It’s true, she has offered multiple times to rub my shoulders and back and occasionally I take her up on those offers. Her strong, soothing hands feel amazing. The problem is that massages usually lead to sex, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but sometimes undoes all the help the massage did for my muscles. Even the time I booked an appointment with her at the clinic, hoping the clinical setting would temper our desires, we ended up getting far too reckless.
We’re fortunate her boss, Amber, has a great sense of humor and said she ignored the thumping coming from the room. It also helps that I’m her daughter’s orthodontist.
Though now whenever they come in, I feel like a guilty teenager whose neighbor caught them sneaking out of the house because Amber will toss me a knowing grin. My composure cracks and I message Tricia to tease her about corrupting me with her wicked ways. She always laughs and tells me I’m being silly. Then when I come home, she has her wicked way with me once more, leaving us both smiling.
The months we’ve been together have been among the happiest of my life. We didn’t end up spending Thanksgiving together, but every holiday since we have.
She thought I would be overwhelmed by her siblings, and she was mortified over her sisters grilling me while her two brothers glared, and the nieces and nephews swarmed. Honestly, I loved it. You could feel the love the family had for each other, even with the bickering and not-so-subtle digs.
Tricia meeting my family was extremely anticlimactic by comparison. We spent the weekend with them, having quiet meals at their house and playing endless hands of rummy, which to my dad’s enjoyment he soundly trounced all of us at. When we left, hugs were given, and my parents said they looked forward to our next visit. No sly looks, or off-colored jokes like with her family. Tricia gushed over my parents the entire drive back home.
We haven’t officially moved in together, but at this point I don’t know why she’s paying rent on an apartment that has a few pieces of furniture and little else in it, since most of her belongings have slowly migrated to my house.
Part of me worries I might be rushing things and she’s not ready. And if that’s the case, this might negatively affect our relationship.
My instincts are telling me to go for it. They haven’t led me astray yet with her and I only hope that continues to hold true.
Tricia steps back and motions to the couch. “Lie down and let’s get some of that tension out of you,” she says with a grin.
“I got a new massage oil,” I say, practically vibrating with the nervous energy strumming through me.
Her blonde brows go up, a grin curving her tempting pink lips. “Oh, you did?” She walks her fingers up my chest, her smile growing. “Got big plans for tonight?”
Swallowing hard, I manage a wobbly smile. “Maybe. Why don’t you go get it? It’s on my dresser.”
With a laugh, Tricia walks out of the living room and, after a brief count of three, I follow.
An ornate green, turquoise, and orange perfume bottle rests on the dresser and I enter the room right when Tricia reaches for it.
“Pretty fancy massage oil,” she says, picking it up and squinting at the tiny note attached. “What is this? Endless love…” she trails off and swings around, almost bumping into me as I drop to a bended knee.
With a gasp, she clutches the bottle to her chest, her blue eyes wide.
“Tricia, we don’t need a love spell. All we ever needed was each other. I see you in my life always. A year from now, five, ten… until the end of my days. I want to wake up to your beautiful face and have you right beside me sharing every moment of our lives together.”
With trembling fingers, I withdraw the small black velvet box from my pocket and open it to reveal the two-carat diamond and platinum ring that I commissioned the week after we pledged our love to each other.
Jared thought I was crazy, but I saw the envy in his eyes when I dragged him with me to help look at diamonds.
And now my happiness hinges entirely on Tricia’s answer.
“Will you marry me?”
Her eyes fly from the ring to my face, a huge smile spreading her lips wide. “Yes!”
I’m reaching for her hand when she throws herself at me, the impact rocking us backward. Only my bulk saves us from crashing to the ground. “Yes, a million times yes,” Tricia cries, looping her arms around my neck in a tight hug.
With a joyous shout, I wrap my arms around her waist, the ring box still gripped in my hand, and rise to my feet, taking her with me.
In a delirious moment of pure happiness, I swing her around before slowly lowering her feet back to the floor and claiming her sweet lips in a kiss.
Much later we’ll call our families with the news, but for now I want to hold my bride-to-be and dream of our future together.
***
10 YEARS LATER
TRICIA