Without waiting for a response, I turn and leave the office, slamming the door as hard as I can behind me. Alice is glaring at me as I pass by her desk. I'm pretty sure she heard every word of our argument, and quite obviously, does not approve. Alice is most definitely Team Henry.
“You can go fuck yourself too,” I snap at her.
She looks positively apoplectic as I leave the executive office area and head down the corridor to the elevator. I hum a little tune to myself as I push the button calling the car, suddenly feeling light, free, and unencumbered. All of my anger has somehow magically dissipated. I'm feeling great.
Today is a good day. A very good day.
Duncan
“My mom has been looking forward to this for the last two weeks,” I say. “Aurora is in very good hands, can you relax?”
I grin at Alexis, who's fidgeting in her seat. She sticks her tongue out at me but laughs. My mom offered to watch the baby to give us a night out of adult fun. And given the last couple of weeks we've endured, we definitely need it.
It's been a rough time for both of us, for a few different reasons. I can't deny that, after the initial rush of excitement, cutting my brother out of my life entirely hasn't taken an emotional toll on me. We may not see eye to eye on things and have a very strained relationship with each other, but at the end of the day, he's still my brother. I still love him. I just won't tolerate what he stands for or the way he treats people – especially those I care most about.
For Alexis, she finally worked up the nerve to call her bosses at the firm to start sorting out that situation. It didn't take them long to getting around to the fact that they might have to downsize her – which actually lifted a huge weight off her shoulders. It took the guilt of her telling them to screw off away completely. She read the guy she talked to – Tyler something – the riot act and cursed up a blue streak in the process. I've never been prouder of her.
But that left her adrift for a couple of days, not knowing what to do. After things with Henry, she was hesitant to take me up on the offer I'd proposed a little while back. She was afraid that she'd be playing into Henry's stereotype or fulfilling his prophecy, or whatever.
It took me a couple of days to wear her down and assure her that everything Henry said was bullshit and the product of an insecure, elitist, snobby as hell little man. She finally relented and accepted the position as my office assistant, with the eventual transition to the clinic I'm opening on the horizon. It's something she's excited about – and something I'm excited for her about. I know she'll work her ass off and be amazing.
Despite some rough patches, everything seems to be falling into place. All of the dots are being connected and I, for one, couldn't possibly be any happier with the state of things. Alexis, Aurora, and I are building our little family together. She insists on keeping her apartment for now, but with Sabrina talking about moving in with Dom, it's only a matter of time before I can move my little family into my condo. We've even started talking about buying a house – something with a yard for a dog and plenty of room for Aurora to run around in.
It's amazing that I've gone from confirmed bachelor to family man in the span of only a few months. But Alexis has stormed into my life and turned everything on its head. And the really strange thing is, I like it. I like it a lot.
“Penny for your thoughts,” she says.
I give her a small smile. “Just thinking about how much life has changed over these last few months.”
“I hope they're happy thoughts.”
I reach across the table and take her hand, planting a gentle kiss on her knuckles. “They're very happy thoughts.”
She laughs. “Even with all of the crazed wannabe boyfriends and psycho brothers that have gotten in the way?”
“Given that I'm getting the most amazing woman in the world and the most beautiful daughter I could have ever hoped for, yeah, I'd say so,” I reply. “I'm definitely coming out a winner in this deal.”
Her smile is warm and genuine – and something I can get used to seeing for the rest of my life. Tonight isn't just about giving us an adult night out. I have an agenda. And even though I’m relatively certain how this is going to go, I still find a ripple of nerves running through me. I guess it's to be expected.
It's a beautiful evening out, and we're sitting on a rooftop bistro that overlooks Manhattan. The atmosphere is lively, and the buzz of conversation fills the air around us. It's a hip, trendy little spot and although I usually tend to avoid the hip, trendy spots, there's something about this place that seemed all too perfect to me.
“This place is great,” she says.
I nod. “Yeah, it's not too bad,” I say. “A friend suggested it, so I thought we'd give it a shot.”
She cocks her head and looks at me, an inscrutable expression on her face. “You okay?”
I nod. “Yeah, of course. I'm good.”
“You just seem a little – stiff.”
I shrug. “Been a few things on my mind lately.”
She gives me a small smile and squeezes my hand. She's probably thinking that I'm talking about things with my brother weighing on me, so I'm content to let her think that. It's not the reason. I've made my peace with it – at least, as best as I can, anyway.
