by Anne Carol
“Or else …?”
“He’ll cut his support for the band. I’ll need to apply to university or find a full-time job with advancement opportunities.”
“David,” I mumbled, shocked and feeling his pain. “I don’t know what to say. You deserve a chance to share your talent with the world.”
“I know you kind of agree with him.”
“Yeah, but only after a year or so of trying. And I truly believe it’ll happen before then. You guys are good.”
“Thank you. My greatest fan.”
“I’ll be your greatest fan no matter what you do,” I declared. “But I’ll pray something happens soon with your music, because I know how badly you want this.”
“Please do, because we’ll need a miracle after last night.”
“Well, I’m a firm believer in miracles. I mean, I met you, right?”
He sighed. “I love you, Beth.”
“I love you, too, David.”
Life got significantly better over the next month—one might even say it was miraculous, at least when it came to events surrounding Vinyl Fog.
I wasn’t lying when I told David I thought he could land a record deal within a year, but a month? Frankly, even with David’s incredible talent, I knew it was a long shot. Which is why I was shocked when David called a few days later to tell me the band had hired a manager, Morris Greenfield, who’d witnessed the terrible gig, but just the same had seen in them great potential.
“He’s going to help us shop record labels, and he has high hopes for us,” David told me excitedly over the phone.
I was over-the-moon happy about this news, but I also feared he’d get his hopes up only to be disappointed, so I kept praying hard. I would’ve given anything to be there with him, but I had to settle for hearing updates over the phone. Music was just about all he spoke of during our weekly chats, but I didn’t mind. What was important to him was important to me.
Pretty soon the month David’s father had given him was drawing to an end, and I was getting anxious about his dad making good on his threat of pulling the plug. The funny thing is, David didn’t seem nervous at all, and in fact seemed confident in Mr. Greenfield’s ability to land them a recording contract.
About a week into February the phone woke me up in the middle of the night, putting me in panic mode. Mom was pretty grumpy when she informed me it was David.
“What happened?” I nearly shouted into the phone, thinking the worst.
“We got it, we got it!” David cried out.
“What?”
“Beth, Vinyl Fog just got signed!”
“Oh, baby, that is so great! What do your parents think?”
“They’re letting me have a go at the music. It was a generous deal, but I told them I’d keep my job at the shop. At least for the time being.”
“Oh, I’m proud of you, sweetie. So proud.”
“I love to hear you say that.”
“I’ll always be proud of you, no matter what you do.”
I didn’t last much longer on the phone, in spite of David’s enthusiasm. Picking up the phone at three in the morning would make for a challenging math exam the next day, but it was worth it to hear his good news. My boyfriend is going to be a recording artist. He was getting exactly what he wanted. But I couldn’t help wondering how I was going to fit into this new adventure, whether this would change everything for us.
As if I didn’t have that concern nipping at me, then I had my mom’s sudden moodiness to contend with. I first noticed the change in late January, but it grew worse as we moved into February. I’ve always prided myself on having a good read on people and, based on my perceptions, something was definitely troubling my mother. I finally confronted her about it while helping her with dinner one night.
“Nothing’s wrong, dear,” she told me, clearly guarded. “I guess I just realized that in a few short months, you’ll be graduating high school, and …” she shook her head. “I guess I don’t like the idea of losing you.”
“Mom, you’re never gonna lose me,” I said, wanting to reassure her. “No matter where I end up, I’ll still need you.”
“I hope so,” she sighed.
I just stared at her blankly, not able to think of a proper response. For the first time, I saw how deeply my post-graduation plans would affect her. Basically my gain would be her loss. It was hard to grasp that while I looked forward to the end of school, she was dreading it. Now more aware, I told myself to be sensitive toward my mom regarding any “future talk”.
Despite my best efforts, Mom seemed to get more irritable as my eighteenth birthday approached. She seemed overly stressed about keeping the house clean. My assumption was that she was having some church friends over for coffee or something, but then it occurred to me that my parents might be planning a surprise birthday party for me. Reaching age eighteen was a milestone, after all.
While I was psyching myself up for a possible surprise birthday bash, my parents unleashed another surprise on me the day before Valentine’s Day. Over breakfast they casually mentioned pulling me out of school the following day so we could take a family trip to San Francisco.
“In the middle of the week?” I said, my eyes widening.
“Yes, but don’t expect this again. It’s only for Valentine’s Day. I know it’s not easy for you, being away from David.”
I nodded as my eyes fell to the floor. She was right; this was to be one of most depressing Valentine’s Days ever, being separated from the guy I loved.
“Thank you, Mom.” I hugged her. “You’re the best.”
I kind of hoped, maybe even expected, to get a phone call from David first thing the next morning, and when that call didn’t come in, I was left confused. With music consuming his life these days, I wouldn’t be surprised if he’d forgotten. In any case, I tried not to let it bother me as we hit the road for San Francisco.
I was engrossed in a teen romance novel when I glanced up to see where we were.
“Where are we going?” I asked.
“We have one stop to make before we head into the city,” Dad said.
“What stop? This is the way to the airport.”
