Chapter 30
Chapter Thirty
E van waited in the doorway of the living room for Mercedes to be ready. Tonight was special for several reasons. He couldn’t wait to share his happiness with the woman he loved.
Six months ago, they’d declared their love for each other.
Since then, they’d been sharing the same bedroom and had made the other room an office, though he still kept most of his clothes in there.
The dirty ones in particular. Mercedes appreciated it.
They’d done so much studying for his test in there, and he’d finally felt confident.
Brushing lint off his black dress slacks, he checked that his button-down shirt was tucked all the way in. He wasn’t wearing a suit and tie, but he still wanted to look nice for their dinner.
Their bedroom door opened, and Mercedes strolled out, gorgeous as ever. Her lightweight dress caressed her shape, and he was envious. He wanted to be doing that. Once they got home tonight, he would.
“Ready? I made reservations.”
Her face showed surprise. “You’ve really gone all out. Want to tell me what this is about?”
“I’ll tell you once we get to the restaurant. I don’t want to be late.”
He took her arm and escorted her to her car. Maybe one day he’d make enough money to afford a nicer truck that wasn’t always covered in dirt. Not today, though it was getting closer.
As he drove, he thought of what he wanted to say to her. Unfortunately, he couldn’t really carry on a conversation in the car while he was driving. She never seemed to mind. Another reason he loved her so much.
The restaurant was a fancy one on the outskirts of Boston that actually had parking, a far more attractive prospect than trying to find a parking garage, paying for it, then walking however long it took to get there.
Or the other option, which was taking the train.
That also usually involved some walking as well, unless the place they were going was right near a T stop.
Mercedes gave him a lovely smile as they walked in. He told the hostess his name, and they were shown to their table. When they were asked if they wanted drinks, he said clearly, “Champagne, please.”
Mercedes tilted her head and narrowed her eyes. “Champagne? What’s the occasion?”
“Remember last weekend, when I said I was at Brian’s helping him fix his car?”
Her eyebrows slid closer to each other. “Yeah. You weren’t doing that?”
“No, I lied to you. I’m sorry, but I was taking the level two test. I didn’t want you to know in case I royally screwed it up.”
Would she be mad that he’d lied? Hopefully, what he had planned for later would take away any lingering anger.
She patted his hand and gave him a slight scowl. “Why do you always have such a low opinion of yourself? And of me? Did you think I’d make fun of you if you didn’t pass?”
“No, I know you wouldn’t. I’m sorry. I guess I just wanted to have good news for you, and it didn’t make sense for both of us to worry.”
Her eyes twinkled. “We’re out at a fancy place to eat and you’re all dressed up. Can I assume you did okay?”
He couldn’t stop the grin that grew on his face. “I got the results today. My boss is thrilled and has already started the paperwork for my new position.”
“New position? Already?”
Evan nodded. “He’s been pushing me to take this test for a while now. He even offered to help me if I needed it.”
“Did you ask him?”
He rolled his eyes. “Surprisingly, I did. Mostly to clarify some things. He took the test years ago and knew the kind of stuff they’d ask. He gave me some pointers for certain types of questions and even showed me how some of the more advanced equipment worked.”
“I’m so glad. Did he know you were taking it last weekend?”
He stared at his plate for a moment before answering. “He’s the one who pushed me to take it then and got me registered. He seemed to think I was ready.”
Her smile lit up the room. “You’ve worked extremely hard learning all that was in that book.”
“You worked just as hard teaching me.”
“I don’t think I really taught you anything. My job was mostly interpreting and making sure you understood the wording and what it meant. Once you knew that, you taught yourself.”
“Pops helped me, too. When I saw him at Easter, we spent a lot of time talking about the test.”
She pursed her lips. “Here I thought the two of you were working on the car.”
“We were.” He shrugged. “But he was also quizzing me on some of the harder stuff I had difficulty with.”
“It was a true group effort, then. I’m so proud of you. I knew you could do it.” She leaned toward him and her lips touched his. This was exactly what he wanted. To be kissing Mercedes and for her to think highly of him.
“I’m glad you did. There were times I doubted myself.”
