The Proposal

by Jasmine Guillory

  He laughed and waved good-bye as they left the store.

  “Thanks for bringing me here,” he said to Nik as they walked to his car.

  They stopped in front of his car, parked just a few doors down from Cupcake Park.

  “Keep me posted,” she said. “About how she liked the cupcakes, and how she’s doing.”

  He opened the trunk and put the books and the cupcakes inside.

  “I will,” he said. “And about how she likes those fucked-up books, too.”

  She laughed.

  “Please do.”

  He opened his arms for a hug.

  “Thanks for all of your help today. With the books, and everything else. Now I definitely owe you a drink. Next week?”

  She let the hug linger and kissed him on the cheek when she eventually pulled away.

  “Absolutely. Text me and let me know what works for you.”

  She pulled out her phone as soon as he drove away, certain about what she would find.

  Sure enough:

  If you don’t get your ass back to my store, I’m going to murder you with my bare hands.

  Nik grinned and walked back to Cupcake Park.

  * * *

  • • •

  Why did Jessie have to text him right then? He’d been about two seconds from kissing Nik, and unlike Monday night, he’d been pretty sure she would have kissed him back. And then the damn text from his cousin had to get in the way.

  He was already mad at Jessie for how nonchalantly she was treating her preeclampsia, and she had to go and do this to him, too? Now she was in for it. That was, if he could concentrate on anything other than how good Nik smelled, and how soft her skin was, and how he’d wanted to pull off her clothes right there in the bakery kitchen.

  Jon opened the front door almost as soon as he knocked. Carlos walked in, carrying the bookstore bags in one hand and the cupcake bag in another.

  “Hey, man, how’re you holding up?” Carlos asked him. Carlos had been very suspicious when Jessie had introduced him to the skinny, white, bearded English professor she was dating, but now he liked Jon a lot.

  “Okay, except for your cousin over here trying to kill me.” Jon smiled at Jessie with so much love and worry in his eyes that Carlos had to look away.

  Jessica was reclining on the couch like a pregnant Cleopatra. Her long dark-brown hair and big brown eyes added to the resemblance.

  “Carlos!” Jessie smiled up at him. “I was wondering when my good-for-nothing cousin was going to stop by.”

  He set the bags down on the coffee table and leaned in for a hug.

  “What’s your blood pressure right now?”

  Jessica pulled away.

  “Come on, Carlos. This is your cousin, not your patient. Take a deep breath.”

  He knew she was his cousin. He wouldn’t be half as worried if she were his patient.

  “Don’t give me that ‘take a deep breath’ nonsense. Come on, what’s your blood pressure?”

  Jessie reached for her bottle of water and took a swig.

  “Now that we’re on the topic, what’s your blood pressure, Carlos? When’s the last time you went to the doctor?”

  “Oh my God, Jessie, don’t do that right now. This is serious!” Jon shot a look at him, and he realized that snapping at his pregnant, sick cousin probably wasn’t the right move.

  “Yes, yes, I know it’s serious. Can we get to that?” She pointed at the bag on the coffee table. “What’d you bring me? Wait, I mean . . .” She arranged her face into a perfect fake look of surprise. “For me? You didn’t have to bring me a present, Carlos! No really, you didn’t! Okay, fine, if you insist.” She grinned at him. Despite his irritation with her, he couldn’t keep from grinning back. “How’d I do? Did I look just like Taylor Swift?”

  “Fantastic, you were perfect. No one would have known the truth.” He gave up on the medical questions for the moment and handed her the carefully wrapped stack of books. “Here, dig in.”

  She squealed and tore into the wrapping paper. He had to remember to thank Nik for getting the bookstore to wrap the presents. He would have just handed Jessie the bag.

  “Oooh, I’ve been wanting to read this book! I didn’t know it was in paperback, awesome.” She tore through the books, and when she looked back up at Carlos, he was surprised to see her eyes full of tears.

  “You asshole. These are all so perfect. Thank you.”

  She reached her arms up, and he hugged her again, longer this time.

  “I know how you feel about being bored, so I thought some reading material was in order. I’ll be around all weekend, so if you get tired of reading, I can come entertain you.”

  She narrowed her eyes at him.

  “What do you mean you’ll be around all weekend? Angie told me you were leaving tomorrow to go up to Berkeley for Drew’s engagement party.”

  He had forgotten he’d told Angie about that. Damn it, why did she have to tell Jessie everything?

  He shook his head.

  “Oh no, that’s not this weekend. She must have heard me wrong. That’s in a few weeks.”

  Would she buy that?

  “I always know when you’re lying; you know that, right? I refuse to let you miss out on your best friend’s engagement party. I’ll be fine. I have Jon here, and Angie is fifteen minutes away, and my mom and your mom and God knows how many doctors. You can’t hover over me like this for the rest of my pregnancy.”

  There was no way he could go; she knew that.

  “Jessie. Come on. I can’t leave now; you know that.”

  She set her mouth in that stubborn way she’d been doing ever since she was a toddler.

  “No, I don’t know that. As a matter of fact, here’s what I do know: if you try to come over this weekend, I’m not even going to let you in my house. So you might as well go to Berkeley because you’re not going to see me if you’re here.”

