The Last Phone Booth in Manhattan(3)
I looked around to take it all in. There was a hum of electricity in the air, and the magic of it all was almost like how I imagined Disney princesses felt when swept off on horseback into the sunsets of their fairy tales. The flashes of cameras twinkled like stars in a galaxy that was made just for me.
Adam glanced up, waiting for my answer with hopeful but assured eyes. My face broke into a wide grin, and I shouted, “YES!” before pulling him up and leaping into his arms. With a wave of his hand, he cued the cast to break out into their final song, “All I Want for Christmas Is You.” We kissed in the center of the spectacle, and like the grand finale of a fireworks show, the music swelled and the cast pulled out all the stops, finishing with an actual shower of snow flurries, too perfectly timed to even be real. It wasn’t, of course. I caught a glimpse of a few well-disguised snow machines tucked behind large topiaries and had to laugh. Adam was always one step ahead, and I was impressed at how he really had thought of everything. The crowd exploded into applause, and the cast came up to quickly congratulate us before hurrying out of the square, the flurry of activity matching the dance of the snowflakes through the brisk air.
Adam took me by the lapels of my winter-white peacoat and kissed me again, almost sweeping me off my feet. The fifty thousand twinkling, multicolored bulbs strung to the famous tree behind us were no match for the thousand-watt smile I was wearing from ear to ear. The moment was positively perfect, and I could hardly believe it was my reality.
I drew back and cooed, “I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you, Mr. Daulton.” And punctuated the sentiment with a sweet kiss to the tip of his nose.
He pulled me in tightly for a hug, wrapping me into his coat against his strong chest, and whispered close to my cheek with a warm breath, “This, my love, is just the beginning.”
Chapter Two
When I awoke the next morning curled up next to Adam, who was still sleeping soundly, it all felt like a magical dream. The flash mob. The singing. The perfectly timed shower of silvery snowflakes. (Granted, they were machine made, but still!) It was completely surreal, and I relished the overwhelming and all-consuming sensation of complete happiness. The sun streamed in through a break in the curtains, and I squinted against its light. Soft snow (the real kind) had started falling overnight, and the ground was quickly blanketed in a thin coating of white.
I (silently and spastically) gave a little excited shimmy in celebration, and there was a cramp building in my cheek muscles from smiling so hard for so long. I nuzzled back down into the covers and nestled against Adam. My forever. I glanced over at him and lifted my left hand once again to marvel at the enormous engagement ring now weighing down my finger. And yes, the ring was a stunner, and yes, it probably cost more than most people earn in several lifetimes, but it was so much more than that. This ring was all I needed to know that Adam considered me and our future together his number one priority.
I breathed in slowly, drawing the scent of Adam’s intoxicating cologne up through my nostrils in a steady stream of warm air, the fragrance fresh and clean. I laid my head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat, the rhythm steady and soothing. It was like the persistent tick of an old church clock marking time for all to hear. In each beat resounded the echo of the laughter of our future children, the hammering of new construction on our first house, all our days to come. Security. Comfort. Love. Everything I could have ever wished for was curled around me like a cocoon. I stroked a hand up his chest through the soft blond curls that were almost translucent in the morning light. He moaned against my touch and rolled over to tuck me under his arm.
“Good morning, fiancée,” Adam said, and enfolded me more tightly into his broad chest.
“I love hearing you say that,” I said, and lifted my chin to press my lips hard against his. Pushing up, I rolled myself on top of him, his body warm and inviting beneath me.
He reached up and played with the hair at the nape of my neck, drawing me down to him for another kiss. He wrapped his arms around me, and between kisses, I stroked his face and he nibbled at my neck.
Mid-nibble, he eyed the clock and groaned. “Ugh, I didn’t realize how late it was. I have an important meeting with some investors who are only in town for the weekend. I told them we could meet today since yesterday we were kinda busy.” He smirked at the understatement.
“Seriously?” I pushed off his chest to sit up, my legs still straddling him, and puffed out my bottom lip. “But it’s Christmas. How long will you be gone? All day?”
“I’m not sure. I’ll try to scoot through it as fast as I can, okay? We can celebrate all the holiday festivities when I get home and allllllll day tomorrow. And the day after that, and the day after that . . . I mean, we have forever,” he purred in an attempt to assuage the disappointment growing across my face.
But my expression remained unchanged—pouty and frustrated. “I don’t understand. You really have to do this now?”
He sighed and hopped out of bed. “Wait here, I’ll be right back,” he said, darting from the room. Moments later, he returned, pouncing into the plume of sheets. “I wasn’t going to give these to you until tonight, but I think I need to pull my ace in the hole now,” he teased. “I planned us a little New Year’s Eve getaway across the pond to celebrate our engagement.” He flashed two paper tickets like a magician showcasing his latest illusion.