Chapter Three
Arthur sighed as he entered his mother's ranch style house in Arlington, Virginia. One of the many reasons why he and Gwen were looking for their own place together was so that Arthur would have a shorter commute to work. "Mum, I'm home!"
"Kitchen!" his mother shouted from the back. He walked down the hall through the swinging door into the kitchen. His mother was baking, like always, for her catering business. "Artie," she said calling him by his childhood name. ""Could you take the cookies out of the oven for me?" she asked.
"Sure thing, mum," he said. He grabbed a pot holder and went over to the oven.
"You excited about tonight?" she asked.
"Why should I?" he asked taking out the sheet of cookies out of the oven. "It's only our one year anniversary of being together."
"It's a milestone, sweetie," she said mixing together some batter. Arthur put a new sheet of cookies to bake into the oven. "You're getting a place together."
"Looking. We haven't found one yet," he said taking the spatula off the counter and taking the cookies off the sheet.
"I'm sorry, Arthur, it's just that your uncle called and ..."
"He didn't tell you, did he?"
"He may have mentioned something about a ring that you asked him for," she said.
"I told him to keep that to himself," he said putting the sheet away. "I'm not even sure I'm going to ask her tonight."
"It be romantic," she said.
"Mum ..."
"Okay, okay, sorry." As much as Arthur loved his mother, she could be really nosy some times. "Are you coming home tonight?"
"I may stay with Gwen again," he said. "Her ex boyfriend's been calling her all week. I don't want her left alone while he's still around."
"Is that the ex who thinks they belong together because of the Arthurian legend?"
"Yes," he said. "His mother is a historian who has made it her life's mission to find some truth in the legend. She even named her son, Lancelot, and made him believe that he and Gwen belong together."
"Whatever happened to their relationship?" Igraine asked.
"He got too obsessed with the legend," Arthur said. "I'm going to get ready," he said. He grabbed a cookie on the way out of the kitchen causing his mother to yell.
"Hey!" He chuckled as he hurried down the hall to his room. He took off his gun and badge, tossing them onto the bed and pulled a ring box out of his coat pocket. He opened it to look at the diamond ring that his maternal grandparents were married with for sixty years. He was hoping it would give him and Gwen the same luck. He wasn't sure if he was going to ask her tonight or wait until later. He already had something else to give to Gwen for the anniversary they were celebrating. He sighed out before removing his clothes to take a shower.
Arthur and Gwen arrived at the restaurant at 7:30 with a half hour to wait for their reservation at 8. Arthur was at the bar waiting for Gwen to get off the phone, no doubt with Lancelot. She turned to see him standing there waiting for him and she held up a finger, signaling that she would only be a couple minutes. He nodded at her and she turned back around. "I don't care what your mother says about us being made for each other," she said. "This is real life, not some mythical legend." She scoffed as he pleaded for her to take him back. "Lance, you're becoming a stalker. Just drop it, leave me alone. I am happy. Good bye." She slapped the phone shut and composed herself before walking over to Arthur.
"He just won't give up, will he?" he asked as she came up next to him.
"No," she said. "He won't." Arthur grabbed their drinks and took them over to a table to wait for their name to be called.
"Let's just forget about him," Arthur said. "Tonight is about us," he added clinking their glasses together.
"To tonight," she said. "If you're lucky you might get lucky."
"Oh, I like where the night is going already." Gwen chuckled before taking a sip of her drink. Arthur reached into his pocket and pulled out a long gift box. "Happy one year anniversary, love," he said giving it to her.
"Ooh, you shouldn't have." Gwen took the box and opened it up. She gasped seeing a string of black pearls. "Arthur," she said breathlessly. "Black pearls." She got them out of the box and ran them over her fingers.
"Ebony jewelry for my ebony beauty," he said. She smiled as she held them out to him.
"Can you help me put them on?" she asked. Arthur took the necklace and got behind Gwen. He clasped the necklace onto her neck and came around to see them on her.
"They look beautiful on you," he said. "You are beautiful, Guinevere," he said affectionately.
"Arthur, what's gotten into you?" she asked.
"I have no idea," he said. Just then her cellphone went off ruining the moment. They both looked at her caller id and groaned. "He is relentless today," Arthur said. "How many times does that make today?"
"Not counting the messages he left while my phone was off, twelve," she said. She went to grab the phone to deal with it, but Arthur grabbed it before she could. "Arthur .." He cut her off holding up a finger and opened the phone.
"Hello?"
"Gwen?" Lancelot asked.
