“Is that a new suit?”
“It is.”
“You dressed up for me,” she said with a slow smile, tugging on his lapels. “And what happened to your unmissable concert tonight?”
He gestured at his guitar. “You just heard it.”
“Judah.”
“You know, in my vision of this, you were already tearing off the wrapping when I came out.”
“You already got me presents,” she reminded him, toying with the sapphire pendant hanging around her neck. “Multiple presents.” In fact, she’d briefly contemplated skipping the party tonight to crack open the Lego set she’d long coveted but that had been discontinued. She still didn’t know how he’d managed to dig it up, as he refused to reveal his secrets.
“This one’s for both of us, really. Kind of like your entire lingerie collection.”
Her heart hammered in her chest as she lifted the weightless box. “This doesn’t feel like lingerie.”
“Guess you’ll have to open it and see.”
And so she did, delicately tearing off the paper to reveal the velvet underneath. With a deep breath, she lifted the lid… and saw Judah had dropped down to one knee.
“You’re going to get your suit dirty,” she said stupidly as he plucked the box from between her fingers.
“Arielle.”
“Judah.” Her voice was shaky, and the room was so quiet. Ordinarily, she’d be hearing the party through the ceiling, but they must’ve shut off the music. “They all know what’s happening right now, don’t they.”
“Liana is extremely persistent, as you may have noticed.”
She snorted. “Don’t let her rush you. If you’re asking because—”
“Ari. I’m asking because I am, to borrow from Gideon, head over ass in love with you, and five months hasn’t been enough. I want forever.”
“Even if I never learn how to make challah without burning it?”
“Amazingly, that is not even in my top five criteria for a life partner.”
“Noted.” He rose up and her arms slid up around his neck, butbefore he could lean in for a kiss, she huffed out a laugh. “And once again, you’re getting ahead of yourself. You have to ask the damn question, Hotmusic. Get back on your knees.”
“Knee,” he corrected, even while he complied. “It’s just one knee.”
She tugged her lip between her teeth and smiled wickedly down at him. “For now.”
“Arielle Becker,” he said with a quiet laugh. “Please, please marry me.”
“Well, since you asked so nicely… yes, Judah Klein, I will marry you.”
He jumped up and pulled her into a kiss, taking a brief break only to slide the ring onto her finger before their mouths found each other again, and again, and again. Then he grabbed the broom and tapped the ceiling twice, and the room upstairs erupted into cheers and stomps that sent Arielle laughing into Judah’s shoulder.
“I’m not having five babies, you know.”
“I do know,” he said with a grin as he pulled her slowly back to the couch before dropping into it.
She climbed into his lap, rubbing her hands over his shoulders. “We’re gonna have a lot of sex though.”
His grin widened as he cupped her ass in his hands, pulling her close. “Counting on it.”
“Naima and James are going to absolutely die.” Though it’d be hard to beat the morning after Liana and Gideon’s wedding, when Ari strolled into their coworking space with Judah in tow and watched their jaws drop to the floor.