The server arrived with the champagne and a plate of bread, then poured two glasses for them. They took a few sips and ordered their food. As they nibbled on the bread, they chatted about what he’d be doing at work now and how much of a raise he could expect.
“I’m really excited. With this, on top of the extra they pay me for mentoring Tyler and Jake, I might even have a little surplus at the end of the month.”
“Extra. I’m not sure I know what that is. Do you have it earmarked for anything special? Some big boy toy or a trip?”
He couldn’t tell her yet that he’d used the mentoring money to buy something special to show her what she meant to him. Soon.
“I haven’t exactly decided yet. What would you do with it?”
Her lips pinched together as she thought. “Honestly, maybe this is a pipe dream, but I’d love to buy my own house someday.”
Thankfully, the server arrived with their meals. The topic was going too far in the direction of what he wanted to bring up later.
Her fish was tender and flaky, and his steak was juicy and thick. When they’d finished the meal, he lifted his glass of champagne and held it to hers.
He signed one-handed. “To the woman who has done so much for me and become such an integral part of my life. I never could have achieved this milestone if it wasn’t for you.”
She clinked glasses and took a sip. “I absolutely believe you could have done this on your own. Maybe it would have taken a bit longer, but I have faith in you, Evan. At the same time, I’m also glad you asked for help.
Too many people go about life thinking there are things they’ll never achieve when all they have to do is ask for assistance. ”
“Like when your car doesn’t start.”
She laughed. “Exactly. I am so appreciative of your knowledge of cars and engines. You’ve saved me tons of money.”
His muscles tensed as he thought about what he wanted to do now. Was it the right time? The server cleared their plates and asked if they wanted dessert.
“Can we share the cake?” he asked, pointing to a decadent piece of chocolate on the menu. It would buy him some more time.
“Two forks,” she said. “Got it.”
As she walked away, Evan took a deep breath and slipped the velvet box from his pocket and set it on his lap. “Mercedes.” He took her hand and kissed her knuckles. She’d mentioned this before so he didn’t know why he was so anxious. “I love you very much and want to make sure you know how much.”
Her lips curled up, and she seemed happy. “You’ve certainly said it enough. I love you, too.”
“You originally wanted me to move in with you so Tasha wouldn’t. I guess we both got a little more than we bargained for. I have to say, I’m thrilled with the way it turned out.”
“Me, too. Who’s to say it wouldn’t have happened otherwise, but it might have taken longer for us to communicate our feelings. The proximity helped push us along. I’m glad you’re my roommate.”
Now was the time. “I was wondering if you wanted to stay my roommate. I’ve also been thinking of getting a house. It would be easier with both of us.”
Her eyes lit up. “Buy a house together? Are you sure? That’s a big step.”
“I was hoping for an even bigger step. A whole bunch of steps. Like you-walking-down-the-aisle-toward-me steps.” He opened the ring box and held it up for her to see.
Her eyes teared up, and her lower lip trembled.
“Are you—”
“Yes, I’m asking you to marry me. Make this arrangement permanent. Will you?”
She nodded, and his relief was palpable. “Are you sure? I’m asking for a long-term commitment.”
“Is forever long enough?” she said.
“Forever sounds about right.” After sliding the ring on her finger, he palmed her face and sealed the deal with his lips on hers.
Mercedes was nervous though she didn’t know why. She and Evan had gotten engaged two days ago and planned to tell his family today at Sunday dinner. The Jamesons were a wonderful and loving family and had always been welcoming. She shouldn’t be anxious.
“Ready to go?” Evan asked, dressed a little nicer than usual. Nothing too fancy, but his jeans were new, and he wore the light blue polo shirt that matched his eyes. Mercedes always wore clothes that were slightly dressy so no one would notice anything amiss.
On the short drive over, she rubbed her hands together, and Evan chuckled when they pulled into the driveway. “They love you. They aren’t about to demand I take the ring back and shove you out the door. They’re more likely to tell me I’m not good enough for you. That’s the truth.”
Her anxiety disappeared at his words. “You are very good for me. You make me happy, and we have fun together.”
“Well, that’s good, because I plan to spend the next fifty years with you.”
She scowled at him. “Only fifty years?”
