Eddie swung around in his swivel chair, when Nick walked in, "You're still here?" he demanded planting his hands on his hips.
"Where else would I be? I work here."
"I mean, don't you have to get home to Janet or something? Why are you still here?"
"I have things that need to get done before I lock up," Eddie said with a sigh.
"Okay. Can't it wait until tomorrow?"
"Nope," he said shaking his head. He wasn't ready to talk about his relationship to anyone yet, least of all the guy who'd known him since the seventh grade. He'd show no mercy for sure. And somehow, he knew that when the chips were down, though he'd stand by Eddie through thick and thin, Nick would call him an idiot if anything ever happened to him and Janet.
"Whatever," Nick waved and turned to leave, "Lock the back door before you close up shop, alright?"
"Yep. Catch you later," Eddie called after him and sighed sitting back in his seat for a minute. He stared blankly down at the stack of contracts in front of him and idly clicked and unclicked his pen. Ever since the dinner at his parent's house, a conversation he'd had with Janet so many moons ago amplified itself in his head. He told her he intended on marrying her someday. And for reasons best known to God, it was all he thought about after the dinner at his folks'. He loved Janet, of that he was sure, but he needed to know if marriage was the best thing for the both of them. The only way he could think to do what was right by them both was giving their relationship a little room to breathe. And that meant not hanging around her as much.
He cringed at the thought. In hindsight, he might've done better if he talked to her about it first. But it was too late to do any explaining now, anyway. What were the odds that she'd think objectively? After all, women only had to hear the word 'marry' and their hormones went into overdrive. Before he knew it, he'd have a ring on his finger, a baby in his arms and a woman resenting him for tying her down too early.
May as well get some trimming done, he thought pushing off the swivel chair and heading into the in-house work bench he and Nick set up to catch up with work when they fell behind. Most jobs were running right on schedule, and didn't need their constant aid, but Eddie and Nick realised that they were going further and further away from their interest and obtained boring desk jobs instead. As a preventive measure, one night, after an entire box of wine was downed, they snuck one of Phil's unused work benches from his garage into the large spare room of their shop where the party had been held. They set up tools on the wall and used that space to carve, stain or size the windows.
He hovered over an Italian bevelled glass with a tape measure and then paused to scratch his head. What in the world…? He thought turning around to the sound he'd heard from the doorway, "Who's there?"
For as long as he was old enough to date, Eddie's father told him about how much more attractive women got when they were livid at their men. Eddie tended to disagree with his pop… until now. Standing in the doorway, a seemingly disgruntled Janet stood with her hand on her hip and the other hand clutched a brown paper bag. She wore the most adorable pout Eddie had ever seen. It was all he could do to drop the defences he'd been struggling to build over the last couple of weeks and take her into his arms.
"It's just me," Janet said walking into the place and waving the paper bag at Eddie, "I thought you might be hungry, since you skipped dinner… again. Brought you some coffee too. In case you had to work late into the night."
"Just leave it over there," he said gesturing to the one free spot on his work bench with a screwdriver.
She decided to ignore his rude response. Maybe, like her father, he didn't appreciate being interrupted at work.
She set the bag down and spotted a clock radio on the shelf and reached out to flick the ON switch, "Does this thing pull in any good stations?"
"Yes, it does. But I'd rather not listen right now… if you don't mind," he said and went back to sizing the pane in front of him.
Was this his way of telling her to buzz off? Janet inhaled, determined to give it one more shot, "I baked some peanut butter cookies this morning and wrapped a couple in foil for you," she shrugged, "Dessert you could call it, after you finish your – "
"Don't you have something planned with Hannah tonight?" he asked abruptly.
"No," she replied, "I had plans with you. But you forgot, I guess."
"How about Sully's? Didn't they need someone to pull an extra shift?" he asked stonefaced.
Was Eddie deliberately testing the limits of her patience or did it just seem like he wanted to get a rise out of her? She'd come in here with nothing but good intentions.
"Love is patient, love is kind…," she whispered through gritted teeth, "Love is patient, love is kind…"
Eddie cocked a brow, "What's that?"
