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“Are you all right?” Aria asks.
I frown and push the last bit of tiramisu around on my plate with my fork. My stomach tightens and my heart is beating a little harder than I expected it to be. I’ve been on pins and needles all night. I’m not a man who lets his fears get the better of him, nor am I a man who’s ever short for words. But tonight, sitting across the table from Aria, enjoying a nice dinner in a nicer restaurant, I’m finding both things are true. I took her to dinner because there’s something I need to do and I’m having a hard time forcing myself to do it.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” I say with a nod.
“You seem a little distracted.”
“Things at work are becoming untenable,” I say as I set my fork down and raise my gaze to hers. “I really think I need to make some changes in my life.”
“Are you going to leave the firm?”
“I’m thinking about it, yeah,” I reply. “That they gave somebody as undeserving of a partnership as Daniel the promotion over me has just been a thorn in my ass. And the more I think about it, the more it irritates me.”
That much is true. Having to see that asshole every day and know that he’s only in that position—my position—because he’s the managing partner’s son and not because he’s actually a good lawyer just rankles my ass to no end.
“I’ve been giving a lot of thought to hanging out my own shingle,” I say.
Aria’s smile is wide and makes my heart skip a beat. She’s the most beautiful woman I’ve ever known and just looking at her makes my throat dry up while my palms grow damp and clammy. Nobody has ever had this effect on me before so to say it’s a little disconcerting would be an understatement.
“I think that’s a great idea, Silas. I really think you’d be great at it,” she says, beaming. “And I bet you’d love being your own boss.”
“Well, not having to deal with office politics would be fantastic.”
“I bet,” she says.
Aria takes a sip of her cappuccino, eyeing me over the rim of her cup. She sets it back down on the saucer and leans forward, her gaze boring into mine. I can see the wheels in her brain spinning and know that she knows something is going on with me. I’ve never been very subtle and tend to wear my emotions on my sleeve. What can I say? I’m a passionate guy.
“What’s going on, Silas?” she asks.
“What makes you think something’s going on?”
I give her a crooked grin that feels weak even to me. I can only imagine how watery and false it looks to her. Aria is sharp and picks up on everything. I’m learning that trying to fool her is an exercise in futility.
“Nice try,” she says. “Out with it.”
A smile flickers across my lips and I turn my gaze to our waitress then give her a nod. Aria follows my gaze then turns back to me, the light of suspicion gleaming in her eyes.
“What are you up to?” she asks.
“Are you always this suspicious?”
“Well…yes.”
I laugh as the waitress comes over with a covered tray. Aria looks at me with her eyes narrowed and her jaw clenched, trying to figure out what I’m doing. The waitress sets it down in front of Aria then takes a step back.
“I thought we’d have one more course,” I say.
“One more course, huh?”
“Just to finish off our meal in style,” I tell her.
The waitress steps forward and lifts the cloche off the plate, revealing a blue velvet box that’s standing open with a ring inside of it. Aria’s eyes grow wide, and she quickly covers her mouth with her hands. She raises her gaze to me, her eyes shimmering with tears. Smiling at her, I stand up and take the box off the plate then get down on a knee beside her. I’m immediately aware that silence has fallen around us and feel the weight of the gazes of the other patrons as they stare at us. I brush it off and focus on Aria.
“I know this is crazy. We haven’t known each other all that long. But sometimes, something just feels right. And Aria Benson, you feel right. I can’t picture my life without you. I don’t want to,” I tell her. “I’ve known from the start that I love you and every day we spend together, I only become more sure of that. I become more sure that I want to spend every single day I have left in this world with you. You’re the most incredible woman I’ve ever met, and I hope you’ll do me the honor of being my wife.”
The air in the restaurant around us crackles with tension and Aria is still staring at me with her hands over her mouth. Tears spill from the corners of her eyes and race down her cheeks. But she slowly lowers her hands and wipes away the tears. Her cheeks are bright red and she’s got a trembling smile up on her lips.
“This is usually the part where you give a guy an answer,” I say with a grin.
