“I wasn’t born yesterday, Lena. I knew you before you knew yourself and you expect me to believe that?”
“Shit, Laila. Just come on. We have a lot to do before everyone gets here.”
Rather than fight with her, I conceded to her far-fetched alibi. “Okay, but I’m keeping an eye on you, Shady McGrady.” We both laughed. “Where are Mom and Dad?”
“Uh, they said they’d be right back.”
We reached the door to our parents’ house and I inserted the spare key they gave me for emergencies. In the foyer, the chandelier twinkled and balloons lined the staircase. There was a jubilant air of festivity. “You guys did a really nice job,” I headed for the kitchen with her on my heels. It seemed a little much just to tie up the loose ends on an impending wedding, but Lena considered any gathering an occasion.
“Yeah.”
“Hope you didn’t do the cooking yourself, Lena,” I murmured, reaching for the light switch.
And a synchronized blast of cries bellowed, “SURPRISE!” From the darkness appeared family and friends, Lena’s friends and vendors, and my parents, dressed to the nines. At first, I didn't get it. I felt kind of stupid that I might’ve forgotten someone’s birthday or anniversary. No banner hung, welcoming anyone home. Home from where? I didn't know anyone who’d gone away. I looked at Lena, who was looking at me. It wasn’t my birthday. I wouldn’t forget my own birthday.
Then, the crowd parted along with the confusion. Myles waded toward me with his hands in his pockets, debonair, seductive, and utterly beddable. His sultry dark curls sideswiped sexily along his hairline. In a light blue collared button-down shirt, comfortably rolled at the sleeves and navy slacks fitted to his muscular frame, he was dressed for an occasion. Only when he fell to his knee, did I realize what was going on. As he pulled out a little blue box, it hit me like a thunderbolt. My hands flew to my open mouth. I glanced around at the eager faces expectantly awaiting the question.
“Laila, it’s been less than a year that I’ve known you, but I feel like you’ve been with me a lifetime. We met by chance, but I can’t help but think that our meeting was part of some greater plan. It wasn’t an accident that we had similar numbers—that we’ve been part of each other’s lives long before we ever met. That night when we spent the evening walking into the sunset talking about life and plans, something inside me awakened and I knew I wanted you to be part of my life plan.” Without warning, he stopped and stared at the simple, beautiful princess-cut solitaire glistening in the box within his hand. I would have given anything for his thoughts. Pain weighed his demeanor and he was somewhere else for a moment. But, when he looked back up at me with watered eyes, something in me felt at home again.
With strained control, he began again with new resolve. “I know I haven’t called in a couple days…but to sacrifice two days without you, so that I could plan a life together, it’s worth it.” His pleading eyes begged. “I needed time to get your father’s blessing and a ring that symbolizes how important you are to me, Laila. And, you know, when I saw you with Ethan the other day—”
“If you’ll just let me explain—”
“Please, let me finish.” He placed his hand on mine, calming me. “When I saw you with Ethan, it made me realize that I should have fought for you the first time around. Should have shouted it from the rooftops, if I wasn’t such a fool over-thinking things, worrying about what other’s might say, about how my family would change, or about losing a bachelorhood that’s really only left me feeling empty anyway. At first I tried to rationalize it, analyze it, make it make sense, but what you’ve taught me about love is that the one thing it isn’t, is logical. I love you with all that I am and I couldn’t bear the idea of someone else being the man for you. I want more walks at dusk, trips to Napa, and dances in the middle of a room that make me feel like the whole world is revolving around us. I’ve been watching life happen all around me through the lens of a camera, but I’ve told you before, it’s like I’ve been seeing it in black and white all this time and only with you do I get to see the world through a rose-colored lens. I get to be a part of life with you and I want that for as long as I live. Laila, if you’ll have me, I’d be honored to marry you.”
Placing the ring on that special finger on my left hand, he asked the question I’d been dying to answer.
“Will you marry me and color my world with happiness?”
With the backdrop of all my loved ones and a ring that made the sun pale in comparison, I could never refuse this man who loved me for being me. “Yes!” The word yawped out like a yell of victory, winded and desperate. It felt like I was at the end of some long quest, too. I’d waited so long for a man who I could love, who would love me in return. I said nothing else, just that one word, followed by a barrage of tears. I was happy. Ecstatic and in love. And there’s nothing that feels as good as being in love, when you know the person is in love with you. After an embarrassing display of kissing and canoodling and getting lost in the whimsy, in front of a room full of our closest friends and family, we finally came up for air. Me, with raccoon eyes smeared with goo-gobs of mascara streaking down my face and him happily looking like a clown with my lipstick plastered across his mouth—territory clearly marked.
