Eastlyn
“To summer!” We raise our glasses.
“I can’t believe we made it through another year unscathed,” Kami says, as we clink our wineglasses in the middle of the table. “Well, almost…” She looks over at me with sad eyes. “We’re gonna miss you around the school, kid.”
“We sure the heck are,” Bev says. “Luckily Mr. Graves turned out to be pretty awesome to work for and worth a little job change, eh?” she says, winking at me.
“Truth.” I raise my last bit of wine, drinking it down with a laugh.
“We’re going to miss seeing you every day, and trying to catch you and the boss in action,” Marcy chimes in, howling.
“And that’s why I’m outta here.” I raise my glass again, and they laugh louder.
“Are you sure you can’t stay with us tonight?” Marcy asks, and I feel guilty for a fraction of a second until I remember all of Coy’s filthy promises, the ones he made to me before leaving us all here a few hours ago. He had excused himself, saying he was meeting friends of his for a drink, too. But I knew he just didn’t want his staff to feel they couldn’t let loose with their boss around.
“Sorry. Rain check. I have a hot date that I can’t miss. But you guys know we’ll still see each other all the time,” I say, standing and placing a stack of bills on the table.
“Shit,” Kami says, looking at her phone, “I have to go, too. I didn’t realize the time.”
“Not you too, Kam?” Bev whines.
“Yeah, my ride’s here.” Kami eyes me as we wave goodbye to our colleagues and make our way to the front.
“Hey. You and your mystery driver heading my way?” I ask jokingly, fully prepared to take a cab like I’d planned. I’d only ended up having two glasses of wine, but I know how we ladies can be sometimes when we get together so I’d planned ahead, despite Coy offering to come back and get me a hundred times before he finally left.
“Sure. I don’t think he’ll mind,” Kami says, giving me a guilty smile, and that’s when I see my brother’s Jeep as it pulls up right in front of us.
“You’re such a shit,” I say, and she shrugs, a nervous smile on her pretty face. “We will be discussing this, Kamalot,” I scold, before climbing up and greeting my brother with a kiss to the cheek and a quiet threat of injury if this—whatever this is that’s going on between them—goes for shit because of him. Then I smile brightly, taking my seat in the back and letting Kami in.
*
Slipping through the unlocked door Coy had left open for me in case I was later than I’d planned to be, I’m excited to tell him about who drove me home.
But then I see what looks like a trail leading from the front door farther into the house.
It’s a pathway made of rainbow cake sprinkles.
Making sure the door’s locked behind me, I feel a wave of excitement overtake my stomach when I see a small note lying in the sprinkles trail just beyond the foyer. Leaning over, I read the note and swoon…
Sprinkles,
Follow the path to find me.
I’ve been waiting too damn long for you.
Hurry!
C.
Picking up the letter, I clutch it to my chest and scurry along the path like a freaking squirrel gathering nuts for the winter, because I cannot wait to see him. The trail leads me past the living room, into the kitchen, and down the hall. It ends at McCoy’s closed bedroom door, which I pretty much slam myself into. Sighing, I take a deep breath to regain my composure (a little) before opening the door. My hands are shaking and sweaty—suddenly I’m nervous. I’m thinking that maybe I should have had that extra glass of wine Bev offered me earlier, but then remember he’s waiting for me.
Opening the door, I walk in and feel my excitement waver. Scanning the deep grey and cherrywood-furnished space, I see he’s not in here. Looking down, I stifle a laugh, seeing the trail of sprinkles continuing towards his king-size bed. I feel my face pulling into an ear-to-ear grin when I see a familiar-style gift basket situated in the centre of the bed. Waiting for me. Moving to the bed, my heart thumps in my chest, the sound pounding wildly in my ears. I can barely breathe as I climb onto the mattress and peer inside the basket.
Removing the cellophane wrap, I start to pull out item after item, unable to contain my laughter as I uncover each hidden treasure.
There’s a key on a silver ring with the initial “E” and a keychain that says “Home” attached. A rush of excitement at having my own key to McCoy’s and its potential meaning has me giddy. I again look around the room, wondering if he’ll suddenly appear and ask me to move in with him. Realizing he’s still not coming, I reach in and pull out a few more things, including a toothbrush that I try not to read too much into.
