“All of the above,” I answered, looking up at him. "I didn't think any of this would ever happen to someone like me."
Our appetizers came, and we took a break to enjoy the shared dish, stuffed potato skins. "You know, these things have enough calories and fat to negate any workout I did today."
"We'll make it up tomorrow," Cam said casually, stuffing a whole skin complete with bacon, cheese, and sour cream into his mouth. "These are a guilty pleasure, but they’re not the best I've ever had. There's a place up in Taos that puts pulled pork barbecue on top of them instead of chili. Sometime we should go."
Our steaks came, interrupting our conversation. I was overcome with the strangeness of it all again because I knew what was coming. The only unknown factor was when Cam was going to steer the conversation towards what we were both thinking about. But, leave it to a former intelligence operative with a one ninety something IQ to just sit there with a sanguine smile on his face, enjoying his steak and carrying on a casual conversation.
I was becoming increasingly flustered, and Cam could tell. A small little smile spread across his face as he savored every bite of his steak, and when he was done, he wiped his lips with his napkin and set it aside like there was nothing wrong at all. "Excuse me, I need to use the restroom."
My hand was shaking in anticipatory frustration when Cam came back just a minute or two later, still with that little smile on his face. "Ready for dessert?"
"I guess," I said, despondency dropping over me. A wild hope had flared inside me that Cam had used his excuse of a trip to the bathroom to do a last minute arrangement for a cheesy proposal. However, even someone as well organized as Cam couldn’t have gotten it done in two minutes, regardless of how fast he talked. "So what is it supposed to be?"
"Just this," he said, pointing. A server walked up as I turned, my mouth dropping open in shock as a chocolate cheesecake with a diamond ring embedded on top winked back at me. "You like it?"
The server set it down, a big grin on his face as I stared silently at the cake. "How did you?"
"I bought the ring last week," Cam said. "I had to hide it, so I ordered it online and had it sent to the school. I taught the owner's daughter last year, so he's nice to me, he just asked me to give the ring over at the right time."
Cam got out of his chair, everyone in the restaurant stopping what they were doing to watch. I’d never been the center of so much attention, and I could feel my heart pounding in my chest.
"Melina, I know we've only been together a short time. But in that time, you've intertwined yourself into my heart and soul so much that I can’t bear the thought of being without you. You bring a light to my darkness. Would you do me the honor of marrying me?"
I don't think anyone in the entire restaurant was breathing as they waited for me to answer. Thankfully, I didn't make them wait too long. "Of course I will, you fool!"
There were at least fifty people in the restaurant, but to me, the applause and cheers were as large as if Cam had proposed to me in the middle of the Super Bowl. He plucked the ring from the top of the cake and gestured for my hand, taking it and sliding the ring on. It was a perfect fit, and the stone on top glistened in the light of the restaurant. The owner came over and clapped Cam on the back while another server came out with a bottle of champagne. "On the house," the owner said. "If it wasn't for your tutoring Jenny last year, she'd never have gotten into UNM."
Cam stood, pulling me up with him into a warm embrace and a hot kiss that earned more than a few hoots from the crowd. There were even a few more cheers when I lifted my foot up, his kiss literally curling my toes. He set me down, grinning. "I had you so fooled, don't say I didn't."
"You pull a stunt like that with our wedding, and you'll find that I become a widow the same day I become a bride," I warned him kissing his nose before sitting down to finish our meal. I’d just dug my fork through the outer layers of the rich chocolate when Cam's phone beeped, a sound I'd never heard it make before. "What's that?"
Cam pulled out his phone and looked at the screen. "Albertine," he said. "It has a hit.”
"Do we have to go?" I asked, pushing my fork the rest of the way through my dessert. If I had to do it, I was pretty sure I could down the whole thing in four bites, but I'd prefer to take my time and savor the experience.
"It can wait," Cam said. "He's not showing near here."
Even with the comment, I ate faster than I would’ve normally, anxiety working its way into my gut. It was still great, but I quickly wiped my lips and stood up. "Let's get out of here."
Cam paid the bill and we went out to the truck. Sitting down, my hands were shaking so badly it took me three tries to get my seatbelt done. Cam buckled his own belt, then looked at me. "What's up? I figured you'd take ten minutes with that dessert.”
I laughed, looking at the ring on my finger. "Cam, this is beautiful."