Flash Fiction Friday prompt 166: Count The Ways. 348 words.
It seemed appropriate, somehow.
She was an English person teaching English to Americans. He was an American who had fallen head over heels for the fiery redhead who had dared to scold him.
So yeah, appropriate.
Didn't stop him being nervous. When was the last time he had read poetry? He didn't even remember doing poetry at school, let alone free choosing to read one out loud. Jeff fingered the box in his pocket before kneeling in front of Lucy, wiping his hands down his borrowed suit trousers and took the plunge, pulling the well-read piece of paper as she sat there, a soft smile on her face.
In this light her eyes looked like glowing emeralds, and Jeff swallowed.
'How-how do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
'I love thee to the depth and breadth and height My soul can reach when feeling out of sight, For the ends of being and ideal grace…'
Jeff paused as Lucy collapsed into peals of laughter.
She clasped one hand to her stomach and one over her mouth as she tried to stifle the laughter, but Lucy had not been able to contain her mirth.
Here was her 6-foot-plus strapping fighter-pilot-come-astronaut giving her the worst ever rendition of Elizabeth Barrett Browning's best known love sonnet, and the sight just melted her heart.
But she had hurt him, Lucy could see it in his gorgeous grey eyes, and she slid off the chair to kneel beside Jeff, taking both his hands in hers and smiling up at him.
'Jeff Tracy, you are an incurable romantic.'
He blushed and ducked his head, but Lucy let go of his hands and gently placed one each side of Jeff's face, holding him in place. They sat there on the floor of the restaurant, heedless of everyone else, and just stared at each other for a heartbeat before she pulled him down into a kiss.
'Lucille Evans. I cannot count all the ways I love you, but I would like to take this lifetime counting them all with you. Marry me, my Lucy.'