Chapter 3.
Friday morning Kathleen awoke alone in the sea of black silk sheets on Ripley's bed. For a moment she couldn't remember what day it was or what had happened, but then it came back to her with almost too much clarity. She heard soft footsteps on the stairs, and Ripley entered the bedroom dressed in a gray t-shirt and black jeans. "Hey," he said softly, leaning in the doorway.
"Hey," Kathleen said. "Are you OK?"
Ripley rolled his eyes. "I'm surviving," he said.
"Thank you for…taking it easy last night," she said.
"You're welcome," he said. "I've made some breakfast…eggs, toast, coffee. Do you want anything?"
After a few seconds of silence during which Ripley lingered in the doorway Kathleen said, "What's wrong, Jack?"
He sighed. "After breakfast," he said.
"Now," Kathleen said. "Is there some reason you don't want to be in here with me?"
"I don't want to push things," Ripley said.
"Bull," Kathleen said. "You're hiding something. What is it?"
Ripley walked into the room and sat on the bed. "I realized something last night," he said. "I realized…that doing things this way isn't going to work for me anymore, Kathleen. It hasn't really been working anyway."
Kathleen was stunned. He was breaking up with her? Now? "What?" she asked.
"I…I'm too old-fashioned," Ripley said. "And with what happened last night…I can't just play at this anymore."
"Jesus," Kathleen said, feeling like she had been run over by a truck. She got off the bed and picked up the robe. "I can't believe this."
"That's why I thought it would be better after breakfast…"
"Oh, right, just great, Jack," she spit at him. "I need a full stomach to hear that after last night you don't want to see me anymore."
She was surprised by the sudden look of shock on Ripley's face. "What?" he said.
Kathleen stared at him. "You tell me," she said.
"I was talking about us getting married sooner rather than later," Ripley said.
"Married," Kathleen said, stunned again.
Ripley stood up and pulled something out of his pocket…a small black velvet box. "I know I said I would wait, but I got this anyway…and last night I decided I don't want to wait any longer." He went down on one knee, and Kathleen felt truly faint for probably the first time in her life. He flipped the lid of the box, and Kathleen found herself staring at a largest marquise-cut diamond she had ever seen.
"Oh, my God," she said.
Ripley smiled. "Kathleen Maguire, will you marry me?" he asked.
Kathleen was trembling, and her heart was pounding. "Oh, God, Jack," she said. "This…you…I didn't expect this." She took the box from his hand and looked at the rock on the ring. The butterflies were swarming in her stomach.
Ripley stood up. "Let's have breakfast," he said. "You can give me an answer afterward." He grasped one of her hands gently and led her to the stairs.
* * * * * * * * *
Kathleen swallowed a mouthful of scrambled eggs and looked across the table at Ripley; he met her gaze. Married, she thought, spending every day together, every night, sharing everything. Married. "Jesus, Jack," she said.
He smiled and set down his coffee cup. "Better or worse than dumping you?" he asked.
"Better," she said. "Much better. But…Jesus, Jack."
"How about this…you say yes, and we have a long engagement," he said.
"I don't know about that," Kathleen said, sipping some orange juice.
Ripley leaned back in his chair. "Or you say no…and I hold on to the ring for another month or so," he said.
Kathleen wrinkled her nose. "I don't think so," she said. She looked up from her eggs, saw him studying her, waiting. It felt good to tease him. It felt great to think about something wonderful in the wake of what had happened. "How about this: You come over here and put this big rock on my finger, and I'll decide if I like how it feels."
Ripley grinned and stood up, plucked the ring from the box, and slid it on the ring finger of her outstretched left hand. The thing shone blindingly in the dining room light. Kathleen could barely breathe. "Is it too much?" Ripley asked.
"What did it cost?" Kathleen asked.
"You know the rule," Ripley said. "And then add a few thousand."
"Damn it, Ripley," Kathleen said. "I don't think I can be seen wearing this thing."
"I think you could," he said.
"Then I want you to wear one too," she said on a whim.
Ripley raised an eyebrow. "You want me to wear a diamond ring?" he said.
"An engagement ring," she said, warming to the idea.
"You want me to wear an engagement ring," he said.
"Do you want me to wear one?" she asked.
Ripley stood his ground stoically for a moment said, "Yes."
"Then you'll wear one?" Kathleen asked.
"OK," he said. "But nothing ridiculous, Kathleen…"
"Not something large enough to blind people?" she said.
"I can get you something else," he said.
"It's gorgeous, Jack," she said. "And I will get you something fitting, I promise."
"OK," he said, though he still sounded wary. "So this is yes?"