"Oh nothing," she replied and in a brighter, louder voice Janet added, "I'll be at home if you need me." She stomped to the door and resisted the urge to slam it. Thought about snarling, 'You're welcome for dinner!' but bit her tongue. Felt like stomping right back up to him and planting a big juicy kiss on his lips… just to rattle his world.
Now there's an idea…
What started as a little smirk, grew into a full-blown smile by the time she stood directly in front of him. She paid no mind to his shocked expression but instead stood on tiptoe and cradled his face in her hands.
When he realised what her intention was he leaned backward, "But… but I had an onion bagel earlier."
She felt his shoulders tense as their lips met, heard a soft sigh escape his lungs. Slowly one of his big hands moved to cup the back of her head while the other pressed gently into the small of her back. And just as he started to really respond to the kiss, Janet stepped back and gave his broad chest a pat-pat-pat.
"There's plenty more where that came from, if you decide to get over your grumpy old self. Then she turned and marched towards the exit, knowing she'd see his stunned face every time she closed her eyes.
And the thought made her giggle all the way back home.
Eddie stared back at the door a whole minute wondering if she'd come back to finish what she'd started. When she didn't he figured he had no one to blame but himself. How in the world did she summon the patience to put up with his standoffish behaviour was beyond him. But he couldn't help grinning and thanking God that she had.
Eddie licked his lips, knowing he'd taste that kiss for hours to come, no doubt hearing her parting comment in his ears a couple of hundred times too, and that made him smile even wider.
Show some class, he told himself. Go to her house and apologise for acting like a total jerk.
He looked down at his workbench and saw the brown bag. Opening it up his heart swelling twice its size. How like her to remember that he forgot to eat when he was working. He emptied out the contents and found a sandwich, a juice box and a foil containing her famous cookies. A piece of paper slipped out too and he picked it up to read.
I know you're not a fan of tuna, so I made Cajun chicken instead. You'll like it, I promise. Enjoy the cookies. Love, Janet.
He smiled and shrugged as he unwrapped the sandwich and took a bite and realised how hungry he was, the taste of bagel a fading memory on his taste buds.
As he ate his sandwich, his thoughts came back to the monologue in his head from earlier. After all that distancing, he'd finally made a decision about his relationship with her.
And now more than ever, he had to do something about it before it was too late.
In the weeks that followed the dinner with his family, Janet noticed that Eddie began slowly distancing himself from her. He spent less and less time with her and threw himself into work. He claimed it was important to keep the many gigs they were getting afloat but Janet knew better. And for the love of all that was sane, she couldn't figure out why that was. As far as she knew, the dinner was a smashing success. She was certain that his whole family liked her as much as she did them. So what was going on with Eddie? It was so unlike him to not talk to her about things.
Janet walked into the flower shop and the little bell over the door jingled melodiously. Janet smiled, "Hey Mabel. I came here to pick up my arrangement?"
"Oh hello Janet! It's so good to see you dear!" an elderly woman, well past her sixties came to the front of the store. She held up a hand firmly and shook her head at Janet when she saw her reach into her purse for money. "You don't need to pay. Eddie was in here just before and I mentioned to him that if he saw you he could remind you to pick up the flowers and he wound up paying for it," she finished, smiling, "That man of yours," she said shaking her head, "Reminds me of my Arthur."
Janet smiled at the sweet old woman and then as her thoughts went back to Eddie it faded, "Well," Janet said, feeling a little uneasy, "He shouldn't have done that."
"Aw child, I thought it was sweet," Mabel waved her comment off.
"Sweet would have been him buying me flowers he chose and delivering them himself," Janet mumbled stuffing the bills back into her purse.
"Everything alright dear?" Mabel asked, concern clouding her eyes.
On the heels of a sigh Janet pinched the bridge of her nose, as if fighting off a migraine and dropped her hand back to her side, "Yeah, fine. Thanks Mabel. I'll take them with me."
"Back in a tick," Mabel winked and scurried to the back again.
