9. Cedrick
The waiter barges in as the question hangs in the air, interrupting Cedrick before he can give an answer.
“Would you two like some coffee? I have a fresh pot.”
Thankful for the momentary distraction, I nod at him.
“Any cream or sugar?” he asks as he pours.
“None for me,” I say.
“Me neither, thank you.”
Once he walks away, Ellie and I look at each other. I still haven’t answered her question, but she doesn’t seem bothered by it. She lifts up her mug to her nose.
“Oh, this smells amazing,” Ellie says.
“Are you a big coffee drinker?”
“No, not really. I much prefer tea. Coffee isn’t the best thing for me to have at work, it makes me too jittery. But I love the taste. What about you?”
“Same as you. Coffee and surgery don’t exactly mix.”
She nods, bringing the mug to her mouth and taking a sip.
I watch her lips touch the cup before my gaze travels up and I notice that she’s watching me, too. As we stare at each other, her bright eyes seem to lock me in. I can’t look away, and I don’t want to.
I take the moment to admire her. She’s beautiful in a way that I’ve never quite seen in anyone else before, with those hypnotizing eyes and the dark sea of curly hair. She barely wears any makeup and frankly, she doesn’t need any.
The longer I look, the faster my heart beats. For a second, I actually forget why we’re here.
“So, um,” she says, bringing me back to reality. “You never answered me.”
I clear my throat, looking out the window and down at the street below. People rush by outside, all of them on their way to different places in different lives. Simpler lives.
I almost envy them, craving that kind of normalcy. I’ll never have that, and I’m not even sure I want it, but it’s nice to dream about moments like those when everything seems so complicated.
“My father holds you in high regard.”
“Yeah, the King is a sweet man. I’ve always admired him. Though I’m not sure what I did to impress him. It’s not like I’ve spent much time with him.”
I laugh.
“Well, he knows you and your mother. Has for a long time. But it doesn’t take long for him to assess someone, to make a judgment on them. He’s always been that way. The annoying part is he’s usually right.”
“Oh, man. I’m imagining a lot of failed relationships resulting from that.”
“You’re not completely wrong. He’s never explicitly interfered, but he finds ways to work his magic. I’ve been too wrapped up in medicine to ever have time for it, so it affects my brothers a lot more than me.”
“Wow, sounds like a high bar.”
“Whatever you did, you made him think that the two of us would be the perfect match, and he refuses to let it go.”
“That must be really annoying.” She has an awkward look on her face, knowing she’s part of this frustration. “I’m sorry.
“No, don’t be sorry. I don’t mind it. And if it weren’t you, it would be someone else. And I don’t exactly disagree with him.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t see potential here. We have very similar jobs, and your passion for what you do is equal to mine. Even in the medical field, it’s hard to find that. Not all doctors have the drive that we do.”
“I know what you mean. I like to surround myself with people who care just as much as me.”
“And that’s exactly what I mean. We’re the same in that regard. Not only that, but I know you care about family and relationships, too.”
She looks at me curiously, taking another sip of her coffee.
“See, I know that I want kids one day. I always have. But with my career and… Well, you know who my family is. It’s hard to conform to the kind of relationship that society deems normal. I need something uncomplicated, without the usual expectations. Does that make sense?”
“It does, and I agree with you. I feel the same way.”
I nod, deciding to take the leap.
“I think that a marriage between us could actually be a good thing.” The more I talk, the more I convince myself to hop off the fence and onto my father’s side. What is happening? “Based on everything I’ve heard, I believe that the two of us could be really amazing parents. We’d be able to get what we want without complications or unnecessary obstacles.”
I wait for her response, almost feeling eager. She looks away for a moment, her brows scrunching up in a manner that I could only describe as unbearably cute.
I swallow, picking up my mug for the first time since the waiter dropped it off. As I take a sip, I force myself to relax.
Finally, she looks back to me, but her expression still reads unsure.
“Can I think about it?” She looks nervous.
“Of course, you can. You don’t need to answer right away.”
“I just… This is a lot, and I want to make sure that I’m really making the right choice. You understand, right?”
“Absolutely. I certainly don’t want you to agree to something if you’re not one hundred percent sure about it.”
She nods, giving me a soft smile. That smile does something unexpected to me, although I can’t quite put a finger on what it is. All I know for sure is that I want to see it again.
“Thank you, Ricky. I mean, Cedrick. You’ve been so kind.”
“I don’t mind you calling me that.” He smiles lightly. “But no one else.”
She reaches for her purse, taking one last sip of her coffee before she starts to get up from the table. Without thinking, I reach out and grab her wrist. She stops, looking down at where my hand rests on her arm.
“Wait.”
She sits back down, looking even more confused than she did earlier.
“I just want to say that if you do decide to say yes, I will draft a contract regarding our marriage. It will be very detailed, and if you don’t agree to it completely and fully, then we can change it. It’s just a starting point.”
Her expression turns to shock, as if she didn’t expect me to be this prepared or to put this much thought into it.
“That makes sense. I’ll need my attorneys to look, of course. Especially with the fert– Actually, are we even having them in the equation?”
“If you’d like. I just want everything according to you to be as seamless as possible. I want you to get everything you want and more.”
She visibly swallows, looking back down at my hand. I had completely forgotten it was still resting on her arm. I pull away. Both of us look down as I do.
“So what do you think about that?”
“It’s a lot to process, like I’ve said. I’m going to go home and think. But I’m taking it seriously, just as seriously as you.”
I nod, flashing her what I hope is a comforting smile.
“I look forward to hearing from you soon. Here,” I say, grabbing one of the napkins on the table. “Do you have a pen?”
“Surprised you don’t carry one yourself.” She smiles, unzipping her purse and digging around for a moment before pulling out a pen.
She holds it out for me, and as I take it, her fingers graze mine. My focus wavers for a second, and I forget what I was even going to do.
I stare at the napkin, my mind completely blank. Oh, right. My number. I scribble it down and pass the napkin and pen back to her.
“I’ll call you once I’ve made my decision,” she says, taking them and dropping them into her purse. “Or if I have anything to talk about further.”
I watch as she walks away, a small part of me wishing she had stayed just a little longer.
There’s something about Ellie that makes me want to know more, to know everything about her.
Uncertainty washes over me as I think about what would happen if she were to decline my offer. I’d respect her decision, of course, but I think I’d be pretty disappointed.
When the hell did I become attached to this whole proposal? It wasn’t even my idea and yet I’m drawn to it. To Ellie becoming my wife.
My father wasn’t completely wrong. And while I don’t particularly like the idea of doing something because he suggested it, I can’t ignore the fact that he’s kind of onto something here.
At first, it was a tug-of-war with my father, where I was determined to get what I want. But now that I have my sights set on Ellie, I want to win.
The more I think about it, the more it appeals to me. The more Ellie appeals to me. Which is either incredibly dangerous, or incredibly right.
She hasn’t even agreed yet, and it is impossible to tell how she’s leaning. She’s not exactly an easy person to read.
Maybe that’s why I want to learn how to get inside her mind so much.