Kathleen smiled. "Yes," she said. "This is yes." Ripley walked over to her and lifted her face with his hands, then planted a kiss on her lips. When he moved away, Kathleen pulled him back. "If you're going to be my husband you're not going to kiss me like that," she said. His eyes held hers for a moment, and then brought his lips back to hers for a firmer and deeper kiss. Mrs. Kathleen Ripley, she thought, and she pulled him even closer.
* * * * * * * *
They spent the afternoon at jewelry stores, and most of the time Kathleen could keep her mind off of what had happened Thursday night. Ripley tried to tease his way out of the idea for a ring for him, but he seemed to sense how much she liked the idea and didn't press it. In one of the smaller stores Kathleen finally spotted something she liked, a gold band with diamond chips going around the center of it. Ripley looked at it through the glass case for several seconds before announcing that it looked liked a pimp's ring. Kathleen signaled for one of the employees of the store.
The employee took out the ring out. When Kathleen asked what size the one in question was, she was delighted to find it was Ripley's size. Ripley had to smile.
"It's fate," Kathleen said, sliding the ring on his finger.
"It's something," Ripley said sardonically, but his eyes were shining.
Kathleen shooed Ripley away while she bought the ring. When she found him he was embroiled in conversation with a couple of women at one of the sides of the store. She only heard the last words he spoke to them before they scampered away: "Next time use a bit more sense; it helps sometimes."
"What was that about?" Kathleen asked.
Ripley turned to face her. "Nothing," he said. "Let's go."
"You're not exactly the kind of person to randomly chide strangers, Jack," Kathleen said. "What happened?"
He took her hand and led her outside. "It's been on the news," he said softly, "with archive footage of you." Kathleen just stared at him. "Those women recognized you and were pointing and whispering. I had a few words with them."
"Wonderful," Kathleen said. "Now everyone in town knows about this."
"It shouldn't make a difference, Kathleen," Ripley said.
Kathleen stared at him. "That's why you did this, isn't it?" she said. "That's why you gave me the ring…to divert my attention."
"Kathleen, I gave you the ring because I love you," he said.
"But why now?"
"I told you why now," Ripley said. "Now put that ring on my finger before I change my mind about it."
After a moment Kathleen smiled and slid the ring on his finger before embracing him.
* * * * * * * * *
Friday morning Kathleen awoke alone in the sea of black silk sheets on Ripley's bed. For a moment she couldn't remember what day it was or what had happened, but then it came back to her with almost too much clarity. She heard soft footsteps on the stairs, and Ripley entered the bedroom dressed in a gray t-shirt and black jeans. "Hey," he said softly, leaning in the doorway.
"Hey," Kathleen said. "Are you OK?"
Ripley rolled his eyes. "I'm surviving," he said.
"Thank you for…taking it easy last night," she said.
"You're welcome," he said. "I've made some breakfast…eggs, toast, coffee. Do you want anything?"
After a few seconds of silence during which Ripley lingered in the doorway Kathleen said, "What's wrong, Jack?"
He sighed. "After breakfast," he said.
"Now," Kathleen said. "Is there some reason you don't want to be in here with me?"
"I don't want to push things," Ripley said.
"Bull," Kathleen said. "You're hiding something. What is it?"
Ripley walked into the room and sat on the bed. "I realized something last night," he said. "I realized…that doing things this way isn't going to work for me anymore, Kathleen. It hasn't really been working anyway."
Kathleen was stunned. He was breaking up with her? Now? "What?" she asked.
"I…I'm too old-fashioned," Ripley said. "And with what happened last night…I can't just play at this anymore."
"Jesus," Kathleen said, feeling like she had been run over by a truck. She got off the bed and picked up the robe. "I can't believe this."
"That's why I thought it would be better after breakfast…"
"Oh, right, just great, Jack," she spit at him. "I need a full stomach to hear that after last night you don't want to see me anymore."
She was surprised by the sudden look of shock on Ripley's face. "What?" he said.
Kathleen stared at him. "You tell me," she said.
"I was talking about us getting married sooner rather than later," Ripley said.
"Married," Kathleen said, stunned again.
Ripley stood up and pulled something out of his pocket…a small black velvet box. "I know I said I would wait, but I got this anyway…and last night I decided I don't want to wait any longer." He went down on one knee, and Kathleen felt truly faint for probably the first time in her life. He flipped the lid of the box, and Kathleen found herself staring at a largest marquise-cut diamond she had ever seen.
"Oh, my God," she said.
Ripley smiled. "Kathleen Maguire, will you marry me?" he asked.
