"One Night's Occurrence"
She stood atop the staircase of her family Mansion, surveying the scene of yet another social gathering taking place below.
Another excuse to dress up, she thought to herself. Too bad acting like I care about everyone's lives comes with the territory.
Sighing, she made her way downstairs alone, having long been used to not having an escort, or a boyfriend on one arm.
"Why, hello!"
"What a wonderful dinner party this is. Your family throws the best parties!"
"You look beautiful. Where did you get that dress?"
She passed the fellow socialites and gentlemen with a flattered smile plastered on her face, all the while calculating how long it was going to take before they began to speak obnoxiously about her behind her back.
"God, can you believe she's still not married?"
"She could have at least hired an escort to accompany her tonight."
"I saw that dress in a department store last week."
Pushing negative thoughts out of her mind, she passed through the throng, going out to the balcony where she knew her close friend, Roxanne Harrison, would be.
"Hi."
They exchanged hugs.
"This is Christopher," Roxanne introduced, pointing to the man standing next to them.
Roxanne's newest boy toy, she thought to herself. He's the cutest one so far....
After a round of nice-to-meet-yous, she stood staring out to the sky.
"It's a beautiful night is it not?" she marveled.
"Too beautiful to be here," Roxanne said dryly, taking out a cigarette and lighter from her purse.
"What are you doing?" she panicked.
"I'm smoking." came the shrewd reply.
"Roxy, someone will see you. It's not ladylike!"
"Oh poo!" she removed the cigarette from her lips, creating a ring of smoke. "Like I care. I'm an adult. We're thirty years old for Christ's sake. Besides, it's not like I'm here to impress someone."
"What about me?" Christopher asked.
"I always try to impress you, baby," Roxanne murmured seductively.
A satisfied Christopher bent down to kiss Roxanne, her ruby red lipstick leaving marks on his lips once they broke away.
A disgusted Gwen wanted to leave. Indoors, she faced people who were too fake, possessed by the ideology of money and fortune. Outdoors, she found herself amongst people who had all those things, but were trying to escape it through rebellious ways. Where did she stand between these two groups? Right under the door separating the two, she surmised.
Wanting desperately to be freed from the clutches of high society, Gwen said a quick "Au Revoir" before heading inside. Just as she rushed quietly to the front door, her freedom, she was interrupted by a familiar voice calling her name.
Turning around in dread, she was met with the caller. "Nicholas," she grimaced.
Nicholas Foxworthy Crane, or Fox as he was commonly called, gave her a smile any other girl would have died for.
He walked closer, taking her slender arm and kissing her hand.
She looked up to meet his gaze despondently. His blue eyes shone under the expensive lighting, and for a passing moment, she reflected on just how handsome he looked. But the moment quickly passed as she inquired about his presence.
"What are you doing here?"
"I am a Crane. It is my right to come to these parties."
"Your right, riiight," she extended the word for emphasis of her sarcasm. "What are you really doing here?"
"Well, Grandfather's here," Nicholas admitted. "He's umm, scoping out the newest batch of single women that I can marry into the family. He's talking with some of the contenders' fathers right now. Looks like you are winning."
"What?" she turned to stare, horrified, at where Nicholas pointed. Jonathan Hotchkiss was shaking Alastair Crane's hand.
"Me? Marry you? That's preposterous!"
"How so?" he stood amused.
"You and me? We're not a match at all. We'd never get along. I can't even stand you right at this moment!"
"I think that's the beauty of it all," he smiled slyly. "Opposites attract."
"Do they actually expect me to make another attempt at marrying into your family? Especially with everything that happened between Ethan and I?"
"Ethan wasn't a Crane, so you saying that you're making another attempt at marrying into my family is not really valid."
She flashed a glare at him. "Oh my," she said, "it's good to see that you got something out of your college education."
He excused her sarcasm without a second thought. All the years he had known her, he knew that she possessed a keen sarcastic side, and it seemed to come out the most around him.
"You're getting old, Gwen. Too old. In a society that marries upon adulthood at age 18, you are far behind. And you need this, too. I can tell you have a missing void in your life, and it can be filled with marriage."
"And you're going to fill that void?" she snarled, laughing scornfully. "The biggest playboy in the state? I won't marry you. If that's not a good enough reason, maybe the age difference is."
"I'm just a few years younger, Gwen," he protested.
"Why are you acting like you want this, Nicholas?" Gwen exploded. "What's in it for you?"
"Good God, Gwen," he said, "After all this time, are you not aware of my long lived attraction for you?"