  He turned to Jon, hoping he would talk some sense into her.

  “You know she’ll do it,” Jon said.

  Unfortunately, he did know.

  “Fine.” He shook his finger at her. “But I swear to God, Jessie, you had better text me if anything happens. Promise me.”

  She rolled her eyes at him.

  “I promise. Are we done with that?”

  He nodded.

  “Now!” She pointed to the cupcake bag, just out of reach. “What’s in the pink bag?” He sighed and pushed it toward her. Leave it to Jessie to keep her mind on her presents.

  “Oooh, it’s heavy. Hmmm, what place did my hipster cousin discover?”

  “I’m not a hipster!” he yelled. This is what he got for his pains.

  “Carlos. You hang out in Silver Lake. Come on.”

  “I have a perfectly normal haircut! I don’t have a beard or Warby Parker glasses! I never wear a hat.”

  She laughed harder and looked at Jon.

  “I love doing this to him. He gets so mad every time!” She pulled the cupcake box out of the bag and opened it. “Oooooh. Red velvet cupcakes! And . . . is that Funfetti? Gourmet Funfetti cupcakes?” She took a cupcake from the box and took a bite. “Oh my God. If this is what hipsters eat, I’ve changed my mind about them; I want you to be the hipsterest hipster in all of Los Angeles if you’re going to bring me baked goods like this. Jon, you’ve got to try one.”

  He grinned at the look on her face and at the frosting on her nose. He was so glad he’d been able to make her happy, even though he was still furious at her. The cupcake store had clearly been a good idea. Another thing to thank Nik for.

  “So I heard you picked up a girl by using my story. You’re welcome.”

  Angela really told Jessie everything.

  “I did not ‘pick up a girl.’ I just helped someone out of a difficult situation,
that’s all.”

  Jessie took another bite of her cupcake.

  “Mmmmhmm. Just one question: have you seen this girl since you helped her out of that one difficult situation?”

  Thirty minutes ago, and I was this close to pushing her up against a wall to kiss the hell out of her until you texted me and interrupted us, he didn’t say.

  He picked up one of the spicy cupcakes to play for time. After one bite, he had no idea why Courtney had warned him about the chili powder.

  “As I’m sure you already know from my chatty little sister, I met up with her for dinner a few days later, but it was no big deal.”

  When should he text Nik about going out for drinks? He’d said “next week” so he should probably wait until then to ask. But he could text her tonight about what a hit the books and the cupcakes were.

  Jessie pursed her lips at him.

  “You always say things are no big deal, but I don’t believe you anymore.”

  How had their conversation become all about him? Time to turn this back to Jessie.

  “Do you know what IS a big deal? Preeclampsia, that’s what’s a big deal.”

  Jessie and Jon both went into peals of laughter. He glared at them.

  Wait. There was the chili powder. Oh wow, it kind of snuck up on you, didn’t it? He mentally apologized to Courtney for doubting her.

  “Oh, Carlos, thank you for that. I haven’t laughed so hard in at least a week.”

  He made a face at her.

  “Hah hah hah, I’m glad that you found that amusing, but seriously, Jessie . . .”

  She held up a hand to stop him.

  “Seriously, Carlos. I love you, but you are not my doctor. You’re not even an OB. I know what I’m supposed to be looking out for here. Please relax so that I can relax. Go on your trip. Celebrate with your friends. Drink lots of champagne, since I can’t. And chill out.”

  He didn’t think he was going to be able to relax until she’d safely delivered the baby, but he figured telling her that at this point was probably not a good idea.

  “Fine. Can I make you some dinner, then?”

  As soon as he got home from Jessie’s, he called Drew.

  “Hey, man, how’s it going?” Drew asked when he answered the phone. “Ready for the party?”

  “Very. I always told you that you crazy kids would make it.”

  “Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Drew said. “You told me so, I know. I’m never going to be able to ignore your advice again in my life, am I? Anytime I try, it’s going to be ‘Hey, Drew, remember that time you almost let Alexa—you know, the love of your life—get away from you?’ and I’m going to have to give in. What a nightmare.”

  Carlos laughed.

  “Yes indeed, your life seems like a total nightmare. I feel so bad for you.”

  “You should,” Drew said. “You absolutely should. I had to make pancakes this morning. Me! Making pancakes! I spent hours on the couch afterward to recover.”

  “What a tough life.”

  “It’s terrible and I love it. Speaking of, what’s going on with you? Any women I should know about?”

  He flashed back to that moment with Nik in the bakery.

  “If you’re trying to get me to settle down like you, dude, it’s not happening. You know that’s not me. But are you at home? Do you have a second?”

  Drew’s voice got serious.

  “What’s up? Something wrong?”

  Carlos walked into his kitchen to see if he had any beer in his fridge.

  “You remember my cousin Jessie, right?”

  Oh thank God, there were two bottles in the back.

  “Yeah, of course. Is something wrong with the baby?”

  Drew knew him too well.

  “Jessie has preeclampsia.”

  “Oh.” Drew paused. “How far along is she? When did they find out?”

