Forever and Always:

Magaluf:

Magaluf was where the young couple was, along with their friends. The couple travelled to the resort to party and blow off some steam. It was one of the rare occasions where Willie's friends and Daniel's friends managed to gather in the same place and actually tolerated each other…with the help of alcohol, of course. They had been drinking for an entire week and their vacation was going to end in two days.

At about 1AM the couple headed back to their suite. The effects of alcohol they consumed during the course of the day were clearly showing as they were in a heated make out session with Willie pressed up against the elevator wall. The elevator dinged indicating that they had reached their floor, however their hands were still exploring each other's bodies and they didn't pay any attention.

"Your floor, Ms. Slater." The elevator man announced and only then did they pull apart

"Thank you." Wilhelmina said laughing, leading Daniel out of the elevator

"Thank you." Daniel said drunkenly handing the man a wad of cash before stepping out of the elevator. As they walked down the hallway, they leaned on each other for support. The leaning was more on Daniel's part as he was in totally smashed while Willie was just tipsy.

"Thank you, Willie." He said out of the blue

"For what?"

"For taking time off and spending this week here with me."

"Well, you know what they say, All work and no play makes…"

"Willie a very dull girl." Daniel finished

"Exactly."

"You'll never be a dull girl to me. Every single moment with you is fun, even our arguments."

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah, you'll always be my number one lady. That's why you have to marry me." For a second she was immobilized by his statement. Even thought they were both inebriated, her brain was still in function, so she heard him correctly.

"What?"

"Will you marry me?" He said while looking at her with his bloodshot eyes

"What?" She repeated

"Will you become my wife?"

"You are crazy, Meade. No more beer for you." She nervously fished in her purse for their room key. She opened the door and let herself in, Daniel stood on threshold with puppy dog eyes, leaning on the door frame for support.

"C'mon, Wils I'm serious."

"No." She answered firmly while gripping his hand, pulling him into the room

"Why not? You love me, I love you."

"I love you, too. Daniel you're really drunk right now." She protested

"Wilhelmina, babe I'm dead serious."

"Okay, let's pretend that I say yes and people ask us to tell them how we got engaged. The story will probably start with 'We were drinking beer for five days'…" Daniel roared with laughter

"Oh c'mon, you can tell people and our kids in the future anything you want. You're a writer, you can embellish the shit out of my proposal story."

"You are crazy, Danny. Do you know that?"

"And that's why you love me." He said almost childlike as Wilhelmina led him to their bed. Daniel tightened his grip on her waist when they finally reached the bed "Come on, Willie what do you say?" She sighed and decided to humor him knowing that saying 'yes' was the only way that she could escape from his strong grip on her.

"Tell you what…why don't you sleep on it? And then tomorrow when you're sober and can remember any of this…ask me again."

"Will you say yes?"

"Daniel, honey you're drunk. I have a feeling that you won't remember any of this tomorrow morning. But if you do, then…we'll see." He finally let go off her

"I love you."

"I love you too, Danny. Now get some sleep." She pecked him on the lips and proceeded to help him out of his clothes. After she had tucked him in, she went on to the bathroom to take a shower. When she returned to the bedroom, he was already snoring and drooling causing her to smile.

"Yeah. That was the alcohol talking."

The following morning she woke up to Daniel's snoring. After several minutes, she got out of bed and put on a robe and went on to slide the door open, making her way out to the balcony. She leaned onto the railing, the cool air allowing her to reflect on her relationship with Daniel. How for the first time in her life, she was in a healthy relationship. With Daniel she just never had to worry about him hurting her ever. She loved him just the way he was and didn't even attempt to change him. His goofy personality made him one of a kind. He spoke his mind and was never afraid to talk about their future and how he wanted kids with her. She never dreamed of having kids but with Daniel the idea didn't seem so scary. As she was enjoying the morning breeze she felt his strong arms on her waist which startled her at first.

"Hey, you're awake." She stated.

"Good morning" He said pecking her cheek

"Good morning." Said Willie, her lips curving into a smile. They stayed like that for a while, just them and the cool air and an unnerving silence. Daniel began kissing on the nape of her neck trying to soften her before he addressed the elephant in the room (in their case- balcony.)