Seeing the sincerity, and knowing it to be genuine, Gwen opened her mouth to say something but was interrupted by her father and Alastair intruding upon their conversation.
"Gwen," her father began. "I have spoken to Alastair Crane here upon the situation between our families, and even after all this time, he would still enjoy having a business merger. The only way to do that would be to have you marry a Crane." He paused, noticing Nicholas standing next to them. "How utterly convenient that Nicholas should be here! Go ahead and mingle with your new fiancée while I announce that this dinner party has become an engagement party."
"Father!" Gwen protested shrilly, keeping her voice low so as to not get unwanted attention. "Father!" It didn't seem to do the trick. He and Alastair walked off, the matter closed.
"I can't believe this is happening!" Gwen buried her face in her hands. "How can I marry you?" She stormed off to her bedroom upstairs, unconcerned that she was missing out on her own engagement party.
After a few minutes of accepted congratulations from others, Nicholas followed Gwen upstairs.
After having asked a maid where her room was, he proceeded inside, opening the unlocked door without a prior knock.
"God, can't you leave me alone? How dare you come in here!"
"I'm your fiancée now. Expect it." Tired of her tirades, he played firm.
"Expect it? Expect it?!" she got up from her bed. "What's next? You're going to start sleeping in here now with me?"
"Hey, I didn't suggest that, but if it's what you want, I think it can be arranged."
"God, you are so immature!" she screamed, flinging a pillow at him.
"Gwen, stop this," he said, catching the pillow and putting it back on the bed. He came close to where she stood by the window, looking out. "What's so bad about marrying me, huh?"
"It's not love," she whispered, a formed tear falling from one eye.
"Was it love with Ethan? No, it wasn't! It's never love with arranged marriages."
"Yes it was!" she interrupted. "It was so with Ethan and me. We loved each other, we did!"
"You don't have his last name for a reason, Gwen."
"My parents would never permit me to marry a Bennett. I couldn't be disowned. Five years ago, I thought differently about this issue. God, if I could go back, I would tell everyone screw the money. I would live a life of love with Ethan." The tears flowed.
"It didn't work. What we have isn't love but it can grow to trust and care. Give me the chance to grow on that."
The pleading in his eyes stunned her. Those begging words sounded sweet to her ears.
Bringing a thumb to her cheek, he wiped at the tear that moistened her face. "It can work between us."
"I'm not sure about this."
"Your father will disown you if you object. You are aware of that, aren't you?"
"I don't care if he disowns me now. But it's not like the past. I can't run into Ethan's arms and start a family with him. I have no one."
"You have me!" he insisted. Placing one hand on her arm, he looked into her eyes. "You have me," he repeated. "Even if you don't want me, I'm here."
Appreciative of his kindness, she asked, "where is this coming from?"
"You were always a confidant to me when Ethan and you were involved, remember? You're going to be my wife, Gwen. Nothing would make me happier. I actually want to thank Grandfather, can you believe that? He couldn't have picked a better bride for me."
She sniffled.
"Go wash your face and let's go back downstairs."
Hesitant, she nodded, still unsure, but feeling a bit more confident of the intended marriage she had fallen into.
Returning from the bathroom a minute later, she fished around for her purse, her search coming to a halt by the entrance of Roxanne and Christopher to her room.
"Gwen, what are you doing up -" Roxanne paused as her gaze fell on Nicholas. "Here," she finished, her confused features changing to one of amusement.
"I guess that's a pretty stupid question isn't it?" she added, eyeing the two.
"We were talking," Nicholas remarked steadfastly.
"Sure, yeah, if you say so. What, did Grandpa Crane already get you started on those babies?"
"Roxanne," Gwen warned her. "We were just leaving. Is there something you wanted?"
"We were going to say goodnight. And congratulations."
"Thanks," Gwen replied, hugging her goodnight. "I'll call you later."
Shaking Christopher's hand, Gwen watched them leave. She closed the door behind them.
"Nicholas," she said, tired.
"What is it?"
"Thank you for being so understanding. I mean I've been so rude to you tonight, but you still retained your kind poise."
"I want to thank you, too," he answered, eyes twinkling in delight. "For accepting this marriage proposal."
"What do you mean?" she asked. "I didn't accept it." She was growing more used to the prospect of being Mrs. Nicholas Crane, but uncertainty still plagued her.
"Oh yes, you did, Gwen. You said thanks when your friend congratulated you just now. You've accepted."
"You haven't proposed," she pointed out. "So in turn, I didn't really accept."
He laughed a wholehearted laugh. "You want a proposal?"
