*Thank-you for the reviews on the last chapter. They were greatly appreciated. Thank-you all so much.
NATALIE's Point of View:
I left work early today because after hearing the news of WWE superstars staying at the hotel distracted me not to mention my stomach hurt the whole day after that. Max suggested it would be best if I went home and he said he would handle things and then come take care of me after work. I really wasn't that sick. I just have a guilty feeling inside of me. I should have told John. He's going to find out. I know he is. Even if John doesn't come to the hotel one of his friends are bound to recognize me. I can't risk that. Angelina is already at her friend Ruthie's for the night having a sleepover and I am cleaning up the house. I never knew that a single 7 ½ year old child could make such a mess. There are Barbie dolls laying everywhere on the floor, Barbie doll shoes, clothes, crayons and coloring books. It is a complete mess. I know she's old enough to clean up after herself but I will not lie I spoil her. It's the least I can do for her after I've lied to her for the last 7 ½ years. Once I have everything put away I go upstairs to take a shower and it is so relaxing. The hot water falls down on me and I feel all my tension going away. It is definitely my stress reliever for the day.
As I finish my shower I go into my bedroom to change into a pair of grey dress pants and a black blouse. I brush through my hair as I look at myself in the mirror. It is hard to look at myself as I think about what I've done. As I pull my hair up into a bun my doorbell rings. I head downstairs to answer the door. I open the door and Max is standing there holding a bouquet of red roses. "Come in," I say.
"Thanks," he says with a smile before softly kissing my lips. "You look so much better than you did today."
"Thanks," I say. "How was work after I left?"
"A bunch of excitement and whispers. They seem to be really excited about these WWE people," he says handing me the roses. "I bought these for you."
"Thank-you," I say. "Yeah I guess it's pretty exciting that WWE superstars are staying in the hotel."
"I don't even know who these WWE people are. Is that the fake wrestling thing with Undertaker?" he asks as we walk into the living room.
"It's entertainment," I say. "But yes if you want to call it fake."
"Come on, Nat, you know it's fake. I don't know. I don't watch that stuff. I just know that it's giving our hotel lots of money."
"You and your money," I say with a smile. "Is that all you think about?"
"No," he says wrapping his arms around my waist, "I think about you too. Like I thought about you ALL day after you left. You look a lot better. What was that all about?"
"I don't know. I just got really sick," I say.
"But you're feeling better now right?" he asks.
"Yes," I say. "I'm feeling a lot better."
"Are you pregnant?" he asks me.
"No," I say.
"Okay. I'm not ready for a baby yet," he says. I know he means it too. We've been together for 4 years and there has never been any talk of having kids or marriage. "Maybe in a year or two but more likely in a year. Are you okay with that?"
"A year?" I ask. "When did you start talking about babies and all this stuff. It's like I don't even know you."
"Let's just say I've been doing a lot of thinking lately," he says with a smile. "We'll discuss it over dinner."
"Okay," I say, "and where are we going for dinner?"
"To the little Italian restaurant on 322."
"Ooh. I like that place. It's my favorite," I say.
"I know," he says before he kisses me. "You won't be disappointed tonight."
"I'm going to hold you to that," I say as I kiss his lips. I love Max. He is the first guy that I have been with since John. I took a three year break from dating to focus on myself and to be a mother but then I met Max and fell in love with him instantly. He is a good guy and although he doesn't like the thought of having children he has always been there for Angelina. She took to him like a duck takes to the water and he did the same. They get along very well. I am happy that she has that male influence in her life.
When we arrive at the restaurant we are seated at a reserved table. It's in a very private location. We sit and we talk a while as we drink wine. We enjoyed a nice meal of spaghetti with eggplant after enjoying a green salad. It is absolutely delicious. "So are you ready for desert?" Max asks me as I finish up my plate of spaghetti and take a sip of my wine.
"I guess," I say.
"That sounded promising," he says flashing me a smile.
"Well, I just ate all that spaghetti. I have no room for desert," I say.
"Well, we can get it to go," he says. "I think you'll probably want to do that after…"
"After what?" I ask. He is acting very strange and I'm not sure why. He's not making much sense either.
"After we have a little talk," he says.
"A talk about what?"
"You, me, Angelina and our future," he says with a smile.
"Okay," I say giving him a look. I heard the f word one he doesn't use very often so it hikes my curiosity. "You used the f word," I say, "you never use that word."
"I know but I told you I've been thinking lately. Well, by thinking I've been talking to my mom lately."
"Oh boy," I say thinking of him talking to his mother. His mother for some strange reason adores me and tells us all the time we need to get married and have kids together but Max always tells her he's not ready for that.
"Yeah. I know," he says. "But she talked some sense into my head. I love you, Natalie. I love you a lot. You're beautiful, funny, smart and you are an amazing mother. You're an amazing woman. You're strong and independent. Ever since I met you 4 years ago I feel like my life is complete. I feel like what we have is real. I had to be sure and after this week of talking to my mom I am even surer. I love every morning I can wake up next to you and every night I can go to sleep holding you in my arms. I love everything about you. I love your eyes, I love your smile and I love calling you my girlfriend. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want to grow old with you and I want to have kids with you. I want to go to bed with you every night and wake up with you every morning. I want us to last forever. What I'm trying to say is, Natalie, will you marry me?"
