Bliss, Inc. (Indigo Love Spectrum)

by Chamein Canton

  “Let me tell you why. This afternoon I ran into Ivy Jansen shopping. She and I got to talking and she asked me if my son had proposed yet.”

  Matthew sat down for what was coming next.

  “Naturally I said Michael and Jennifer had already set a date. To which she said she wasn’t talking about Michael, but you.”

  “Okay, Mom.”

  “She then said her nephew saw you coming out of Harry Winston’s with your brother.”

  Paige walked back into the kitchen and Matthew made a beeline for upstairs.

  “I didn’t want it to seem that my sons don’t include me in their lives so I went along with it. Then I called Harry Winston’s and the manager confirmed that you bought an engagement ring.”

  Matthew took a deep breath again. “I didn’t want you to find out like this. I planned to tell you after I proposed.”

  “Are you sure? Or did you plan on having us find out in the New York Times Wedding and Celebrations section?”

  “Of course not, but I see your point.”

  “We talked about this a few months back, didn’t we?”

  “Yes, Mom. I heard what you said and I thought about it. I’m in love with Paige and she’s the one I want to spend the rest of my life with.”

  “You do know this isn’t going to go over well.”

  “What do you mean? Go over well with whom?”

  “The usual suspects.”

  “You mean the rest of the social register.”

  “You remember how they took Michael’s engagement, don’t you?”

  “What do you expect from ignorant, unenlightened people?”

  “That may be the case, but we can’t avoid them. A few of them have asked questions about Paige.”

  “What about her?” he asked, alarmed.

  “They wondered why you kept bringing her to the club for tennis. And while we raised you to be a gentleman, the fact that you drove from the city to her place in Amityville only to bring her back to the club in Great Neck seemed to say it all. Unless, of course, you were living out some livery cab fantasy.”

  “I personally don’t care whether they know about Paige and I or not.” He paused. “Mom, I really hoped you’d be happy for me.”

  “I am happy for you, Matthew, but it’s not going to be a walk in the park. I hope you’re ready for that.”

  “I am.”

  “Wait a minute, Matthew, your father wants to speak to you.”

  “Matthew?”

  “Hey, Dad.”

  “So I hear congratulations are in order.”

  “Thanks, Dad.”

  “She’s a lovely girl, and one hell of a tennis player.” He paused. “Not that she doesn’t have other lovely qualities.”

  “I know what you mean, Dad.”

  “To be honest, we’d just accepted that you might be a confirmed bachelor. Ronald was the one who said that once you met the right person it wouldn’t be too long before you were ready to stand at the altar.”

  Matthew nodded. “He’s always had some kind of insight.”

  “I’m glad you found each other. We just want you to be happy. That’s all your mother and I have ever wanted.”

  “I know, Dad.”

  “Have you proposed yet?”

  “Not yet. We just dropped her son at Cornell for his freshman year.”

  “How does he feel about your relationship? Have you talked to him about it?”

  “I sat down with Max before we went to dinner last night and I told him that I planned to propose to Paige and he was very cool about it. He’s a great kid.”

  “So what are you waiting for?” Mr. Smythe asked.

  “The right moment.”

  “You need to hop to it, Matthew.”

  “I know, Dad.”

  “Don’t worry about all the hens. They’ll stop clucking eventually, they always do.”

  Matthew laughed. “Thanks, Dad.”

  “You’re welcome. Here’s your mother.”

  “Now that we’ve had this little chat, be sure to call once you do pop the question.”

  “I will, Mom. I promise.”

  “Good. I’ll talk to you later.”

  “Okay, Mom. Have a good night.”

  “You too, Matthew.”

  Matthew went back downstairs to the kitchen where the table was set.

  “Do you mind if we eat in here? The mosquitoes are out of control.”

  “Not a problem. Are the steaks done already?”

  “Yes. They’re under the foil on the table. You like yours medium rare, right?”

