by Sloan Storm
“How do you know he’s not doing it just to get what he wants out of you for his business?” Ellie asked.
Adding to it, my friend Christine, questioned, “Yeah, let’s say everything goes perfectly. Then what? Is he just going to dump you?”
“N-No, you don’t understand,” I said, as I began to plead with them. “You weren’t listening. We’re not actually together, so he wouldn’t dump me.”
Ellie and Christine burst into laughter at the same time.
“Fiona, honey,” Ellie began, with a hint of disgust in her tone. “When a man like this gets what he wants, you can be sure you’ll never hear from him again. If you don’t think that’s being dumped, I don’t know what is.”
As they chided me, I reached for my soda and took a sip of the lemony sweet beverage, preparing myself for some kind of response. But, before I could get a word out, my other friend, Kelly, interrupted, offering a different perspective.
“Well, maybe he’s just not used to being with one woman. I mean, even Fiona said he made a habit of dating women around the office.”
As she finished speaking, she turned and looked at me for confirmation. Still holding the ice cold glass, now made wet by condensation, I placed it down on the table.
Nodding, I replied, “Yes. That was going on long before I arrived.”
Cheri interjected, “I’m with Kelly. Let’s get real here. He’s a gorgeous man and worth billions of dollars.”
She straightened her posture for a moment and then with her arm extended, she made a sweeping gesture with her index finger, pointing to everyone seated at the table.
“Any one of us would jump at the chance to be with someone like that, in spite of him being rough around the edges. How many of us have been with men way worse that had nothing going on in their lives?”
For emphasis, Cheri paused for a moment and raised her own hand. “Me… and I know I’m not alone.”
Sheepish grins spread across the table as each of them admitted to their own past failings.
“Okay, Cheri,” Christine began, pointing towards me. “But that doesn’t mean Fiona has to go through the same crap we did. Shouldn’t we be trying to help her?”
“Of course,” Cheri said, as she nodded. “We are helping her. But just because each of us has had bad experiences with men like him in the past doesn’t mean she’s going to.”
“Yeah,” Kelly said, as she sat upright in the booth. “For all we know, he’ll sweep her off her feet and marry her in a beautiful tropical island.”
“Stranger things have happened…” Cheri added.
By now, it was clear my friends were divided into two camps over Gabe.
If I were being purely logical about it, I had to acknowledge the fact each side made valid points. But, as much of the past few months had shown me, the feelings Gabe stirred inside me had nothing to do with logic. Further, he’d done nothing other than just be himself the entire time. In fact, in that moment, I felt compelled to make the point clear.
“You guys,” I said, as I leaned my upper body over the table and propped my elbows up on it. “I know he has his share of flaws, but he’s been kind to me. Doesn’t that count for something?”
The entire table fell silent as I asked my question. They exchanged glances with one another for a few seconds.
All of these women had experience with men, the likes of which I would never know. They’d been pursued in one form or another since they were teenage girls. If I could count on anyone to be objective and give me honest advice in this situation, it would’ve been this group of women. Sensing their sudden uneasiness about dispensing advice based on my last question, I continued.
“You two,” I began, as I pointed at Ellie and Christine. “You’ve both said I need to be careful and that there’s every chance he could just end this at any moment and break my heart.”
Without giving anyone a chance to speak, I looked at Kelly and Cheri right away.
“Whereas you guys are telling me that I should basically go for it and not worry about the outcome.”
The four of them began to nod in unison, as they looked at one another first before turning their attention towards me.
“So, can you see how I’m confused about what I should do?”
Just then, Cheri reached over and wrapped her hand around mine. I glanced up towards her and met her eyes as she squeezed me.
“That’s just it, honey, we can only tell you what we think. In the end, the final decision is up to you.”
Shaking my head, I exhaled an exhausted breath.
“But what if I make the wrong one? What happens then?”
A comforting smile spread across Cheri’s face as she looked at me.
“Then that only means you’re human, and life will go on.”
GABE
“Here, Holly, what do you think about this one?”
Holly raised her hand to her mouth, covering it as she gasped.
“Oh my God, Gabe. It’s breathtaking. I’ve never seen anything so beautiful in my entire life.”
I wrinkled my brow and with my index finger pointed in my direction, I asked, “Really? You’ve never seen anything so breathtaking, huh?”
Holly let loose with a delicate laugh, every bit as feminine and beautiful as she.
“I should’ve known you would say that.”
I winked at her and continued, “Are you sure? Is that the one?”
Holly broke her gaze on me and looked once more at the immense diamond on her finger. As if in a state of semi-hypnosis, she raised her hand in front of her face, looking at the massive engagement ring.
“It’s the most beautiful ring I’ve ever seen, Gabe. I had no idea things like this even existed.”
“For the right price, Holly, you can have almost anything in this world.”
Holly leaned back and once again, her exquisite laughter filled the air.
“Almost…” she said.
I gestured towards the ring, nodding with my chin. “It suits you.”
Holly hesitated for a moment and moved her hand in front of her face once again, staring at it. She lingered there in appreciation of it for almost a minute before she spoke.
