“I don't know—I didn't ask. It's pretty big though, right?”
“Uh, yeah! You'll have to have it insured.”
“You think?”
“Definitely.” Jen nodded sagely.
Liz placed it carefully on the dresser and laid the dress on the bed. “Help me with my hair?”
“Of course.”
For the next hour and a half, Jen helped Liz with her hair and make-up, gave opinions on shoes, and took Liz's final 'single' pictures.
“Okay, you're ready. When is William picking you up?”
“He said seven thirty. Reservation's at eight.”
Just then, the bell sounded and Jen ran to let Will in. Liz stood in front of the mirror in her room, gazing at her reflection, hardly recognizing herself all done up. She'd been dressing up and going out for what felt like ages, but for some reason tonight felt different. She thought it might be her hair; they had spent longer on it than usual. Or maybe it was her dress; it was different than anything she'd ever worn. It was that perfect mix of modern and classic, sexy and elegant. The color was just right for her and the full skirt made her look voluptuous and feminine.
She ran her fingers along the silky fabric and looked herself in the eye. “You can do this, Lizzy. You know exactly what to do. Smile, act surprised, say yes. That's all. Just smile, act surprised, say yes. There will be other proposals. This is not the only one you'll ever get. You've got this. Smile. Act surprised. Say yes.”
She nodded at her reflection and left the room to meet William.
*
“Everything okay?” Liz asked.
“What? Oh, yes. Why?” Harper answered as he looked out the window at the passing traffic.
“You were staring at me with a funny look on your face.”
“Was I?”
“Yeah. You all right?”
“Yes. Perfect. Everything's fine.” He smoothly pulled into traffic and headed towards midtown.
Liz let it go and looked out the window. “It's weird, you know?”
“What's weird?”
“I've been living on this street for three years, and next week, I'll be gone.”
Her voice was surprisingly serious and Harper didn't know what to say, but thought he should say something.
“If you want longer, to move out I mean, you can. I don't mind if you want to keep this apartment for a while. This has all happened so suddenly; it's perfectly understandable if you need some time to adjust to all the changes.”
She kept her head turned to the outside and didn't say anything for a few minutes. “Thank you. That's kind of you. I think a week is enough time to get my stuff out. It's time to move forward. It's just a little odd, that's all.”
“Yes, I know what you mean,” he said quietly.
Dinner was over before they knew it and by ten fifteen, they were in an elevator headed to the top of the Empire State Building. Somehow, their hands found their way to each other as they stood against the back wall. Will gave her hand a squeeze, and she intertwined her fingers with his.
“You ready?” he whispered in her ear.
“As ready as I'll ever be.”
Just then the elevator arrived and they followed the small crowd onto the observation deck.
“You know, I've lived here five years and I've never been up here,” she said.
“Really?”
“Yeah. I guess you don't do the touristy things when you live somewhere.”
“Yes, I suppose. My parents brought me here when I was a kid.”
“That sounds like fun.”
“It was a great trip. Dad was revamping the New York offices and Mother and I came along. It was the last trip we took just the three of us. Not that we took so many, but my sister was born the next year.”
“How far apart are you?” she asked as she looked out at the view. Will stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her middle. She easily clasped his forearms in her hands and leaned back against him.
“She's seven years younger than me. Are you cold?”
“Hm? Oh, a little, but I'm all right.”
He pulled her closer and brought the sides of his jacket around her so she was cocooned in his warmth, holding everything in place with his arms wrapped firmly around her. “Better?”
“Yes, thank you. Do you see her often?”
“Who?”
“Your little sister.”
“Not really. We email regularly, though. Living on separate continents makes more contact a bit difficult.”
She nodded and snuggled closer as a breeze brushed across her face.
“Come here,” he said softly as he turned her around and pulled her against him. “You should have brought a jacket.”
“Sorry, mom. I didn't want to ruin the look of my dress.” He chuckled and she wrapped her arms around his middle under his jacket and laid her head on his chest. “You're very warm.”
“The better to heat you with, my dear.” She smiled and sighed. He held her quietly a moment, then said, “It really is beautiful up here. We should do this again.”
“Yeah, we should. Can we bring a blanket next time?” she asked.
He laughed lightly and leaned back to see her face. “Did I tell you you look amazing tonight?”
“No. I was beginning to wonder if you liked my new dress,” she answered impishly.
“Oh, I like it. I like it very much.” She smiled as he stroked her cheek. She could see the reporter looking people she had noticed earlier looking their way, though no cameras had come out yet.
“Thank you. You don't look so bad yourself,” she said.
“Thank you.” He paused and looked at her for a moment. “Lizzy,” he breathed.
“Yes?”
He took a deep breath and she looked at him encouragingly. “The first time I saw you, I was intrigued. The second time I saw you, I was drawn in by your charm. The third time, I knew I had to be with you. And by the end of our first date, I knew I never wanted to let you go.”