"So…" He began

"So…" She mimicked him, clearly nervous about what would come out his mouth

"Willie, I might have been drunk last night but I wasn't that drunk. I know exactly what I said to you and the reason I remember it vividly is because I meant it." He admitted causing her to finally turn and face him

"You…meant it?"

"I did. Wils, we've been together for a year and a half now. I mean you and I are really in love and we live together. I've never felt this way about anybody before nor have I ever had as much fun and adventure as I have with you with anybody else before. I love you more than life itself and I want to love you forever. I want this…I want it to be like this between us for the next 50, 60 or even 70 years. I want to have what we have forever and always. I guess what I'm saying is…" He reached into the pocket of his robe and produced a red velvet box."

"Daniel?" He smirked when her eyes widened from shock

"I've been carrying this around with me for three weeks trying to find the…right opportunity, I guess." He then got down on one knee and opened the box revealing a Harry Winston 3 carat princess cut "Wilhelmina Lynn Slater, will you marry me?"

"Oh, my God" She whispered in astonishment

"Will you?"

"Uh…Yes…I will." She murmured. He smiled broadly and proceeded to slide the ring on her finger. He rose to his feet and tucked a stray hair behind her ear and tenderly engulfed her in a loving and lingering kiss.

"I love you." She whispered when they pulled apart, their foreheads resting against each other.

"I love you too, babe." He declared gazing at her blue eyes. Their lips met in a soft loving kiss once again. Daniel picked her up bridal style and carried her over the threshold to celebrate their new engagement.


That evening, Willie sat with Alex at the bar of the night club having celebratory drinks while her friends were on the dance floor. That allowed her and Alex to have a private moment as he was the only person in her group of friends she had told about the engagement so far.

"A toast to my friend… my best friend who'll soon be my sister in-law. I wish you all the happiness in the world." The two clinked glasses "I don't think there's anybody better in this world for my soft little brother. He's a lucky man to have you, Willie."

"Thanks, Alex."

"So, I guess that means you two are now ready to announce your relationship that's been going on for almost two years."

"Well it's not like we were keeping our relationship a secret…"

"Willie" He said in a warning tone

"Okay, okay. We're just gonna keep doing what we're doing and when the press finds out, they find out. That's it. We are not going to have a formal interview like some royal couple."

"Well, you are a royal couple in your own right. You are the queen of couture and the runway. And I guess he's your…consort." The pair erupted in a fit of giggles

"You're an idiot."

"Seriously, Willie congratulations. I'm happy for you two." He said sincerely but sporting a look of sadness

"But?" Willie asked after carefully observing him

"I guess I'm a little…jealous and selfish. You're getting married and soon you'll be moving to London."

"Alex, I've been living in London for almost a year now."

"I know but I thought it was temporary and that you were gonna come back after a few months and then you renewed your contract. You're getting married and you might move to London permanently and you and Danny will soon be having little rugrats."

"Not so fast there, Alex."

"But it's going to happen. Have you met my brother?"

"Yeah, he's been…well, we've talked about it and I've got to admit it's not so bad."

"So you're gonna push out his puppies?"

"Now that you're saying it like that, I can't wait." She said sarcastically

"I never thought you or Daniel would settle down this young."

"Well, when you're in love…"

"There's no right time."

"Bingo."

Meanwhile across the room it was a different scene with Daniel and his friends. He sat in a booth with his college buddies Becks, Antoine, Chris and Sheldon. Instead of positive congratulations they were teasing and taunting him about being tamed and becoming Mr. Slater.

"Say goodbye to your freedom, buddy!" Becks yelled

"Say goodbye to boys night…say goodbye to sex." Sheldon, his former college roommate drunkenly chimed in

"Because once you say I do she DON'T…give up no more, buddy."

"Guys, I'm in love, okay. I'm in a mature relationship. Something some of you will never experience." Daniel protested

"Fine by me. You think I'll give up getting laid left right and centre for just one pussy for the rest of my life?" Sheldon said

"You getting laid? When was the last time you saw a naked girl? In real life, not from Playboy?" Daniel fired

"Fuck you, Meade." His friend shot back

"But in all seriousness you're settling with Wilhelmina Slater? I thought what you had was just a fling."

"Well, it wasn't. We've been together for over a year. It's the real thing, boys."

