Untitled
Christmas Eve.
He was late again. Alex eyed the clock with wary eyes and then looked back down at her plate. She had been planning this dinner for weeks and he knew it but he was still late. The chicken she had slaved over for hours was cold now and the candles she had lit were down to the nub. He always ruined everything for her and never bothered to call.
With a click from the lock, he opened the door but she didn't bother even looking at him. She knew that if she did, he would flash her his boyish smile and ruffle those blond locks and she'd forgive him. With a sigh, she stood up and blew out the candles and grabbed her own plate.
"Dinner's been ready for two hours, Tom," she muttered bitterly as she walked into the kitchen. Her plate clattered when she slammed it into the sink.
"I'm sorry, Love," Tom said. His voice was almost enough to make her swoon but she kept the frown on her face. "The interview went a little longer than I thought it would."
"There's always an excuse," Alex said. "The only difference between this ruined date and the thousands before is that I don't even care anymore. Who has an interview on Christmas eve anyway?"
"I thought you didn't care," he said. She flashed him a warning glare but he just laughed and grabbed hold of her waist. "Come on, Love."
"Don't even try it," Alex said. "I won't forgive you this time, Tom," but she was already smiling and leaning back into his chest.
Tom kissed the top of her head and buried his face into her neck. His hands rubbed against her bare arms and together, they swayed back and forth. Alex turned towards Tom with a smile still on her face. He smiled back, his blue eyes flickered left and right as he moved a stray strand of her hair out of her face.
"I missed you," he said.
She couldn't help but look down at the ground to hide the soft pink blush that formed on her cheeks. He lifted her chin with his finger and bent down to place a light kiss on her lips. The hair on his face scratched at her skin and tickled but still, she locked her hands around his neck and pulled him closer.
"You ruined my date," she whispered after she moved her head back a little to break the kiss. He chuckled and kissed her again.
"I'm sorry, I really am," he insisted. "The chicken you threw away looked really good," he added jokingly.
"Well, maybe if you heat up yours it will taste good," she said. A frown appeared on her face when she remembered that she was mad at him. "I'm going to bed. Goodnight."
"Wait!" He called after her. He smiled when she turned back towards him. "Don't you want to open a Christmas present early?" He asked.
With a raised eyebrow, she asked, "what present?"
"Come with me," he said. He held out his hand and when she took it, he led her out of their apartment and towards the stairs.
"Where are we going?" Alex asked. She loved how unpredictable Tom could be but she didn't want to sound too excited.
"You'll see," he told her as they climbed the stairs.
He stopped in front of a door that read, "Employees Only" and pulled out a pair of keys. Quickly, he unlocked the door and pulled Alex outside.
It was cold out on the roof, the wind blew her hair back and she had to hug herself to try to stay warm. Tom seemed unfazed as he pulled her towards the buildings edge. He leaned over the edge and looked down with a child like smile on his face.
"What are we doing up here, Tom?" Alex asked. Her patience was waring thin and she wanted to go inside where it wasn't snowing.
Without answering her, Tom got down on one knee and looked up at Alex. His eyes searched her face for a sign of hope as he cleared his throat and said, "I know you've had to put up with a lot since we got together; it's one of the many things that I love about you. I just want to know, would you be willing to put up with me for the rest of your life?"
He pulled out a red box from his pocket and slowly opened it to reveal a diamond ring. It was the first real diamond that Alex had ever seen and she was surprised by just how brightly it shined on that dingy roof. Her eyes watered and she smiled but she didn't say anything.
"Alex," Tom said after a moment. "Alex, are you alright?" He asked.
"Yes," she answered. "I'm sorry, it just... I froze."
"So, you'll marry me?" He asked nervously. Alex laughed and nodded her head.
"Yes, Tom," she answered. "I'd love to."
Tom stood up and hugged Alex tightly. He slipped the ring onto her finger and kissed her cheek, her nose, her forehead, and then finally, her lips. He twirled her around and they both laughed together. Alex couldn't hide her excitement; she was engaged to the man she loved and nothing could ruin it.