Kathleen was trembling, and her heart was pounding. "Oh, God, Jack," she said. "This…you…I didn't expect this." She took the box from his hand and looked at the rock on the ring. The butterflies were swarming in her stomach.
Ripley stood up. "Let's have breakfast," he said. "You can give me an answer afterward." He grasped one of her hands gently and led her to the stairs.
* * * * * * * * *
Kathleen swallowed a mouthful of scrambled eggs and looked across the table at Ripley; he met her gaze. Married, she thought, spending every day together, every night, sharing everything. Married. "Jesus, Jack," she said.
He smiled and set down his coffee cup. "Better or worse than dumping you?" he asked.
"Better," she said. "Much better. But…Jesus, Jack."
"How about this…you say yes, and we have a long engagement," he said.
"I don't know about that," Kathleen said, sipping some orange juice.
Ripley leaned back in his chair. "Or you say no…and I hold on to the ring for another month or so," he said.
Kathleen wrinkled her nose. "I don't think so," she said. She looked up from her eggs, saw him studying her, waiting. It felt good to tease him. It felt great to think about something wonderful in the wake of what had happened. "How about this: You come over here and put this big rock on my finger, and I'll decide if I like how it feels."
Ripley grinned and stood up, plucked the ring from the box, and slid it on the ring finger of her outstretched left hand. The thing shone blindingly in the dining room light. Kathleen could barely breathe. "Is it too much?" Ripley asked.
"What did it cost?" Kathleen asked.
"You know the rule," Ripley said. "And then add a few thousand."
"Damn it, Ripley," Kathleen said. "I don't think I can be seen wearing this thing."
"I think you could," he said.
"Then I want you to wear one too," she said on a whim.
Ripley raised an eyebrow. "You want me to wear a diamond ring?" he said.
"An engagement ring," she said, warming to the idea.
"You want me to wear an engagement ring," he said.
"Do you want me to wear one?" she asked.
Ripley stood his ground stoically for a moment said, "Yes."
"Then you'll wear one?" Kathleen asked.
"OK," he said. "But nothing ridiculous, Kathleen…"
"Not something large enough to blind people?" she said.
"I can get you something else," he said.
"It's gorgeous, Jack," she said. "And I will get you something fitting, I promise."
"OK," he said, though he still sounded wary. "So this is yes?"
Kathleen smiled. "Yes," she said. "This is yes." Ripley walked over to her and lifted her face with his hands, then planted a kiss on her lips. When he moved away, Kathleen pulled him back. "If you're going to be my husband you're not going to kiss me like that," she said. His eyes held hers for a moment, and then brought his lips back to hers for a firmer and deeper kiss. Mrs. Kathleen Ripley, she thought, and she pulled him even closer.
* * * * * * * *
They spent the afternoon at jewelry stores, and most of the time Kathleen could keep her mind off of what had happened Thursday night. Ripley tried to tease his way out of the idea for a ring for him, but he seemed to sense how much she liked the idea and didn't press it. In one of the smaller stores Kathleen finally spotted something she liked, a gold band with diamond chips going around the center of it. Ripley looked at it through the glass case for several seconds before announcing that it looked liked a pimp's ring. Kathleen signaled for one of the employees of the store.
The employee took out the ring out. When Kathleen asked what size the one in question was, she was delighted to find it was Ripley's size. Ripley had to smile.
"It's fate," Kathleen said, sliding the ring on his finger.
"It's something," Ripley said sardonically, but his eyes were shining.
Kathleen shooed Ripley away while she bought the ring. When she found him he was embroiled in conversation with a couple of women at one of the sides of the store. She only heard the last words he spoke to them before they scampered away: "Next time use a bit more sense; it helps sometimes."
"What was that about?" Kathleen asked.
Ripley turned to face her. "Nothing," he said. "Let's go."
"You're not exactly the kind of person to randomly chide strangers, Jack," Kathleen said. "What happened?"
He took her hand and led her outside. "It's been on the news," he said softly, "with archive footage of you." Kathleen just stared at him. "Those women recognized you and were pointing and whispering. I had a few words with them."
"Wonderful," Kathleen said. "Now everyone in town knows about this."
"It shouldn't make a difference, Kathleen," Ripley said.
Kathleen stared at him. "That's why you did this, isn't it?" she said. "That's why you gave me the ring…to divert my attention."
"Kathleen, I gave you the ring because I love you," he said.
"But why now?"
"I told you why now," Ripley said. "Now put that ring on my finger before I change my mind about it."
After a moment Kathleen smiled and slid the ring on his finger before embracing him.
* * * * * * * * *