"No, sorry," Arthur said. "It's Arthur. You know, her boyfriend," he added.
"I want to talk to .."
"You can't talk to Gwen," Arthur said. "We are trying to have a nice dinner together and I would really appreciate it if you would stop calling, okay? Thanks." He hang up the phone and gave it to Gwen who was giggling. "Turn it off before he gets the brains to call back." Gwen took her phone and turned it off before putting it in her purse.
"Have I ever told you that I love you?" she asked.
"Several times," he said. Gwen leaned across the table and kissed him softly.
"I love you," she said. Arthur smiled as she sat back in her seat. They sat there for a couple minutes before their reservation was called.
"Hungry?"
"Famished," she said. They picked up their drinks and walked to the hostess table.
Lancelot was getting antsy sitting in his truck waiting for Gwen and Arthur to get back from their date. It started pouring cats and dogs and Arthur's jeep appeared in front of Gwen's apartment. The two of them got out and ran to her door. "Oh, this is deja vu," she said. "Wasn't it raining on our first date together?"
"Yeah, it was," he said. "It's like a sign."
"Sign for what?" she asked.
"I love you with all my heart, Guinevere," he said. "Nothing would make me more happier than to spend the rest of my life with you."
"Arthur .." she started to say and she gasped when Arthur got on one knee in front of her. "Arthur!" she gasped looking around. He had a ring box in his hand and he opened it to reveal the ring.
"Guinevere, will you marry me?" he asked. She started to cry out with happiness and started nodding her head.
"Yes, yes, yes," she said. "Of course I will." Arthur stood up and wrapped her in his arms. He lifted her up and spun them around. Gwen was laughing happily as he placed her down on the ground and put the ring on her finger. She grabbed his head and kissed him passionately on the lips. "You want to come in?"
"You have to ask?" he asked her. She giggled but they were interrupted when a honking horn started and they looked over to see the red Ford F 150 drive away. "Lance?"
"That was his truck," she said. "He's been sitting outside my apartment?"
"Looks like," he said.
"Now I really want you to come in." She turned and unlocked the door and they went into the apartment.
"I can't wait until we get an apartment together." She tossed her stuff onto her couch and shook off her coat. "He's never going to leave me alone," she said. "I'm scared Arthur," she admitted. Arthur took Gwen into his arms and held her tight to him.
"I promise he won't lay a hand on you," he said. "Maybe I can persuade Uncle T to lend an agent or two for protection."
"You don't have to do that," she said.
"I'm not letting you alone with him out there," he said. Gwen started to shake signaling Arthur that she was crying. "Hey, no crying from the future Mrs. Arthur Pendragon," he said trying to lighten the mood. "I'll figure something out."
"I know you will Arthur," Gwen said. "That's why I love you."
"Come on. Let's get out of these wet clothes." Gwen chuckled as Arthur began to unzip the dress.
"You are insatiable, do you know that?" she asked.
"I do," he said.
"But can we just cuddle tonight?" she asked. "I just don't feel up to doing anything since Lance spoiled the mood."
"I think that's what he intended. However, I can cuddle," he said, "but I can't guarantee that my hands won't wander during the night." Gwen chuckled as she pulled Arthur into the bedroom and she helped him get undressed. He found a pair of his sweatpants and pulled them on as she pulled on a college shirt of his. "I love it when you where my shirts."
"I know," she said and they got into bed. Arthur placed his arm around her in an attempt to make her secure and they just lay there talking about their future until they fell asleep.
Lancelot arrived home teeming with anger and threw his things down onto the couch. His mother, Charlotte, looked up from her knitting to see her son pacing. "Lancelot?"
"She's marrying him, mother," Lance said. "She's marrying him."
"Who?"
"Arthur, her boyfriend, no, fiance now."
"Have you tried talking to her?" Charlotte asked.
"Believe me, mother, I have. She has made it clear that she doesn't want me."
"Then you'll have to be forceful."
"Mother, this Gwen. I can't be forceful with her. Besides, her husband to be carries a gun. He's a federal agent. Probably has me on satellite twenty four seven." Charlotte scoffed putting her knitting down and stood up.
"You're giving up on her?" she asked.
"No, of course not," he said. "I may have to go as far as getting rid of Arthur to get her back."
"You're really going to go that far?" she asked.
"I have no other choice, mom," he said. "I'll have to be there to comfort her when he's taken care of."
"Well, do what you must to be with her," she said. "You belong together, you know," she said cupping his face with her hands.
"I know," Lance said. "We will be."
