about things, you know?”
“Things?”
I fixed my mouth to say what was on my heart, but I kept the words inside. “Never mind. It is not important.”
We walked through the sand and back to the car as the driver stood, waiting for us to enter. “Where to now, sir?” he asked when he got inside.
Harrison responded, “We can head to our final destination.”
“Sounds good.”
I looked at Harrison with a curious eye. “Final destination? I don’t know if I like the sound of that.”
“Don’t worry,” he said with a smile. “You will enjoy it. I am sure.”
I leaned my head against the back of the seat as Harrison put his hand on my thigh. A little while later, we stopped in front of the tall, glass building that we’d passed on our way to the beach. I smiled flashed onto my face. “We are going up there?”
“Did you ever think that we wouldn’t? This is a special day.”
“What makes it special?”
Before he could respond, the driver opened the car door and ushered us out. Harrison didn’t answer my question, and I didn’t ask again. If he wanted to tell me, he would’ve said it already, so I just went along with whatever he had planned. Inside the building, the floors were marble. The hostess’s table was made out of crystal, and she smiled as we approached. “Mr. Zimmer? You are early.”
“Indeed, Shelly. We are ready to proceed. Is that a problem?”
“No, sir. We just finished preparations. Right this way.”
“Harrison, what–”
“Ssssh,” he said as we followed Shelly to the elevator.
I grabbed his arm tightly as we rode to the top floor. My heart fluttered inside my chest as we rose higher in the building. The elevator chimed when we reached the top floor. “Enjoy,” Shelly said as she held her hand out for us to walk off the platform.
As we walked into the room, I noticed a large, crystal ball hanging from the center of the room. One table covered with a black cloth sat front and center, and on top of it, there were roses. After we approached the table, he pulled my chair out for me to be seated. “Thank you, Harri–” I stopped mid-sentence when I turned to see him kneeling before me. In his hand, a small black box with a large diamond ring was sparkling like the crystal ball above us.
“Caroline, you have been my backbone since the day Sarah died. I never knew that I would meet someone like you. I am just upset that it took me so long to see you for who you really are. I love you, and I can’t see a future that doesn’t involve you being my wife. And if that future is out there, I don’t want it. I love you, and it would be an honor if one day, I could call you my wife. Will you marry me?”
Tears streamed from my eyes like a waterfall. I couldn’t find the words to say to him. I scooted closer and pressed my lips against his. “Yes, Harrison. Yes. I will be your bride.” We embraced, and at that moment, I felt complete. I felt like Sarah was behind us, nodding her head with a smile as if to question why it took us this long. Peace fell into my heart as he slid the ring onto my finger, and from that point on, I never looked back.
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This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the writer's imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2017 Naomi Niles
