LOVE v. COMMON SENSE
Rory woke up to Natalie saying "I love you Rorster."
Without thinking, he propped himself up on the pillow, turned to the petite blonde, and replied "I love you too, Natalie."
There followed a good deal of talk which can be called romantic, mushy, gooey, or saccharine, depending on your views. Rory, at another time, would likely have gone with "lame" but he was in the mood to say lame things to the woman he decided he loved.
"I could wake up with you, here, every-day, for the rest of my life" thought Rory at one point . . . but he bit his lip before he could continue.
It sounded too much like a marriage proposal to Rory.
"You're . . . the sexiest girl I've ever met" said Rory.
Natalie returned the compliment.
"You're the sexiest guy."
Rory felt incredibly cheerful, even for Rory Keener, as he waited for Natalie to freshen up. He thought of suggesting they spend in the haunted house rides and wax museums and roller coasters of Clifton Hill. With maybe a trip to the venerable old boat Maid of the Mist, and a more exciting trip on the Whirlpool Jet Boat at Queenston to top it off.
The thought again hit Rory, with Natalie he could wake up with her, "here, every-day, for the rest of my life."
"Not unless I was a millionaire" said Rory wryly, as he finally realized the money he spent out of pocket. That put the plans for the Cessna back some time.
But Rory didn't want her to go home to Barrie and leave him and have, at best, a long-distance relationship.
And it hit Rory that bizarrely he had gone to Niagara Falls, the so-called "Honeymoon Capital of the World", and spent in one night on a date more than a lot of people would spend on their actual honeymoon.
Other people might just "hook up", but for Rory, amazing, he flew right past lip-locking and way overshot canoodling to hit the proverbial home run.
And? On one hand, he had an awesome time with an awesome lady. He thought that as he sent a text to the hotel restaurant ordering room service for them both.
That was where most guys would leave it and be proud of it. Rory didn't want that to happen. He wanted more than just "getting laid". Rory was suddenly terrified that their relationship would start and end with a one-night-stand while he was half-drunk on zombies. He couldn't let that happen!
"Are you okay Rorster?" asked Natalie, as she returned from the washroom.
"You should have gotten spare clothes" said Rory bluntly, looking at her with a good natured smile.
"Your clothes are also wrinkled."
"It's funny" said Rory, laughing. "We're in one of the most expensive rooms and we don't have a change of clothes. I don't stink, do I? Sometimes I eat too much garlic."
"I'll willing to bet the zombies last night cancelled it out" Natalie replied.
Natalie sat on his lap, and held her arms around him. They kissed.
"You know Natalie!" said Rory. "I think this is only the beginning?"
Rory had planned to say it coolly. But his voice went up, as if he were asking a question. More shades of his buddy Ethan.
"I think it is too" said Natalie.
Rory and Natalie were interrupted by room service. Rory was surprised to see that orange juice alone was $16 at this place, but paid the bill with plastic. It was better not to reveal the price of the Eggs Benedict with Canadian Bacon, fresh-cut home fries, and fresh Asparagus Spears.
Natalie was one of those women who take pictures of their food (the one thing Rory didn't photograph). She took a photo of Rory and her with breakfast, and sent a copy to Rory.
They sat at the table by the picture window looking down, down upon the Horseshoe Falls as the power plant engineers at the International Control Dam, following the rules of the Niagara Treaty of 1950, let the falls run at its maximum daily level. The mist seemed to go even higher into the air.
The sunlight shined in the room on the two. Fallsview on the Canadian side meant you were facing East; here was one of the few places the United States was due east of Canada. Rory, for obvious if now largely overlooked reasons, took satisfaction sitting in the sun.
The sunlight fell on Natalie. She, of course, didn't "sparkle", like the vampires in the Dusk series. But her blonde hair, fair skin, curves and slightly wrinkled dress were beautifully illuminated by the morning sun.
"Looking down from here" said Natalie, "I wonder why they don't set any superhero movies here. There's been such a lot of them. It would be about time."
"Yeah, imagine Spidey swinging across the falls on his line to catch the Green Goblin. Or Superman even stopping the flow by tossing giant boulders or maybe just even plunging in to water to perform a daring rescue of Lois Lane" said Rory.
"Or his pal Jimmy Olson" Natalie reminded Rory. "You remind me of him a little."
