Chapter 36: Probing For Answers

Candice had went to the office to file some papers for a business deal Josef wanted closed before the new year started and David was sitting at home wait for her so they could pick up where they'd left off. He still hadn't been able to figure her out. Did she secretly want him to propose? They were incredibly happy with how things were, was that enough?

He'd thought briefly about asking Beth if she'd mentioned it but thought better of it given they were best friends and she might accidently say something to Candice. This was something he'd have to figure out for himself.

His phone began to ring and he groaned seeing it was Ashton. He'd had to go and bring up the topic of marriage and confuse him further. "Hello Ashton."

"David my friend how goes things there. I trust you had a splendid holiday thus far."

"So far everything is great. How are things there?"

"Things are going wonderfully. I have made the decision. I want to ask for her hand in marriage. I just made the ring selection, I think she'll like it."

David could hear his friend smiling and knew he'd waited a long time to find this happiness and part of it was his fault. "I'm happy for you man. When are you going to pop the question?"

Ashton breathed out heavily, "That is why I called I hope you are not too busy and might be able to assist me."

"Candice had to run and file something for Josef to meet a deadline I'm free but I don't know how I can help."

"You have had more experience with the modern woman. Far more experience in love. I thought I'd ask Kimberly for her hand after a romantic night together on New Year's Eve around midnight."

David could see it now in his mind. "Sounds like you already have it set up what do you think I can help with?"

"You see I am unsure if proposing on this date would be romantic as I intend or clichéd given the date. A new year, a new life and all."

Chuckling to himself David could see how that might be a concern. Succumbing to the overly commercialized day that in his opinion was blown out of proportion, "I think you will be fine. She's like Candice in a way, she loves you despite the fumbling."

"But I don't want to fumble this."

"Honestly man I can't give you a woman's opinion on that because having a woman to love or not I don't think I'll ever understand their mind. But I can say that from what I know as long as its genuine and from the heart she will see that and that will be all that matters."

Candice came in through the door hearing David talking, from the heart, and knew he was probably talking to Ashton. David turned to see her and smiled warmly at her.

"Thank you for your help."

"Happy to help."

"Well I must get back to Kimberly but should Candice arrive home before too long…perhaps you could ask her for her womanly expertise and get back to me."

David chuckled, "I'll see what I can do. Bye." David hung up the phone as he looked at Candice. This was the perfect opening to dig deeper and find out her thoughts on marriage.

Shutting the phone he walked over to her as she unloaded some bags of blood into the fridge. "Go shopping while you were out?"

She turned to face him and held up a bottle, "I did swing by the morgue but then I had to drop off the finalized papers to Josef on the way home and he gave us a bottle of freshly donated."

"That was nice of him," David took the bottle from her and slipped one arm around her to pull her into a kiss.

Candice patted his chest as she pulled back, "So what did Ashton need help with now?"

David set the bottle in the fridge and shut the door. "He wanted my incredible knowledge of a woman's mind."

She began to giggle as she looked at him. "David I love you, you know that and you take care of me but the mind of a woman is something most men will never figure out."

David chuckled, "That's what I told him but I did my best. He did hope that I might ask you when you came home." David pulled her hand and pulled her down on the couch beside him. She wasn't human anymore and no longer got cold but still she'd pull the blanket her mother had given them over to cover her feet out of habit.

Candice was eager to know what was going on. She'd grown to like Ashton, more than she let on. His old world way of speaking sometimes and his complete innocence when it comes to love; they'd become a guilty pleasure of hers. "So what did he need help with?"

Watching her closely David tells her. "He is planning to propose to her." Candice's eyes grew wide, "He wants to do it on New Year's Eve. A romantic dinner and all then near midnight ask. He isn't sure if it will be considered clichéd."

"And you told him as long as it was from the heart she'd see only that."

David looked down at his hands. She had a way of making him feel nervous still to this day. "Yes."

Taking his hands in hers Candice smiled, "That was good advice. I think for them it would be perfect. His old world charm, her modern ways which include enjoying the New Year commercialized or not and making great memories. It fits them."

"He'll be happy you agree." David pulled out his phone and text Ashton that Candice agrees not wanting to put more incase Kimberly accidently saw his phone.

David looked at Candice as he slipped his phone back into his pocket, "So how does it fit them?"

Candice shrugged, "I don't know it just does."

"You know if she says yes we'll have another wedding to attend. He's already asked if I'll be his best man. Then we have Seth and Allie's coming up soon."

"Yes it seems weddings are in the air."

"I thought the saying is love is in the air," he kept watching her.

"That too but love and weddings don't have to go together. I mean a marriage is a contract. Don't get me wrong it can be beautiful and special but it's really just a piece of paper and ceremony. Now Seth and Allie are going to be adopting a baby so the wedding makes sense for legal purposes. And I think Allie although she probably won't admit it really wanted this. Same goes for Coop and Danielle, they had a child on the way and being human."

"So what about Josef and Jean? Mick and Beth? They're vampires."

"Beth wasn't a vampire when they got married. I was never really sure which way she'd go. She was sorta more like me, she didn't need a piece of paper and a ceremony to say they were committed to one another but Mick is more old school and it meant a lot to him. She knew that. I'm not saying she didn't want to get married, she did…after he asked and all. If Mick hadn't asked though I don't think she would have considered it."

"What about Josef? He's more modern than old school."

"Yes but Jean isn't. She understood that they had a commitment to each other already when he made her a vampire so they could be together for eternity but she was all gushy when he asked. Josef though wanted her as his, to make it clear to everyone. Don't tell him I said this but I think he secretly wanted to have a wife."

David listened to her talk about the different women and the weddings. "You have an answer for everything don't you."

"Not everything," she smirked. "I just listen and observe. I could be way off base or I could be dead on. That's just how I see things."

They sat together in comfortable silence for a while as David processed everything she said.

"So back to New Year's Eve…" Candice ventured, "…do we have any plans yet?"

David pulled her close to him and kissed her forehead, "Nothing set in stone yet I just want to spend it with you. Do you have anything you'd like to do?"

"We could stay in this year and watch the ball drop in New York."

"Sounds perfect."

To be Continued…

Evilous