Page 44 of Beauty and the Nerd
“The only opinion that mattered to me was Lyle’s. We’re both private people and it really doesn’t matter whose money started anything. Satin Touch wouldn’t be where it is if it was just money that was running it, same thing with Cortland—even if their whole thing is money stuff. If they didn’t make money, there’s no way we’d be able to sustain them all these years later, and certainly Cortland wouldn’t be continuing to grow every year if they weren’t making the right investment choices. We know the truth and that’s plenty for us. Yes, others still give mequestioning looks when they see Lyle come over and kiss me, but we’re used to it now, so we just laugh it off.”
“That’s one of the reasons Ben and I didn’t immediately come out with our relationship. I knew how the other girls would react, especially the others on the squad. Yes, Ben had a horrendous haircut, but honestly other than that he didn’t look that much different than most of the guys in our school that weren’t jocks. He was lankier than most of them, but they all wore a mixture of t-shirts, graphic and plain ones, and baggy khakis, or jeans, or shorts or sweatpants even. It was mainly the glasses combined with the long hair and everyone knowing he was smart that had them all picking on him, calling him a nerd all the time.
“When we spent time together that summer before senior year, it just felt natural to me. I figured I’d just met a really good friend at first, someone that would see beyond the stereotype of being a cheerleader to tell there was more to me than just a pretty popular girl. We stayed up all night talking one night and he was getting ready. He’d soaked his hair with water from the sink to slick it back because it was sticking up all over the place, and as he started shaving I realized I was reacting to him in ways I’d never reacted to any of the guys I dated, and most of them were jocks so they were more in line with what social media promoted as ‘hot’ than Ben was. It took me until the start of school to really admit that I was attracted to him, wanted to date him, and thankfully he felt the same. We were secretly dating the entire semester,” she added surprising Emerson she could tell as her jaw dropped, little laughs coming from her that made Emma nod.
“I went to Homecoming with Carter to keep my relationship with Ben quiet, but I left halfway through the dance and met up with Ben, spent the rest of it making out with him. I just knew if we came out, not only would they question our timespent together when he was supposed to be working for the tutor center, but the rest of the girls in our group would say all kinds of nasty crap about me and us and I didn’t want to deal with that. It wasn’t until everything that happened with Carter and the accident that I realized none of that mattered anymore. They could say whatever they wanted, I wasn’t going to hide what I felt for Ben any longer. Add in getting a second concussion and the fact that it could have been so much worse, and the only thing that really mattered to me, was being happy, living my life for me, which really meant being with Ben, being authentic and that meant not hiding how real our relationship actually was.”
“I know people questioned us because I was only twenty-one when Lyle and I got married, but if you honestly know who you’re meant to be with, age doesn’t matter. Some people date for years and then end up divorced after a year, while some people date for months and spend their entire lives together. It’s up to the two people to make the relationship work, and I can see that you and Ben have already done that. It was different for me knowing I was ready for more with Lyle. I didn’t have a serious event or trauma that kept me from moving forward in that way, and I’m so glad that you’ve managed to work through it. That you let Ben be there with you for it and now, you can move into this next phase that is so sweet. And I think he’d love this dress on you,” Emerson added taking a gorgeous seafoam green dress off the rack. It had a closed halter neck on it that tied in the back. The top was covered with lace while the skirt was a chiffon dream, and she couldn’t resist trying it on.
“You look amazing. You have to let me get it for you,” Emerson said, and after a little more pleading, she finally gave in, knowing the dress was perfect for another dressy dinner with him even if it they didn’t manage to get around to it here.
Chapter 17
Emma couldn’t help but smile as she looked around the lounge of the restaurant. They had one more day before they were flying back to New York and tonight they were out for dinner with Emerson and Lyle again, at one of the most gorgeous spots she’d ever seen. There were pools with koi fish and waterfalls all around them, and she sank into Ben’s side as they were shown to a table with an incredible view of the waterfall.
The sunset mingled with the lights of the restaurant coming on was breathtaking and she grinned when Ben moved them over to the side for a photo. Her grin turned to complete shock when instead of heading back to their table as he stepped back from her, he sank down onto his knee, opening a little box, showing her the most gorgeous, perfectly simple ring ever.
