50
Erica
Hunter flicked open the small, wood box with ease. The lid folded back on precise hinges, revealing a pillowy interior that propped up a ring.
Adiamondring.
I think my brain crashed for a few seconds. It rebooted, installed updates, and then rebooted again. Was this a joke?
The detail that made itreal, very real, was Hunter’s hand on the table. It was trembling. Not a lot, but enough to show how nervous he was.
This wasn’t a joke.
This was really happening.
“I’ve been thinking about this for a long time, Erica,” he said. His hand may have been shaking, but there was nothing but calm resolve in his gorgeous eyes. This was a man who was certain about what he was doing, as certain as a man can be about anything in this world.
“You want to know why I bounced around from girl to girl in high school?” he went on. “Because none of them feltright. Katie, then Priscilla, then Jessica. I kept searching for that special feeling you’re supposed to get when you know you’re with the right person, but it never came.
“And then I realized why.” He smiled ruefully. “It was because every girl I dated wasn’tyou.”
“Me?” I asked, incredulous and shocked.
He gave a single emphatic nod. “It took me a long time to realize it, and once I did, it hit me like an epiphany. Every girl I dated, I matched up against you in my head. Katie was nice, but she wasn’t as nice as you. Jessica was hot, but she wasn’t asstunningly beautifulas you. Priscilla was smart, but goddamn it, she didn’t hold a candle to Erica Porter, my best friend’s sister. Nobody ever came close. Do you remember the graduation party we had at your house?”
“The one where you fought Derek Offerman?” I let out a nervous laugh. “Of course I remember.”
“I lied to you that night,” he said. “I told you that I didn’t believe in the idea ofthe one. But that wasn’t true. I believed it, because I believedyouwere the one. And as time has gone on, I’ve only become more certain of that fact.”
He reached across the table and took both of my hands in his, eyes boring into me with love and caring and intensity. “It’s you, Erica. It’s always been you. I want you to be my partner in life. I want you to be my lover. I want you to be mywife. If you’ll have me, then I’ll be yours forever.”
Tears flooded my vision and blurred everything. I blinked them away and said, “Did you just propose to me using my company name?”
He grinned. “Was it too cheesy? I can start over and skip that part. I’m used to doing multiple takes on my videos when—”
“Shut up and kiss me!”
He pulled my face to his and we kissed. It was every bit as electric as the first kiss we shared, and I knew it wouldn’t be the last.
I was a sniffling, blubbering mess when we pulled apart. “Well? Aren’t you going to put it on my finger?” I asked while wiping my eyes.
He cocked his head. “Technically you haven’t said yes yet.”
“YES!” I blurted out, causing a table of purple-haired hipsters to glance our way. But they were too focused on their beers to be emotionally moved by what was happening at our table.
Hunter removed the ring from the box. I presented my left hand. The ring slid over my finger with suspicious ease. He must have found my size from one of my other rings.
We kissed again, then hugged, and even though nobody else in the brewery seemed to notice, it felt perfect forus.
I held my hand out and watched the room lights twinkle and sparkle in the diamond. It was a radiant cut gem, a little over one carat in size on a yellow gold band.
“Iloveit,” I said, “but I have to say it’s funny that you didn’t buy the gemstone and band frommycompany. But it’s okay. I might have noticed the order, and it would have ruined the surprise!”
He smiled at me. “Well, actually… Remember Emily Hanes?”
“Emily who?”
“Your first customer. The woman from Dayton who placed the first order.”