"Well now that you're officially going off the market. I guess we'll finally get all the honeys." Chris said nudging him

"I've been off the market for 16 months and…I don't see any goddamn Ladies by your side." Daniel teased

"Congratulations, Danny. I mean it. That's a fine woman, you're marrying, buddy." Antoine said putting his arm around him

"Thanks, man. It's good to see that one of you has a brain."

"C'mon Danny loosen up. We're just teasing and celebrating your last days of freedom…you're finally being domesticated." Becks drunkenly said

"I wasn't exactly a wild dog, Becks." He argued

"Yeah, but you've been around the block a number of times. And now the beast is gonna be officially tamed."

"I'm not being tamed I'm getting married to the girl I'm in love with. People grow up, Becks."

"I guess. I just don't believe my buddy is getting married. Finally I'll get all the Ladies." He said in boastful tone completed by a smug smile.

"Well, you better believe it. Maybe someday you'll meet your special somebody."

"Never. I plan on being a bachelor my whole life. I know the girl is gorgeous beyond belief but never will I settle for a pussy that has been ridden by more men than the New York subway." The men roared in laughter, angering Daniel who now more than ever wanted to beat the shit out of his friend. Nonetheless he managed to keep his cool as Antoine stood up to make a toast

"Seriously, Danny here's to you and the sexiest thing on the planet. It's an old Irish saying: May you never steal, lie, cheat or drink but if you must steal, steal away from her sorrow, if you must lie, lie in each other's arms and if you must cheat, cheat death. And if you must drink, drink with us, your buddies. Cheers!"

"Hear, hear!" The men-boys yelled in unison before erupting in a wave of laughter.


For a couple that got engaged 26 hours ago, the atmosphere on the flight back to London was rather disturbing. Earlier at the hotel, there was no morning quickie and the entire ride to the airport was a quiet one but Daniel quickly contributed her silence to tiredness as it has been a crazy week. And during the flight, not once did she entice him into doing their small ritual of joining the mile high club. His attempts at a conversation were met by one worded responses. Daniel immediately knew that something was wrong because he and Willie never ran out of things to talk about. And he couldn't take anymore,

"Wils?" He said carefully, nudging her

"What is it, Daniel?" She asked in an irate tone

"What's wrong?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean you only said two words to me since the airport and that's not like you…at all. You and I never go 15 minutes without talking to each other."

"I don't know, Daniel…maybe I'm still bummed out from hearing your friend calling me a whore in your presence and you didn't feel the need to defend his statement." She admitted. 'Oh Crap!' He thought

"What?"

"Don't bother denying it, I was right there. Alex and I came to get you cause a friend of mine wanted to meet my boyfriend and what did I find? My boyfriend's best friend calling me a slut with the rest of your friends laughing like fools." He tightly closed his eyes

"Willie…"

"Actually his exact words were 'A pussy that has been ridden by more men than the New York subway.' And you didn't say a damn thing."

"I'm so sorry, Willie. Becks is a jerk. I was…you have no idea how my blood was boiling when he said that."

"You're right, I have no idea because what I saw was a man who couldn't defend a woman he claims to love to his stupid ass friends. Especially that asshole Becks. You just sat there, Daniel." She said in exasperation

"Wils, I'm sorry about that. You're right, Becks is an asshole. He's a fucking asshole."

"Yet you are still friends with him."

"Well, he's my oldest friend."

"Becks is a toxic friend. Can't you see it?"

"Toxic friend? He was just drunk and he talks a lot of shit when he's…"

"You think that's all I'm talking about? I'm talking about every aspect of your life. Everything you have he has to have it as well. He competes with you…in every aspect of your lives."

"What are you talking about?"

"How about your little bets of who's gonna fuck the hottest chick in the room? You started doing photography, now he's into photography but when you introduced us, he was undecided. You're dating a supermodel and and now he's dating Jane Posen."

"Who's Jane Posen?"

"She's a foot model. He's probably dating her because he can't get do better than that. Naomi punched him lights out when he attempted hitting on her during the Versage shoot."

"What? That rumor is true?"

"Yes"

"And it was Becks?"

"Yes, and that's not the point. The point is when you're moving forward with your life…there are some people you just have to cut loose and HE is one of them."

"Wils, babe…"

"Daniel, I have never told you what to do. Not even once. But believe me when I say that the guy is toxic and I'm asking you…CUT HIM LOOSE." She stated decisively before putting on the headphones, ending the conversation.