Page 107 of Why Not Both?

“You never did tell me who taught you to dance,” she says, smiling up at me.

“My mom. She told me that women wouldn’t be able to resist a man who could dance.”

“What if you were gay?”

I shrug. “I’m sure the same holds true for men.”

She laughs and rests her head against my shoulder as we sway to the music. The rest of the night is a blur of laughter and conversation. Now that my job is pretty much over until the cleanup, I just enjoy my time meeting more of Lis’ family, loving how she introduces me as her boyfriend. Loving the look in her eye when she says it even more.

When it comes time to throw the bouquets, Daze looks directly at Lis, points to her eyes and then points to her sister. Lis rolls her eyes in response but nods. Daze turns around and throws the bouquet over her head. It lands squarely in Lis’ hands as though they’d practiced this a hundred times. Everyone laughs and hugs Lis who looks at me with a helpless little shrug and smile.

The decision I made when I woke up that morning solidifies in my chest. As I watch her among friends and family, I start to make a plan.

#

As the months pass, Lis and I spend all our extra time together. So much, in fact, that she moves in with me at the end of November. We spend Christmas with her family and I’ve never seen people more happy to just spend time together. It feels the way a family should feel.

New Year’s Eve, Blue Vista hosts a party. My plan for the night is ready. I’d asked Vic if we could keep it low-key this year and just invite family and friends instead of selling tickets to the public. So instead of the maximum capacity of five hundred people, there’s only about fifty.

Derek claps me on the shoulder while Vic and Adalie come up beside him.

“It’s almost time,” Derek says. “Are you ready?”

While I’d kept the purchase of my apartment secret from my friends except Vic, I’d told this plan to five people. Three of whom were here tonight, standing right beside me.

I take a deep breath and nod, my gaze focused on Lis, laughing next to her sister on the other side of the room.

“Are you nervous?” Adalie asks.

“Not even a little bit,” I say with a shake of my head

“You’re that certain of her?” Derek asks.

“More.”

Vic nods in Lis’ direction, crossing her arms over her chest. “Prove it then.”

I check the time. Three minutes to midnight. I make my way over to where Lis is standing. In my peripheral, I notice a few other couples getting closer, getting ready for the countdown and the kiss as the year turns.

“Hey, firecracker,” I say when I reach her. “Come here.” I tug her against me and move us closer to the centre of the room.

“What are you doing?” she asks, giving me that smile. The I-know-you’re-up-to-something-and-I-want-in-on-the-secret smile.

I check the time once more. One minute to midnight. I kiss her hand and then drop to one knee. Lis gasps, her hands covering her mouth. A few people had been watching me move and in about half a second, everyone has fallen silent.

“Lis. I love you. I know it’s only been eight months since we met, but I’m as certain now as I’ve ever been of anything in my life. This has been the best year because it’s the one I met you. But I want next year to be better. Will you marry me, Lis? Will you say yes so I don’t have to spend a single second of next year not being engaged to you?”

Tears fill her eyes as I open the box. “Is that…?”

“Your grandmother’s ring.” The blue stone sparkles from its place in the box. “I asked your parents if I could use it to propose.”

No one around us speaks as we all wait for Lis to answer. She just stands there and stares at me. My heart is pounding in my chest as she leaves me in agony, waiting.

Derek starts counting down from ten and, as people join in, it occurs to me what she’s doing.

Eight.

“You’re going to make me wait until the very last second, aren’t you?”

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