I am shocked. It doesn't seem real. I can't believe this is happening after 4 years. It all has to be a dream. Max reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small ring box. He opens it exposing a platinum ring with three princess cut diamonds; two of them small and one big rock in the middle. It is absolutely beautiful and it takes my breath away. I lose all my words and forget what I am supposed to say. I feel the tears in my eyes as I look at the ring. All I can do is nod my head. It takes me a while but I finally say, "yes, Max, I'll marry you."
"Wonderful," he says slipping the ring onto my finger. "Natalie Morgan. I love you."
"I love you too," I say with a smile. And in that moment I forget John and everything that surrounds him. He gets up and walks around the table. I stand up to join him and we kiss each other passionately.
I can't believe I am engaged. I never imagined this happening; not ever. It is not long after his big proposal that we are headed home in his car with our desert on my lap. Max does not remove his hand from my knee as we head down 322/422. We turn off onto my street and go slowly down the road before Max turns into my driveway. We waste no time getting out and head to my front door. I hand Max our desert as I fish my key out of my purse and finally open the door. "You want to have desert upstairs?" he asks with a smile before kissing my lips softly.
"Yes," I say against his lips. "I do."
"Okay you go upstairs and I'll get us plates and forks," he says before kissing me one more time. I head upstairs with the desert and as he is getting the forks and plates I slip out of my clothes into a silk night gown and sit on the bed with the desert. He walks in and says "Wow, you look beautiful."
"Thank-you," I say with a smile, "come here," I say opening the box with our strawberry shortcake.
"Coming," he says with a smile bringing the fork and the plates over to the bed with him. "Do you mind?" he asks unbuttoning his shirt.
"Not at all," I say before he continues to undress exposing his briefs and his white t-shirt and he climbs into bed next to me. "Do you ever relax?"
"Only when I am with you," he says with a smile as he takes the fork and takes a bite size portion of the strawberry shortcake and brings it to my mouth. "Here," he says. I open my mouth as he puts it in my mouth. It is absolutely delicious. "Natalie, you have no idea how much a love you."
"I know," I say with a smile before I feed him a piece of cake.
We continue to feed each other cake and talk before he takes his hand and runs it up my thigh. He leans in and softly kisses my lips with a passion that I return with passion of my own. He lays me down on my bed and lays his body on top of mine as he continues to kiss me. His hand possesses my body and finds its way up my nightgown. I wrap my arms around his neck as we continue to share a passionate kiss. He removes his body from mine to remove his shirt and to remove my nightgown. He removes his boxers and says, "condom or no?"
"Condom," I say sitting up and getting into my bedside dresser to pull one out. I am not taking any chances engaged or not. I open the condom and help him put it on.
"Good choice," he says before laying his body on top of mine again. He enters me slowly and begins to passionately make love to me. We reach our climax together and release ourselves as one before he softly kisses my lips. "I love you, Nat." He takes a strand of brown hair out of my face and says, "You're so beautiful. I can't wait to make you my wife."
"I can't wait to be your wife," I say with a smile.
"Mrs. Natalie Winters," he says with a smile looking at me with his dark brown eyes. I reach up and run my fingers through his black hair. "I like the sound of that," he says before kissing my lips before removing his body from mine but pulling me into his arms.
"I guess after that our gig will be up," I say. No one at work really knows we're seeing each other. We have kept it silent for the last 4 years because it's no one's business but our own and besides I don't want people to think I got my job for sleeping with the boss. "I just don't want people to think I got where I am because of you."
"You didn't. You got where you are because of your hard work," he says before kissing my forehead. "You're smart and beautiful. You got where you are because of your intelligence not because of me."
"I know but some people may not see it that way," I say.
"And those people will be idiots. Who exactly are you talking about, Nat?"
"Callie," I say. "She always has something to say."
"Callie is Callie," he says. "Don't worry about her. If I could I'd fire her. She gets on my nerves."
"Yours too?" I ask thinking about how Callie is the gossip girl of the hotel. She talks about anyone and everyone. She just really annoys me.
"You should have seen her after you left today. She was trying to take charge. I think she wants your job but it's never going to happen."
"And I saw her looking at you in the meeting today. She has a crush on you."
"She has a crush on my job title," he says with a smile. "Don't worry about her. I know I don't. I'm all about you, Natalie. If that makes you feel better."
"It does," I say with a smile. "I love you, Max."
"I love you too," he says before kissing my lips softly. As I lay in his arms I can't help but think about how I never expected this to happen. I never looked passed that day in the hospital when I had Angelina. I never thought about what would happen in my life but for the first time it felt like everything was falling into place and I was on the right road. I always had my doubts after that night but tonight I realize I took the right path. My life couldn't get better.
*A/N: So what did you think? Please review and thank-you for reading.