Next, there’s a pink fishing lure, and I roll my eyes, knowing how badly he wants to take me fishing again this summer.
A gift card for Laser Quest that makes me shake my head, remembering how much fun I’d had with him the last time we’d gone. And how I can’t wait to see what he’ll do to me in the dark this time.
A pint of strawberries that has me clenching my thighs.
A bag of plain Lay’s potato chips that makes me laugh out loud. My cheeks heat as memories of a certain night pop into mind. This man.
Placing each item gently on the bed, I can’t hide how much fun I’m having or how much I love him—and the crazy little things he does for me. Lifting up a piece of tissue paper, I pause, a bit thrown off at seeing the next item: a diary.
Taking it in, I feel my eyes start to water and my nose tingle with a familiar twitchy sensation as I run my finger along the cover where the words, “Our Beginning”, are embossed in a beautiful Valeria script that stands out from the photo of rainbow cake sprinkles which decorate the book’s cover. The cover easily makes this the best diary I’ve ever seen. Without thinking, I open it and gasp, seeing today’s date on the top and an entry written in his handwriting:
Dear Diary,
Dearest Sprinkles,
I have something of yours; in fact, I have two things. One I’m willing to give back and the other I’m hoping you’ll let me keep if I promise to take care of it this time. And I’m hoping this diary and the way I feel for you will inspire a slew of new entries, ones that involve you living here with me as we make a new beginning…ours.
I smile, thrilled that I was right about the meaning behind the key and toothbrush.
I want you to write about the days where I teach you new things, like how to really bait your hook and how to become a real laser sharpshooter while you try to run from me in the dark.
I want you to keep a list of all the foods we splosh, so I can peek and see which ones to buy over and over again. To make you come over and over again.
Finally, I want nights where we sit on the couch, snuggling, sharing our lives before we watch movies—you eating your brand of potato chips and me eating mine. ;)
Most of all, I want this diary to be filled with us.
I love you,
McCoy
I giggle, unable to keep tears from falling. That’s when I hear the bathroom door click, and his voice penetrates the room.
“That. That laugh right there is the sound I want to hear for the rest of my life,” Coy says, and I look up, my eyes blurry with happy tears as I take him in. But it isn’t how hot he looks in his green cargo shorts and tight-fitting black T-shirt that has me at a loss for words. It’s what he’s holding in his right hand that steals it all: my words, my breath, and what little control I’d been hanging on to. They all flee as reality sets in. My body starts to shake as adrenaline hits me. Watching McCoy, I shake my head in disbelief as he carefully lays several books in a stack on the dresser’s top and moves a few steps in my direction. Darting my eyes between Coy and the dresser, I can’t help but laugh when I realize he’s been holding on to one of my old friends for who knows how long. It’s May!
“Before I explain this,” he taps one of her top covers gently, “do me a favour and look in the basket. There’s one more thing I want to give you,” he says quietly, and I can tell he’s nervous. Without question, I look in the bottom of the basket. When I shift the tissue paper, I see it immediately—a black velvet box.
Picking it up, my hands are trembling so hard that I almost drop it back inside.
“Open it,” Coy says, and I turn to look at him. He’s down on his knees and he’s inched his way over to meet me more than halfway across the carpeted floor. And with a rush of pure uninhibited love, I slip off the bed and meet him the rest of the way, not even bothering to open the box. It doesn’t matter what’s inside, what matters is right here in front of me.
“Coy.” My voice is a whisper, his blue eyes like magnets catching and holding mine. The small velvet box remains clutched in my grasp as I watch his Adam’s apple bobbing with nerves. I’ve never felt as much love for one person as I do right now. As we sit in the middle of his bedroom floor, knees touching knees, I know he’s about to give me what I never dreamed I’d ever get with the one person I wanted most. Him. His voice is overcome with the same emotion I feel.
“Marry me, Sprinkles?”
“Yes,” I say, without hesitation, nodding my head up and down repeatedly as tears threaten to fall once again.
“I found your books in one of my boxes.” He cups my face in his hand. “I guess they got shoved in with my stuff by mistake when your parents redid the basement.”
May. He’s talking about May, I realize.
