Chapter Forty #2
“Is this what I think it is?” I ask Ellis, noting the “husband” part of Lyndsey’s message. I don’t want to get my hopes up but all this fanfare must mean something.
“That depends, if you think it is Lyndsey showing you that she wants to be your wife for real then yes. If that’s not what you think then…
no, it’s not what you think.” She grimaces but I just burst out into excited laughter.
She is finally ready. After all this time my darlin’ is ready to admit that she was always supposed to be mine.
“I love her,” I say to nobody in particular, I just like saying the words out loud.
“I know you do. Here, take these with you.” She hands over the giant bouquet of flowers that is on the front counter.
It is filled with flowers of all colours.
Red roses and bright yellow sunflowers. Baby’s breath in different colours and lush green leaves fill the gaps.
There are flowers I don’t know the names of but they look so beautiful that I know this must cost a lot of money.
“Wait, she didn’t prepay for this, did she? She can’t buy her own flowers.” I start digging for my wallet but Ellis slaps my hand away when I try to hand her my card.
“No, she didn’t. It’s on me,” she tells me with a smile, her eyes flicking between me and the garment bag that Rook gave me slung over my arm.
“No, Ellis.” I try to protest but she gives me the mom glare I haven’t seen since my own mom died. Still, it has the same effect now that it did then. I don’t try to argue further, knowing it would be futile.
“Go in the back room and get dressed and get out of my store, Anders, we don’t have time to argue! She is waiting for you,” she tells me, pointing towards the back.
Jack claps from beside me, hooting and hollering in excitement.
I leave them behind to get dressed, throwing my jeans and old shirt in the bag.
I look damn good. The suit fits perfectly and I don’t know how Rook knew what sizes to get but I don’t even care because with my hair and this suit I’m going to be Lyndsey’s Prince Charming on my way to a date with my princess.
I make it to Il Moroso just in time and my heart skips a beat knowing she is only a few feet away from me.
I can’t see her through the large windows but I know she is inside.
As soon as the door opens my eyes scan around and I freeze when I see her.
My smile almost hurts as I look at her draped in blue velvet, her ginger hair tied up on the top of her head, leaving the pale skin of her neck on display, and I want to kiss every inch of her skin.
Ignoring the ma?tre d’, I walk towards my wife with large strides, dropping the flowers on the table in my haste to take her into my arms. I have so many things to say but none of them seem big enough for this moment.
Instead I kiss her. I pour every ounce of love and admiration I have for her into the kiss while also trying to keep it appropriate for the public. Though it is a real struggle.
I’m hypnotised by her beauty. I don’t know how I got lucky enough for her to give me a chance.
Especially when I thought there would be no way she would date me.
And yet now here we are. I shake my head, blinking away the thoughts of where we would be if Vegas hadn’t happened.
I don’t want to even imagine my life without her.
“You’re incredible,” I tell her. It feels so insignificant but I have to remember where we are, I can’t exactly start yelling from the rooftops how in love with her I am.
Once we are both sitting, I take her hand in mine.
I know I won’t be able to get through this date without telling her exactly how I feel.
She has done so much for me today, to show me how she cares about me.
I know it must have been hard putting herself out here like this, offering me her heart on a silver platter.
“I love you.” The words slip out but I don’t regret saying them. She deserves the words.
“Aiden.” She sucks in a breath, her hands starting to shake in mine, and I tighten my hold on her, knowing she will need a minute to process. “Do you know why I did all this?” she asks. Her voice is heavy with emotion but she looks at me with stars in her eyes.
“Because we have never been on a date?” I ask with a laugh, trying to take the pressure off. And it works, she smiles at me, lightly taking a deep breath, trying to soothe the anxiety that I can see pulses through her.
“That’s what it started as but…” She pauses again, lifting my hand up to kiss my fingers where they are interlocked with hers. “Aiden, I love you too. Will you marry me?” This time I’m stunned into silence.
“What?” I ask, my jaw hanging open. I must have heard her wrong. There is no way she asked me to marry her. When I went to sleep last night, I thought I still had a lot of fighting to do to prove what she means to me, but she knows.
“Stay married to me?” She stands from her chair, walking around the table until she is beside me. I push my chair out and she settles onto my lap sideways. “Be my husband for real? Have a real wedding with our friends and your family. Our family.”
“Fuck me, Lyndsey.” I hold her face in my hands, only now noticing how they are shaking. “Of course I’ll marry you again.” The smile she gives me could stop time. I’m so lost in her orbit that I almost miss her quiet words.
“You may now kiss the bride.”
And I do. I pull her closer, locking our lips in a kiss worthy of this moment. I no longer care that we are in public, I need the taste of her lips on mine. It’s something I could never replicate. The delicate flavour of her lip gloss and her mint toothpaste. She tastes like mine.
She is going to be my bride and this time I vow to remember every minute of it.
This time I’ll remember her walking down the aisle towards me.
I’ll remember her wrapped in white fabric.
Our friends will get to stand by our side while we remember saying our vows.
We will have a first dance and will share a slice of cake.
Have hundreds of pictures just in case my memories start to fade as we grow old together.
I’ll always have proof of how much I love her.
Lyndsey Anders.