CHAPTER 7

"Calleigh?"

"In here." Came her voice from the bedroom.

Ryan walked down the hall in near darkness. As he approached the bedroom, he realized that the light he saw was coming from candles lit in the room. He stepped in through the doorway.

"Hey, handsome."

Ryan looked at Calleigh lying on the bed, wearing nothing but see-through lingerie. He thought he was going to jump out of his skin. He could feel his mind literally overloading from taking in her beauty visually. It was almost too much.

"Hey, yourself." Ryan mentally couldn't believe that was his response. Well, at the moment he couldn't really think of anything coherent to say, anyway.

Calleigh got off the bed and walked over to Ryan. "If we make love twelve times a week, why don't we get started on number two?" She reached under his shirt and started rubbing his chest with her hands.

"Cal, you know that we have a 9 o'clock dinner appointment." Ryan could feel himself getting aroused.

"Relax. We have a hour before we have to leave." Calleigh started unbuttoning his shirt.

"And we'll have to take a shower afterwards." Ryan tried to protest further, but it was pointless. He was too turned on to say no.

"Of course." Calleigh replied as she opened his shirt. She kissed his chest and looked up at him. "We'll do number three in the shower."

Ryan could no longer resist. He let go of any self-restraint he had left and gave in completely.

-two hours later-

The couple were on their way to Lombardi's. Ryan couldn't help but feel nervous. Within the hour, he was going to propose. He tried his best not to alert Calleigh to the fact that he felt like he was going to throw up. He gripped the steering wheel tighter. He started to sweat.

"Are you ok?" Calleigh asked as she looked him over and noticed his body language.

"I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

"You look upset."

"I'm not upset; just tired. I'm kind of worn out." Ryan was hoping his answer would throw her off.

"I was a little rough earlier, wasn't I." Calleigh smiled and placed her hand on Ryan's knee.

"You could say that." Ryan reached down with his hand and gripped hers tightly.

Calleigh rubbed her stomach. "I can't wait to eat. I worked up an appetite."

"It's a good thing I'm hungry too, Cal. Otherwise, I would have no need to go out tonight."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I already got the sex. I have no reason to pay for a dinner now to get it." Ryan laughed as Calleigh gasped overdramatically and pulled her hand away from Ryan's in mock anger. She put her hand back. "Asshole," she chuckled.

"Hey, it's not my fault you put the cart in front of the horse." Ryan said as he looked at Calleigh. She stuck her tongue out at him. He grinned. The 'spat' was enough to bring his nerves down. He felt more relaxed.

They arrived at Lombardi's. They've been going there for so long now, everybody who worked there knew them on a first name basis. At one point, the chef joked about setting up a bedroom in the back since they practically lived in the place. The host greeted Ryan and Calleigh warmly, then led them to a table by the bay window that was prepared for their arrival: two chairs on one side only. Ryan as usual let Calleigh sit in the chair by the window, while he sat in the one by the aisle. They both ordered their usual appetizer and meal and talked about their day at work and average topics while they ate. The talk soon turned personal.

"I still can't believe it's been a year." Ryan poured himself another glass of wine. Usually he would order his cherry coke, but he wanted a little wine to steel himself up to pop the question.

"It's been a great year, hasn't it?" Calleigh placed her hand on Ryan's and smiled.

"It sure has," Ryan answered. "We've been through a lot. But what couple doesn't?"

"So true. I've lost count how many times you yell at me that the toilet paper is on the wrong way."

"It hangs over the top, Calleigh."

"Under."

"Over."

"Under."

"Over."

"See? What chance is there for us if we can't even agree on the toilet paper?" Calleigh pretended to be devastated. Ryan laughed. He leaned forward and kissed her.

"You're so good to me." Calleigh purred as she returned his kiss. "I'm glad that we ended up with each other."

"So am I." Ryan discreetly reached into his jacket and pulled out the ring box. He held it in his hand under the table. He thought how he could ask for her hand in marriage. He felt very nervous. He grabbed his glass of wine and downed it in one shot. It did not go unnoticed to Calleigh.

"Is there something wrong?"

"No…just a little nervous." Ryan placed his glass down.

"Why are you nervous?" Calleigh looked at him, somewhat confused.

Ryan swallowed hard. It was now or never. He meant to say something cute and romantic to lead up to the question, but what came out of his mouth was what he was thinking to himself: "I'm just trying to figure out how to ask you to marry me."

"Wh-what?" Calleigh was shocked.

Ryan quickly realized that he spoke out loud what he was thinking. "Oh, shit." He mumbled to himself.

"Did I hear you right?" Calleigh stared at him, eyes open wide.

Ryan looked at Calleigh. He had to save the situation. Without a thought, he pushed himself away from the table and stood up. He reached down and grabbed Calleigh's hand. "I'm serious, Calleigh. I love you so much. I don't want to go on another day thinking of you as just my girlfriend. I want you to be so much more than that. I have never been so right, so clear in any of my decisions before. You complete me in so many ways. I would be foolish to think that I could go on in this life without having you by my side. I love you." He kneeled down, still holding her hand as he brought the ring into sight. "Make me the happiest man alive. Please tell me-"

"Yes."

Ryan wasn't sure if he heard her right. "Did you say yes?"

"Yes, yes I did." Calleigh was now crying. "I want you in my life forever."

Ryan briefly looked down and away from Calleigh, trying to control all the feelings that he was having. "You think that you can put up with sixty years of me complaining about the toilet paper?"

She laughed. "Yes. Only if you can put up with me bitching about how you won't squeeze the toothpaste tube from the bottom." Calleigh took Ryan's head into her hands, lifting his head up so he was looking right at her. "I want you, heart and soul."

Without another word, Ryan reached up for her left hand. He placed the ring on her finger. He then raised himself up to kiss her. Suddenly, he heard people around him applauding. He looked around at the room as he blushed. He was so caught up in the moment, he didn't realize that people were watching him propose. He sat back down into his chair as he wiped the tears that he was now crying himself.

Calleigh reached out with her hand and stroked the side of his face. "Why don't we go home."

Ryan composed himself. "Do you want to?"

Calleigh smiled. "Unless you want number four here in the restaurant."

Ryan motioned for their waiter to come over. "Check, please."

to be continued…