--- 26 ---
The news about Paul MacIntosh's engagement was as big as his retirement. He had to hold a press conference.
"Mr. MacIntosh, what are the reasons of your retirement?"
"I don't feel like designing anything for anyone anymore. Last season, I designed because I had to and I don't want to do that again. Don't get me wrong, I still love designing, but I don't want to do it because I have to, as a part of my job. I'll still continue to design, you'll see, but it would not be for any fashion show."
"What about next season?"
"I'll let my marketing team worry about that. I should be busy planning the wedding."
"Do you have the date set for the wedding?"
"No, I just proposed to her. We haven't talk about the date yet. That's why I will not be worried about the fashion show anymore, I have another priority."
"Is that really your family's ring that you used as the engagement ring?"
"Yes, it has been in my family for generations. It's our tradition to propose with the ring."
"What do you see in her?"
"Wanna settle for top ten?" He chuckled. "And I still have the rest of my life to discover more." Paul flashed a sweet smile to Reba who sat not too far off the stage.
"Did you know he was going to announce his retirement?" Sylvie whispered to Reba as Paul answering the press.
"No, he didn't say anything to me about that. I thought you knew, he always talks to you." Reba whispered back.
"No, he told me to bring the ring over just in case he ever needed it. I didn't think he needed it in a hurry enough to hunt for me all over backstage for it." She chuckled. "Oh congratulations by the way." Sylvie gave Reba a hug.
"Thank you for accepting me. That means a lot."
"I'm selfish, I love my son and I want him to be happy." Sylvie laughed softly. "He's a lot like his father. I'm sure he's smiling at you from somewhere above. He must be happy for his son to finally settle down." Reba smiled, overwhelmed. They continued to listen to his press conference.
"She doesn't like to be on the spotlight, that's another reason why I retired. So we could live nice and simple life together." Paul answered the press.
"Will you ever design again?" Sometime Paul just hated the press conference when they asked the same question over and over.
"Yes I will, but not for a fashion show or for sale. I still love designing. But now I'll only do it for one person that I care the most." He once again he turned to where Reba sat. "Sorry I mean two people. I have to correct my sentence or one of those two ladies might beat me to death." He pointed to his mom and to his fiancée.
"Will she still work for you as your personal assistant?" Questioned Marzia, the news reporter from Italy.
"She still will be working for me, but I think I might have accidentally promoted her from being my assistant to my future boss" Paul chuckled. "She can be very bossy you know, sometime I wonder if I'm reporting to her or should she reports to me?" Commented Paul lovingly. "But looks like I have to report to her from now on or I might end up on a couch."
"Aww..." A few female reporters sighed with a smile.
"What will you be doing after your retirement?"
"Do whatever the lady wants to do: travel or stay home and take a nap. We'll play it by ear."
"Okay Reba, if you're still afraid that someday he'll break your heart, I suggest you wiped that stupid idea out of your head." Barbra Jean leaned over to whisper.
"I already did." Reba blew him a kiss. Paul wrapped up the pressed conference that he would still working on his clothing line, but he would not be involved in any fashion show. He would still design clothes, but not for commercial used, only for his beloved.
"And message to George, you're now the most eligible bachelor in Hollywood. And I'm sorry ladies, I'm taken." He chuckled and got up from his seat and walked to Reba and Sylvie and took them by the hand to leave the room.
"Go take care of your fiancée, son, Martin can escort me." Sylvie stated.
Now they had to face the family for a 'family press conference'. They all wanted to know what their plans were, when will they get married, was he insane?
"Can't we just elope and come back once we are married?" Reba remarked seeing her family discussing their wedding. They all wanted to be part of it. Which was good, only if they let 'the couple' talk about it first.
"We shouldn't elope, but we can escape. Why don't we ditch them here in Manhattan and you and I could go to our little romantic getaway in Niagara?" Paul whispered.
"That's sound like a good idea, we hadn't have some alone time since the show was over."
