Love the One You're With

Zach and I spent the next three days together, almost never leaving the bedroom except to pay the food delivery person. We made love, took baths together, talked, giggled, slept, almost never being out of the grasp of the other. I forgot how it felt to be so incredibly happy.

Oh the third day Zach and I laid in bed naked wrapped in a sheet. There was a knock on the door. Zach sighed. "I forgot there was anyone out there," he whispered. He got up, put on a pair of boxers and opened the door.

"Hey Travis."

"Do you realize you two have been in here for three days?"

"Yes," Zach replied. A smirk grew on his face and he glanced over at me.

"Look I know you two probably want to be alone, but Michelle's here. We were wondering if you'd want to go to lunch with us. I'd like to get to know Phoebe. I've been a real ass, and I just thought..."

Zach looked at me for an answer, and I shook my head yes.

"Sure Zach replied."

I was getting out of the shower and was greeted by Zach holding up a big towel. He wrapped it and his arms around me, and I snuggled back into him. "Hey Zach, I have a little problem."

He turned me around to face him. He looked a little nervous. "What baby?" he asked.

I pouted like a child. "I have no clothes."

"And why is that a problem?" he asked kissing my neck.

"Zach." I said pushing him away knowing if he kept that up, we'd never make it lunch.

"Ok, wear the clothes you came in and after lunch I'll take you shopping."

"Thanks baby." I said snuggling back into him.

Lunch was great. It was good to see Michelle again. Travis was being really nice and making a real effort to get to know me which I appreciated. The best part was being a couple with Zach: holding hands, feeling his arm wrap around me, his hand resting on my leg under the table. When we finished lunch Travis gave me a hug and told me he hoped we'd be spending more time together. I told him I thought we would.

Zach and I headed to the mall. I had totally forgotten how great the shopping was in New Jersey. Lord & Talor, Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdales, we don’t have those stores in Pittsburgh. Zach laughed at me as my eyes grew wide when we walked in. Zach came into each store with me and waited while I tried on clothes, insisting that I come out and show him each outfit. We shopped for shoes and accessories too. Zach insisted on buying me all of the things I picked out, despite my sincere protests.

We stood outside of Victoria's Secret, and I could see Zach's face turn red. "I need underwear Zach."

"You really don't," he said leaning down to kiss me.

"We'll agree to disagree, but I'm going in."

"There's someplace I need to go anyway. I'll meet you back here in say half an hour?"

"OK." I replied, and he pulled me into him giving me a kiss that would make me think about him the whole time we were apart.

I bought a couple bras and matching underwear. I picked out a couple of not so innocent things I thought Zach would like. I got done early and waited for Zach on the mall bench. I wished I knew where he had gone. Having been without him so long, now I hated being away from him for even a minute.

I saw him walking down the hallway toward me smiling at me. He was holding something behind his back, but I paid little attention. "I got you a surprise, " I said holding up the Victoria's Secret bag.

His smile grew into a knowing smirk. "I got you a surprise too."

"Oh Zach, don't you think you've done enough all ready. You already bought me all these clothes."

"No." He said and handed me a blue bag that read Tiffany and Co. "Zachary Justin Parise! What did you do?"

"I just wanted to give you something beautiful." He pulled me into him. "I've loved you my whole life, and you've given up so much for me and my career. I just want to be able to give you beautiful things. I want to make up for the years we spent apart when I should have been buying you beautiful things."

I took a seat and opened the bag, more nervous than anything. Inside was a Tiffany blue box with a white bow. I untied the bow and slid off the lid. I was looking at an amazing tennis bracelet. Each diamond was encased in platinum; and they alternated small and large around the bracelet. I knew it must have cost a fortune, but I don't know if I'd ever seen a prettier piece of jewelry. My head was bent low and my mouth hung open as Zach stood over me waiting for a reaction. When I didn't move he knelt down between my legs. "Phoebe?" he said softly, and there in the middle of the mall I sobbed into Zach's chest unable to control my emotions. "Pheebs, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you cry." He sounded so sincere and so concerned.

"Thank you, it's beautiful," I managed to choke out without looking at him.

He took the box off of my lap and put the bracelet in his hand. He took my hand unfolding my palm so it faced him. He kissed my finger tips, down over my palm to my wrist. He gave me one soft kiss on the underside of my wrist before fastening the bracelet there. He tilted my face to him our eyes meeting. "It's not as beautiful as you." He kissed my lips softly. "I love you," he said and smirked before he continued, "Now let’s go home, and you can give me my presents."

