“Okay,” I said. My stomach was flipping around and around.
Another thirty seconds or so passed by before Anna turned and looked down at me.
“You lucky son of a bitch! She just picked out her dream engagement ring. ” Anna jumped up and down.
I got up and rubbed the ache out of my leg from where Anna had kept kicking me. “Well, if my damn leg wasn’t hurting so much, I’d be jumping up and down right along with you. ”
Anna looked down at my leg and then back up at me as she frowned. “Cowboy up. Look at this ring, Layton. I have to say, she has exquisite taste!”
As Anna took the ring out of the cabinet, I walked around to the other side of the counter. One look at the ring, and I knew, without a doubt, I was doing the right thing. Everything in my body screamed that this was it and that Whitley was the one I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.
I looked at Anna and smiled. “I’ll take it. ”
“Smart man. I knew I always liked you for a reason. Do you know how you’re going to ask her or when?”
I shook my head as I followed her over to the register. “I have no clue, but next week is her birthday. I was thinking of asking her on her birthday. ”
After Anna rang up the ring, she put it into a box and wrapped it all up. She kept telling me to make sure I made it romantic. My heart started pounding.
Shit! Mike was always the romantic one, not me. What in the hell am I going to do to make it romantic?
“Layton? Layton! Snap out of it. I’m talking to you. ”
I looked back at Anna, who was standing there with her hands on her hips.
“Did you even hear a word I just said?”
I shook my head. “I can’t do it. ”
“What? What in the hell do you mean you can’t do it? You sure as shit can and will do it. Don’t you dare walk around, carrying that ring in your pocket for two years, because you’re too damn afraid to take a chance, Layton Morris. ”
I just stared at her. “What if she says no?”
She raised one eyebrow at me, and for one brief moment, I felt like I was about to be sent to the corner for time-out.
“Please. No woman in her right mind would ever say no to you. Layton, you’re one of the sweetest, most caring guys I know. Trust me, she’s not going to say no. Promise me that you will at least attempt to make it romantic for her. ”
I let out a laugh because Mike of all people had asked Jen to marry him in his truck. He had been so nervous that he’d just blurted it out. I smiled, just thinking about Mike and what he would say to me right now.
I winked at Anna as I took the small ring box and put it into my jacket pocket. “I promise, Anna. I’ll make it a night she’ll never forget. ” I smiled at her, and I turned to leave.
I quickly opened the door and walked outside, looking around to make sure Whitley wasn’t nearby. I had no idea where she could have met this client of hers. I put my hand in my pocket and held on to the ring box as I jogged the two blocks to my truck.
When I got to my truck, I jumped inside, pulled out my cell phone, and hit Reed’s number.
“What’s up, dude?” Reed asked, breathing heavily.
“Hey, what’s up? What in the hell are you doing?” I asked.
“Do you really want to know?” Reed laughed.
“Well, I don’t know, Reed. I’m assuming you’re at work, so fuck, I don’t know. ”
Reed let out a laugh as I heard him talking to someone. It sounded like a girl.
“Dude, do you want to, um…call me back? Are you busy?” I asked as I looked at my watch.
“Nah…I’m finished. I just got laid at work. That was a first,” Reed said.