"Can I go too?" Questioned Elizabeth behind Paul. They didn't see her there.
"Where are you going?" Barbra Jean interested.
"Paul wants to go to Viagara." Elizabeth announced. The room went silent until Van snickered, causing the room to explode in to laughter. Everyone except Reba.
"Geez Paul, Reba, careful what you discuss in front of the kids." Brock shook his head, still chuckled.
"Niagara, he wants to take me to Niagara" Reba corrected with her cheeks flush.
"What about us?" Cried Jake.
"There goes our romantic getaway." Reba mumbled.
"Do you guys bring passports?"
"No..." They all said no.
"You?"
"Always in my purse." Working with Paul, she was always prepared.
"There you go, we'll ditch them in Niagara New York, and you and I could cross over to the other side." Well at least steered her family away from planning the wedding for them. Paul took them all to Niagara New York, and they stayed on the US side since the kids did not have proper ID with them. But Paul took Reba across the border. They had a romantic night in a hotel overlooking the falls. Reba was standing by the window looking at the colourful lights shining on the falls. Paul stood behind her with his arms around her waist and his chin resting on her head looking at the falls too. "We have to go to Niagara-on-the-lake tomorrow. Brock said he would not tell the kids that they don't need a passport to go across the border if I'd bribe him with ice-wine," said Paul with a chuckle. "And Canadian beer."
"Well, get him two bottles of wine and two cases of beer because I want to stay an extra day now." Reba smirked. "This is beautiful." Paul didn't reply, he just enjoyed the moment with her. Reba sighed happily.
"Paul, did you say you have a castle in Scotland?"
"Umm hmm"
"How come you never say anything about it?"
"Because I never truly feel like it's mine. My dad grew up in it, but he left when he married mom. I only visited a few times when I was a kid. And now it's a hotel. I let my cousin run it," told Paul to his fiancée. "Speaking of my cousin, I should take you to see my uncle. I'm sure he'll be glad to see you." Paul told her about his uncle who currently lived in an old-folks home in Scotland. He also told her about his cousin that wasn't very friendly to him. "He's about ten years older than me. Uncle Bill got married first, but since my dad is older, grandma kept the ring for dad. But he married my mom whom grandma accused of being a gold digger. Mom never got to wear this ring until grandma got sick." He referred to the ring on her finger. "Granny took the ring off her finger, and put it in mom's hand. She finally accepted her in to the MacIntosh clan."
Paul continued to tell her more about his family. How his uncle's wife always believed that the ring should belong to her since she married into the family first. And the shock after his grandmother died, they found out that she left everything to Paul's dad after his grandmother learned that Sylvie wasn't a gold digger, but his aunt was. His cousin was brain-washed that he should get everything instead of Paul. That was why Paul let him run the Castle and kept the profits, but the castle still belonged to Paul. Actually, it should belong to his mom, but Sylvie did not want anything that belonged to MacIntosh clan, so she gave everything to Paul. Reba glanced at the ring. It was his family tradition to past the ring on to the next generation, that's why his mom passed the ring to Reba. Paul said he would buy her another ring, but she had to wear this one for now.
"I can't believe we're engaged. And I'm going to be Reba Nell MacIntosh." She giggled.
"When do you want to have the wedding?"
"In June, I want a June wedding."
"But that's next year. Don't you think it's too long?" Reba shook her head.
"So we have plenty of time to plan. I don't want to rush. I want it to be perfect."
"Alright, June wedding it is." Paul kissed her lovingly on the side of her head.
"Paul..."
"Hmm?"
"Why do you want to retire?" Reba knew there was so much he wouldn't answer to the press.
"I want to spend time with you. I want to take you travelling everywhere you want to go. When I took you to Milan, I wish I took you there as a vacation, not as work. I want to make it up to you."
"Why are you being so good to me?"
"Because I love you, and maybe there's something you can give me in return." Paul kissed the top of her head before he turned her around. He looked into her eyes. "I want a baby."
"WHAT?"