"Not Superman? Not Spiderman? Not even the Green Lantern? Well . . . as a teen I used to be more like Jimmy Olson than Peter Parker" admitted Rory truthfully. "Always . . . getting into trouble."
"Probably because you were adventurous."
"I didn't realize how easy it was to lose it all"
Rory said this a bit regretfully.
"Then we wouldn't be here today."
"No, I guess we wouldn't!"
Rory, pouring the hotel blend of Columbian coffee for Natalie and himself, then and there decided what he was going to do.
Common sense would dictate Rory get to know Natalie better. Common sense would point out he had all the time in the world to date. Common sense would say that you don't propose to a girl you met the evening before and had just slept with.
What did Rory care about common sense?
He cared a little. A plan formed in Rory's mind. As Rory swallowed his eggs, grinning and talking, what in a way was the most important plan in his life took shape. It was so important, and so much fun thinking about it, he didn't even make the cross-eyed look he was prone to do when deep in thought.
The key detail was that this was the May 2-4 weekend. The Victoria Day long weekend. Rory decided to see what happened today and tomorrow. He'd have to buy a ring and pick up Krypto (Rory couldn't break his promise to his dog to see him tonight). But then . . . .
Monday morning, Rory would rent a plane and take Natalie for a flight. And propose.
They'd be together for the rest of their lives. Man and wife, and hopefully kids too.
Rory'd take her away from the teller's desk somewhere near Barrie. If she wanted to, she could continue working . . . if not, Rory could support her. If she wanted, Rory would even shed the condo and move up to Barrie as an expression of his love (not that Rory had anything against Barrie, just that the commute would be boring).
Ethan and Sarah would probably counsel caution. Benny? Rory had no idea. But this was the most personal aspect of Rory's life! You don't check with your pals about proposing!
Rory's closest friend in the city, Brunner, would probably become obsessed with money issues. Brunner was greedy, and far, far worse, a newly called lawyer to boot. Rory wasn't the least interested in the question of prenuptial agreements or what his support payments would be if things went sour (and, of course, Rory didn't even consider that a possibility in his frame of mind).
Rory's parents, or actually their attitudes, did have a vital role in his decision. Rory knew they were "old school" about a guy and a girl moving in together without being married. Rory remembered that he wasn't even allowed to go on the internet at home until he was fourteen (that indirectly led to him being temporarily possessed by an evil tree). And Rory did go to church, and there was taught marriage was the thing.
At any rate, whether or not it was a good idea, it came down to this. Rory was, as they say, head over heels in love. And asking Natalie to move in with him might seem cool, but it wasn't exactly the big romantic gesture he now felt he had to make. You can ask a girl to move in with you, and she can walk out any time. Or you can make her leave . . . at least, so thought Rory. But marriage was until death do you part; hopefully to meet again in the hereafter.
Marriage also ends in divorce; but again that was outside Rory's frame of thought.
All this passed through Rory's mind quickly; he was soon busy talking with Natalie about what they'd do on Clifton Hill. They considered seeing the animals at MarineLand, but decided that the attraction was mainly aimed toward kids.
Rory mentioned he'd have to go back that night because of the promise he made his dog. If Rory had any doubts that Natalie was the girl for him, they would have been assuaged that instant. She was probably the one girl in the world who understood that Rory made a promise to his nine-year-old Labrador Retriever and had to keep it the promise he made to such a loyal friend.
"But I promised tonight, so I think Krypto will be okay until about 8" said Rory. "I can come back Sunday, after I explain things to him. I don't know if you want to come with me . . . ."
"I don't know. I was staying the weekend with Miles, and he was working most the night."
"Miles? Oh, yeah. Your baby brother. What does he do?"
At that moment Rory was interrupted by an impatient knock.
"I'll get it!" Rory jumped up, much like Krypto when the doorbell at home answered.
It was a bleary-eyed man about Rory's height, looking the worse for wear and for drink. Unlike Rory, he was bull-necked, burly, and wearing a casino security guard uniform.
Rory was surprised to see the security guard from last night. Remembering that the guard had unintentionally sent Rory right to Natalie, Rory (without thinking how the guard found him) offered a high-five.
"Whazzzzzzzzzz up!" said Rory, and turning to Natalie. "This guy's . . . ."
The security guard sucker-punched Rory so hard that Rory fell to the floor and groaned.
