She Said Yes To Me

EMERIC.

I didn't work at the restaurant all the time but the few times I stood in for Ben, I had seen Noelle and this man. The same man proposing to another woman.

Love was the most glaring thing ever, you could just see it between two people.

It didn't hide but with this man, I never for once saw it. Noelle was always the excited one.

My stomach churned.

I observed her demeanor when she walked in. 

She was beaming, giddy and as always she walked straight to the counter asking for the chef to remind me of her special order and all that she had planned. She did that all the time and that was how I got to know her name.

She always reserved a table in her name. Noelle Holly Roberts. 

I always thought it was a distinct name.

She thought I was like some head waiter or something but I was the head chef on some days and I knew she couldn't eat anything with cloves in it.

The few times I watched her converse with Ben, I just knew she was a sweet, kind woman. She smiled and gushed, her little giggles so damn cute. On so many occasions I wished she'd talk with me about the weather and the rising cost of meat and how she would own a farm down south and hire Ben as her stable man.

She wore a dress. 

A red dress.

I had never seen her wear a dress and it was the first time.

She looked absolutely stunning, I was metal and she was magnet. My eyes sought for her at every time and when I came close to her to take a closer look— she of course thought I wanted to take her order— she had make up on, her lips 

I wasn't the one she made reservations with, it was Ben. I looked through the schedule and there were two proposals happening on Valentine's day on the lower floor, on the rooftop, a lot more.

And in those two proposals, one was reserved by Noelle and the other by Clayton, her boyfriend.

I had my doubts but I still gave it a benefit.

I chose to believe he wanted to surprise her.

And he did.

In the worst way possible.

He was kneeling in front of another woman, showing her affection like he never did for Noelle.

I physically watched her heart shatter as soon as she saw them both. She looked like a lance had been driven into her chest.

As she walked towards them, I had a deep conviction to stop her, to put a shield over her eyes and protect her from the arrows these people threw at her heart.

What if Clayton showed no remorse? 

That would kill her soul.

A very wrong thought took root in my heart, I should uproot it quickly but the more I tried to push it away, the closer she got to Clayton's booth, her eyes beaded with heavy tears.

With one loose strain of straight thinking, I fiddled with the engagement ring I had gotten for my fiance in my pocket and began navigating towards her, like a helpless needle I drew closer and closer till I was in front of her.

The room had noticed my intention but not her, she was still looking over to see Clayton even while I was standing right in front of her. She didn't seem happy to see me, seeing her roll her eyes and the frown on her face.

Her arms were bare and cold to touch as I ran my hand from her shoulder to her palm and intertwined our fingers.

She glared at me, her chest rising and falling heavily.

I knelt down, waiting for her to notice that I was right there, to notice that I was holding her but her gaze was fixed on that dirtbag again.

Thankfully the crowd notified her.

Their cooing and excited whimpers, their phone flash and their broadening chants of ‘say yes!’

She finally took notice of me kneeling In front of her. 

She parted her lips and took a step back but I held on to her arm, calling her in, encouraging her to take this advantage, to use me and make Clayton feel her hurt, even though he had no right to feel hurt.

I hoped she would say yes too.

“Make me the happiest man on earth Noelle Holly Roberts.” I said past a boulder in my throat.

Her eyes widened momentarily.

I squeezed her arm, encouraging her.

“Will you marry me?”

I held out the ring in front of her. 

At first it was shock and confusion on her face but when she had looked over to Clayton, I presumed, she looked back at me with some sort of determination.

A fairly there nod.

Then another nod, tears rolled down even more

Then a firm nod.

She put out her fingers for me, I kept my eyes on her face telling her without words that she didn't have to take my offer if she didn't want to.

“Yes… yes, I will marry you.”

The whole place erupted into applause as I slipped the ring on to her finger.

Beaming, I got up and tried to give her a brotherly side hug.

I was not going to hug or kiss her, I couldn't.

I believed it would be too forward and disrespectful of me to kiss a woman who had just been jilted by the man she loved so I intended to just give her a side hug, perhaps people would consider us a shy couple, or maybe conservative.

Disrespectful to her of course, not the douche boyfriend who stood there gaping like he had just been betrayed, his new fiancee held on to his arm, stopping him from going further.

It looked like a disturbing painting from a medieval period accompanied with some classical ensemble with heightened violin staccato.

 Noelle didn't think so though.

She grabbed my lapel and pulled me in, assessing my face before putting her lips on mine. She merely pursed her lips on mine

A roaring applause followed.

I put my arms around her waist and oh god!

My body was on high alert.

Her every breath, the movement of the frills of her dress against my body, the way her body molded perfectly against mine.

Like I've been waiting for her to be in my arms all this time.

I lifted her chin till her eyes met mine, then slowly moved my thumb over her lips.

Her lips, oh god!

They were soft and moist. Parted and inviting.

I coasted my gaze on her face, doing all I could to be mindful and not heed into the bulge swelling in my pants.

“If you're going to kiss me…” I touched the nape of her neck and her head pulled back slightly, I watched her swallow, her little throat bulging as she did.

“... Then do it properly.”

With a kick of urgency I brought my lips down against hers and kissed, no… drank her in.

She took me in, guiding me gently with her tongue as she kissed me.

Her lipstick tasted like coconut and that was coincidentally my favorite flavor.

I didn't want it to end and especially not when she seemed to be enjoying the kiss.

It was tempting, not harsh or proving but gentle and a provocative touch of a lover, if I was a passerby I'd wish the same love on myself.

But this was a charade.