“Emmy, I fell completely in love with you long before I ever imagined it possible that you might feel the same for me, and you have made me the happiest nerd in the entire world just by being with me. I want this happiness to last forever, to be yours forever. I know others may say we’re too young, but I also know deep down that we both have old souls that want this more than we want to spend years trying to convince everyone else that we know what we want. I promised your parents when I got theirblessing that I would wait until you were ready to call you my wife, and I will wait forever to call you my wife if I have to, but I truly hope that I can call you my fiancée starting today. Emma Danielle Watkins, my beauty, will you marry me? Be mine always, in every way?”
“Ben…” she gasped trying to breathe through the sweetest tears that hit hard and fast at the incredibleness of his words. Only one word reverberated around her mind though and it easily came out as he held her hand. “Yes…yes, absolutely yes.”
Her heart stuttered as he stood up, his hand sliding up to hold her head, and the kiss he gave her backed up every single word he’d spoken. She wrapped her arms around his neck, her face resting against his as he held her tight, unable to let go for even a moment.
“You are the best thing that ever happened to me. I love you so much, Ben,” she told him when they finally parted. Her hand shook a bit as he slipped the ring onto her finger, its size even larger looking on her hand than in the box. “This is too much though…”
“I promise it’s not,” Ben replied turning them back towards Emerson and Lyle who were both smiling fully at them, not at all surprised unlike her.
“Is this why you suggested buying this dress?” Emma asked Emerson as they settled back into the table after she hugged her.
“Lyle swore me to secrecy when I overheard him calling to make reservations for four last month, asking for any availability for this week, for a proposal. I’ve been dying to celebrate and as your hype girl, I knew you’d want to look fabulous in the photos, which yes, we have,” Emerson said with a little point towards a photographer and that simply made her blush.
“They were amazing help as was Megan with getting me your ring size to make sure it would fit,” Ben added, and she couldn’t believe her best friend knew about the proposal but didn’t say aword about it. “She wasn’t aware of when it was happening just that it’d be coming sometime this summer most likely.”
“Is that why we spent half a day getting manicures and then going to the jewelry store to try stuff on over Spring Break?” she asked him, and he nodded.
“I just mentioned that I was looking to get you a ring in the next few months, but wasn’t sure what size to get, especially with a quality made piece versus the mass-produced ones, so if she could help me I’d appreciate it. It was her idea to do the manicures and window-shopping try-on to convince you to go to the photo shoot,” Ben stated and for that alone, she loved him even more.
“And after half a week on the beach it was easy to get you to freshen yours up for tonight,” Emerson tagged on, and she laughed shaking her head as she looked around at them.
“Thank you…this was perfect. Even if this ring is too much,” she added again to Ben.
“It’s not, baby. In fact, it cost less than half of what you’re probably thinking because one, it’s a lab-created diamond, not something that was mined for,” he stated, and she stared at him until he nodded at her silent question. “Two, the gold used to make it was repurposed as well. I found a shop where most of their pieces are made from older items that were no longer functional for whatever reason. A stone may have broken, or the ring may have been cut or bent or worn so thin it had to be repurposed. I wanted you to have something that you would be happy wearing for years to come, and when I saw this one, I knew it was perfect. It’s stunning like you are, all on your own without the need for a million embellishments, Emmy.”
“I seriously didn’t think I could love you more and then you go and prove me wrong,” Emma said, blinking back her tears because every word he uttered simply proved how much helistened to her, always had, even when he was hungry for her, he still listened and that was the most amazing feeling ever.
“Your mom thought you’d like it so I was feeling pretty confident, but seeing your smile makes it even better,” Ben mused, making her smile even more because the only way her mom could have seen it in person was if he’d shown it to her last month when she was up in the city with them.
“I love it, it’s absolutely perfect in every way. Thank you for thinking about me when you went looking for it, I so wasn’t expecting this, hadn’t even tried to drop hints about what I’d like one day, especially not the gold versus silver part of it,” she added pulling a laugh from him that had her brow lifting a bit.
“You only wear silver jewelry when gold completely clashes with your outfit and as soon as you’re home, you’re taking it off. You’ll wear gold, especially that necklace from Megan, the entire night.”
“A man that pays attention to the little things is a man worth keeping around whether in private or business,” Emerson said as Ben pressed a kiss to her temple.
“Once he takes his head out of his ass at least?” Lyle teased his wife making her blush. “A smart man learns from his mistakes and doesn’t make them twice, especially not if it means possibly losing the best thing in his life.”
“Or if not saying something risks losing it,” Ben said, his knuckles tracing her cheek gently and she knew he meant about him calling her dad.
“Good thing we picked nerds to fall in love with then, isn’t it?” Emma said loving his smile.