"It would be nice," she shrugged.
"I'll give you the best proposal. Meet me at my mansion in two hours."
"Which part of the grounds?" she asked, getting resigned to the idea.
"You'll find me," he winked. Opening the door to go, he came back for a quick second, giving her a light kiss on the cheek. "See you then."
* * * * *
Gwen spent the rest of the time just imaging what Nicholas had in store for her later that evening.
She sat in her vanity chair, staring at the large mirror in front of her. She stared at the face in the mirror.
"Nicholas is right," she murmured to herself. "I am getting too old."
She opened a drawer nearby, fishing for a picture that her mind recalled at that moment. It was one of her, Ethan, Nicholas and the Crane sisters at a gala. Finding it eventually, she stared at the photograph for a few minutes, taking in the intricacies of the image before her.
Nicholas had his arms wrapped around her. She stood between Ethan and him. Not a lot had changed since the photograph which was taken seven years ago.
Gwen sat analyzing every aspect of the picture, comparing her stance with Ethan to that of her with Nicholas.
She felt like a traitor for thinking that she looked better with Nicholas, especially in regard to what she had once shared with Ethan. But what made her feel worse was that she was looking into the physical attractiveness between them in a simple picture to determine if she would look good with Nicholas as his wife.
I'm no better than the people I can't stand, she berated herself.
She stood up, trying to shake away the negative thoughts from her system. Once she got into a self-destructive thought, it turned into a pattern, and Gwen didn't want that right now. Not when she was going to be proposed to.
"I'm going to be engaged," Gwen whispered, her thoughts being said out loud. "Oh God..."
She recalled her engagement party with Ethan. It was in the Crane Mansion and so many guests had arrived. Everyone and everything looked beautiful. All was perfect; she supposed she should have seen a coming bump in the road.
"Life isn't perfect," she remarked. "Maybe this thing with Nicholas is what's right for me."
She grabbed her purse and walked out of her suite. Heading out of the mansion, she got Larry the chauffeur to take her to the Crane's.
* * * * *
"Oh, hello, madam!" The chauffeur on Crane Grounds opened the limo to greet her. "Mr. Crane is waiting for you."
She stepped out only to be seated in another limo, which would take her to where Nicholas awaited.
"Here we are," he stopped the car a few minutes later. "Have a good evening, Ms. Hotchkiss."
"Thank you," she opened the door and got out.
She walked in the general direction of the big golf course. With her first step, she noticed the turning on of only a few big lights from atop her.
From the shadows stepped out Nicholas, clad in the same shirt and pants as before.
Thrusting a rose to her from behind one arm, he watched her as she took it, breathing in its beautiful scent.
Nicholas truly hoped his next sentence wouldn't affect the mood he felt both were feeling: "I remember Ethan's proposal to you," he said, shrugging. "Who couldn't? Beautiful roses lining up the path, soft music being played, and the biggest diamond ring ever. But the one thing, ultimately, in the end he didn't give you was his last name," he continued then paused.
She sniffled at the memory but nodded for him to go on.
"It's suffice to say I'm not Ethan, Gwen. I don't have thousands of rose petals surrounding you. There's no music. I do, on the other hand, have my heart to give. And that's the most important thing. It's what you've been in search of. I'm glad to see that your search ended with me, because it would be a lie if I told you mine didn't start with you."
The beautiful sentiment sent her into a kaleidoscope of emotions. She was touched. He wasn't the man in her heart, but who knew what the future brought? Love could grow like the rose she held in her hand. It could bloom and become something wonderful - something she had been in search of since Ethan.
She felt a tear, but before it could fall from her eyes, he wiped it away with a quick hand.
"No tears just yet," he ordered gently. "I haven't even proposed!"
Gwen laughed, eyeing him expectantly. "Well?"
"Yes, well," he went on, scratching his throat. He began to drop to one knee, taking her hand and clutching it gently. "Gwen, we've known each other for so long. I couldn't feel more comfortable with any other woman. You've been there through the thick and thin, helping me get out of one jam to another, like a true confidant. And with each passing year, I grew more and more attached to you, until I woke up one day and realized how deep my feelings ran for you. This is the moment I've always wanted. Will you make me the happiest man ever and become my wife? Gwen, will you marry me?"
She dropped the rose from her free hand. Helping him up, she embraced him, showering in his touch and hold. "Yes," she whispered into his ear.
And just like that, the beginning of their new, future journey together was on its way. The proposal wasn't something previously imagined in Gwen's mind, but it would be something she would tell her grandkids about one day.