I had already asked for their permission. Maybe I should not have done that. Maybe I had been too confident that everything would work out the way I imagined.
I silently scolded myself for not considering the possibility that she might not be ready for something like this.
She had told me she loved me.But what if love did not mean she wanted to marry me?It had taken her time to acknowledge her feelings for me in the first place.What if the same hesitation appeared when I proposed?
“So, what would you like?” she asked.
My thoughts had been spiralling so intensely that her voice startled me.
“What would I like for what?” I asked, jerking my head back slightly.
The cool air brushed against my face, but I was sweating.
“For dinner, hun?” she said, looking at me with her eyebrows drawn together. “Are you okay?”
“Yes, I’m fine,” I replied quickly. “Sorry about that.”I cleared my throat.“Don’t worry about dinner,” I added. “It’s already been taken care of.”
The truth was that almost everything about this weekend had been carefully arranged.
That evening, after building up an appetite from the hike, we enjoyed a sumptuous Chef’s Tasting Menu in a private seating area in the dining room.
The meal was extraordinary, course after course arriving like small works of art. Candlelight flickered across the table while soft music drifted through the room, creating an atmosphere that felt intimate and magical.
The next day, we went out on a cruise.
It was a majestic tour through towering landscapes where soaring peaks rose dramatically above sheer cliffs that plunged into turquoise waters below. The boat glided past powerful waterfalls and rugged coastlines while seabirds wheeled overhead, and the occasional bear could be seen along the shoreline.
A picnic-style lunch was served as we cruised along, and I watched Jiya laugh and point excitedly whenever something caught her attention.
Later that afternoon, after returning from the cruise, we enjoyed a relaxing massage and a facial in the couple’s treatment room.
When the massage was finished, I excused myself. “I have some urgent work,” I said casually. “Meet me at the bar for drinks.”
She nodded and headed toward the villa while I went straight to meet the manager.
I wanted to confirm that the arrangements for that evening were ready.
When he showed me the setup, I felt a surge of excitement.
Everything was exactly the way I had imagined.
Back in the villa, I changed into a light grey suit and a crisp white shirt. As I adjusted the cuffs, my eyes caught a dark bruise on my arm.
I had accidentally walked into a door at the office a few days earlier.It had been there longer than I realized.
That’s strange.I studied it for a moment.
It didn’t hurt, which was probably why I had not paid attention to it before.I shrugged it off.I’ll keep an eye on it.
Before leaving the room, I slipped my hand into my jacket pocket and felt the small velvet box resting there.
The ring.
Taking a deep breath, I headed downstairs and waited for her at the bar.
As the minutes passed, my mouth began to feel dry.
A nervous flutter stirred in my stomach, like wings beating against a cage.