“You’re very perceptive, Beth.”
“Oh my gosh, are we going somewhere? L.A.?”
“No, actually, we’re picking someone up,” Mom said, turning around and looking at me.
My mouth dried up, and I felt my stomach clench. “Someone?” I nearly whispered.
Dear God, it couldn’t be. But maybe … I swallowed hard. “It’s not David, is it?” My heart was bouncing out of my chest.
When she smiled, I almost came unglued, and it became an effort to preserve my eye makeup. I literally shook with anticipation, wishing they’d waited till we were closer to reveal this big news.
I was in a daze as we made our way to the arrivals area.
“I can’t believe this, I just can’t believe it,” I muttered. “No wonder you were hounding me to clean my room. Why didn’t you tell me?”
Mom just looked at me with raised eyebrows.
“Never mind, I get it.”
Of course she hadn’t said anything, I would’ve been completely distracted had I known. Not to mention a nervous wreck. Mom knew me well, and I have to say she and my dad did a great job of keeping it a secret.
“It’s a good thing I wore my bracelet,” I babbled, wringing my hands as I paced the floor.
“Relax, dear. Take a deep breath,” my mom urged, rubbing my arms to soothe me. “And smile, for heaven’s sake.”
“I’m trying,” I said stiffly. “But this waiting is torture.”
I walked in circles around my family, keeping a steady eye on the arrivals corridor, waiting for a gorgeous brown-eyed Englishman to walk through.
Then, just as I was distracted by a crying child running past me, my mom exclaimed, “There he is! Oh, he looks tired.”
My eyes shot over to the crowd of people walking toward us, and I immediately spotted his we
ary but glorious face staring straight at me. He gave me an anxious smile, and in the next second I ran to him.
My pulse quickened as soon as I picked up his distinct scent, and before I knew it, I was melting into his arms, trembling with happiness. He hugged me so tight my feet actually left the ground.
“Oh, my girl,” David murmured into my hair.
“David,” I breathed against his throat. I reached up to kiss him, and after we shared a quick peck on the lips, he gently took my elbow and pulled me aside.
After that, things happened so fast it was almost a blur. I remember him slowly running his hands down my arms, while gazing at me intently. The next thing I knew, he was holding my hands in his as he got down on one knee, his eyes never leaving mine.
My mouth fell open and I gasped. “W-what are you doing?” I stammered, swallowing hard. Oh, my goodness. Is he …?
He grinned up at me and said, “I’d like to ask you something.”
“Here?” I said, after finding my voice again.
When I noticed all the people watching us, I took in a deep, steadying breath.
“Yes, I’m not moving another inch until I do this, angel.” His eyes were fixated on mine.
“Oh, gosh …” A wave of nausea swept through me, but the sound of his voice put me at ease.
“It’s okay. Don’t pay any attention to them. Just look at me.”
I met his gaze and smiled, blinking back tears.
“That’s much better.” He grinned again and let out a long breath. “Where to begin,” he wondered quietly.
He paused for quite a while as my family and half the airport watched him.
“Bloody hell, I had my whole speech memorized, but—”
“—you forgot it?” I giggled as my fingers ruffled his hair.
“Dear God, what a bleeding idiot. How romantic, right?” He gave me a nervous smile.
“You can give me your speech later, if you remember it.”
“Alright.” He cleared his throat. “Beth, you know that my love for you is unending. I would do anything for you, and I’d like nothing more than to spend the rest of my life loving, caring for, and protecting you. I know we’re young, but I’ll never love anyone as much as I love you. I want to share my life with you as soon as possible.”
He reached inside a pocket in the interior of his leather jacket and pulled out a little black box. He opened it to present me with a beautiful diamond ring.
“My sweet Beth, the love of my life, will you marry me?”
“Oh David … of course I’ll marry you!” I practically shouted.
He gave me the biggest smile and let out a long sigh. “Thank God.”
As I held out my left hand for him to slip the ring on, hoards of people around us cheered loudly, echoing across the spacious terminal. It was nice to have so many people excited for us, but I tried to focus on David as he took the ring out of the box and slid the symbol of our commitment over my ring finger.
After sweetly kissing the ring, he slowly rose to his feet, still holding my left hand. Grinning like never before, he put his other hand at my back and tugged me toward him. Taking his cue, I wrapped my arms around his neck and brought his lips down to mine, possessing his mouth in a deep, sensuous kiss. The skin on my back tingled at the delicate touch of his hands. I wanted to consume him, but then I remembered we were in the middle of the airport terminal; not to mention my folks were nearby, watching everything.
Once we came out of our affectionate embrace, David pointed to the ring and explained, “This belonged to my great-grandmother. She and my great-grandfather were married for sixty-two years. I hope we celebrate well more than that.” He softly caressed my ring finger as he spoke, his eyes boring into mine. “This looks beautiful on your hand.”
Chills ran down my spine as I stared down at the shiny rock on my finger. “It does, and it fits perfectly. How did you kn—?”
“Shh, shh,” he interrupted softly, tapping the end of my nose with his forefinger. “Not so many questions. Just enjoy the moment.”
