Chapter 81
Chapter Eighty-One
B ert was amused when Evie didn’t stick around for their regular afternoon drink after work. ‘Found yourself someone better to hang out with?’ he joked, giving her a wide grin. ‘You look happy, love. He’s a good fella.’
‘I know he is, Bert, and this is a completely different life for me. I’ll stay tomorrow and have a drink with you. Better still, I’ll get Chris to come too.’
She rushed back to Chris’s place as soon as she could, the old Datsun chugging up the hill and onto the verge. The car was leaking oil, so she didn’t want to park on the driveway. Chris insisted he was going to buy her a new car. ‘What’s the use of all this money if I don’t spend it? Usually, I don’t get excited when I buy something, but it’s so much fun buying something for you.’
As he flung the front door open and wrapped his arms around her, she wished she could spend every minute with him. She didn’t want to waste any more time. They tried to have afternoon tea and talk about the car but, as usual, they ended up in his bedroom. Evie had discovered what it felt like to have someone make love to her. Someone who wanted to feel pleasure together and take time, discover every part of each other’s body and then shower and sleep together after their lovemaking.
The hours they were keeping were odd however, and she sometimes found herself nearly falling asleep at work. She rarely slept at The Magic Fish , and this weekend Chris said he wanted to discuss some life plans with her.
Chris did not waste time telling her what he wanted. ‘I would love it if you moved in here with me. See how we go, and then if you’re happy and can still put up with me, well…’ He stopped in mid-sentence and she tried not to squeal with delight when he got down on one knee. ‘Evie, will you marry me? Will you be my wife so we can grow old together?’
He had taken a ring from a box and held it out to her. She was shocked. Marriage hadn’t even been on her mind. She thought she would live at The Magic Fish , and they would continue as they were. She was having such a lovely time that she hadn’t thought past that.
She hesitated. So many thoughts. So much to think about. A worried look crossed his face as he watched her, waiting for her reply.
Bending down, she kissed him and stroked his face. ‘I will. I will live here with you and grow old together. I will marry you.’
When they lay in bed later that night, she plucked up the courage to say what she wanted. The proposal and his plans for marriage seemed a bit rushed, and she was wary of jumping in so quickly. Everything was going so well and she didn’t want it to be spoilt, but… ‘Chris. Can I ask you something?’
‘Sure.’ He turned on his side, his hand brushing lightly over her body. ‘What is it?’
‘Can we wait a while until we get married? I want to, but just not straight away. It’s a bit sudden. Could we wait maybe a year, or something like that?’
‘I’ll wait for however long you want. Are you worried about something?
‘I know I love you, and want to be with you forever, but a wedding straight away is hard for me to think about. I just want us to stay like this. I don’t ever want anything to change.’
He kissed her. ‘Why don’t we get married in a year or so, or whenever you want? You have that ring on your finger, and we’re committed to each other. That’s all I need.’
She breathed a sigh of relief. In the past she had made many rushed decisions without thinking. Now, although she was confident about the future with Chris, she wanted to make sure she was still in control of her life.