Teacher's Pet

"Oh my God, Makani, congratulations. This is so great," I said, hugging her.

"I guess we both won this summer," she said.

"I'll say. When's the wedding?"

"This winter. We don't have to wait. We were talking about doing this already before the breakup. The only reason we're having a ceremony is because of our families."

"And me. I'd never forgive you if you eloped," I teased.

"You're next," she said, grinning.

"Slow down," I laughed. "We're not in a hurry."

"He's moving here now, so you have all the time in the world," she mused. I smiled.

It felt like a dream. Nate had told me what he was doing, and I had heard him tell his father what he was doing, but for some reason, him going to Joseph and telling him that he was interested in a regular performing position at the hotel was what really sealed the deal for me and made it feel real.

Even better, was he was performing tonight. This was one of his options. He had creative freedom and would get paid to make music. I didn’t know whether he saw himself doing this when he was thinking about a career in music, but this took away the stress of the cutthroat, money-hungry industry that had screwed him over before. Just him and his music the way that he wanted.

I had watched him do this enough times that it shouldn’t have taken my breath away, but it did. I hooted and clapped with the audience when he took the stage. I watched, completely drawn by his presence on stage and his amazing music. I felt happy and smug knowing that the incredible man on stage was coming home with me. They thought they had him, but he was all mine.

Makani, Keno, and I were waiting with drinks for Nate when he came off the stage.

"How'd I do?" he asked, coming up to the bar where we were waiting. I kissed him, handing him a drink.

"Amazing. As usual."

"I heard the good news. You're one of us now," Makani said to him.

"I heard yours, too, congratulations," he said.

"How did you know before I did?" I asked.

"I told him," Keno said.

"Since you're both here, I think it goes without saying that you're both in the wedding party," Makani said.

"How did he ask you? Did he get down on one knee?” I asked her.

"You gotta propose on one knee," Nate said.

"I go to the house, and he tells me he’s waiting for me in the garden. I go out there, and it's completely dark. I can't see him anywhere. I start going back into the house, and suddenly all these lamps turn on and he's standing there. He comes up to me and tells me that I’m the love of his life and he wants to spend the rest of his life with me," Makani said, beaming. Keno stood next to her with his arm around her waist.

"Nice. Did she cry?" Nate asked Keno. I swatted him on the chest. What kind of question was that?

"Oh, yeah," Keno said, laughing.

"You were trying to make me cry?" Makani asked him.

"That's when you know you knocked it out of the park," Nate said.

"Only happy tears, honey," Keno said to Makani.

"How soon before we can expect kids?" Nate asked. Makani blushed and Keno laughed, hugging her to his side.

"Nate, you gotta slow down. At least let us get married first. You know, you remind me of this story I heard-"

"No. Don't. Just don't," Makani said, cutting him off.