My eyes went back and forth between my lovely ring and his glowing, satisfied face. The ring really did look perfect on my hand. It had a thin silver band with a nice-sized round solitaire diamond set low in the center, and a pretty filigree design flowing out from either side of the diamond. The fact that it was a family heirloom was a bonus.
“I love this,” I said, fingering the diamond.
“Beth?” David said, stirring me from my daze.
“Uh-huh?”
“Your parents are waiting patiently over there.” He tilted his head in their direction. “But before we join them, how about one more kiss?”
I smiled. “Gladly.”
With our arms wrapped around each other, we lost ourselves in another out-of-this-world kiss, forgetting everyone and everything around us.
Once his tender lips left mine, we held both hands together. “Beth, you have made me the happiest bloke ever. I’m looking forward to spending the next four days with you—”
“And the rest of our lives,” I said, now meeting his gaze.
“Yes.” He smiled down at me, his eyes glowing. “You finished my sentence.”
My parents didn’t seem all that surprised by the airport proposal. It was revealed over lunch at San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf that this had been in the works for a while. Not long after David’s band hired their manager, his parents arranged the visit, and then David phoned my dad to ask for my hand in marriage. It certainly explained my mom’s crazy mood over the past month.
The wedding date and all the other details would be discussed later, though my mom was counting on my finishing one year of college before I marched down the aisle. I couldn’t promise her anything, because a year and a half seemed like an eternity when you wanted to be with the person you loved.
My sister and friends all flipped out when I called them that afternoon. I also called Grandma Claire and Grandpa Henry and they both said they could hardly wait to meet David. As for me? My ring already felt so natural on my finger. I couldn’t stop staring at it. The proposal, just like David’s visit, was a complete shock to me, but it was exactly what I wanted. There could never be a better Valentine’s Day.
That night, hours after returning home from our dinner date, I crept into the guest room and stared at the figure bundled up in the sheets.
That’s the man I’m going to marry.
Desperate to be near him, I approached the bed, removed my robe, and slipped under the covers. Listening to his steady breathing was like music to my ears. I slowly wrapped myself around his warm body, which was clothed in a thin T-shirt and loose pajama bottoms. Trying to stir him awake, I brushed my lips across the back of his neck. He made a low noise in his throat, and then rolled over to face me.
“Beth,” he whispered drowsily. “I knew you’d come join me.”
With that, he gripped the pillow on either side of me and greeted me with heavy kisses, dipping his tongue in my mouth as he climbed on top of me. Woah, that didn’t take long.
Breaking away for a moment, I whispered, “Shhh … we have to be super quiet. My dad’s a light sleeper.”
“I’ll be quiet, I promise,” he murmured as he nibbled my earlobe. “Did you finish your studies, my brilliant girl?”
“Uh-huh, but then I couldn’t sleep. I missed you,” I breathed into his neck.
“Oh, Beth. You have no idea how much I want you.”
He started kissing me deeply, and the harder we kissed, the more his body trembled. Wanting to feel him more intimately, I cinched my nightgown up and wrapped my legs around him. His arousal right next to my sweet spot made me shudder, for we were only separated by a few thin layers. The ache down there grew stronger when his fingers lightly fondled my chest. My soft squeals must have set him off, because he started moving against me like a machine.
“David, slow down.”
He halted the jerky movements and buried his face into my neck, catching
his breath. “I’m sorry, it’s been so long. I thought I’d lost you, and here you are, in my arms … I need you, angel.” In a frenzy he began kissing me again.
Swept up in the moment, I put my hands on his back and crushed him to me. As our bodies reunited, I casually slid my hands under his shirt and tenderly caressed him along his spine. The more heated we became, the further south my hands traveled. His breath caught when my fingers reached his waistband and continued downward, touching his bare skin.
“Oh, Beth,” he mumbled, pulling away from my mouth and staring at me for a moment before possessing it with his tongue again. His hands gripped my waist and I grabbed his backside as we climaxed together. Immediately he sunk his face into the pillow to muffle his heavy sighs. I ran my fingers through his now damp hair and nuzzled his cheek, prickly with stubble. Once he got his breathing under control, he showered me with still more kisses.
“I love you, I love you, I love you.”
I laughed quietly, “I love you, too, my passionate man.” I kissed him one more time before he rolled off me and situated himself under the covers.
“Good night, my sweet girl,” he murmured, the glow of his eyes darkening as they gradually fell shut.
“Good night, sexy.” I kissed the tip of his nose and watched him as he drifted off to sleep.
I hated walking away from him, even if it was for a few hours. I longed for the day when we could hold each other all night after making love. But that burning desire would have to cool for now. So much needed to be accomplished before that day: finishing high school, wrapping up my life in Garden Valley, moving to London, and starting college. And that was just my side of things. Who knew what was ahead for David and his music career over the next year?
The one thing I knew was that we were meant to be together. As I stared at my beautiful diamond ring that night, I smiled thinking about the incredible life I had ahead of me.
With my eighteenth birthday five days away and a commitment to never let go of the man I loved, this was only the beginning …