His grin was lethal. “For now. At that time, we can renegotiate.”
When they got in the house, they immediately got sucked into putting food on the table. Mercedes tried to hide her ring until they found a time when they could tell everyone. It didn’t happen until the entire family was surrounding the table and ready to dig in.
Evan pounded his hand on the table. Mercedes chuckled, remembering the first time she’d realized that a Deaf family wasn’t as quiet as she thought they’d be. When everyone looked at him, he said, “I have an announcement. I asked Mercedes to marry me and surprisingly she said yes.”
While cheers broke out from those sitting around the table, she poked him in the ribs. She flashed her ring, and they all admired it.
“Are you sure about this, Mercedes?” Brian asked, always one to give Evan a hard time about everything.
“You stop that, Brian,” their mom said sternly. “Congratulations. It’s hardly a surprise that you two ended up together. Only that it took so long.”
Evan narrowed his eyes. “What do you mean?”
Mom shrugged. “The two of you have known each other forever. There’s always been something special between you.”
She and Evan glanced at each other. “How did you know?”
“Just little things here and there,” Cheryl answered.
“That time you were bullied by someone at school, Mercedes, and Evan was livid. He wanted to go beat that person up, which is not an acceptable way to fix a problem.” She sent an intense stare to her son.
“But it was a little more of a reaction than you’d expect from the brother of a friend. ”
Deanna waved her hand. “Oh, remember when Mercedes went to the prom with that stud, and Evan got all sulky for days.”
Mercedes pivoted toward her fiancé. “How did you even know who I went to the prom with? I lived on the Cape.”
Evan grimaced. “You sent a picture to Carli. She showed me.”
Brian chuckled. “I remember now. You called him a chump and wanted to know what Mercedes saw in him.”
“He asked if the guy was good enough for you,” Carli added.
“He wasn’t,” Evan stated, and Mercedes beamed at his territorial nature. “No one’s good enough for you, but thankfully you’re happy to slum it with me.”
She wanted to harp on him about his lack of self-esteem but could tell he was kidding. Sort of. Their dad laughed and gazed toward the ceiling.
“I was just remembering that time Mercedes needed a ride home from college and Evan volunteered. He said he was planning to visit Gram and Pops, anyway.”
Mercedes remembered that time. Her parents hadn’t been able to get her for some reason, but she’d really wanted to go home to see one of her friends who was home on break. Evan had brushed it off as him simply being in the right place at the right time.
Staring into his eyes, she asked, “Did you plan to go visit your grandparents that weekend?”
That dimple popped out along with his sly grin. “Not really, but you seemed so upset, I figured why not take a little drive?”
Her heart thumped louder, but no one heard. Cupping his face, she kissed him sweetly. “Thank you. See? These are the kinds of things that made me fall in love with you.”
Brian made a gagging sound, and she and Blake glanced his way, causing the others to do the same.
“I can’t handle all the mushy romantic stuff,” he said.
His mother glared at him. “With an attitude like that, it’s no wonder you don’t have a girlfriend of your own.”
Brian pointed across the table to his sister. “Deanna’s still single, too.”
“But you’re six years older than her,” their dad said. “She’s still got some time.”
“Yeah, bro,” Evan said. “Pretty soon you’ll be dried up and on the shelf, while the rest of us are luxuriating in wedded bliss.”
“Yeah, yeah. When I meet the right lady, I’ll know it.”
“How about that girl—I think her name is Sue—from Deaf Night Out? She seems interested.”
Brian’s face flushed, and Mercedes took note as Evan razzed him. She’d have to check out this woman next time they were there.
Deanna rushed in and saved Brian from any more questioning. “Have you made any plans yet for the wedding?”
Mercedes shook her head. “We only got engaged Friday night. I’m still basking in the glow of my beautiful ring.”
Evan winked at her. “How about that reception hall Blake and Carli had, huh?”
His mother’s face blanched.
“No, he’s only kidding,” Mercedes said. “Nothing fancy. Immediate family and close friends only.” She peeked at Evan, who nodded. They were on the same page.
She knew there’d be times in the future when they’d have disagreements and possible fights, but hopefully the love they had for each other would shine through to help them on their way.