I giggled at him, but I couldn't wait to give him his presents. We walked hand in hand to the car, and that's when it dawned on me that I had one of the most romantic moments of my life in a mall. I giggled again.

****

To say that my presents for Zach were a big hit, well that was an understatement. We spent another 24 hours in his bedroom, not just having sex, but the sex...WOW! It got better every time.

It was the middle of the afternoon, nearing dinner time. "I'm hungry," I said and Zach giggled at me.

"I guess we did kind of forget food huh. What do you say we go out?"

"I don't know," I said turning over so I almost laid on top of him, "I kind of like the idea of becoming a hermit with you."

He smiled. "I just want to show off my beautiful girlfriend. Let me take you out."

"I guess I did just get all those new clothes; it'd be a shame to waste them."

"Exactly." Zach jumped up and headed to the bathroom, presumably to shower. "You coming?" he asked from the doorway.

I looked over and saw all the shopping bags sitting on his floor. "Can I take some room in your closet for the new clothes?"

"I'd like nothing more, but hurry up I want you in here with me."

"OK!" I feigned irritation. I took my clothes out of the bags and laid them on the bed. I opened Zach's closet and smiled at what I saw. Zach hadn't changed. He had about 10 dress shirts and about five suits. He had a rack of rather plain ties, but not much else in his closet. I loved how he liked to keep things simple. It was something I used to try to break him of when we were together before. I'd buy him shirts in crazy colors and ties to match. He'd wear them because I bought them, but I always knew that wasn't him. He preferred a simple suit and white or blue dress shirt. No fancy cuffs or collars or bright colors. I moved everything over a bit as I hung my clothes in the closet quickly. I wanted desperately to join Zach. I opened the boxes of shoes and went to place them on the floor of the closet.

As I leaned down to tuck my shoes under the lower layer of clothes one of my shoes hit something. I reached under and pulled it out. It was a large white box, way too big to be a shoe box. I sat on the floor surrounded by three pairs of new shoes and the large white box wondering if I should open it. Was it really any of my business? I laughed at myself a little. What could be in here that Zach wouldn't want me to see? I felt silly and probably blushed for a moment as I lifted the lid from the large white box.

****

Zach's POV
I waited in the shower for her until the water ran cold. I turned it off and stepped out of the shower and that's when I felt a cold shiver down my spine, beyond the cold caused by the water still left on my body from the shower. I quickly dried off and didn't bother to shave as I intended. I pulled on my boxer shorts and went to look for Phoebe.

She sat on the floor outside of my closet and didn't move or attempt to face me even though I called out to her. As I made my way to the other side of the bed my breath caught in my throat. She found the box!

****

I knew he was calling out to me, but my mind was racing. I wasn't having bad thoughts or good ones for that matter. It was like a mass of confusion. Once I opened the box I couldn't move, not even when he called my name. I wanted to reach out to him and have him give me an explanation. I wanted to reach into the box and pullout what it held, but I couldn't do that either.

"I love you Phoebe ," Zach said his voice cracking a bit, but that wasn't an explanation, so I just looked at him confused. "After I saw you in that, I knew you had to have it. I want you to wear it. I want you to wear it to marry me."

Tears streaked my face now, and I somehow figured out how to make my body move again. I stood up pulling the Champaign colored wedding dress from the box as I stood. I held it up to me and looked at Zach who had tears in his eyes. I'd finally realized that he had gone back to the wedding boutique and bought me my dream wedding dress.

Zach didn't move, he just stood there looking for my reaction. I felt light headed, I hadn't eaten and my heart was racing. It may have been racing since I opened the box, but I didn't notice until Zach said he wanted to marry me. I quickly sat down on the bed for fear I'd fall over. The dress still pressed to my body. I guess I was in shock so I just didn't say anything.

Zach, finally understanding my condition, made his way to me and knelt down beside me. "This isn't how I wanted to do this. I don't have a ring, and I wanted to ask your mom first, but I'm done waiting Phoebe. We've already waited too long to be together. I want you to marry me. I want you to be my wife, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you." He took my hands in his. His eyes were filled with tears, maybe more than were in my eyes. "Please Phoebe. Please marry me."

I fell into his arms. "Yes Zach. YES!"