Page 48 of Faking With The Frenemy

He leaned in and kissed me on the cheek. “We are fine, babe. Everything is fine now. You have nothing to fear anymore.” He winked at me, then got on his knees and covered my belly with kisses.

The brunch was supposed to be a formal introduction of both families, and the venue was Michael’s father’s home in Greenwich Village. It was a short drive by New York standards, but lasted over half an hour.

Michael deflected my questions about the reason for the brunch, sneaking around like a sleuth. I spoke to my friends about it, and they all seemed to think I was over-processing. I told them I believed he intended to propose to me, and the thought of it made me nervous. They brushed it aside, and their nonchalance annoyed me.

Michael reinforced my suspicions by taking me for a makeover on the day of the brunch. “This is all necessary because…?” I asked as I got my hair styled.

He shrugged as he flipped through a magazine. “I want your family to see how well you have been taken care of since the last time they saw you.”

I turned around to face him. “Michael, are you up to something?”

He covered his mouth in mock surprise. “Why can’t a man take care of his betrothed?”

We drove into the packed driveway; Michael’s driver let us out before he looked for somewhere to park.

“That’s a lot of cars,” I observed as we walked towards the door.

“Beats me,” Michael said. “They invite me, I show up.” He waited at the door. “Ready?”

I gave a nod, and he pushed the door open. I walked into the house, and my level of surprise was greater than expected. Joy and shock took my breath away. Everyone I had ever known was gathered in the living room. In front of me were my girls, all four of them, including the pregnant Jenna. My heart was overflowing with emotions, and I felt foolish for ever doubting my place among the girls. For many years, they were my unwavering support.

I ran to hug them, and they greeted me with laughter. I hugged Jenna the longest.

“Michael told us,” she whispered as I hugged her. “I am so sorry; I didn’t know what it was like for you.”

“No! I should have told you! I was being an idiot!” I said. We looked at each other for a moment and then laughed and hugged again.

“I think you should thank your man now,” Jenna said.

I covered my mouth as tears of joy filled my eyes and spun around on Michael. I should not have been shocked to find him on one knee. His smile was bright enough to light up a room; in front of him, he held a shiny, massive rock in a dark blue velvet case. The tears fell freely, and Michael watched me silently, beaming the whole time.

“Oh, Michael,” I said through choked sobs. I turned back to the group gathered in the massive living room. I addressed Jenna, “You were a part of this?”

“We were,” Jenna said, beaming brightly. She waved her hand around. “We all were. Say yes, Alessia. There’s nothing more you want in this world. I know it, he knows it, and you know it. So, say yes, so we can go eat all this food Mr. and Mrs. Gates have so generously provided for us all.”

With tears of joy streaming down my cheeks, I laughed and turned to Michael. "You really surprised me there," I said, my voice soft. "I should've known you'd have something so thoughtful planned."

He laughed boisterously. “You did now, didn’t you?” He scanned the gathering, then turned to face me. “I mean, you did tell me to do this the right way. It doesn’t get more right than this, does it?”

Michael cleared his throat, then exclaimed. “Alessia—”

I stopped hearing anything else he said; my entire world was spinning.

EPILOGUE

I woke Michael up with passionate kisses. He grumbled in his sleep and tried to push me away, but I wrapped a leg around him and kissed him until he opened his eyes.

“Fine, fine. I’m awake now,” Michael said with a groggy voice. “To what do I owe this enthusiastic show of love and affection?”

“Oh, nothing,” I replied, smiling. “I just wanted you to know what you were going to miss out on once you resume work today.”

“Oh, no,” Michael groaned, collapsing back into bed. He covered his face with a pillow and screamed silently into it. “Time’s up already?”

“Well, it was up three months ago, remember?” I asked him jovially. “Frankly, I am tired of you using Mario to avoid work. I really don’t think Thale will allow you to escape this one so easily.”

“I think I can come up with one more lie,” he said, his voice muffled by the pillow still covering his face.

“Oh no, you don’t.”

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