“Hi.” He said.
I gave him a restricted and very weak smile. It’s very noncommittal.
“I was going to see Ms. Coy, too. We need to discuss something.”
“Oh, okay…” I said to him.
“How’s Gary?”
“He’s fantastic.” I answered. It was actually an understatement of my Gary.
“Does he still walk on water?” He teased.
“He always has and he always will.” My answer was short but sweet.
“Oh.” His face suddenly saddened.
I felt bad for him, but he has to know that the two of us can never be… that I plan to be with Gary for the rest of my entire life, no matter how long it would be... because that’s just the fact.
Ms. Coy suddenly went out from the door to fetch either one of them. And when he saw us, she was obviously torn who to pick first. Clemente was there first, but I’m the basically the owner of this whole thing. So, needless to say, she picked me.
“Hello, Ms. Kristina, come inside, please.” She said to me.
Although everyone knew that I was starting as a beginner, my dad has strictly instructed everyone to treat me still as his daughter, practically, their future boss. So everyone’s nice and friendly to me. Besides, dad knew that I wouldn’t be using my status in anything.
I came inside her office, and it took us fifteen minutes to discuss things, which meant that Clemente was waiting outside for that long. There’s a couch and a television outside for crying out loud.
I went out after, and I found him still standing at the same spot? What’s this guy up to? Did he just eat plenty of stuff, and now trying so hard to make them all go down? There’s the couch for crying out loud. I felt irritated for a split second. Hmm…it’s not my deal anymore.
I didn’t give him the chance to talk, I just rushed back to the elevator, and I pressed the call button quite too many times.
“I’m about to get lunch in a bit, do you want to grab something?” He asked.
I let go of a desperate sigh. “Clemente, look…” I started my one-year-long impromptu speech about me and Gary.
“You’re sweet, nice and you were one of the biggest parts of my past. But you see, that’s the past now. Gary’s my future, and I will make sure, with all my might and everything that I have, that he will be that for the rest of my life. I admit, I loved you once, twice, maybe starting the day you helped me ditch my first piano lesson when I was six, but it’s all in the past. When you left me to marry a Japanese girl, I thought maybe you just had no other choice, but it seemed that you did, but you didn’t take it for me. But I guess it was a blessing in disguised because I came to realize that I wasn’t really in love with you, I was in love with the idea of you as my escape goat in all of these. You were the one who got it all together for me, and when you left, I just knew that I had to stand on my own, and it freaked me out. But when I did, I was lucky enough to be available when Gary found me. It was different with him. He caught the whole me the moment he saw me, and it has been the best moments of my life so far. He saved me from the pain without knowing that I had to be saved. He was with me during my best times, and those were when I’m in pain for losing you. You were gone, he found me, and he hasn’t left ever since. And I hope to God that he won’t ever because I’m just going to die.” I explained myself with so much emotions going on in my face, and my gestures since I was using my hands while explaining, waving it back in forth in the air like crazy. “I’m really sorry…”
He flashed me a weak smile. “I get it. Deep down, I know all that, I guess I just have to hear myself before I would stop.” He said.
“Friends…?”
“Friends…” I confirmed to him that we’ll stay friends.
He leaned on to give me a hug, but I took a step back. “I’m sorry…” I mouthed.
He grinned. “Okay, I get it. You really love him.”
“With my whole soul…”
He smiled at me, but his pain was just so obvious. He walked pass at me, and I heard him greet someone else. OMG! Someone was behind us? Maybe that somebody heard us.
God I don’t want to cause any issue, I never want to cause Gary reasons to worry. The more Gary could focus at his schooling, the soonest we can be together.
I turned around to see who it was, and my eyes grew bigger when I figured it was Gary standing behind us. How long was he standing there?
“Hey, baby…” He greeted me with a sweet smile.
“What on Earth are you doing here? What happened to your classes?” I asked with a stupid, betraying grin on my face. I didn’t sound serious.
He smiled at me. “Relax, I don’t have classes today. It’s a freshmen thing.” He said to me.
Oh… Wow! “Awesome!” I exclaimed. “Wait, how long have you been standing there?”
“It was just for a couple of minutes.”
OMG! He’s heard everything, for sure…
“Did you hear anything…?”
“I heard it all. It was pretty long, baby. I thought a simple no would suffice. I kind of felt bad for him…” He teased.
I hit his arm with my hand, and he started laughing. “I love you so much.” He said. “And for what it’s worth, you are worth saving for.”
Awww… I smiled at him, and I leaned over to kiss him. It was short, but definitely full of love and emotions.
“Wait, how did you know that I was here?” I asked him.
“I went to dad first, and then I asked him where you could possibly be.”
Awww… that’s so sweet of him to visit my dad first.
“That’s so sweet.” I told him.
He smiled at me sweetly. “Also, I needed to ask him for permission.”
What permission? “For what…?”
“I need his permission to take you to the gazebo.” He said.
I laughed. “Baby, that place isn’t restricted.” I said.
“Oh, really… I didn’t know. Let’s go then.”
We got up to our feet, and we started to head towards the gazebo.
Chapter 8
When we’re just about to reach gazebo, I’ve noticed a whole quartet playing my favorite song Kiss Me from my favorite band Sixpence None the Richer. I’d often sing this to him whenever we’re done making love. But what exactly is going on?