He reached into his pocket and knelt down in front of her. Everyone around them realized what was happening and stopped talking, all eyes on them, plus a few camera phones.
“Elizabeth Barrett, will you marry me?” He opened the tiny velvet box he was holding and revealed an enormous diamond ring that he held out in front of her. Elizabeth smiled gently as he spoke, gasped and brought her hands to her mouth when she saw the ring, and with a voice that trembled just a little, she answered.
“Yes, William Harper, I'll marry you.”
He immediately broke into an enormous smile, rose off his knee, and wrapped his arms around her. She giggled as he twirled her around, her feet off the ground. He finally set her down and placed the ring on her outstretched hand. Her eyes were wide as she stared at the giant rock and then up to his smiling face.
“It's beautiful.”
His answer was to take her face in his hands and kiss her softly as cameras clicked and flashes went off all around them.
*
“Well, I'd say that was a success. Beer?” Will asked as he reached into the fridge.
“Thanks.” She took a bottle from his outstretched hand and kicked off her shoes. “I don't know about you, but I'm beat.”
“Me too. Do you want to go straight to bed or would you like to watch something first?”
“What do you usually do?”
“I usually relax in front of the telly before bed, but I don't want the noise to keep you up.”
“That sounds good. What do you want to watch?”
He looked at his watch. “The Daily Show just ended, but I have it on DVR.”
“Sounds good.” She walked into the living room and curled up in the corner of the sofa, spreading her dress out over her curled up knees.
“Are you cold?” he asked.
“A little.”
He left the room and a moment later was back with a folded blanket in his arms. “Here you go.”
“Thanks.” She spread it o
ver her and watched the show, laughing and getting used to Harper's presence.
When it was over and he was about to turn the television off, she said, “You know what this means, don't you?”
“What?”
“We have to change our Facebook statuses now.”
He groaned. “I had forgotten about that little program. Luckily for me, I don't have a Facebook account.”
“Really? Why not?”
“No need.”
“How do you keep up with people you don't see anymore?”
“If I don't see them anymore, why would I want to keep up with them?”
She thought for a moment, then said, “Well, I have an account, and it will look weird if I get publicly engaged but say nothing about it.”
“Are you one of those people who are constantly updating and boring everyone with a dozen posts a day?”
“How do you know about that if you don't have an account? And for the record, no, I am not one of those people. I update every couple of days, usually.”
He looked relieved. “Just because I don't have an account doesn't mean I don't know anything about it. Andrew has an account and he seems to feel the need to alert the world to all of his actions every moment of the day. Do people have no sense of privacy anymore?”
“Apparently not. But I've never seen him doing that. He seems to post a normal amount.”
“Well, being with your sister seems to have relieved him of some of his more compulsive tendencies, I'll grant you that.”
She laughed. “I can change my status now if you’ll pass me my purse.” She fished her phone out of the bag and typed quietly for a minute, then looked up and said, “Done!”
“That was quick.”
“Nothing to it, really. I just went from single to engaged. Now we just have to wait for the comments to start rolling in.”
He rolled his eyes and decided to change the subject. “Are you and Jennifer ready to leave tomorrow?”
“Yes. Oh, and speaking of Jenny, she's going to come over Thursday and help me paint my room. There isn't anything scheduled is there?”
“You're painting your room?”
“Yeah.”
“Why?”
“Because I like color. I asked you Monday, you said it would be fine,” she said a little defensively.
“No, that's not what I meant. Of course you can paint it any color you want. I just wondered why you wouldn't hire someone to do it.”
She looked surprised. “Oh. Honestly, I hadn't thought about it. I suppose I could. I've just always done it myself.”
“My assistant should have the name of a reputable contractor. We had my office redone last year—they did a good job.”
“That would be great. Thanks, Will.”
He nodded. “You know,” he said slowly, looking around him uncomfortably, “if you wanted to paint some more, that would be all right. I know it isn't very homey, and I've never really done much with it. I don't spend much time here except to sleep, just a few hours in the evenings sometimes. I think it could use a woman's touch.”
“Really?” she answered, trying to hold back her enthusiasm.
“Yes, just don't do anything crazy like paint the walls black and hang skulls from the ceiling.”
She burst into laughter. “What on earth makes you think I would ever do that?”
“I'm just being cautious.”
“How about we make a deal. I'll make this place a little cozier, but I'll run all the big decisions like paint colors by you first.”
“Deal.” He held his hand out and she shook it vigorously. “Oh no, you're getting excited, aren't you?”
“Just a little,” she said with a barely contained smile.
He let his head roll onto the back of the couch. “This is exactly why I don't let my sister come over when she visits. She always wants to redo everything and take me shopping for light fixtures.”
“I promise not to make you shop. And if you don't like anything, just tell me. I won't get upset—I promise.”
He sighed. “All right. You've got a deal, Miss Barrett.”
“Thank you, Mr. Harper.”