  “Twenty-eight weeks, and just a few days ago. Her doctor isn’t that worried, and she’s on bed rest, but . . .”

  They went over the details of Jessie’s case, like they’d done together about other patients hundreds of times, back when they worked together and would bounce questions and ideas off each other. Turning Jessie into a patient, and not his cousin, gave him some of the distance he needed.

  “Okay. I feel a little better. Thanks.” He wished Drew still lived in L.A.

  “No problem, man. Let me know if there’s anything I can do. We’ll miss you this weekend, but I totally understand that you can’t leave Jessie now.”

  Carlos opened his second beer.

  “Oh no, you’re stuck with me. Jessie refuses to let me stay in L.A. this weekend. She said if I don’t go up there and go to the party, she won’t allow me in her house. Thank God I already told you I’d cook stuff for your party. I’m going to need to keep busy the whole time.”

  Drew laughed.

  “That sounds like your family. We can go to the store after I pick you up from the airport tomorrow morning.”

  He already had some snacks in mind to make for the party. Fancy pigs in a blanket would keep him occupied for a while, for starters.

  “Perfect. Hey, on a different topic: did you see the thing about that failed proposal at Dodger Stadium last weekend?”

  Drew groaned.

  “Did I ever. Thank God that happened after I proposed to Alexa; otherwise I would have totally lost my nerve.”

  “Yeahhhh, so, funny story. I was sitting right behind them when that happened.”

  “What? Are you kidding me?” Carlos heard some commotion in the background, and then Drew clearly talking to Alexa. “That proposal I told you about! Carlos was there. He was sitting right behind them.” Drew came back on the phone. “Alexa is dying over here and says you have to tell me all the details.”

  “Put him on speaker!” Alexa shouted in the background.

  Carlos laughed and told the story, with all of the details he could remember. After spending all day talking about scary topics, it was fun to tell them about how he’d met Nik.

  “Wait, so after you threw this unsuspecting, traumatized woman into your car—and then drove her through L.A. in that terror mobile, you and Angela went out drinking with her?” Alexa asked.

  “I can’t believe you would say something like that about my car! Is this what happens when people get a ring on their finger and stop being polite?”

  “The entire world knows you’re terrifying to be in a car with,” Drew said. “Finish the story.”

  “Some friend you are. But, yes, that’s pretty much exactly what happened. Except we weren’t just with her, we were with her and her two best friends. It was me and four very angry women. I was just grateful I got out of there alive.”

  The three of them cracked up, and Carlos wished again that they all lived in the same city.

  He would tell Drew the rest of the Nik story sometime when Alexa wasn’t also there. Nothing against Alexa, but this was a guy kind of conversation. Maybe soon, he’d have more than an almost kiss to tell him about.

  “Okay, guys, I’d better run.”

  “Talk to you soon,” Drew said. “Keep me posted on Jessie, okay?”

  Carlos nodded, even though he knew Drew couldn’t see him.

  “Will do, buddy. Thanks.”

  “Anytime.”

  Chapter Eight

  . . . . . . .

  When Carlos left work on Wednesday, all he wanted was a very strong drink. His day had been full of minor disasters: a patient’s dad had yelled first at the patient, then at Carlos; he’d called a patient by the wrong name, and then had called her by a different wrong name when he tried to apologize; a nurse had dropped a tray of urine samples on his shoes. Thank God he’d had an extra pair of shoes in his office.

  Well, there was one other thing than just a strong drink that would put
him in a better mood . . .

  “Oh hell, why not?” he said to himself and scrolled to Nik’s name in his phone.

  Hey, you in the mood for that drink?

  They’d been texting on and off since they’d seen each other last, but until now neither of them had mentioned getting together again. He kept almost bringing it up, but each time it was either so early in the day that it would look too premeditated or so late in the evening that it would look like a booty call. Now seemed like just the right time, but with his luck today, she’d be out with another guy already.

  He drove toward the grocery store while waiting to see if she’d answer. He could stop for gas at the station next door. And if she said no, or even worse, didn’t answer, at least he could splurge on some good bourbon.

  Just as he pulled into the grocery store parking lot, his phone buzzed.

  I am absolutely in the mood for that drink, but I can’t tonight. Courtney’s in the midst of a cupcake crisis; we have to deliver a zillion cupcakes up into the hills, her help bailed on her and her car broke down so we have to do it all in mine.

  Apparently, Courtney was having a day like he was.

  Oh, the hell with it. He had no other plans tonight but to sit on the couch and yell at his TV screen.

  Do you need help? I’m not far away, and my car is 100% functional.

  He got her text back within seconds.

  Are you sure? That would be a lifesaver, but seriously, if you’re busy, it’s no problem.

  Did he really want to spend his evening driving cupcakes around? No, of course not. Did he have an ulterior motive for volunteering to help? Obviously.

  On my way.

  When he got to Cupcake Park, Nik was standing in front waiting for him.

  “You’re our hero. Drive around the back into the alley, that’s where we can load up. Just FYI, Courtney is freaking out, so don’t be surprised when you see her.”

  He waved and drove on into a narrow alley around the corner. He pulled up when he saw a rack full of cupcake boxes and parked behind Nik’s car.