With my hand snug in his, I scanned the crowd to thank everyone for coming. Lena and Sam bubbled over with excitement. Playfully, I squinted the evil eye at her because I knew she was up to no good. She puckered her bottom lip, pleading with me not to be mad at her. After all, she was my little sister and I had to cut her some slack for being wild enough to do the things I never could—or would, for that matter.
The room was chock-full of my parents’ friends. Thank God I said yes, otherwise, it would have been yet another embarrassment for my mom by me. A small intimate wedding would suit Myles and me just fine, or a drive-by at the court, which would probably boil her blood, if she couldn’t throw some talk-of-the-town party to invite her friends. She was busy schmoozing them and already planning the details of some extravagant shindig. Dad happily nursed a scotch. He could care less, as long as we were happy.
My crazy Aunt Pam snapped away with her camera. Every moment is a Kodak moment as far as she was concerned. An upgrade to a digital would make life easier, but she was a creature of habit and as long as her 35mm was working, that was what she’d use. It tickled me to think of all the rolls of film that she had tucked away in her freezer. “Preserves the film, sweetheart,” she explained—one of many lessons.
Stephanie and Ashley were in the corner cheesing their best, I’m-happy-to-help smiles—occupational hazard. They continued to work despite my insistence that they enjoy the party. A few others that I didn’t recognize were scattered throughout the room, but we made our way around one by one like a presidential meet and greet at a state dinner. By the time we hit the back of the room, Lena made her way over to Elle and the two of them simply glowed about Elle’s recent wedding and Lena’s upcoming. I’d basically blocked out their entire conversation, save for some crazy talk about all of us double-dating, to which they both shrieked with excitement.
Finally, Brooke jumped out from behind the bar, “Surprise.”
“How did you…?” I grilled her, completely stumped and taken for a loop. I knew Myles, Lena, and my meddling mother planned this whole thing behind my back, but there was no way Brooke could ever hold a secret from me. I knew even before Ethan was going to propose, when he bought the ring and the day he’d ask because he made the mistake of thinking he could trust Brooke to help him plan everything.
“I just got here today. No one told me until this morning. Lena just called and said it was an emergency and to jumpseat on the next flight.” The two of us burst into laughter, hugging and guffawing. There wasn’t an important event in each other’s lives that we had not shared. It made the difference to know she was there.
“I’m so glad you made it. This just makes everything perfect.”
“Laila, I love you, girl. I wouldn’t have mis
sed this for the world. Now let me take a look at this man you’ve been obsessing over.” Brooke stepped around the bar and eyed Myles from head to toe. “Turn around,” she instructed him, and jokingly he obliged, in disbelief of her outlandish audacity. “Oh, he’ll do just fine. Yes, he’ll do nicely.” Again, we rolled with laughter and this time, Myles joined us at his own expense.
“So, this must be the infamous, Brooke.” Myles deduced from our playful camaraderie—it was obvious that a friendship like ours had been years in the making.
“In the flesh.” Brooke made no apologies. In fact, it was one of the many things I loved about her. She singlehandedly saved me from many a fashion faux pas and hair don’t. As always, she looked absolutely flawless in a flowing red maxi dress and gold sandals draped in pave crystals. Her blond locks were neatly tucked in a loose ponytail, allowing the focus to be solely on her face, red lips accenting blushing cheekbones.
“Well, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you.” Myles kissed her hand lightly.
“Hey, hey. Enough of that,” I teased. “This one’s taken.”
Brooke stepped to my side, hanging on to my arm, but her focus was trained directly on Myles, “That’s all right. Myles, I just hope you’ll make it down the aisle. The last one couldn’t hang.”
“I’m not letting this one out of my sight,” Myles retorted, closing in for another carnal kiss that reached into the depths of my warmest hollow.
“Okay. You guys need to get a room. I’m going to go mix and mingle with some people who don’t have their tongues lodged down each other’s throats.”
“Brooke, you can come mix and mingle with me.” A deep, guttural male voice offered.
