Chapter Fourteen
I sighed. “You’re right. But what if he says no?”
“You’ll have at least tried. Isn’t it worth the gamble?”
I smiled. “Yes. It is. I’ll ask the head librarian for a week off without pay. Surely, she’ll agree to that. I’ll miss a week of classes, but I can ask a friend to take notes.”
Stephanie reached out and took my hand. “I’m so excited for you. Just think. You’ll be marrying a prince and get to have holiday dinners in the palace. What fun that will be.”
“Cross your fingers for me. I don’t know if he’ll say yes.”
“Oh, are you going to propose to him?”
I grinned. “I’ll have to if I’m going to talk him out of marrying Delores. I feel a little guilty for coming between them, but I don’t think he loves her.”
“If he doesn’t, it won’t be a very good marriage.”
I couldn’t stop smiling. This was going to work. I ordered a cinnamon cream cheese pastry for each of us to celebrate.
After lunch, I explained my situation to my supervisor, a long-haired brunette with a few streaks of gray and asked for a week off. She peered over her reading glasses at me. “You want to ask a man to break his engagement and marry you?”
“I don’t know if he’s asked her yet, but she claims she’s pregnant with his baby.”
My supervisor looked me in the eyes. “You could be spending all the money for a trip that will bring you nothing but grief.”
I nodded. “I know, but I love him, and I’ll regret it for the rest of my life if I don’t try.”
“Can you make if four days? I can rearrange the schedule if you’re only gone that long.”
I twisted a fold in my skirt. “I can do that if you let me leave on Thursday. I’m afraid if I wait, he will have already married her. He wants to help her avoid a scandal, and people will be counting on their fingers as it is.”
“Okay, you can go, but I need you back by Monday.”
“Thank you, so much. If I have time, I’ll pick up a souvenir for you.”
She smiled. “Don’t bother with that. If you’re going to marry him, please give me two- week’s notice.”
“I will.”
My stomach jumping with anticipation, I called the airline to make a reservation. The earliest I could arrive was tomorrow afternoon. I shelved returned books and smiled at customers all afternoon. I debated whether or not to call him and tell him I was coming. What if he and Delores had already had a hurry-up wedding? There’d be no point in going then. I’d have to cancel my reservation, hopefully without being charged extra. On pins and needles, I dialed his number.
“Hello,” he said. Yelling and shouting in the background made it hard to hear.
“Mario, “I said. “I want to—"
“Kelly, can you call later? The game is almost over and we’re behind.” He disconnected.
Damn. I called a classmate and asked her to take notes for me again. I waited an hour and dialed his number again. The line was busy. The next time I called, he didn’t answer, so I left a message that I was coming to visit Thursday and would stay for the weekend.
Then I worried. What if he didn’t pick up and planned to marry Delores on Friday or Saturday? I’d be royally screwed then. But if he were going to marry her right away, it would have made the news.
This trip was a big risk, but if I could win his heart, it was worth it.
After work, I went shopping at the nearest mall. I tried on five dresses until I decided on a gold one that looked good with my red hair. I bought a black lace bra and matching panties to wear underneath. They’d make me feel sexy.
That night, at my apartment, I called my folks and explained my plans.
“Kelly,” my mother said, “Are you sure you know what you’re getting into?”
“Oh, yes. I love Mario, and I’ve met the royal family. They’re really nice.”
“I hope everything works out for you, but we’ll sure miss you if you move to Monterra.”
“I’ll be sure to come visit. I love you, Mom, and give my love to Dad.” I disconnected. It didn’t take long to pack for four days. I tried calling Mario again, but he didn’t answer. I left another message.
I could hardly sleep for fear I’d absentmindedly turn off the alarm and miss my flight. I had to be at DFW Airport at six a.m., which meant I had to leave my apartment at five-fifteen.
Finally, I drifted off and dreamed Mario and I were back in the cave, fighting off a bear. I awoke panicked until I realized I was still in my bed. Since it was four o’clock, I got up, dressed, and headed for the airport.
After passing through security, I ate breakfast and waited until it was time to board. I pulled up Google to check the time in Monterra. It would be one-thirty in the afternoon. I placed the call to Mario. Again, he didn’t answer. Again, I left a message.
After I sat down in the plane, the wake-up effect of the coffee from breakfast faded, and I fell asleep.
Finally, the plane landed at the Monterra Airport. What if Mario hadn’t checked his messages? What if he wasn’t here to meet me? What if he were at Delores’s house planning their wedding? Surely, there hadn’t been enough time to get married. Somehow, I knew his mother would never countenance a quick elopement.
I hadn’t packed much because I’d promised to return by Monday, so I hefted my carryon bag and followed the other passengers from the plane into the airport.
Mario was there waiting with a long-stemmed red rose. I immediately thought of The Bachelor. My heart ached. Was that my consolation prize? However, he had a big smile on his face. At least he was glad to see me. I rushed to him, unsure what he’d say. He threw his arms around me. His welcome kiss seemed even more wonderful than before. I felt like I’d come home at last.
