“Patrick,” said Angie, “tell me you’re not serious!”
“This morning on the phone you said it was a good idea.”
“I was joking.”
He shrugged. “Well, I thought about it and decided it was the right thing to do.”
“But it’s so soon.”
Mei just smiled. “Well yeah, but I think it’s a great plot twist. They won’t have seen that one coming. I mean, everyone’s going to know why you proposed, given the timing. But it sends a wonderful standing-by-my-woman message.”
All I could do was shake my head. And try to breathe. Breathing remained an ongoing concern.
“Oh, good Lord,” said Angie.
“Say yes,” urged Patrick.
I had nothing.
“Fine. Whatever. Let’s do a close-up shot of you two holding hands with Norah wearing the ring. Just your hands,” said Angie. “We’ll post it on his Instagram. Something simple for the wording like she said yes. We’ll let the suits handle the leaked nude while we focus on this. Sound good, Mei?”
“On it,” she answered, picking up her cell.
“How does it look on her?”
Mei got up in my face with concern in her eyes. “Ah. She’s kind of busy hyperventilating. Hasn’t tried it on yet.”
“Is it over two carats?” asked Angie. “I never trust anyone who proposes with under two. It sends the wrong message.”
“It’s five. An emerald-cut ethically sourced diamond on a platinum band from Harry Winston. I got them to open early for me.” Patrick gently lifted my hand and slid on the ring. “Norah. Norah?”
“I haven’t said yes yet.” I stared at the beast of a stone in wonder. “This is crazy.”
“No,” said Patrick. “This is me having your back.”
“Well, congratulations and all that. I have things to do,” said Angie, and she finished the call.
Eyes wide open, I stared in . . . something at the ring. Wonder. Horror. Shock. One of those. Or maybe a bit of each. “We can’t get engaged.”
“Sure we can,” said Patrick.
“You don’t want to get engaged to me,” I said, finally taking in his face. His determined expression and tranquil gaze. How could he be calm?
“Sure I do.”
“But Angie was right—it’s too soon.”
He lifted one thick shoulder in a half shrug.
“And everyone’s seen my nipple,” I said.
“I haven’t.” He kept right on holding my hand, tilting it this way and that so the diamond caught the light. The thing was fucking huge.
“You haven’t?” For some reason, my heart lightened. Guess common decency comes as a pleasant surprise sometimes. “You didn’t look at the photo?”
“Of course not.”
“You haven’t seen her nipple?” asked Mei, snapping pictures of our hands. “Or perhaps both of them?”
“We’ve been waiting for marriage,” answered Patrick with a straight face. “That’s why we’re in separate bedrooms.”
“Right,” she drawled. “Though Norah said it was because she snored.”
“That too.”
Mei didn’t appear convinced in the least, and fair enough. This was all beyond farcical.
In and out. That’s all my lungs had to do. It was fine. Well, it wasn’t fine, but it would be. I just had to find the words to express myself. “Patrick. It’s a beautiful ring. And you wanting to send this message of solidarity means everything. Thank you.”
He just watched me. As if he was maybe mildly curious about what might come out of my mouth next.
“The thing is, I had always thought getting engaged would be . . . different. I mean, like, it would be a big thing that would happen after I’d spent a while in a real serious relationship.” I gave him my best fake smile. “Know what I mean?”
“This is your choice, of course. But I’d really like it if you’d let me protect you.”
“You already are with the lawyers and everything.”
“Yeah, but . . .” He sighed. “This wouldn’t have happened if it wasn’t for me being in your life.”
“It’s not your fault.”
“Eh,” said Mei. “It sort of is.”
“I’d be proud to have you as my fiancée,” he said, killing me inside with his sweetness. For a man who didn’t say much, he sure packed a punch when he chose to open his mouth. “Say yes.”
Ugh. I didn’t know what to say next. A rare thing for me. “I . . .”
“Was that a yes?” he asked, only mildly curious. “I think it was.”
“When was the last time someone said no to you, just out of interest?”
He scratched at this chin. “It’s actually happening much more than I’d like lately. Please don’t join the trend.”
I sighed.
“I think you should just wear it for a while and see how it feels,” announced Mei. Out of nowhere. “It’s not necessarily a big deal.”
We both looked at her. Both of us wearing frowns.
“People get engaged and call off their engagements all the time.”
“Do they?” asked Patrick.
“Absolutely,” said Mei with a grin. “If you paid more attention to real life and less to fictional film characters, you’d know these things. It’s like a hobby in Beverly Hills and Bel Air.”