“Oh well, I don’t know. I wanted to think that you would.”
She threw her arms around me. “You’re ridiculous sometimes, but I love you anyway.” We hugged again, and Walter and Eva came back with the champagne.
“To my baby girl getting married. Cheers to the happy couple,” Walter said, filling everyone’s glasses.
“Cheers!” We all said and drank. It was probably a good thing Ryder wasn’t here for this.
“And to my bride-to-be. The sunshine in my life,” Lucah said, and we toasted again.
“And to my husband-to-be. The best administrative assistant I’ve ever had.” Lucah laughed and we toasted to that as well.
“I should hope I’m good for more than taking messages and cancelling meetings,” Lucah said.
“You’re good for taking out the trash too,” Rory said, patting his chest.
“Welcome to marriage, my boy,” Walter said.
I was so happy for her. I expected to be jealous, but the feeling just wasn’t there, for which I was pleased. I didn’t want to be jealous of her overwhelming happiness.
“So,” Eva said, as we all sat down to our now-lukewarm dinners, “how did it happen? We need to have the story.”
“Definitely,” I said. I was shocked Rory hadn’t told me already. I had underestimated her ability to keep a secret.
“Well,” Rory said, her face getting a little red. “We were, um, in bed, and Lucah took my hands and moved the ring from my right hand to my left one. He’d given it to me a few weeks ago. It belonged to his mother,” she explained to her parents. I already knew about that part of the story.
That was it? He just moved the ring? No grand gesture?
“And then he grabbed his guitar and played the first song he’d ever sang to me at open mic night.” I remembered that night. Rory had been so pissed that he was there, but the second he started singing, I could tell that she was totally and completely taken by him. That was the first time I knew there was something stronger than just attraction between them. At the time, he’d interviewed to be her administrative assistant and totally rubbed Rory the wrong way. Mostly because she’d been so hot and bothered by him when she was trying to be professional.
“How romantic,” Eva said with a sigh.
“And then he asked me if I wanted to be his wife, and I told him I did,” Rory said, staring at Lucah. He only had eyes for her. It was like the rest of us weren’t even in the room. Only the two of them existed. The moment passed, but I found myself aching for my own moment.
“I had a whole elaborate scene planned. I considered swans and fireworks and the whole works. Maybe even a viral video,” Lucah said. “But then I thought about you and how much I loved you, and I woke up in the middle of the night unable to wait for you to wake up so I could just ask you. I couldn’t take the waiting anymore.” He laughed, and Rory brushed away another tear.
“I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way,” she said. “It was perfect.”
“Well, I’d say that was an excellent proposal. And I appreciate you coming to me,” Walter said. That was news to me.
“You asked my dad?” Rory said.
Lucah’s face went even redder. I’d never seen him like that before. It was kind of cute, actually.
“I did,” he said in a quiet voice. Rory threw herself on him, which was a feat, considering they were both sitting down.
“If I hadn’t already agreed to marry you, I’d totally say yes again.” She gave him quite the kiss that wasn’t really appropriate with her parents there. I almost jumped between them to break it up before it got pornographic.
They seemed to come to their senses realizing they weren’t the only two people there. They were both fairly red.
“Well, this has been quite an evening,” Walter said, winking at his wife.
“Yup,” Rory said, resuming her seat.
“So, have you started any wedding plans?” Eva asked. Jesus, she didn’t waste any time.
Rory sighed. “Mom. We literally just got engaged this morning. I’d like to enjoy this before I have to actually think about chicken or fish, and favors, and veil or no veil,” she said.
“Well, there’s no harm in starting to think about these things,” Eva said, undeterred. This woman was relentless.