“Oh it’s breathtaking,” she began, as she shook her head back and forth. “But, no.”
As she finished, Holly reached for the ring and with a slow pull removed it from her finger and passed it back to me. I took the ring from her and smiled. Turning to my right, I looked at the jeweler, Mr. Barstow, the proprietor of the most expensive jewelry store for thousands of miles in any direction.
“What should I say to that?” I asked, as I looked at him. Brandishing the ring in front of his face, I said, “What would you do if you were me? Here I’ve got this ring that’s worth… What…”
Mr. Barstow stepped in with the value.
“One million, seven hundred ninety-one thousand dollars, sir.”
I nodded.
“Right, that. So, if you were me, and someone said no to a ring worth that much money and possessing that much beauty… What would you do?”
Without missing a beat, Mr. Barstow reached inside his case filled with rings and said, “Perhaps a more expensive one would change her mind?”
I paused for a moment and looked at Holly.
“Would it?”
Holly smiled as I finished my question and shook her head.
“For me? No.”
“Hmm,” I grumbled. I turned back towards Mr. Barstow again. “Have you ever encountered such a thing and all of your years? What kind of woman turns down millions of dollars in jewelry?”
Before I could get another word in, my longtime assistant interrupted me.
“The kind of woman that’s not actually marrying you.”
Feigning injury to my ego, I draped my hand across my chest.
“Holly, you really know how to hurt a man. How could you say that to me after all this time?”
Holly snapped her hands around her hips.
> “Are we just about done here? I’ve got a lot of work to do.”
I shrugged.
“That depends. Which one do you like?”
As I finished speaking, I made a sweeping gesture across the spectacular collection of engagement rings Mr. Barstow brought with him to my office. The collection easily ran into the tens of millions of dollars. I’d never been one for jewelry myself, but certain occasions required it.
Asking a woman to marry you was a prime example…
Holly tilted forward at the waist, scanning the brilliant assortment of gemstones. I noticed the sparkling reflection from them in her eyes as she looked down. At last, she reached towards the only ring she hadn’t tried on yet. As luck would have it, it was the largest one of all.
“Of course. Why would I think you’d pick anything else?” I joked, as she aimed her stiff digit at it.
She tilted her head at me.
“Well, you are the one who asked me, so now you’re going to have to deal with the consequences.”
I turned back towards Mr. Barstow.
“All right, you heard the lady.”
Reaching for it, Mr. Barstow replied, “Yes, sir. Right away.”
And then, a few seconds later, Mr. Barstow slid the brilliant diamond down Holly’s elegant, slender finger. As before, she raised her hand towards her face, admiring it. She seemed transfixed in a way she hadn’t been with any of the ones before it. Without a word, she looked at me.
“Gabe, this is it. This is the one. It’s the most spectacular thing I’ve ever seen, and it’s perfect.”
Relieved, I clapped my hands together in front of my body.
“Terrific! Well, I’m glad we’ve got that behind us.”
I gestured for Mr. Barstow to take the ring from her, but as I did, Holly spoke up once more.
“This is not it, you know.”
I wrinkled my brow at her.
“What you mean? There’s the ring… What else is there?”
“Gabe,” she began, as she removed the ring from her finger and passed it to the jeweler. “Do you mean to tell me that you’re suggesting a marriage without any friends or family whatsoever?”
I shrugged.
“Sure, why not? What’s the big deal?”
“Uh! Well, for starters, it’s a really big deal for a woman. Marriage is all about the bride, you know.”
I nodded at her not-so-subtle innuendo.
“Oh, I see. So what you’re telling me is that unless the wedding has the right people in attendance, why bother?”
“No,” she said, as she shook her head with several defiant snaps. “That’s not what I’m saying at all. What I’m saying is that a marriage is best enjoyed among loved ones… Family, friends, you know.”
“All right,” I replied, with a hint of a challenge in my tone. “So, unless all of those things are present you wouldn’t want to get married?”
Before she could answer, Mr. Barstow leaned in towards me.
“Sir, is this the one you wanted?”
As he finished speaking, he held up the last ring Holly tried on. I looked at him for a moment before turning my gaze towards her again.
Pointing at it, I asked, “This is the one? Isn’t it?”
She smiled and nodded in his direction. “Yes, absolutely. That’s the one.”
I turned back towards the jeweler and said, “You heard the lady. Let’s box that one up.”
Within seconds, I’d written him a check, and after thanking me profusely, Mr. Barstow made his way out of the office, leaving Holly and me alone. As soon as I’d seen him out, I glanced at her. She’d raised her hand to her nose, covering her mouth as she did.
I frowned at her.
“What’s with you? You’re not gonna cry are you?”
She nodded and sniffled for a moment before the deluge began. As I watched her scan my office for some tissue to dry her eyes, I couldn’t help but chuckle.
“I-It’s not funny, G-Gabe.”
“Well, it may not be, but the way you’re acting is hilarious.”
After finally locating a suitable substitute in a bar napkin, Holly dabbed at her eyes.