Suddenly, Tom let Alex go and ran towards the ledge. He leaned over, cupped his mouth and shouted as loud as he could, "she said yes!She said yes!"
With a click from the lock, he opened the door but she didn't bother even looking at him. She knew that if she did, he would flash her his boyish smile and ruffle those blond locks and she'd forgive him. With a sigh, she stood up and blew out the candles and grabbed her own plate.
"Dinner's been ready for two hours, Tom," she muttered bitterly as she walked into the kitchen. Her plate clattered when she slammed it into the sink.
"I'm sorry, Love," Tom said. His voice was almost enough to make her swoon but she kept the frown on her face. "The interview went a little longer than I thought it would."
"There's always an excuse," Alex said. "The only difference between this ruined date and the thousands before is that I don't even care anymore. Who has an interview on Christmas eve anyway?"
"I thought you didn't care," he said. She flashed him a warning glare but he just laughed and grabbed hold of her waist. "Come on, Love."
"Don't even try it," Alex said. "I won't forgive you this time, Tom," but she was already smiling and leaning back into his chest.
Tom kissed the top of her head and buried his face into her neck. His hands rubbed against her bare arms and together, they swayed back and forth. Alex turned towards Tom with a smile still on her face. He smiled back, his blue eyes flickered left and right as he moved a stray strand of her hair out of her face.
"I missed you," he said.
She couldn't help but look down at the ground to hide the soft pink blush that formed on her cheeks. He lifted her chin with his finger and bent down to place a light kiss on her lips. The hair on his face scratched at her skin and tickled but still, she locked her hands around his neck and pulled him closer.
"You ruined my date," she whispered after she moved her head back a little to break the kiss. He chuckled and kissed her again.
"I'm sorry, I really am," he insisted. "The chicken you threw away looked really good," he added jokingly.
"Well, maybe if you heat up yours it will taste good," she said. A frown appeared on her face when she remembered that she was mad at him. "I'm going to bed. Goodnight."
"Wait!" He called after her. He smiled when she turned back towards him. "Don't you want to open a Christmas present early?" He asked.
With a raised eyebrow, she asked, "what present?"
"Come with me," he said. He held out his hand and when she took it, he led her out of their apartment and towards the stairs.
"Where are we going?" Alex asked. She loved how unpredictable Tom could be but she didn't want to sound too excited.
"You'll see," he told her as they climbed the stairs.
He stopped in front of a door that read, "Employees Only" and pulled out a pair of keys. Quickly, he unlocked the door and pulled Alex outside.
It was cold out on the roof, the wind blew her hair back and she had to hug herself to try to stay warm. Tom seemed unfazed as he pulled her towards the buildings edge. He leaned over the edge and looked down with a child like smile on his face.
"What are we doing up here, Tom?" Alex asked. Her patience was waring thin and she wanted to go inside where it wasn't snowing.
Without answering her, Tom got down on one knee and looked up at Alex. His eyes searched her face for a sign of hope as he cleared his throat and said, "I know you've had to put up with a lot since we got together; it's one of the many things that I love about you. I just want to know, would you be willing to put up with me for the rest of your life?"
He pulled out a red box from his pocket and slowly opened it to reveal a diamond ring. It was the first real diamond that Alex had ever seen and she was surprised by just how brightly it shined on that dingy roof. Her eyes watered and she smiled but she didn't say anything.
"Alex," Tom said after a moment. "Alex, are you alright?" He asked.
"Yes," she answered. "I'm sorry, it just... I froze."
"So, you'll marry me?" He asked nervously. Alex laughed and nodded her head.
"Yes, Tom," she answered. "I'd love to."
Tom stood up and hugged Alex tightly. He slipped the ring onto her finger and kissed her cheek, her nose, her forehead, and then finally, her lips. He twirled her around and they both laughed together. Alex couldn't hide her excitement; she was engaged to the man she loved and nothing could ruin it.
Suddenly, Tom let Alex go and ran towards the ledge. He leaned over, cupped his mouth and shouted as loud as he could, "she said yes!She said yes!"