9
Vegas
Late April, Friday
0 Days to Marriage
Liz looked around the small private plane, once again thankful that she didn't have any Friday classes. Will was across the aisle from her, looking over some documents, and Jen had fallen asleep two rows up, her head on Andrew's shoulder. Like Will, Andrew was scrolling through documents on his laptop.
She looked out the window, thinking about how this was her last day as a single girl. Well, for two years at least. And it would probably be closer to two and a half. The clock didn't start until he had his green card, and that would take a couple of months at least. Then they would have to reapply for the permanent card, and that would take another month or two. If he wanted to get citizenship, it was three years. Whoa, don't get ahead of yourself, Liz. You're not even married yet. He might not even ask you to stay longer, and he probably doesn't want to become a citizen. He's too British for that. She gave herself a shake and went back to studying the landscape outside the window.
Bored with the scenery, she picked up the newspaper Andrew had brought along. She knew there would be a story about them in it, but she hadn't read it yet. The day had been full and she was enjoying the last moments of her anonymity before she became the wife of (as she was only beginning to understand) a very important man.
Liz opened the paper and flipped to page six, looking for Priscilla Jennings's article. She was unsurprised to see a photo of Will twirling her around, her skirt flaring out and her Liboutins up in the air.
Were you at the Empire State Building last night? No? Then you missed quite a show! One of Manhattan's most eligible bachelors and English man of mystery, William Harper, was seen ON HIS KNEE proclaiming love and everlasting devotion to none other than Leggy Liz Barrett, the woman he's been canoodling all over town with. This whirlwind romance has taken the city by storm. Who knew Mr. Buttoned-up could be so romantic? And Liz, if you're reading, help a girl out and tell me where you found that amazing dress!
There was a photo of Will sliding a ring onto her finger and the caption read 'Check out the size of that rock!'
Liz laughed and immediately began sending an email to Evelyn, Will's assistant and general lifesaver, asking for more details about Priscilla Jennings. This woman would be a big part of her life for the next few years, whether she liked it or not. She needed to decide how close to keep her and whether or not she wanted to play along. Andrew had told her that it might help to cultivate friendships with certain members of the press in case there was any trouble with Will's documents later. “Good publicity never hurts,” he'd said. Well, thought Liz, here we go, Andrew. I hope you're right!
**
“Wow. This room is huge.” Liz dropped her bag and walked over to the window to look out over the city. “What a great view. Come see this, Will.”
He came up behind her and looked over her shoulder at the city below. “What do you want to do tonight?”
“I don't know. Remind me, are we supposed to be getting drunk and then married, or just caught up in the excitement of it all and then married?” she asked.
“I think the latter. If we were drunk, there could be questions about getting an annulment, not to mention that it would be completely out of character for both of us. And I don't fancy pretending to be drunk in front of people.”
“Well, in that case, I think I'd like to see a show. Something exotic and strange.”
“Jungle animals exotic or drag queen exotic?”
She laughed. “Animal exotic. I've seen drag before.”
“How about Cirque de Soleil? I've never seen it but my assistant said it was a good show.”
“Sounds good. Can you get us tickets so last minute, Mr. High-Powered CEO?”
“I think I could manage it.” He smirked. “Give me a minute.”
&
nbsp; He walked to the other side of the room and spoke lowly into his phone. Elizabeth wandered through the suite. It was a large open space with a seating area in front of the windows consisting of two love seats and four chairs. There was a fireplace on the other side of the room with a flat screen television next to it, and two chaise lounges strategically placed for viewing. There was a sweeping staircase with a modern floating rail to her left, and she walked up the steps to explore.
The top of the staircase led directly into a bedroom. The floor to ceiling windows from below extended into the space and in front of them was the biggest bed she had ever seen. There was another fireplace across from it, a television, and a bureau. There was a frosty glass panel in the wall with some sort of round metal sculpture surrounding it. Curious, she stepped through the door next to it and into a very chic, very modern bathroom. The frosted glass panel was the back wall to the shower, so whoever was bathing was also giving a private show to whomever was in the bedroom. She raised her eyebrows looking at it, and turned around to see a sunken tub with steps leading down into it and a large, wall sized mirror behind it.
“A little overdone, isn't it?”
She jumped with her hand over her heart. “Will! You scared the crap out of me!”
“Sorry. I thought you heard me come up. So what do you think of the suite?”
She took a deep breath to regain her equilibrium and answered, “It's nice. A little modern and sleek for me, but nice.”
“I know what you mean. Evelyn specifically requested something romantic when she made the reservation. Do you suppose that’s what they were trying to achieve?” he asked as he looked around slowly.
She snickered. “I'd say raw sex appeal was more what they were going for, but maybe that's romantic to some people.”
He nodded and continued looking around. “Does this shower look into the bedroom?” he asked in disbelief.
“Sexy, isn't it?” she teased.
“In a film maybe, but real people don't look that sexy when they shower. Just a lot of bending and awkward poses.”
She laughed out loud. “Wow. You will definitely be staying downstairs while I'm showering then.”
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