“Anyway, I tried not to read any of your diaries, but one day I caved. I’d been thinking about you, and I couldn’t stop myself. I needed to know if coming back here was going to be worth it. I needed to know if I actually stood a chance with you. It was the push I needed. Well, the first two diaries were…” he says.
I laugh, because I know that after filling up two of May’s notebooks with rants and raves about Coy, I gave up for a while and tried to talk about some other guys, hoping it would help me forget him.
“I had to stop when you started writing about those other guys. It made me crazy.” He kisses me softly. “I’m sorry I read them.”
“I’m not. If it helped us get here, I’m glad you did.” I wrap my arms around his neck, holding him tight. “I’ve really only ever wanted this.”
“Fuck, I love you,” he says, determined.
“I love you, too. Like I said…”—a sob escapes, my emotions getting the better of me—“…I always have,” I say honestly.
Reaching up, he runs his thumb along my cheek and catches a tear. He looks at me with such intense love and tenderness before giving me a lopsided grin, the one I’ve fallen so madly in love with, that it makes me beam with happiness.
“I’ll tell you every fucking day if it makes you look at me like that.” He runs his thumb over my lips and I lean forward, pulling him in to kiss me. Then he takes over, lifting me up until I’m straddling him, and resumes kissing me like it’s the only thing that matters.
Reaching down to take my hand in his, he lifts my palm and unclenches it, revealing the still-unopened box. “Don’t you want to see your ring?” He cocks his head to the side, a boyish smile crossing his lips.
“I forgot!” I cover my mouth, feeling nervous as he lifts up the lid. Our eyes catch, then travel down together. I gasp when I see a band with a stunning Celtic knot, adorned with a beautiful princess cut diamond sparkling in its centre.
“It’s gorgeous.”
“I can’t wait to make you my wife,” he says, slipping the ring out of its holder and sliding the symbol of our new beginning onto my third finger.
I can’t help starting to laugh.
“What’s so funny?” he asks, nipping at my bottom lip.
“I’m thinking of my mom.”
“Really? Right now?” He gives me a strange look as he starts to lift off my shirt. Tossing it aside, the look on his face makes me laugh even harder. “Glad I’m keeping the spark alive, baby.” He licks my neck and growls, grabbing and tweaking my nipples after he unclasps my bra. “Do I need to get the strawberries and teach you another lesson?”
“You were always a good teacher,” I say, and bite his lip back before leaning up to take the container of fresh berries off the bed. “But seriously…I was wondering what kind of cake Mom’s going to bake us once we tell her the news,” I say, and feel him chuckling against my neck.
“I can only imagine.”
“I bet it’ll be some crazy wedding dress cake, or wedding rings,” I say, rolling my eyes. I pull his shirt up and over his head, letting our skin touch the way I love.
“I bet it’s a rattle,” he says against my nipple before gently biting it, making me moan.
“Oh, shit, you’re right,” I say. “It’s so going to be a rattle…”
Picking up a bright red strawberry, Coy drags his tongue over it before running it along my lips. “Shh, baby. Whatever it is, it’s fine with me. As long as we can bring the leftovers home so I can splosh the fuck out of you with them, I’ll be happy.
“I like the sound of that,” I tell him, as he lowers me back onto the carpet.
“No matter what it is—a dress, rings, whatever—I say as long as there are leftovers, it’s all good. Now be a good girl and stay still while I master my craft,” he demands, taking my mouth with his, simply accepting the inevitability of Katie Hatfield and the boatload of crazy he’s just committed to being a part of for the rest of his life. Then he covers my body in strawberries and starts to eat me as though I’m the cake itself.
And who am I to deny Coy from perfecting his art form? I lay back and reap the benefits of my fiancé and his kinky little fetish that we’ve both come to love.
In the end, I think if you were to ask that same collective group—the infamous They—about my relationship with McCoy Graves now, they would say that not only is he the Rachel to my Ross, but he’s my reason. I can almost picture Their smug faces when they find out I just got my fairytale ending with McCoy Graves, my not-so-jerky brother’s best friend.
The ending I think They (those smug bastards!) knew I was going to get all along.
I guess you could say where love and I are concerned, in spite of my resistance, love most definitely won. Not only did it win, it totally kicked my ass.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a cake to frost.
The End