Brooke stared, utterly aghast and speechless—and Lord knows it took a lot to render Brooke speechless. By the way she looked at Drew, and the way he ogled her, I determined it was best to keep my mouth shut. She’d been tight-lipped about the whole thing between them and I hadn’t seen him since Elle’s wedding.
“Drew?”
“Nice to see you again Brooke, but I was kind of hoping it would’ve been a little sooner.”
Myles furrowed his brows at me, but I refused to interrupt. Whatever was going to happen between them, it needed to just play out on its own. But, Myles couldn’t keep his two cents out of it.
“Andrew, I was going to introduce you to Brooke, but it looks like you two already know each other…” Myles fished, hoping either of them would add more.
“Uh, yeah. First off, congrats, buddy. I’m real happy for you guys.” Andrew leaned in and hugged us. “This is the girl I was telling you about from the plane,” he said, without taking his eyes off Brooke.
“Oh.” It was long and drawn out. Andrew, or Drew, and Myles had been talking.
“Drew.” Brooke spoke his name once more as if it were the answer to a question.
“You said that already.” He pulled her into him, taking her off guard and holding her a little too long for it to be casual.
“I didn’t expect to see you here.”
“Well, I was hoping I would see you here.” Drew smiled, and Brooke visibly melted against the bar. She was actually weak in the knees over this guy.
I couldn't help but giggle at her expense. “Looks like I may not be the only one walking down the aisle soon. Or, should I say being carried, judging by the strength of your knees right now,” I teasingly whispered in her ear.
Myles and I took our cue and walked away. I needed to steal him away to fully take in the reality. When we reached the library and I was sure no one was around, I gently closed the door and pivoted toward him.
“Laila? Here?” He eyed me with a titillating salacious grin plastered across his face.
“Myles, my love. There’ll be plenty of time for that, but I just needed to be with you. Just you. When you proposed out there, in front of everyone, I didn’t really get a chance to express how happy you’ve made me.” I walked into his open arms where he sat atop my father’s desk. “I need you to know that you are it for me. I’ve never been happier in my life and there’s no one that I would rather be with than you. I’m so in love with you that it scares me. Those couple of days that we spent apart, I felt like the breath had been ripped from my lungs and my heart would literally break at any moment. I don’t want to be without you.”
“And you never have to because the way you felt, describes exactly what I went through in better words. I meant every word I said and I promise to love and honor you. I’ve never felt more alive than I do when I’m with you. I can’t wait to start our life together.” He smiled sweetly, leaning in to kiss me. Alone with the room to ourselves, I couldn’t help thinking about the fantasies I’ve had about having sex on a desk or in a library. This would kill two birds with one stone. Myles must have been thinking the same thing because his wayward hands roamed about my body.
Next thing I knew, I was on my back on the desk, and he was on top of me. Easing my dress up my thighs, he parted my legs with his knee and positioned himself in between. His deft tongue trailed from my chin to my neck and inched south. With both hands, I reached for his pants and tugged at the zipper. Between labored breaths and writhing hips swaying to meet the rise and fall of the other, I heard a faint tinging.
Straining to hear, Myles and I paused. “What is it?”
We heard someone in the other room. “I’d like to make a toast to the newly engaged, Myles Donovan and Laila Smart.”
“Shit,” we both cursed the timing.
“I’d say this is a sign that we need to stop trying to have sex at your parents’ house,” Myles joked.
Like déjà vu, we hastily struggled to get our clothes back on. Maybe spontaneous public sex wouldn’t be our thing, I thought as I finger-combed his hair while he shifted my dress back on straight. Inside my pocket, my phone vibrated against my hip. An unknown number reflected on the screen, but I answered anyway.
“Hello?”
“May I speak with Myles Donovan, please?” a man asked and I knew it was a telemarketer or some overzealous volunteer for the National Census Bureau.
All my instincts involuntarily tightened up and I wanted to yell at them like I usually would, but, then something dawned on me and a mile-wide smile spread across my face. “This is Mrs. Donovan. What can I do for you?”
Even as the words splayed my tongue, I thought, it definitely had a ring to it.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mia Heintzelman is the author of two other books, including The Black Words of Green Eyes and Banana Split, a poetry compilation and an illustrated children’s fable, respectively. A graduate of the University of California, Berkeley and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, she lives in Las Vegas with her family. To learn more, visit www.miaheintzelman.com
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