Page 103 of For Butter or Worse
“Should I save you a Snickers, Reese’s, or Twix?” he asked.
Nina walked over and plucked one of each out of the bowl. “You can’t make me choose. It’s Halloween. I need an assortment.”
Leo clucked at her. “What about the children?”
“You’re right. Let’s turn out all the lights and keep the bowl for ourselves.” She opened the Twix. “We don’t want a mutiny to start on this cul-de-sac.”
“You really are a witch.” He handed her the black, pointy witch hat he’d gotten for her the year before.
“Did you order from Pink Metal yet?” Nina asked. “Jasmine told me she’s got a new vegan chocolate pie on the menu. Can you make sure to add that?”
“I will never tire of your best friend being a chef,” he said.
“Uh, you forget that your girlfriend is also a chef.”
Girlfriend.Nina was his girlfriend. He never got sick of hearing or saying it. “Yes, but my girlfriend has been busy getting ready to open a new restaurant and spending so much time at work that she hasn’t been able to cook me a proper meal.”
“Excuse me? I always bring you leftovers from what I’m testing for Ensemble.” Nina had decided to name her new restaurant Ensemble because she said it would be a marriage of cuisines—meaningful dishes, flavors and recipes, creating a whole. And tinkering with this new menu had made her feel energized again. The same way Nina made him feel—like he was complete.
She put on the hat and glanced in the hall mirror. “Honestly, this is a good look for me.”
“And what about me? How’s my costume?” Leo’s hand shook slightly as he carefully put the devil horns on his head.
He breathed in, then out, as measured as he could. He should’ve waited for the takeout to arrive. He was always shaky on an empty stomach, and he wanted to be present for this moment. But he couldn’t wait any longer to start the rest of their lives. At least, he hoped that’s how this would go.
“Is it a costume if they’re a natural extension of your head?” She smiled in the very specific way that always sent a jolt of pure adrenaline through him, then reached to bring him in for a kiss.
“Wait, wait, wait.” He grabbed her hands before they found his neck. He steadied her there and took a deep breath, then said, “Notice anything different?”
He smiled so widely he was sure he looked like the creepy pumpkin they’d carved weeks ago. Not the look he’d been going for when he planned this out with Gavin and his ma.
“Uh.” Nina scanned his outfit. Her nose wrinkled. “Is there a pointy tail I’m not aware of? Should we strip you down so I can have a better look?”
“Well, maybe you can strip me down later. Scratch that, you can definitely strip me down later, but...” He would try again. “You really don’t see anythingdifferent. Something that catches your eye...?”
“Are you okay?” She sounded genuinely concerned. “Did you have one too many of the Kit Kat bars? Do I need to send you for a run to burn off the energy?”
He rolled his eyes. Even though Nina was his girlfriend, some things never changed—like her ability to knock him down a peg. Only now, he liked it. “My horns. Look at my horns.”
Her eyebrows raised as she stepped closer. “Can you bend a bit? I’m not that short, but you’ve got a few inches...”
Her voice trailed off as he bent toward her. “Oh,” she breathed. He was sure she could see the engagement ring he’d slipped over the tip of one horn.
“You got a Bedazzler, I see,” she finally said. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and a wide smile crossed her lips.
He grinned. When they’d allowed themselves to be in a real relationship, he’d fallen in love with Nina all over again. And even though he’d moved too fast in past relationships, he knew this time was different. He wanted to marry her. He needed to wake up next to her each morning and do everything he could to remind her of how much he loved her. The best thing that ever happened to him was fucking up with Nina so badly that he’d had to work hard to show her he never would again. And he was lucky to be able to prove his worth to her, because Nina was worth every effort. He couldn’t wait to start on a new journey as her husband. If she’d let him...
He carefully removed the devil horns, and then he got down on one knee.
“Nina Lyon,” he began.
She slowly bit into the Twix bar as she watched him. “Don’t worry, I’m listening,” she said.
His mouth opened, then closed. “Can I assume you’re stress eating?”
She nodded.
“Great, because I’m stress sweating.” He wiped his hands on his pants. She laughed. They smiled at each other, and the look she gave him was so encouraging and pure—even through a mouthful of chocolate—that he had to go on. “I’ve been waiting to ask these words my whole adult life. And I’m so lucky that I get to say them to you. Nina, will you—”