While she waited, Janet browsed the seasonal blooms around the store and let her thoughts wander back to her recently-inattentive-boyfriend. Maybe if she cooked him a nice meal and invited him over in advance he would have to show up. Her eyes dimmed just as quickly as they'd lit up. That was a sneaky way to con him into spending time with her and she knew it. What else was left?
Just then, Mabel came back out with a large bouquet of irises and delphinium, "Here you go dear. I'd say you got a good man, that Eddie," Mabel said as Janet snatched up the bouquet.
"Yeah. An absolute doll," Janet said glumly.
Good or not, Eddie definitely had something up his nose that was causing him to act strangely and Janet intended to find out what it was. She noticed a little quiver in his voice over the phone earlier and then again when he came to pick her up at her house. She noticed a tremor in his hand as he gripped the steering wheel. What was going on with him? Nerves just wasn't his style.
Since Janet knew their plans for the day were to play tourists, exploring the Massachusetts Botanic Gardens, she figured she had plenty of time to figure out what was wrong. A cool wind had passed over the state the night before, making the air silky and dry now, promising to be a gorgeous fall day.
"I still can't believe I've never been here before," she broke the semi-comfortable silence, "Have you?"
Eddie didn't answer. He stuffed his hands in the pockets of his neatly pressed slacks, and seemed lost in thought.
"Are you okay?" she asked tugging at his sleeve.
"Sure. What do you mean?"
"I just asked you a question."
"Sorry," he grimaced apologetically looking at her.
"You seem anxious about something. Or maybe preoccupied. Is everything at work going well?"
He smiled and gazed ahead, "I'll tell you about it soon. But let's just enjoy the gardens for now."
Give it up, Janet, Eddie would talk about it in due time. She decided to go with the flow.
Eddie took her hand and together they walked through the garden. They saw an impressive array of plants and trees, some exotic and other that were common to Massachusetts. When the morning was spent hiking the trails and enjoying the splendour of the gardens, Eddie suggested they sit on a wooden bench nearby and talk.
He seems so serious, she noted, her nerves kicking in as well. She sat down next to him and looked up. The sun filtered through the trees and gave the light a dappled effect. Enchanting and calming, she noted. She straightened her shoulders, readying herself for what she thought might be bad news.
Eddie reached out and touched her cheek, "Did you have a good morning?"
"Sure, I did," she took his hand and kissed his palm, "I just want you to know, that whatever is troubling you, well, I'm here for you."
Eddie smiled slightly. "There has been something on my mind. Something I've needed to talk to you about."
Janet eased her hold on his hand and waited for him to go on.
Instead of speaking he looked down the walkway where a box turtle was making its way across the path, "I used to have one of those when I was a kid."
"I did too, when we lived on a farm in Rhode Island."
"I've always liked box turtles," he smiled. "They make good pets, though I learned early in life that they don't give hugs very well."
Janet laughed, "True."
"Ever wonder why they were called box turtles? I mean they're not in the shape of a box or anything," he reasoned like it was a matter worth serious consideration. He rested his arm across the back of the bench.
"I have no idea either," Janet shrugged. As much as she loved reminiscing about amphibians, she wondered why he was avoiding what he really wanted to talk about.
"Because, I know what a box is supposed to look like. It's usually in the shape of a cube and it has a lid," Eddie pulled something out of his pocket. He held a tiny box out in front of her, "Kinda like this one. Only this box has a bow."
"What is it?" she asked searching his eyes for an answer.
"It's a cube with a lid," Eddie handed the box to her, "Maybe you'd better see what's inside."
Surely it wasn't the obvious. Could it be? She lifted the lid and found a black velvet box inside – a ring box. Maybe it was just a generic gift. She looked at Eddie but he wasn't giving away anything with his expression. She pulled out the velvet box and opened it, her breath caught her throat, "Is this a dinner ring?"
Eddie shook his head, "No sweetheart," he leaned over and whispered in her ear, "It's an engagement ring."
Janet was afraid to touch it, "It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen." She snapped the lid shut and looked down at her jeans. She wished she'd worn something nicer. "How can I wear something so expensive?"
"Because I love you," he said simply, wrapping an arm around her.