But, that's not why I'm on edge tonight.
We make it through our meal, happily chatting away, talking about the trivial, mundane things couples sometimes talk about. We also talk about deeper things, like plans for our life moving forward. There is no doubt that I want to spend the rest of my life with Alexis. I think I've known that since the night we met at the gala in what feels like another lifetime.
And I'm relatively certain she feels the same way. At least, I'm hoping she does. If she doesn't, I'm about to pull the most epic face plant the world – and internet – have ever seen.
After the waitress clears our dishes away, we decline dessert. We're content to simply finish our wine underneath the full, bright, shining moon above. The way Alexis looks into my eyes never fails to move me, and when she smiles, it sets my very soul on fire. No, she's not perfect, but in ten thousand different ways, she's perfect for me.
She opens her mouth to speak as a man steps up beside the table. He's a younger man with slicked back dark hair and an olive-colored complexion – and he's carrying a violin. With a smile and a bow to Alexis, he begins to play. The opening strings are sweet yet carry a sound of longing and desire. Alexis looks back at me, a wide smile on her face.
A moment later, a blonde woman steps up beside the violin-playing man at the table and the two begin to harmonize. And then the song switches from something classical in nature to what I know is one of Alexis' favorite songs. Though arranged differently for the violin, when the woman starts to sing, it's unmistakably Elvis' ‘Can't Help Falling In Love.’
Alexis looks back at me, smiling like a child on Christmas morning. “This is one of my favorite songs ever,” she whisper screams.
Yeah, I know. When I was setting all this up, I snooped through her playlist and saw that it was the most played song she owned.
“Oh really?” I ask, feigning shock. “I didn't know that.”
She turns back to the musicians, entranced by the music. Even though they definitely sound pretty different from Elvis, I have to admit that they sound pretty good. As the song begins to come to its conclusion, my heart thunders in my chest and my hands tremble – it's showtime.
I shouldn't be this nervous. I mean, I know what the outcome is going to be. Yet, despite that, despite all of my self-assurances that this is going to go my way, I can't help but feel jittery as I get down on one knee. I slip the small, black box out of my pocket and open it – and wait.
When the musicians finish with a flourish, the patio restaurant erupts in applause. Clapping wildly, Alexis turns around to find me down on my knee, offering her a ring. As if on cue, the entire patio falls silent as all eyes turn to us. Everything is so still and so silent, it's like we've been dropped into a vacuum or something.
Alexis' eyes are wide, shimmering with tears, and she covers her mouth with trembling hands of her own.
“Alexis Martin, you are the woman I have searched for my entire life,” I say. “You have brought more joy to my world than I ever dared to hope for. And because of you, I feel more alive than I ever have. You are my heart, my soul, and my entire world. Will you do me the honor of being my wife?”
Tears rolling down her cheeks, but eyes shining with joy, she nods slowly. She pulls her hands away and laughs.
“Yes, Duncan,” she cries. “God, yes. It's about time you asked!”
Smiling, I get to my feet and help her to hers. I take the ring out of the box and as all of the guests on the patio erupt into applause again, I slip the ring on her finger. She looks at it for a long moment, shaking her head, her eyes fixed on her hand, though she's not really seeing the ring. In her eyes, I see her thinking back through her life and everything that's brought her to this point.
And when she looks up at me, I see the most pure, intense love I've ever seen in another person's eyes before. It makes my heart swell in ways I never knew it could.
“I love you, Duncan Clyburne,” she says.
“And I love you, Alexis Martin,” I reply. “I love you with everything in me.”
As the crowd applauds and cheers for us, we kiss beneath the full, silvery moon. And nothing in my life has ever felt so perfect.
After a late-night run to a fantastic creperie for dessert, we finally make it back to my condo, still high on the rush of our engagement. My mom is keeping Aurora overnight, and the plan is to go pick her up in the morning and take her with us when we have some engagement pictures taken. After all, we're starting our family – officially – and Aurora is a very big part of that. But tonight is all ours.
As we move into the bedroom, I pull Alexis to me and kiss her more deeply than I ever have. Her lips part, accepting my tongue into her mouth and our kiss grows hotter and more passionate in a matter of moments. My body is responding to the feel of her kiss and her body pressed to mine. I'm nearly dizzy with anticipation. Alexis is my drug and I really need a fix.