  “Right. Can I do anything?”

  “You can get the wine glasses for me, please.”

  “Will do.” He took them out of the cabinet.

  Paige put the salad on the table. “It’s time to eat.”

  “Looks great, sweetie. Thank you.” Matthew poured the wine.

  * * *

  With dinner over Paige loaded the dishwasher.

  “Oh, baby. Here’s one more.”

  When Paige turned to get it, she saw Matthew on bended knee. “Matthew! What are you doing?” She covered her mouth.

  When he took the ring box out of his pocket, Paige nearly fell on the floor.

  “Paige Christina Baldwin, I can’t imagine my life without you. I can’t remember my past before you but I know I want a future with you in it.”

  Tears streamed down her face.

  He opened the ring box and revealed a three-carat emerald-cut diamond engagement ring set in platinum. “Will you marry me?”

  “Yes.” Her lips quivered.

  He slipped the ring on her finger. “You’ve made me the happiest man on earth.”

  They kissed.

  “So were you surprised?”

  “I’m shocked. I didn’t see this coming at all.”

  “Truth be told, I didn’t see myself proposing to anyone. Then you came along and everything changed.”

  “You’re going to make me cry.”

  “I’m only telling you how I feel.”

  She softly touched his cheek. “I love you so much, Matthew.”

  “I love you, too.”

  While Paige went to call her son to tell him the news, Matthew called his brother.

  “Hello?”

  “Hey, guy.”

  “Hey, Matt. What’s up?”

  “Well, I did it. I popped the question and she said yes.”

  “Were you ever really in doubt?”

  “No, but I was nervous.”

  “There was no way she was going to say no. We’ve been out with you guys and it’s written all over your faces. You are totally in love.”

  “We are. Before I forget, how’s the move coming?”

  “It’s coming along pretty well.”

  “It’s nice to have your own place, isn’t it?”

  “Oh, yeah. I love Mom and Dad, but it’s nice not to have them hovering over my every move.”

  “They are your parents. They can’t help it.”

  “Speaking of our parents, did you call them?”

  “Actually they called me. Apparently someone saw us at Harry Winston and told Mom.”

  Michael groaned. “Oh, boy.”

  “You’re telling me.”

  “Mom gave you an earful, right?”

  “And then some.”

  “I won’t say I told you so.”

  “You just did.”

  “Did I?” He feigned innocence.

  “You’re really funny,” Matthew said dryly.

  “Now I guess you can make it official and take your relationship for a walk down the runway, even though most people have guessed by now.”

  “What do you mean? We were very discreet.”

  “Paige was discreet. But you had your heart on your sleeve.”

  “Oh, really?”

  “Oh, yes. I’ll give you an example. Whenever most people watch live tennis they move their heads to watch each player. Your head never moved when Paige was on the
court.”

  “I didn’t realize that.”

  “You’re a man in love. You’re allowed to be a little goofy.”

  “Gee. Thanks.”

  “You’re welcome, big brother. Has Paige broken the news to her parents?”

  “I don’t think so. She’s on the phone with Max now.”

  “Well, he knew you were going to ask.”

  “I asked for his blessing. He is the man in her life.”

  “You’re good, big brother. That’s why you got this girl. And speaking of girls. I have to pick mine up from her parents’ place.”

  “All right, I won’t hold you up.”

  “Congratulations.”

  “Thanks. I’ll talk to you later.”

  He closed his phone. Paige entered the room.

  “So how is Max?”

  “He’s good but he wasn’t surprised. He said you talked to him about it to get his blessing.”

  “I wanted to see if he was okay with me asking to marry you.”

  “You have totally blown my mind. Just when I think I can’t love you more, you go and do something else to amaze me.”

  He walked over to her. “You amaze me. Let’s go upstairs,” he whispered.

