"Shake it Up!" and "Skype" does not belong to me. I am just using it for this story. I decided to repost the first chapter with a little more backstory on Cece ands Logan's relationship. Enjoy.
The only sound in the room besides the ticking of the grand wall clock and the traffic on the street below, was the sound of my heart beating in my ears. I had only been in NYC for a few months and for once the street noise was a welcome distraction. I decided to move here to be closer to her but I never thought that we would get to this place in our relationship. At least not for another few years.
I sat on the edge of my bed, grasping my dark blue sheets as if my life depended on it. Tonight was the night that I was going to propose to my girlfriend,Cece. To say that I was freaking out was an understatement. I've had more panic attacks today than I've ever had. The worst happening on the way back from the jeweler which almost caused a 10-car pileup on the freeway.
I don't know why I'm so nervous. Sure, our relationship got off to a rocky start back in high school when our parents were together but that was to be expected. I'll admit that we were both pretty awful to each other. After my relationship with Rocky ended, it was as if we dropped off of each others radars. When graduation came for us and the rest of the Class of 2015, we shared a cordial wave but went right back to living in our seperate universes. I went to college in upstate New York and got my degree in business with a minor in International Commerce. It was two years after college when I found myself in NYC for a meeting. It was late afternoon when a fresh snow was falling over the city when I saw her.
She looked the same as she always had. Same red hair and the same smile that could make you do anything for her. I had never noticed how beautiful she was until that day. She had snow flakes resting in her hair and a blush coating her cheeks and ears from the cold. For two people who always had something to say to each other, good or bad, we were speechless. I can't remember who took a step forward or said "hello" first but I'm glad one of us did.
At first we tried taking it slow but it wasn't long before we became an official couple and had to face the shock and awe of our friends and family. Considering how much we used to bite each other's head's off, i can't say that blame them. Even though the group had spread out all over the country, we still made sure to keep in touch. The occasion of Cece and I getting together was the occasion of one of our most explosive and entertaining "Skype" sessions we have all ever had.
Even though NYC was the place where we reconnected, my home base was was still in Chicago when I wasn't traveling for work. With Cece Pursuing her career on the Broadway stage, she was in New York full time unless she could sneak away for a weekend trip with me. Absence truly does make the heart grow fonder. When weren't together in the same city we were always texting, calling, or "skyping." A year ago I finally got tired of the distance and made New York my permanent home.
Being in the the same time zone suited us. Even when we were both busy we made it a priority to get together at the end of everyday and unwind with each other. I've lost count of how many times that we have had impromptu sleepovers at each other's apartments. It was getting so bad that I think her clothes outnumbered mine in my closet.
The topic of marriage came up around three year mark of our relationship. I had thought about it but not that seriously. She had made peace with the fact of divorce a long time ago, considering what her parents went through. She knew that if we worked together, she and I could really make it work.
The fact that she was so sure about us and wanted to marry me threw me for a loop. She was never one to shy away from saying how she felt and even though I knew she loved me, she said it all with so much joy. She was always a very happy person but this was pure joy. The fact that she was joyful about marrying me sent my imagination running.
We could actually make one home and make it a place reflecting who we are together. It was always a great thing to wake up with her in my arms but doing that in our bed every morning would just make it better. I hoped, and still do, that our kids would look just like her. The world could use a lot more of her in it. I used to make fun of Deuce and Dina for settling down and being on their way to having enough kids to make a football team, but I started to want what they had. Not enough kids to make a football team, but marriage and a real family with Cece.
Five years of us had all led up to this. Even though I was about to crawl out of my skin, or at least the black suit and tie that I was wearing, I wanted this to happen more than anything.
I flopped onto my back, my upper body landing with a soft thud against my comforter. I covered my face with my hands, frustrated that I couldn't shut my mind off to relax.
"Please, say yes", I whispered into the air.
I rose again after a few minutes and looked at the clock again. It was barely seven p.m.. I went to look out of my window facing the street. If I was going to leave it had to be now otherwise I would be stuck in traffic until Thanksgiving. I patted the box that housed the ring in my jacket pocket.
The elevator ride down calmed me down enough to where my breathing was steady. Before I knew it, I was on the sidewalk hailing a cab as the city traffic and noise surrounded me. I settled into the cab as a new mantra flowed through my thoughts: she would say yes.