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Emma
“Pack a bag,” Zach said after my classes the following Friday.
“Where are we going?”
“The poshest hotel in the state of Minnesota to celebrate our one-year anniversary.”
I bit my lower lip. I completely forgot. “Oh, okay. Uh, I’ll pack, but I didn’t get anything.”
A sly grin formed on Zach’s. “It’s actually Sunday. I can’t believe you forgot the date that you seduced me. Then declared me your boyfriend?”
“Kind of?”
“Isn’t it a good thing one of us remembered?” he said, pulling me into his arms and kissing me. “Now go pack a bag and hurry up.”
I pulled out my overnight bag and scanned my clothes for something to bring. I packed a simple black dress and heels that could transition to something dressy, some casual clothes to hang out in, and the only cute and somewhat sexy bra and panty set I owned. I didn’t have much of anything that was sexy, but Zach didn’t seem to mind. I grabbed my toiletries and a book just in case.
Fifteen minutes later I was ready to go.
“Where are we staying?”
“The Cedars. Deluxe suite.”
“You have to stop spoiling me.”
“I’ll never stop.”
The drive was less than fifteen minutes. Zach left the keys with a valet and we went inside. He checked us in and we were on our way to the top floor.
“I’m not asking how much this room is.”
“Good. Besides, it’s only one night.”
“Don’t your parents go through your credit card statements and question anything?”
“I don’t spend as much as you think.”
“How are you going to adjust to having a job one day?”
He gave me a mock annoyed look and I tried not to laugh. “I’ve had jobs before.”
“Really? Where and when?”
“I worked some summers.”
“Some summers? Any recent summers? And what was the job?”
“I helped coach hockey. A team of ten-year-olds.”
“During the summer? And were you paid for this job?” I asked.
“It was volunteer work. It looked good on my law school application.”
“Any real jobs? The kind that pay you money?”
“I worked in my dad’s campaign office for a bit. That was paid.”
“How about a job that wasn’t volunteer and your dad wasn’t the boss?”
“I worked at a sporting goods store for a few months, but they kept giving me shitty shifts so I left.”
“Okay, I’m going to stop torturing you, because I think this is more painful for me.”
Zach swiped the keycard and we stepped into our room. I whistled and took it in. The suite, mostly in whites and beiges, had its own sitting room and the bedroom had a huge king-sized bed and en-suite bathroom complete with Jacuzzi.
“I will never get used to this,” I said, throwing down my bag.
“What would you say to some room service? I’d like to have you all to myself tonight.”
“I’m okay with that.”
“Why don’t you get the bubble bath started and I’ll order something? I’ll tell them to give us an hour.”
“I love that idea, Mr. Walker.”
I changed into one of the fluffy white bathrobes provided and filled the tub. I smelled a few of the bubble baths in a neat little basket and settled on a lavender and lemongrass scent. I dimmed the lights and tied up my hair in a messy bun. I set my robe to the side and slipped into the water. It felt good. I rested my head against one of the pillows and closed my eyes.
“I hate to break the serenity, but I’m about to join you,” Zach said, peeling off his jeans then the rest of his clothes. I scooted over to give him more space as he eased into the water.
“I’d love that,” I said in a sleepy voice. “I can’t believe I forgot our anniversary.”
“You’re forgiven this year only. A lot’s been going on.”
“I never want to deal with anything like that ever again.”
“Agreed.”
“And I’ll get you something tomorrow. Or soon. I want it to be sentimental.”
“Em, you don’t have to get me anything.”
“But it’s our anniversary.”
“I think being here with you is the best present I can have.”
I smiled and scooted close to him, placing a kiss on his lips. He then pulled me to him. I rested my back against his chest and he slipped his arms around my waist.
“I talked to Dad,” I said, breaking the silence.
“How’d it go?”
“Okay.”
“I talked to Genie.”
“How did that go?”
“It went. She dropped a bomb on me.”
I tensed. “Do I want to know?”
“Probably not, but if you want me to tell you, I will.”
“Hit me,” I said, closing my eyes and bracing myself.
“Genie is dating Ben Morrow.”
I opened my eyes. “Oh.” I thought for a moment. “You know, they’ll probably make a great couple. They’re like two hurricanes. Does that make one humungous hurricane?”
“I hope not! So you’re okay with it?”
I shrugged. “I don’t really care.”
“You don’t?”
I nestled my cheek against his shoulder. “We won’t be here, so will it really bother us? And I stand by what I said: they’ll probably make an excellent super hurricane. Hopefully their path of destruction only includes them.”
“Wow. You’re so forgiving.”
“Forgiving? I don’t know. But I’d rather her be with Ben than my dad.”
Zach laughed. “Good point.”
