11. Cedrick
The dazzling lights of the city sparkle and shine in through the windows. The streetlights move past swiftly, illuminating Ellie’s face through the moonroof. She looks nervous and unsure of herself. I can hear the drum of her fingers on the arm rest as her eyes dart around the limo.
“Cedrick, where are we going, exactly?” She turns her head slightly. I look into her eyes, but she looks away, still awhirl about everything that’s happening.
Part of me wants to tell her so badly, but I also don’t want to spoil the magic of the moment. “It’s a surprise.”
“You keep saying that, but one thing you should know about me is that I don’t really like surprises. I like having control, knowing what will happen.”
“We’re almost there. I promise, you’ll love this surprise. You”ll have control again very soon.” I laugh a little and touch her arm.
“But how could you know if I’m going to like this surprise if we barely know each other?” Ellie asks. With her smile and tone, there’s a tinge of playfulness.
“I’ll tell you what, Ellie. If you hate this surprise, I’ll take you wherever you want to go.” I look in her eyes again, and she doesn’t turn away. I can’t tell if she’s feeling something or just trying to read me.
Truthfully, I don”t know if I could answer that for myself.
“Anywhere I want to go?”
“Within reason,” I say, smirking.
She chuckles. Her smile is so infectious, and there’s a glow that spreads across her entire face. She’s beautiful no matter what, but her glamorous look is such a transformation, I’m finding it hard to concentrate whenever I look at her.
When we pull up to the place, the outside looks like an ancient Greek temple, complete with statues and a frieze of scenes from Solvarian history along the front of the building.
The limo stops, and I’m out in a flash. I give the driver a nod as I walk past, and he nods back, knowing I want to escort my date myself.
“My lady,” I say as the door opens. Ellie flashes me a look, like she’s trying to figure me out, then she lowers her head and tucks a strand of hair behind her ear.
As I help her out of the car, I can’t help but admire her curvaceous figure. Her dress is stunning, but still not as much as she is.
“What is this place?”
“It’s a special place.” I take the crook of her arm and enfold it in mine. Her gaze is on the statues and the building itself, but my eyes are still on her.
I pull the front door open, and she stops cold. The inside of the building is more extravagant than the outside. Hanging plants, bubbling fountains, and white marble statues.
“Holy shit!” She covers her mouth after the words escape her lips. “I’m sorry.”
I’m laughing too hard to tell her that it’s fine, and she understands that there’s no need to apologize.
“Why is it so empty, Cedrick?” The interior is larger than it looks from the outside, but it’s jarringly empty, with unfilled seats and virtually no sound.
“Because I arranged it. The whole place is ours.” She snaps to attention and stares at me in shock. I look deep into her eyes. Every time I look at them, they’re more beautiful than I realized.
“So where are we sitting, then?”
“Wherever you want.” She gives me another impressed look and starts moving around the restaurant. I stay behind and watch her.
She virtually runs around the grand hall, and it reminds me of the games we’d play as kids. Only now instead of pigtails, she has a chignon, and instead of muddy playclothes, she’s wearing a gown that shows that she’s no longer a girl. She’s a woman, and a beautiful one.
“Over here!” She waves at me next to one of the fountains, at a table that’s behind a waterfall.
I’m stunned, not just by her beauty but at the coincidence, as I catch up and pull out her chair for her. “How did you know this was my favorite spot?”
She shrugs. “I guess good taste is one more thing we have in common.”
Her amber eyes shine and the light of the waterfall refracts across her shoulders.
It’s a prix fixe dinner with six courses and wine, although toward the end, she can barely finish. Still, she makes sure to taste each one, and she savors it.
“I think there’s only one dish we’ve had that I’ve actually tasted before.”
I forget that even though she’s also a physician, she hasn’t been exposed to the same things that I have. It’s exciting to show her things she’s never experienced before.
“Wow. And what’s the verdict?”
“Oh my God, it’s amazing.” She puts a hand on her abdomen. “I wish I had another stomach. Caviar, roast duck, venison, fiddleheads, octopus. I thought it would be disgusting… but…”
“I know. It’s amazing how something that seems so weird can taste so incredible.” I reach my palm out and touch the top of her hand. “Well, you better get used to this lifestyle if you’re going to be my wife.”
She doesn’t move her hand, but she pauses and purses her lips seriously. “About that. Should we discuss the details of the contract?”
I wave my other hand. “Not tonight. Tonight is just about you and me. Getting to know each other and having a great time. That said… What do you do for fun? What are your passions?”
“I don’t really have time for that, honestly. But I guess when it’s time to unwind, nothing beats sitting under a blanket with a good book. Or, if I’m exhausted, I’ll just watch something on TV.”
“What sorts of things do you enjoy?”
“Oh, I don’t know. Something I don’t have to think about. A lot of documentaries.”
I raise my eyebrows. “Documentaries seem like something you have to think about.”
She laughs, then puts her hand over her mouth, an act that’s completely endearing. “Not the kinds I watch. Weird phenomena… That show where people get drunk and talk about history…”
“Yeah, my watching can be a little simplistic. Although I don’t have much time for it, either. You know what a guilty pleasure of mine is?”
“Tell me.” She puts her chin on her palms in amusement.
“Those dancing competitions. Believe it or not, my mother and I took dance classes when I was little, and it was something we bonded over. How about you, do you like dancing?”
“Sure, like, at a club or something?”
“I guess that counts.”
“I don’t know the last time I went out like that, but when I’ve been, I’ve liked it.”
I point to the stage behind her, where a full band is set up.
“Good. Because we have a live band. Care to dance?”
“You really had everything figured out tonight, huh?” she asks with a coy smile.
“I like to be prepared.” I take her hand, and we walk over to the dance floor in front of the band. They greet us, and we introduce ourselves.
They play some light jazz, and I invite her to dance. She gives a skeptical look.
“Hmm? Something wrong?”
“No, no. Not exactly. Just… we’re already getting married. Why all this?” She raises her arms and spins around, and it makes me want to glide on the dance floor with her in my arms even more.
I pause for a moment. “Sure, we’re marrying for reasons other than love. But why have it be just a sterile legal transaction?”
“I guess so.” She’s stopped fidgeting with her hands, calming down a little.
“We’re joining our lives, getting to know each other. We may as well have fun while we do it.”
The band starts a livelier song when the first one ends, a lovely melody but a dancier beat. I grab her and spin her around, taking her off guard.
At first, her movements are tight and controlled. However, as she starts feeling the music, I can tell she’s opening up.
Another song comes on, and she seems to recognize it. She starts dancing for real, allowing herself to get caught up in the moment.
Then the music stops, and the space becomes eerily silent. “What’s going on? Is the music over already? Is there something else?”
I hold both of her hands in mine, and I kneel onto the ground before her. She gasps, covering her mouth. I pull a ring box from my jacket pocket and open it. She gasps again when she sees the size and brilliance of the enormous diamond ring.
“Ellie Lawson, will you do me the honor of marrying me?”
She steps back, her hand still covering her mouth. It’s sinking in that it’s all so real. She hasn’t taken the box or said anything. She’s just standing there, hand over mouth.
Is she having second thoughts? Was this all too over-the-top for her tastes?
Finally, she nods, and I see tears welling up. “Yes, Prince Cedrick of Solvaria, and my dear oldest friend, Ricky. I’ll marry you.”
She holds her hand out, and I put the ring on it.
The band begins playing a lively version of the Wedding March and breaks out in applause.