“Marriage is a really big deal. Why wouldn’t I be emotional about it? The bigger question is, why aren’t you? I mean, aren’t you at least happy?”
“Yeah, sure, of course I am. But, there’s still a long way to go, so no sense in getting bent out of shape right now.”
“Men,” she grumbled.
I walked towards Holly and as I drew close to her, I reached up and wrapped my fingers around her upper arms. “Are you gonna be okay?”
“Mmm, hmm,” she replied, as she forced a smile through eyes still filled with the remnants of her tears.
“Good.” I replied, as I released her from my grasp. “Now, what was this bit about needing family and friends there?”
“Oh come on, Gabe, don’t be dense,” she said, as her mood turned from joyful sadness to semi-seriousness. “For the last time, getting married without your family or friends present is not something that any bride wants to do. You’re just going to have to take my word for it and listen to me. If you don’t, you’ll be the only one in the ceremony.”
I nodded.
“All right then, fair enough. What do you suggest we do?”
“Well,” she began as she pursed her lips. “How confident are you that your proposal will be accepted?”
“Really?” I said as I gestured towards myself. “Are you serious? What else would the answer be except ‘yes’?”
Holly rolled her eyes and shook her head.
“Very well, since you seem so sure you’re going to get the answer you want, then you need to make sure everything else is taken care of as well.”
“Frankly, Holly, this seems like something that you should handle. Don’t you agree?”
“Me?” she said as she touched her fingers against her chest. “Why would I take care of it?”
“For starters, it was your idea.”
Holly remained silent for a moment as she narrowed her gaze at me.
“You’re really going to make me do this aren’t you? I can see it all over your face.”
“Consider it your wedding gift to Fiona.”
After my response, Holly tapped her foot lightly against the carpet in my office. “Okay, Gabe. I’ll do it for Fiona. But, if I were you, I’d make sure I took credit for it if I could.”
I winked at her.
“I’m not worried about it, Holly. Not in the slightest.”
“Hmm, perhaps you should be. Do you happen to know who any of her friends are? Or where I can find them?”
I shook my head and smiled, as I began to walk back towards my desk.
“Absolutely no idea. But, that’s what I pay you the big bucks for, isn’t it?”
After sliding into my chair, I rolled it beneath my desk and looked up at her. Holly wagged her finger at me and started to say something but before she could, I continued.
“Oh, and obviously, it goes without saying that this is to be kept completely secret. Fiona can’t find out about it at all.”
Holly grimaced and rubbed her forehead as she contemplated her course of action.
“So let me make sure I understand this… You want me to find Fiona’s friends, who you don’t know, and then tell them that you’re going to ask Fiona to marry you and then they are expected to keep that a secret until you all somehow show up in St. Barth’s. Do I have that correct?”
I nodded as I looked at her.
“Perfect. That’s exactly what I want.”
“Gabe! Do you have any idea how utterly impossible this is! There’s no way I’m going to be able to…”
I waved her off, interrupting her before she could get off on a wild tangent.
“Holly,” I began, as I interlaced my fingers and dropped my hands on top of my desk. “You’re making this out to be far more difficult than it has to be. I have every confidence that you can pull this together.
Now, I have a massive amount of work to do before we leave for the islands. You’re excused, but keep me updated on the progress.”
Holly exhaled a long, jagged breath.
“Fine. I’ll handle it.”
I nodded at her and smiled. “I know you will.”
Before she turned to leave, a small smile came to the corners of her mouth.
“Do you mind if I see it again?”
I shook my head and reached inside my coat pocket, pulling out the jewelry box as I did. Pinching the suede exterior between my thumb and forefinger I held it up in her direction. Holly took the box from me and rotated it back towards her face. Prying it open once more, she eyed the brilliant stone as her facial features turned bright.
“She’s going to love it, Gabe. I know she will. I’m so happy for you.”
“Thank you, Holly, my dear. That means a lot coming from you.”
GABE
After I thanked her, Holly gestured towards my office door and said, “Okay, I’ll get to work on that right away.”
I nodded.
“Excellent Holly, I really appreciate it.”
After smoothing the lines of her clothing, she turned and walked away from me. Just as she reached the open office door, she paused and looked back in my direction one last time.
“Gabe, you already know how wonderful I think you are. But I just want to say that I think Fiona is terrific. It will be the surprise of a lifetime for her, and I’m thrilled to be part of it.”
I glanced up towards her, and as I did another voice caught my attention.
“Surprise?” Fiona said as she suddenly appeared in the doorway.
“O-Oh…” Holly stammered, as she snapped her head towards Fiona. “U-Uh, yes it’s…”
Without wasting a second, I pressed my palms flat against the top of my desk and shoved myself into a standing position. Fiona turned her attention away from my stammering assistant and looked at me.
As she did, I headed in their direction.
“Fiona,” I said, as I gestured for her to enter. “Please come in.”
As she walked inside, Holly stared at her, slack-jawed and speechless.
“Thank you, Holly,” I said, as I nodded in her direction. “You know what I need, so be sure and keep me updated on the progress.”