We stayed in the water until it got cold and our skin wrinkled. I wrapped myself in the bathrobe again and collapsed onto our bed. “I hope room service gets here soon,” I said.
“Me too,” Zach said, wearing his own robe and joining me on the bed. “Should I call down?”
Just as he picked up the phone, there was a knock on the door. Zach leapt from the bed to answer it. A man wheeled in our food and Zach handed him a tip.
“Should we dive in?” Zach asked.
“You bet.”
We started with beef Wellington, mixed greens and garlic potatoes. I savored every bite and tried to figure out what they used on the potatoes.
“Do you want dessert?” he asked.
“Do you even need to ask me that?”
I took a piece of chocolate cake. The icing was so rich and creamy, like dollops of Nutella. Would the pastry chef give me the recipe if I asked? Or just throw me out of the hotel for trying?
“What’s in the little gold box?” I asked. “Fancy chocolates? I bet they make them here.”
Zach picked up the tiny gold box in front of him. “This?” he asked, holding it up. “It’s probably a chocolate. Do you want it?”
“Of course I want it!”
“Are you sure?”
He had a coy smile on his face.
“Yes, I’m sure. Give me the chocolate.”
“Maybe I want the chocolate. It looks like there’s probably only one inside.”
I bit on my lower lip in consternation. Why was he being so difficult? I wanted the chocolate. It was probably a fancy truffle. “Well, we can share it; I’ll take a bite and give you the other bite. Or maybe you should call down to room service and get another. In the meantime, give me the chocolate.”
He looked at the box and turned it over in his hands a few times. “It seems like you really want what’s in this box, but what if you’re disappointed?”
“I won’t be disappointed. No one is disappointed when it comes to chocolate.”
“Okay. You can have it.” That’s when I noticed it. His hands shaking ever so slightly. He opened the box but I couldn’t see what was inside.
“It’s not a chocolate,” he said, his cheeks flushing. My curiosity was piqued. In the year and a half I’d known him, not once had I seen him this nervous. Then it hit me. He turned the box to face me and I gasped. “Emma Andrews, do you want to marry me?”
Tears sprang from my eyes before I had time to process anything. Happy tears. “Yes,” I said without hesitation.
He took my hand and slipped the ring on my trembling finger.
“I knew I had to get you a practical ring. If I got some big rock, you’d never wear it. And maybe later, you’ll let me get you something extravagant.”
The diamond was huge. Bigger than anything I’d seen before. What was his definition of a big rock? “I love it. I can’t believe this.”
“I want you to know just how much I love you.”
“I love you too,” I said, staring down at the ring again. “But we can’t get married right away. I want us both to finish school first.”
“You’re always the practical one. I’m okay with that. Besides, my parents will need that time to plan the wedding of the century.”
I put my arms around him and sat on his lap, admiring my engagement ring. I was engaged to the most amazing man a girl could ever know. “A really big wedding? I was hoping for something small?”
“Do you consider five or six hundred people small?”
I groaned. “Really? I was thinking less than fifty.”
“Bridesmaids and groomsmen?”
I gently slapped his arm. “Come on! I’m not good in these situations.”
“My mom will help keep you sane.”
“We’ll have to tell my parents,” I said.
“I kind of did already. I wanted your mom and dad’s permission. I swore them to secrecy.”
“When did you ask Meredith?”
“When we had her over for dinner.”
“You’ve been planning that long?”
“Pretty much.”
I squirmed. “How long?”
“A few months.”
“Before the video?”
“Do you really want to ruin this beautiful moment bringing that up?”
“No, but know I’m sorry.”
“It’s all forgotten.”
“And your parents?” I asked. Changing the subject seemed like the perfect thing to do.
“They are already planning the engagement party.”
“We can’t elope?”
“And deprive my mother of planning a wedding?”
“I guess not. It doesn’t matter. Spending the rest of my life with you is what’s important. And just so you know, I’m not going to be the little wife, staying home with the kids. There’s nothing wrong with that life, but that’s not me. I still have all my dreams. I’m going to have my own business.”
“And I’m one hundred percent behind you on it. What if you called it Andrew’s? I’ve been throwing that around in my head.”
“It has a nice ring to it.”
“You want kids, right? We should get that subject out of the way.”
“Yes,” I said, realizing I’d never really thought about it. “More than one. I’ve been an only child, and I think it would have been nice having siblings around.”
“Good. I want kids too. Not right away. Not any time soon. We have dreams to pursue first.”
“I guess I better start practicing how to be a politician’s wife. Maybe your mom can train me on that too?”
“What do you mean?”
“I have this sneaking suspicion that one day my husband is going to be a congressman, senator or governor.”
“You think so?”
“You may not think so, but I can tell.”
“You never know,” he said, caressing my arm. “One thing I do know is that I love you, Miss Andrews.”
“I love you too, Mr. Walker.”