Page 52 of Hers to Tame
“That girl is one spitfire of a woman. Explain to me why you haven’t put a ring on that finger yet?” Ernie laughs, watching the video one more time before I wrestle my phone away.
“Good question. What are you waiting for? You don’t do it someone else will,” Andy chimes in. I split a frustrated look between them.
“I think it’s too early. I don’t think she’d even want a proposal at this point. Everything is really good right now.” They both shake their heads at me. “No, it’s good,” I add. They just roll their eyes at each other.
“Oh Ernie, I get it. It’s one of those why buy the cow if the milk is free situations.” My face turns red with anger at Andy’s suggestion. My fist slams down on the table, making the beer mugs jump.
“Old man, don’t talk about my girlfriend like that,” I’m only half kidding but Ernie cuts me off before I can say anything more.
“Right, Andy. Because we know he doesn’t run out the door every Friday to see her. He definitely doesn’t act like a huge dick the rest of the week when he’s away from her. Absolutely doesn’t charter a plane to go to her rescue or look at her like he could devour her in those videos.” Ernie waves vaguely at my phone sitting on the table. Turning to me, his tone suddenly gets serious.
“Son, get your damn head out of your ass. You either run toward something or you run away, but you never settle for just ‘good.’” He actually includes the air quotes to make his point. Deliver me from another Dad in my life. Do they compare notes or did they all take a class on come-to-Jesus meetings somewhere?
“How long have you waited for this girl?” Andy asks.
“Six years.”
“How long have you been seeing each other?” I have to think for a second.
“I guess unofficially eight months.”
“How do you feel every time you see her?” I can feel the grin light up my face at the question. How do I sum up how Maggie makes me feel?
“Like she sees me, not just some person I’m pretending to be. Like she’s everything good in this world. She makes me the best version of myself when I’m with her,” I answer quietly. My God! Now I’m teetering on the edge of writing poetry about her. What the fuck has happened to me?
Ernie rests his hand on my arm before saying, “Son, you’re already there. A ring is just the window dressing.” Fuck, I hate when they’re right. “You just know when it’s right.” I feel like I’ve been shell-shocked. I’ve spent almost seven years wanting her, why would I wait any longer?
“I don’t know, but I think you might be right,” I say as my stomach flips. This might require a new notebook to work through.
“Hell yeah, we’re right! Now bring us three shots of whiskey before the quilting bee starts,” Ernie yells at the bartender. “I don’t even have to talk about feelings this much with my wife.”
* * *
Finally, I’ve made it to my last day of work. I chose a Thursday to be done, so I can leave for Fort Worth early Friday morning. I’ve decided to drive down so I’ll have the Maserati in Fort Worth. I can’t exactly leave the car that took me twenty minutes of demonstration on how far the driver’s side seat would recline before Maggie became convinced she could fit between me and the steering wheel. Twice.
I still have to wait for movers to deliver my stuff to Fort Worth, but everything is packed in my apartment. One of my former colleagues agreed to oversee the move-out for me so I don’t have to fly back up. Today I mostly just have to fill out all of the exit paperwork, then I’m free.
I have plans to take Ernie and Andy out for dinner before finding a hotel for the night. I have to pick up Maggie’s ring after lunch. I don’t know when I’ll have the nerve to ask her to marry me, but I’m taking the guy’s advice. There is no other woman in the entire world I want to spend my life with. Now if I can just convince her of that.
We agree on an early dinner at Ernie’s favorite restaurant. It’s a bittersweet goodbye to some of the best friends I have ever had. I think they might have even been the reason Maggie and I got together in the first place. Their continual nagging certainly didn’t hurt the effort, giving me hell every time I did something stupid.
After waving goodbye one last time, I head to my apartment to grab my bags. I can’t be here anymore when all I can think about is being with Maggie. Throwing my suitcases in the trunk, I head south out of Kansas City.
About Oklahoma City, I decide I can’t stay awake any longer. Finding a hotel off of the interstate, I check into a room before pulling out my phone.
Colin: You still awake?After a few minutes, my phone rings.
“Hey, why are you up so late?” she asks, sounding half asleep.
“I was just thinking about you. It sounds like I woke you up.”
“You did, but I’m glad. I fell asleep on the couch reading again.” I smile thinking about her curled up in the corner under the blanket. If I had been there, I would have carried her in and tucked her into our bed.
“What are you reading?” I ask.
“Bleak Houseby Dickens. I’m still on a law case kick. It’s good. Are you reading anything?”
“Yes, Miss Emerson. I’m readingDo Androids Dream of Electric Sheep.”
