Love by Love – 19
Brock was sitting at the edge of Reba's bed waiting for her to come out of the washroom. He recalled this was happened to him when he was with Lori-Ann. Back we he was a young man; he thought his life was over. But today, he was excited and he just couldn't describe the feeling.
"So?"
"I don't know. It said to wait 2-3 minutes and it's been five minutes and it only shows half a line."
"Maybe it's too soon to tell. We've only been back for a month." Brock rubbed her shoulder gently.
"But I was suppose to have it after we came back from Hawaii. Forget it, I'm going to see the doctor." Reba picked up her phonebook and her agenda to see when she should make an appointment.
"Can you make it Tuesday?"
"Why?" Puzzled Reba.
"I want to go with you." If she was pregnant, he wanted to be a part of her pregnancy. "And whatever the result will turn out, I'll be there for you."
Brock took her to the doctor on Tuesday. Reba didn't have a house to show in the afternoon, and Brock had asked his partner Eugene to cover for him. Brock wasn't so sure if it was good news or bad news when the doctor told them she wasn't pregnant. Her period was delayed due to stress and worrisome.
"Phew... Boy, aren't we lucky," commented Reba, feeling at ease in his car. Brock closed the door for her and ran to his side.
"I don't know..."
"What you mean you don't know? You don't want me to be pregnant from that meaningless sex, do you?"
"Once again, it's not meaningless. It means a lot to me. And yes, I do want to have a baby with you."
"WHAT?"
"I mean it. When I was waiting for you in the waiting room, I was thinking what if you're pregnant. I found myself being happy at the thought of our baby crawling all over the house. So I was hoping the test to be positive. We can get married and have another kid together. My kid loves you, your kid loves me. Sure, they fight, but what sisters don't fight? We'll make a great family. What do you say?"
"Sure." She accepted meaninglessly.
"Really?"
"Yeah. Why not? Then we could move to a palace and live happily ever after." Reba was being sarcasm. Brock eyed her.
"Ha ha." He forced out a fake laugh.
"You started it!"
"I'm not kidding!" Stated Brock firmly.
"So you want me to marry you because our kids get along and you want to have another kid? Isn't that sweet. But no thanks." She refused with a firm tone of voice.
"Won't you think about it?"
"No. And for future reference, when you propose, you should get down on one knee and have a ring and maybe a bouquet of flowers. Not like this. This is lame."
Brock felt like he had just put himself in hot water. He mentally kicked himself. He should have planned better than just burst out that he wanted to marry her when she had to go through this kind of emotional roller coaster from thinking she was unintentionally pregnant to finding out that she wasn't.
Reba was disappointed the way he asked her to get married. When Terry asked her, she told him she would give him the answer later. Then she thought about pros and cons before she said yes. She didn't want that kind of relationship again. She wanted the marriage that base on love, not on reasons.
"Are you free on Saturday?" Asked Brock one night after work.
"Why, are you gonna ask me to elope?"
"If I asked you to elope, would you?"
"Brock..." Reba wanted to explain. But Brock cut her off.
"That's all right. I've already know your answer and you don't owe me any explanation. I just want to see if you will go to Petit Jacque with me. The one that I won from the auction, it's near the expiry date of the voucher."
"You're really persistent, aren't you?"
"When I placed that bid, I had you in mind, and I'm not going with anyone but you. If you don't want to go then I'll just let it expire." Reba agreed to go with him. The only reason why she didn't go with him before because it was an elegant restaurant, and Reba didn't want to dress up.
Saturday evening, Reba wore a short satin peacock color strapless dress with lace covered bodice and pleat details at her waistline: simple yet sultry. Brock complimented how gorgeous she looked. Brock tried to make this night perfect. He picked her up in a limousine taking her to the most romantic restaurant in town. He made sure everything went right. They got the most romantic table since Brock called in advance to reserve. Their dinner came with a fine bottle of champagne.
"You know when I first fell for you?" Brock started a conversation.
"Uh hmm" Reba shook her head listening to Brock.
"When you sang national anthem at our college football game."
"That was after you dated Lori-Ann."
"Yeah, first I thought who in their right mind asked you to sing? Then I heard your voice, it's very captivating. I'm sure I wasn't the only one who fell in love with your voice that day. But I was lucky enough to get to know you through Lori-Ann. But you were dating Parker then." He glanced at Reba who rested her chin on her hand, smiling.
"Believe it or not, I had a crush on you too," admitted Reba.
"You did? How come you never told me?" Brock was grinning for ear to ear, if only he knew back then.
"You're my best friend's boyfriend. What can I say? Please break up with her and go out with me instead?" Reba cracked.
"Lori-Ann and I broke up not long after you and Parker broke up. Then she told me she was pregnant."
"When I first found out, I was shocked and disappointed. Then I told myself that I hated you because you knocked her up. She had a bright future ahead of her. And because of you, she couldn't go to France. I ignored the fact that it takes two to make it happen." She giggled. "It wasn't entirely your fault, but I blamed you. But after you kissed me, I realized that I didn't hate you, I loved you and I was saddened that I would never have a chance to be with you, since you were getting married."
"I was jealous as heck when we received your wedding invitation. I almost didn't go you know. But if I didn't go, Lori-Ann would find out I was in love with her friend. So I went. But, she told me just not too long ago that she knew it all along. She was breaking up with me when we were in college so I could ask you out since you were no longer with Parker. But it was a little too late. I did what I thought was the right thing was to ask her to marry me. Nha uh-" Brock put his hand up before Reba started to speak. "I didn't ask you to marry me because we thought you were pregnant. I asked you to marry me because I want you to marry me. I want us to be family." Brock got out of his seat and got down on one knee in front of her. He pulled out a little black velvet box. Reba pulled him up before he let out one more word. "Dang it! I forgot the bouquet of flowers!" Brock groaned.
"Not because of that. I mean we just started dating. And don't you think it's too soon for us to tie the knot?"
"Too soon? If you call 10 years of being too soon then I don't know what to say."
"Brock... We knew each other for over ten years, but we only been dating for over a month, and that included when we didn't talk for a week after we came back from Hawaii. I think we should build our relationship a little more." Brock couldn't argue with her on this one. He accepted her refusal, but he told her he would never give up. Reba was flattered that he got down on one knee for her. Part of her wanted to just throw herself at him and accept to be with him forever. Another part of her didn't want him to marry her for other reason than love. Reba loved him too enough to let herself go with him in the aircraft. She never thought she would ever join the mile-high club with anyone, and she was the one who made the move!
"Why are you blushing? Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Brock teased seeing Reba just turned red.
"It's hot in here." Reba excused.
"Yeah, I was thinking about the last time you complained that you're hot too."
"Will you quit it?" Reba gritted through her teeth feeling embarrassed.
Holding her hand in his, Brock drew little circles behind her hand and questioned, "When would I be that lucky again?"
"When you're a good boy, a very very good boy," said Reba with a little smirk. "Or when I'm a bad girl, a very very bad girl." She added getting out of her seat ready to go back home. Man, she wished she was a bad girl tonight especially when he kissed her good night!
Brock went home after dropped her off. He pulled out the little velvet box out of his pocket. He open it and stared at a beautiful diamond ring. Reba wasn't ready to accept this yet, but he would not give up. He hoped someday soon, she would let him put it on her finger and spend the rest of their lives together as husband and wife.