  The minute they entered the bedroom their clothes came off and they fell onto the bed, aching for each other’s touch. Matthew kissed Paige’s mouth then down to her neck. He caressed her breasts with his lips. Their bodies moved together as Paige ran her hands through his wavy hair. She loved every moment with him. He’d awakened a passion in her she didn’t know existed. It was as if the floodgates of pleasure had opened for the first time and it nearly overwhelmed her senses. They lovingly looked into each other’s eyes and melted into one. They were two souls connected by the bonds of love.

  Later on, while Matthew was asleep, Paige called her sister.

  “Hello?”

  “Hi. Were you sleeping?”

  “I was dozing off.”

  “Sorry. I’ll speak to you tomorrow.”

  “No, you’ve got my attention now. So you might as well tell me what you called for.”

  “Matthew asked me to marry him and I said yes.”

  “What?” She sounded more awake.

  “I’m engaged.”

  “Oh, my God. Oops! Don’s sleeping. I have to keep my voice down. So you’re engaged.”

  “How wild is that?”

  “It’s something we’d given up on you ever doing again.”

  “I thought I was done, too. I was happy to plan other people’s weddings.”

  “Now you have your own wedding to plan. And you are going to have a wedding, so don’t try to wiggle out of it.”

  “I wasn’t sure how you would react to the news. It is kind of quick.”

  “You’re forty-three, Paige. You know yourself and what you want out of life. What does knowing someone for a long time have to do with it? I knew my first husband for years, and he still turned out to be an idiot.”

  “Time doesn’t prove anything.”

  “Exactly. Have you called Mom and Dad?”

  “Not yet. We still have phone calls to make.”

  “Well, you should hop on it.” She laughed. “Here the wedding planner is now the bride. This would be a great movie on Lifetime.”

  Paige laughed. “It does sound like one, doesn’t it?”

  The two of them laughed.

  “You know what? I think I’m going to have everyone over for dinner tomorrow night. This way we can tell them in person.”

  “Both sets of parents? You’re a brave woman.”

  “I know. So you need to be here at seven. That’s when dinner will be ready.”

  “Okay. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “Good night.”

  Paige put the phone back on the charger and snuggled up next to her sleeping fiancé. Oh, my God, I have a fiancé, she thought to herself as she drifted off to sleep.

  * * *

  Having decided to have everyone over for dinner to make the announcement, Paige set about getting ready early Sunday morning. Matthew didn’t think she could pull it off on such short notice, but soon found himself amazed at how well she operated under pressure.

  By six that evening dinner was ready and the table was set for twelve people. She’d invited both their families for dinner at seven. Matthew uncorked a couple of bottles of wine to allow them to breathe while Paige showered and changed for guests. When she came back downstairs she was dressed in an elegant white blouse with a black A-line skirt. Her hair was in a loose updo to show off her earrings and high cheekbones.

  Paige found it interesting that both families were at the door by 6:58. By the time Matthew opened the door it seemed they’d taken care of making their own introductions. In fact they sounded like old friends who’d known each other for years. Paige and Matthew led their guests to a garden dinner party in the backyard.

  “Oh, Paige, you have a beautiful yard.”

  “Thank you, Mrs. Smythe.”

  Her mother looked over the table. “When did you get this china set?”

  “A while ago when I was in Rhode Island.”

  “It’s nice.”

  “Thanks, Mom.” She kissed her and then hugged her dad. “How are you, Dad?”

  “Pretty good.”

  Mr. Smythe took a whiff. “Something smells good.”

  “It smells really good,” Don added.

  “What are we having?” Siobhan asked.

  “We’re having pork tenderloin with a sweet potato pudding and roasted asparagus with a little Hollandaise sauce for anyone who’d like it.”

  “So if everyone will have a seat, I’m going to help Paige serve.”

  “Thanks, honey. We’ll be right out with the salad.”

  Matthew followed Paige in and then brought the salad out, along with the fresh breadsticks she’d made.

  Michael looked at the salad. “This looks good. Is it already in a dressing?”

