I swear, I was the most depressed I’d ever been. For the day after being proposed to, it sure wasn’t a good omen for the marriage. I spent the morning in the living room, watching reality shows and eating ice cream. Forrester and Grady saw me but I didn’t care. Grant was around too, but he was mostly keeping to himself since finding out I was engaged.
Grant hadn’t asked any details so it was hard to know how much he cared. He hadn’t asked how Rob had proposed, which was good, because I wouldn’t have known what to say. He also hadn’t asked to see the ring, which was also good, because Rob hadn’t given me one.
I’d never been one of those girls who was obsessed with big, diamond rings, but there was something sad about not having any ring at all. The engagement somehow didn’t feel real without one.
I pulled out my phone and dialed Rob’s number. I had to speak to him. I had to get some sort of concrete affirmation that he was actually going to be my husband. I mean, was that proposal even for real? He’d driven off after making it and we hadn’t spoken since.
“Rob,” I said.
“Lacey, I was meaning to call you but I’ve just been swamped here.”
“I needed to hear your voice,” I said.
“Sure, sure,” Rob said, but he was speaking to someone else in his office, not me. “Sorry about that,” he said to me, “things are just really busy here. What can I do for you?”
“I don’t know,” I said, trying to make my voice as cheerful as possible. “How about marrying me?”
He let out a little laugh.
Grant walked into the room and grabbed the remote. He always did that. It infuriated me. Just because I was on the phone, didn’t mean I was done watching my show. I could talk and watch at the same time. He switched the channel to some sports and turned up the volume. I knew he was doing it to bug me.
Rob said, “So, our arrangement still stands?”
I thought that was a weird way to put it but I said, “Yes, of course.”
“Good,” he said.
Then there was a silence. I looked at Grant, slumped over an armchair, watching football highlights, his tattooed muscles peeking out from under his white shirt. He looked perfect. Absolutely perfect.
“I love you so much,” I said into the phone, while still looking at Grant.
Grant turned to me and I looked away immediately.
“Me too,” Rob said, weakly.
I was so desperate for love, but Rob gave so little.
“So, when are we going to start planning this thing?” I said.
“I don’t know,” Rob said.
Grant got up from his seat and came over to me. The tub of ice cream was by my arm and he took it. “Do you mind?” he whispered.
I shook my head.
“We should go look at flowers or something,” I said to Rob.
“Sure.”
“How about today? There’s a place in the city that’s world famous. They have like a million different varieties of orchid there.”
“I can’t today, sweetie,” Rob said.
“Oh, too busy?”
“Yes. Definitely.”
“We could do it after work. I’m sure I can get them to give us an appointment.”
“No, don’t bother, waiting for me,” he said. “I’m just swamped. You should go by yourself.”
“By myself?”
“It sounds like you’ve got nothing better to do.”
I blinked. “I guess I don’t,” I said. “It’s Faith’s day at the store today.”
“Right then. Call me later and tell me how it went. I’ve got to go.”
“Bye, honey,” I said. “I love … ”.
He’d hung up before I’d even finished the sentence. I sighed, then glanced at Grant. He’d overheard everything.
“This has got to be the first time in months that you’ve decided to come down here to watch television,” I said.
He shrugged. “You call this ice cream?”
“What’s wrong with it?”
“Haven’t you heard of a real flavor? Like chocolate? Or vanilla?”
He was eating Cotton Candy Delight. In my opinion it was one of the most delicious things ever created by mankind.
“If you don’t like it, you can give it back. I wasn’t finished with it.”
He licked the spoon, purposely slobbering all over it, and then handed it back to me.
“Thanks,” I said.
“My pleasure.”
What was he doing down there? He never joined me to watch television any more. It was something we’d done years ago, when we were kids, but not so much as we got older.
“I heard you might be going into the city to look at flowers,” he said.
I shrugged, trying not to look like I cared. “So?” I said, coming off more defensively than I’d intended.
“Well, I’m going into town soon. I can take you if you like.”
“Oh, you don’t want to look at flowers, Grant. I know you hate all that girly stuff.”
He smiled at me, and there was such warmth in that smile, such kindness, such love for me, that it took my breath away. After spending so much time with Rob, I was beginning to forget the power Grant had over my emotions.
“Sure I do,” he said, simply.
“You hate wedding stuff.”
“Look, I know you haven’t told anyone else about the proposal. So I know there’s no one else you can take. You’re stuck with me.”
I took a spoonful of ice cream and relished it. I hadn’t forgotten that he’d slobbered all over the spoon. In fact, I wanted his saliva to touch my lips.
Chapter 28
Grant