“I’m so glad to see you again,” he said. “I was already missing you, and it’s only been a few days.” He let go of me and stepped back a pace. “I thought you had to finish your graduate studies. Why did you come back?”
I took a deep breath and let it out. Here it was, the talk I’d been agonizing over, but I had to take my chances. “Mario, are you planning to marry Delores? Because if you are, I want you to reconsider. You can offer to pay child support, but I don’t want you to marry her. I love you, and I want you to marry me.”
There, I’d said it. Now, I looked deep into his eyes and met his gaze. Would he think I was too forward, too crazy, and too foolish to even hope he’d say yes?
He was quiet for a long moment. I started to say something, but he held a finger to my lips. “You surprised me. I don’t know what to say.”
My heart pounded. “Don’t tell me you’ve already married Delores?” That would be so awful, to think I’d come all the way here and made a fool of myself all for nothing.
Finally, he shook his head. “No. I didn’t marry Delores. She finally admitted the baby is more than likely Louie’s. She admitted she’d rather marry me because I was a big star and wealthy, but when I pressed her, she said this was too big a lie to continue. I have to admire her for that. She claimed Louie has agreed to marry her, and if her mother agrees to plan a quick wedding, that will probably happen soon.”
I felt much better, but he still hadn’t answered me. I leaned down and picked up my bag. “If you don’t want to marry me, I will understand, but I had to ask before—"
He smiled. “Before I married her?”
“Yes.” I stood there, first on one foot, then the other, wondering what he’d say.
He rubbed his chin. “I hadn’t thought about getting married so soon. I’m busy spending all my time perfecting my skills. You know how much I want to be captain.”
“I do,” I said, almost giggling when I realized what I’d said. “So, you don’t love me?”
“I do love you—” His eyes looked deep into mine. I could tell he meant it. “but I can’t pay you the amount of attention a wife would deserve while I’m on the way up.”
“I can understand that.” My heart dropped to the bottom of my chest. But wait, I wasn’t going to accept defeat yet. “You said you love me. Isn’t that the most important thing? I can wait until the season’s over and travel with you to all your games in the future. I’ll understand if you have to spend most of your time practicing. That’s how you’ll stay the great player you are.”
He smiled. “Thanks. Will you give me some time to think about it?”
I nodded. “I have to be back to work by Monday morning.”
“I wish you could stay longer. We have an important game Saturday, and I need to practice all day tomorrow.”
“That’s okay. Will you just drive me to a hotel?”
He rubbed his thigh. “Certainly, but I have to rest up for tomorrow. Coach always makes us work out hard the day before a game. However, I’ll take you out to dinner tomorrow night.”
He made a phone call, then led me to his Ferrari, and opened the door for me. He slid behind the wheel and yawned. He put his arm around my shoulders and hugged me. “I’m sorry not to be better company for you.”
At the hotel, he carried my bag to the room and unlocked the door. After setting my bag down inside, he took me in his arms and kissed me, filling my heart with hope. He gave me one last quick kiss, said, “I love you,” and walked out.
I didn’t think I’d be able to sleep, but after getting up so early, I drifted off quickly.
The next morning, I was too anxious to take more than small servings from the buffet. All day I waited on pins and needles. There wasn’t anything more I could say to persuade him. He had to want to marry me or things would never work out.
At five o’clock, I put on my black lace bra and panties, donned the gold dress, and spritzed on some perfume. I hoped he liked it. But more than that, I hoped he cared enough for me to make a success of marriage. If not, I’d go back home and finish my degree. I could always do a little travel writing on the side. I waited. And waited.
Finally, at seven o’clock, a knock on the door set my pulse racing. I opened it. He looked stunning in his gray suit and paisley tie. He took my hand and pulled me to him. After one heart-wrenching kiss, he pulled back. “I’ve never been proposed to, but I think I like it. You have shown me there’s more to life than sports and being a prince. And yes, I love you, and I do want to marry you, but not until the season is over. Monterra isn’t playing in the World Cup Tournament, but I’d like to watch it with you.”
“And,” he pulled out a gray velvet box. “I want you to wear my ring.” His eyes focused on my face as I opened it to find the most gorgeous diamond ring I had even seen. It had a center stone and seven tiny petal-shaped diamonds radiating from it.
“Oh, it’s beautiful.”
“I want nothing but the most exquisite ring for you. I had it specially designed by a master jeweler in Imperia. He had to specially cut the petal shapes. That’s why I’m so late. If we get married in your town, then my mother will want to plan an extravagant reception here afterwards.”
“But your mother didn’t’ seem to like me. I thought she preferred Delores.”
“That was before she learned Delores was trying to trick me into believing she carried my baby. I’m sure she will welcome you into the family like she did Armando’s girlfriend, Danielle. Now, if you want to get married at the palace, I’ll be happy to pay for your family to fly here to be with you. How does that sound?”
I looked at his beaming smile, and my heart overflowed with happiness. “That sounds wonderful. Now, before we go out to dinner, how about a kiss to seal the deal?”
Of course, with Mario, one kiss was never enough, but after I had been thoroughly kissed, I floated to his Ferrari, filled with happy thoughts of all the kisses and more to come.