  “It’s in a tossed raspberry vinaigrette,” Matthew answered.

  Jennifer took a forkful. “It tastes fantastic. Did she buy it or make it?”

  “She made it.”

  “That’s my girl,” her father said, smiling.

  “Who would like wine?” Matthew asked.

  There was a showing of hands from everyone at the table. Paige came back to enjoy a little wine and salad with her guests before she got up to ready the entrees.

  Once again Mrs. Watkins’s etiquette training came in handy as Paige served from the correct side.

  Once everyone was served, they started on their plates. The conversation was a mix of current events, politics, sports, and society gossip. Matthew and Paige waited for everyone to finish dinner. They’d decided the announcement could wait until dessert.

  With the table cleared and the dishwasher loaded, Paige brought a chocolate cake and a coconut cake to the table.

  “Oh, Paige, you baked these cakes?” Mr. Smythe asked.

  “Yes.”

  “I can attest to that,” Matthew laughed.

  “And I can tell you that it was I who started her on her baking path.” Her father laughed.

  “Yes, he was the one who got her the Easy Bake Oven.”

  Michael lifted his glass. “Then I’d like to make a toast to Easy Bake.”

  Everyone laughed. Paige and Matthew looked at one another. It was the moment they’d waited for.

  Matthew put his arms around Paige. “I’d like to have everyone’s attention, please.”

  “Go ahead, son. You have the floor.”

  “You know that Paige and I have been seeing each other for a little while now. You also know it’s serious. It’s so serious that I asked Paige to marry me and she said yes.”

  “Oh, that’s wonderful.” Paige’s mother smiled.

  “It seems we’re gaining another son, Coreen,” her father added.

  “You aren’t surprised?” Paige asked.

  “You’re the oldest, Paige. You should’ve
known your sister told us.” Paige’s mother cut another slice of cake.

  Paige looked at Siobhan, who tried to play innocent. “I was talking to Mom and Dad and it kind of came up.”

  “Nothing ever just comes up, Siobhan. Fess up. You told them.”

  “So I told them. Shoot me.”

  “Believe me, I’m considering it.”

  Michael sliced a chunk of cake. “Paige, this cake is amazing.”

  “The only thing left to do is get a better look at that ring,” Mr. Smythe said.

  Paige put her hand out and heard oohs and ahhs.

  Her father came over and hugged her. “I’m happy for you, Paige.” He kissed her forehead.

  “Thank you, Dad.”

  Her mother hugged her too. “Congratulations. That coconut cake was great. Is that your grandmother’s recipe you used?”

  “Yes.”

  “I thought so.”

  Matthew’s parents got up and hugged him and then Paige. Then Paige’s parents did the same.

  Jennifer squeezed Paige. “I am so happy for you. I thought I was going to burst.”

  “That’s why you called me the other day. You knew this was going to happen.”

  “Guilty. It seemed like he took forever to ask you.”

  “The man did say he was waiting for the right moment,” Michael added.

  “There is something to be said for timing,” Don agreed.

  With the announcement over Paige just had to tell another set of people who would be affected by the news: her Bliss staff. Matthew, on the other hand, had a couple of weeks before school was back in session to let his colleagues and his students in on his news. Just as Paige was about to climb into bed she realized the night they had with family was a utopia; it was a better than good possibility that the rest of the world may not be as accepting. With Mathew sound asleep she snuggled under the covers and said a silent prayer that she and Matthew would be able to weather whatever storms were ahead.

  CHAPTER 25

  Quietly Paige slipped out of bed so as not to disturb Matthew. It was the first weekday morning without her son in the house. She pinned her hair and went into the bathroom. She figured she’d get to work early to set up a little breakfast meeting with the staff to tell them about her engagement.

  Paige turned on the water, adjusted the temperature, and got into the shower. Her back was turned when Matthew stepped quietly into the shower.

  Paige was startled. “Matthew! You scared me.”