She gripped the box tightly in her hands. Life wasn't supposed to be this fairy-tale like, "I have questions." Maybe instead of pelting Eddie with queries she should have asked herself why she was so willing to ruin such a perfect moment, but she had to know. "Have you been acting anxiously and weird these last few weeks because you were afraid of commitment?"
He chuckled, "No not at all. I was more worried that you'd say no than anything else."
A smile teased her lips, "Oh." This felt more unreal than she expected it to, "I have two more questions before I say yes."
His eyes crinkled at the sides and then he nodded once, "Hit me."
"Why do you love me?"
Eddie rubbed the five o'clock shadow on his chin, "Is this a test? Other than math, you should know I never did well in tests."
Janet laughed softly, "Sorry. But I have to know."
"Well maybe it's dangerous to dissect love… too much."
"Explain yourself," she demanded, humour lighting her eyes.
Eddie shifted in his seat, "Well if I told you I loved you for your peanut butter cookies, what happens if you choose to stop baking? If I said I loved you for your beautiful snowy skin, what happens if you go to one of those salon tanning places and get one of those spray-ons?"
A smile began to spread across her face as she started to see where he was going with this.
"Or if I love your humour and your sense of wonder, what do I do if you lose those qualities someday? All I know is that before you, I never knew I could love this much. You kind of drew it out in me."
Janet grinned happily, "I love your answer," she looked into his eyes and they revealed an honesty, tenderness and loyalty so profound. She would be a fool not to marry Eddie. I have one more question."
"I think my ego can handle one more," he grinned.
"Ever since we started going out, and I've gotten to know you, I've found no fault. And that's not only unrealistic, it's scary. I have flaws. Big gaping ones you could sail a boat through."
"Oh yeah? Like what?"
Janet idly drew circles on her jeans, "Well, even though I have a history of pride, I'm also full of self-esteem issues. Weird combo huh? And sometimes it's hard for me to trust people. I tend to think the worst first and then gradually migrate over to the positive."
"Like right now?"
She nodded, "Like right now."
"You know…," he scratched his chin, "those are some pretty big flaws. Do you think I should ask for my ring back?"
"No! I don't think you should," she gave him a light slug in his shoulder, "And you didn't answer my question. I need shortcomings."
"Okay, got it," he thought for a moment and then puffed out air, "You know come to think of it, there is no downside to marrying me. I guess you're right. I am perfect."
Janet chuckled.
"Okay here's one. I can do some really funny things with clothes when I try to dress up. I mismatch colours and look like a clown at a carnival. Which is why I stick to flannel and jeans most of the time," he gestured down to his slacks and pale blue shirt, "My mom helped with this getup."
She grinned at how adorable he was, "That's not a shortcoming."
Eddie scoffed, "It is when you're deciding what to wear to important events. Like a proposal for instance," he said eyeing her and she blushed.
"Oh, well I could always help you with that. That's not exactly severe."
"Exactly," he said sitting up with interest, "And I could always help you with things you lack. Janet, honey, the best part about being with each other forever is never having to worry about those things alone. We'll always have each other. And I don't know about you but that's just a-okay with me."
She smiled and nodded, "That's a-okay with me too, Eddie," she said pulling him into a fierce hug, "I love you with all my heart."
"Ditto," he replied kissing her neck. Pulling back he raised a brow, "Now I have one question for you."
She chuckled, "I guess that's only fair."
"Will you marry me?"
She nodded and swiped her tears laughing as she sniffed, "Yes."
"Yes?"
"Yes!"
"Whoo hoo!" he hollered jumping out of his seat and when he got stung by a couple of withering stares from passers-by he sat back down and took the ring out of the box hastily. She held out her hand and he slipped it on her finger, "Perfect fit," he said softly.
She nodded mutely, not trusting her own voice, "Mmm hmm."
He scooped her into his arms and planted his lips to hers, radiating her body from the inside out. And the eagerness that built up inside her as she pictured what it would be like to be standing at the alter with him and listened for the deep resonance of his voice as he pledged his life to hers.
[Note: I haven't decided whether I want to continue this story a little more but I may add another chapter later;) Hope you enjoyed it.]
