Page 1 of Yearning For Her

One

Eli was going to propose.

Willow thrummed with excitement, which built with every step as she walked along Central Boulevard with Eli. Since he’d texted her this morning to let her know he’d made dinner reservations for them, she’d hardly been able to contain her giddiness, and no amount of begging had convinced him to reveal anything about where he was taking her. All he’d said was that it was a surprise, and that she should dress up fancy tonight.

He never took her anywhere fancy.

It’s finally going to happen. He’s going to propose tonight.

They were going to get married, and Willow would claim the happily ever after she had always dreamed of.

She grinned and looked up at her boyfriend of three years. His short brown hair was slicked back, his square jaw was cleanly shaven, and he was wearing a dark, perfectly tailored suit. Eli usually wore business casual attire for work, but Willow couldn’t recall the last time she’d seen him quite like this.

Hell, she couldn’t recall him having ever worn a suit for her before tonight.

He looked handsome.

And he’s going to be my husband.

She squeezed his hand.

Eli shifted his brown eyes toward her and chuckled. “We’re almost there, Willow. Calm down.”

“How can you expect me to calm down when I’ve been waiting for this all day? You know how I am with surprises. It’s torture!”

He smirked. “Well, I really hope you’ll love this surprise.” Eli faced forward again, and said in a softer tone, “I already do.”

Giving her hand a tug, he led her around a group of people gathered in the middle of the sidewalk. The boulevard was always busy, but with this being a Friday night, it was packed. The entire area had been transformed by developers over the last few years, and nowhere else in the city of Memoree existed such a concentration of high-end stores, clubs, restaurants, and venues.

It wasn’t hard to see why this area was popular beyond the businesses here. The golden glow of the streetlamps, the lights from the storefronts, and the conversations, music, and sound from all directions came together to form a welcoming, alive ambiance. Concrete pavers along the sidewalks, old-fashioned light posts, and the many trees and planters lining either side of the street elicited a sense of some bygone era. Just behind Central Boulevard, numerous footpaths and bridges allowed pedestrians to stroll along the river that ran through the heart of the city.

People had likely been lured out by the weather too. The air was pleasantly warm, which was never a guarantee here in western Washington, even on spring nights like this.

The petticoat beneath Willow’s dress brushed her bare knees. Each touch only heightened her anticipation. She never dressed up like this, and it had been a long time since she’d gone anywhere nice, especially not on such a busy night. She’d normally be in her pajamas, cuddled under a blanket on the sofa, watching a horror movie or reading a romance book with her three cats curled up beside her.

Despite her eagerness to get to dinner, she couldn’t help but let her eyes wander. Most of the boutiques nearby were places where she could’ve easily spent half her month’s earnings on a handful of items. As nice as they were to look at, she just couldn’t bring herself to spend money like that. Whether she was shopping for something for herself or for her business, she’d always had luck at the thrift stores she frequented, where she could find items with far more personality and uniqueness for much cheaper.

Those neat rows of shops were soon broken by a large brick building. The thumping bass of the music from inside vibrated the concrete under Willow’s feet. Velvet ropes sectioned off the sidewalk in front of the establishment, containing a line of people that stretched around the corner.

The club’s brickwork and blacked out windows created an industrial aesthetic on the ground floor, but the second story windows were filled with lights that pulsed and changed color to the beat of the music. The big sign over the entrance read Reverb in flowing red neon script.

When was the last time Willow had gone dancing? She and her long-time friend, Jamie, used to go occasionally when they’d worked together, but that had been…four years ago? Five? She wasn’t sure why they’d stopped.

Probably because life got so busy for both of us.

Willow looked up at Eli. “We should go dancing sometime.”

“Hmm?” He turned his head toward the club, and his lip curled. “It’s loud and crowded. Why would you want to deal with that?”

She smiled and nudged him with her arm. “Because dancing is fun.”

“If you like people sweating on you and spilling their drinks on your clothes, maybe.” Eli shook his head. “Not my thing, Will.”

Something inside her deflated, and she dropped her gaze to the sidewalk. He’d brushed aside something she wanted to do, and that hurt, but it was more than that.

Will. The way he always shortened her name grated on her, and she tried so, so hard not to let it get to her, especially not tonight. She’d asked him not to call her that so many times, but…

He just forgets, Willow. Let it go. He means it as…an endearment.

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