We continued to walk, and once we’re close. He held my elbows, so I would face him, and I did exactly that. “It’s your time to hear a long boring speech.” He said, more like a warned.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
“Maria Kristina Mora, I wasn’t looking for love when I first saw you. But God, you looked so heavenly. I knew right then and there that I found something I can never let go for the rest of my life. But, no offense, babe, had I known you were well-off, I would’ve just snatch my flyer out of your hand and run away.” He teased. “But it was too late for that. I looked into your eyes, and I saw myself staring back at me, smiling. I always want to see my own reflection inside your eyes. I will always want you as much as how I wanted you the first time, so please, Maria Kristina Mora, grant me the amazing honor of spending your life with me. Marry me, I beg you.”
I almost blurted out in laughter. OMG! He’s asking me to marry him! He’s asking me to be his wife! I felt like I was going to faint, but I knew pretty well that I wasn’t, so I quit asking.
His eyes were waiting for my answer, and his facial expression was definitely expectant. I took a deep breath, and he looked agonized. I wanted to laugh so hard, but I was planning to give him a little hard time.
“What, babe?” He asked, practically begging for answers.
“Well…”
His brows rose, and he signaled for the quartet to stop playing with his one hand.
“I thought you’d never beg.” I said to him. “Of course, I’d marry you.”
His eyes brightened, he flashed me his sweetest smile and he hugged me with so much joy. He lifted my feet off the ground, and I couldn’
t stop giggling.
“Gary, put me down.” I said to him.
I was a bit concerned that he might break his legs or something for I was aware that I was freaking heavy.
He put me down, and he reached for something inside his pocket. It was a ring. But not an ordinary ring… It’s platinum ring with a very small black diamond ring in the center. But where did he get this?
“It’s from Grandma Miller… it’s the only thing that they’ve left me with. The orphanage gave it to me a few years back when I was in the right age. I thought you’d probably come into my life, so I kept it.”
I was speechless, and was absolutely wowed. He slipped it in my ring finger, and it fit me perfectly.
“I promise you that you will never regret this.” He said. “I will be the best husband in the whole Spain, Paris, New York, and Utah, and everywhere in this planet.”
Okay, I had to laugh. So I laughed my hardest, and I heard my dad laughing on the background as well.
“Dad, Gary asked me to marry him!” I shared my best news to my dad.
“I know, baby.” He asked me first.
“Wait, he asked you first to marry him?” I joked.
Dad giggled. “And I said yes.” He smiled.
His assistants laughed softly. Gary and I laughed hard.
“Congratulations, kids.” He said as he came nearer to hug the both of us.
“Thanks, dad…” Gary and I said to him.
“So, when can I marry the both of you?” He asked.
Gary and I looked at each other. “As soon as possible, dad…” We both answered the same thing. We stared madly in love with each other, and then we laughed.
“Well, then… let’s plan this big wedding. And please, Gary, I know you want to spend for it, but please, I’m an old man… and this has been my life-long dream since Kristina was born by her beautiful mother, let me take care of it.” He said to Gary, and I smiled at him.
“But, dad…”Gary was about to make an issue out of it.
“What did I just tell you? Please, or else I won’t give you her hand.” Dad threatened.
Yes, baby… he doesn’t play fair. Gary looked at me for couple of seconds, and then turned to dad. “Okay, dad…” He said.
“Does this mean I can move in to Paris after we get married?” I excitedly asked my fiancé. And he looked to my dad for answers. Wow! Was he serious?
“You two have a way of ruining my plans.” Dad teased. “But what can I do? You’re in love. Yes, I guess you can move in with him.” He granted my wish.
“Oh my goodness…” I couldn’t believe it. No more a year on and off, we can be together forever starting this day.
“This calls for a celebration. I’d say we’d fly back to Paris, send this boy to his class, wait for him until he comes home, and we’d go out for a dinner! What do you say?” Dad teased once again. He just couldn’t stop teasing the two of us. We all laughed. “I thought you didn’t have classes for today?”
“I don’t, but dad’s insisting that I was just lying.” He said sounding like a little boy. We all laughed hard, and I felt the rush of sudden happiness that won’t ever seem to end. I really hoped that it won’t because it was exactly how I wanted to spend the rest of my life forever—enjoying everything with my two amazing men; my dad and my forever love of my life, Gary.
Conclusion
Being Kristina’s past love, Clemente has found his way to creep in to the relationship, and he has successfully started commotions between the two lovers. Fortunately, Gary’s love was definitely stronger than jealousy, any form of mockery or even prenuptial agreement. And Kristina has been very lucky to witness how Gary has transformed into someone that she can love for the rest for her life.
Love has and always will prevail if we only allow it to. Just like with Gary and Kristina, love wasn’t supposed to be easy, no, but rather really challenging and hard. It’s what makes love precious and valuable—the very fact that we fight for it.
Thank You!
Thanks again for downloading this book! Your kindness is such a blessing to me! And it will continue inspiring me for as long as I shall live.
I’m hoping that the story was able to help you see what makes love valuable. And that we should fight for it at all cost. Just like what Gary and Kristina has done for their once-in-a-lifetime love. Only by doing so can we discover how amazing it will be to have something so previous for the rest of our lives, that’s for sure.
And if you have enjoyed the book, please allow me the pleasure of knowing your thoughts about it on the review section of Amazon. It’ll be an honor to have served happiness with through this book.
Please wait for the book three coming up really soon! Thank you and best of luck!
RANSOM GIFT: The Complete Collection Boxed Set (Commanding Proposal, Hidden Proposal, Ransom Proposal) Page 11