NEW YEAR’S EVE

 

The music blared from the sound system over the bar as more and more bodies piled into a cheerful Rosi’s. A long ago tradition started by his parents had been taken over by Cayden the same time he took over the restaurant.

Rosi’s New Year’s Eve Bash.

All of his friends were there amongst the crowd of happy patrons; all waiting to lead in the new year with good spirits and good friends.

Cayden looked around and found Anna sitting between his friends, a sight that warmed his heart even as he hoped to God that the guys wouldn’t be telling her stories of his horrid playboy past.

After one week of living with her, Cayden couldn’t imagine wanting someone else ever again. She was everything he wanted and more. She did small things that Cayden would never expect but appreciated nonetheless. Like the coffee she brought him in bed every morning, or the way she rubbed his shoulders when he seemed tense. Unfamiliar small acts that Cayden realized made up the contents of a relationship.

Over the past week emotions he had long since forgotten had pushed to the surface. The shock of terror every time he opened to find it organized within an inch of its life. Anna had even organized his small bookshelf alphabetically. The feeling of having a home instead of a house whenever she busied herself in the kitchen. Cayden had never realized that Anna was actually quite handy in the kitchen. And of course the overwhelming feeling of love every time she smiled at him punched him drunk. He still needed to learn that even though he wasn’t perfect Anna loved him anyway. He’d learn to live with all of it and her.

He caught her sky blue eyes watching him across the room and felt a grin spread across his face as he thought about their quickie before leaving for the party.

She couldn’t expect him to leave her alone when she wore a sexy little red dress, with fire hydrant red lips and fuck-me heels. Honestly, who could blame him? She couldn’t, he smirked to himself. She had an earth shattering orgasm and didn’t even need to touch up her make-up.

As he neared the table he felt a small sense of satisfaction as she talked with his friends.

“Cayden, where have you been hiding her?” Skye asked as she lovingly stroked a forefinger over her newborn baby’s cheek. Garret’s baby was born on Christmas day and even though Cayden would’ve never guessed, being a father suited him. His friend stood taller, smiled broader and was even more in love with his wife than on the day of their wedding.

“I told you, I needed to work some things out first.”

“I’m glad you did.” Garret said slapping him on the back. “Because if you didn’t, a certain friend of yours would’ve. Stefan’s been all over her like butter on bread.”

Stefan laughed cockily. “I have not been all over her.” He turned to Anna, “have I?”

Anna laughed, “no you haven’t, although you could stop the twenty questions.”

“Just looking out for Cayden.” Stefan winked at Anna.

“They’re not too much?” Cayden asked as he sat down next to Anna.

She picked up her glass of wine and smiled at him conspiratorially. “Too much? Well I must say having FAWN sit next to me was a bit of a shock. You could’ve at least prepared me for that.”

Next to them FAWN burst out laughing. “Honestly, you’d think I need to be in a gilded cage at all times. Seriously I’m just another person, at just another New Year’s Party.”

Seth pulled FAWN closer for a squeeze. “But you’re not babe, you’re famous and people find it hard to relate with you being so awesome.” Seth turned to Cayden. “Do you maybe have a gilded box we can put here for the rest of the evening? We can make her sell autographs for free booze.”

Cayden laughed as FAWN playfully swatted Seth’s arm. “Honestly, you’re incorrigible.”

Anna laughed and touched FAWN’s hand. “Don’t worry I won’t let them put you in a cage, at least not until you’ve finished telling me about your new folk album that’s coming out in the spring.”

“I’d love to.” FAWN said turning away from Seth.

A tiny cry of discomfort pulled everyone’s attention back to the baby in Skye’s arms. He looked so tiny.

“So have you decided on a name?” Cayden asked.

Skye and Garret looked at each other before they started laughing.

“It’s a tossup.” Garret said. “I want to call him Duke and she wants to call him Julius.”

“Duke as in Dukes of Hazard and Julius as in Julius Caesar?” Stefan quipped.

“Yup.” Garrett shrugged. “It’s hard man, knowing he’s got to live with it for the rest of his life.”

“Well I’d say it’s quite easy.” Cole said from the other side of the table, where he had his arms slung around Rose’s chair. Cayden was glad they had decided to join them for New Year’s. They’re relationship had started amidst a serial killer targeting their neighborhood and Rose had almost been his last victim if it hadn’t been for Cole. “If you want the kid to be a clever bad-ass, you call him Duke Roth. It’s strong, it’s clever and the chicks will dig it.”

Stefan laughed, “And if you want the kid to be a strong leader with a wussy name you call him Julius Roth.” He smiled regretfully at Skye. “I’m sorry Skye but Julius is a wussy name. I vote for Duke.”

“Duke!” Seth called out lifting his beer in salute.

The baby made a happy sound and everyone laughed. “He must like it.” Skye said smiling down at him. “Hello little Duke Roth.”

“Cheers.” Everyone held up their glasses in salute to Duke’s official name.

One of FAWN’s songs started blaring through the speakers. A song about love and finding the right person for you.

Cayden had never been sweet but felt the moment called for it. He leaned into Anna and whispered in her ear. “Care to join me for a dance?”

Anna smiled back knowingly before taking his hand and leading him to the dance floor.

Cayden pushed a knee between hers, pulling her close as they started moving along to the beat. Her mysterious scent filled his senses once more as he slid his hands to her lower back.

“I’ve got to know Anna, what perfume you wear.” He whispered against her ear.

“Why?” Anna asked confused.

“Because it’s intoxicating and I haven’t found any perfume bottles around the house. So either it’s illegal or top secret.”

A laugh bubbled from her lips as she watched him amused. “Apparently all your wild playboy ways didn’t teach you everything.”

“They told you?” Cayden asked horrified. He knew his friends couldn’t keep their mouths shut.

“Some of it at least.” She smiled before leaning back into him, resting her head on his shoulder before whispering into his ear. “It’s not perfume…it’s a fragrance oil. The one I use is white musk.”

Cayden smiled into her hair. “Remind me to buy a truckload.”

They danced and swayed as the song ebbed and flowed through chorus and lyrics and for the first time Cayden was looking forward to entering the year ahead with someone.

The MC announced over the loudspeakers that the countdown was about to begin. Cayden pulled back and took Anna’s hand leading her up to the offices. “Cayden where are we going?” She asked rushing after him.

“I’ve got a surprise for you,” he said tugging her along the dark corridors of the empty offices.

“You painted the walls.” Anna exclaimed as she walked past her old desk.

Cayden briefly glanced at the light beige walls with the bold green and red stripe running along the middle of the wall about hip height. He had to admit it did look better than the ‘inside cow’ color it was before. “What can I say, you give good advice?”

“It looks wonderful! This is the perfect surprise.”

Cayden laughed. “That my dear Anna is not your surprise.”

He reached his office just as the crowd downstairs started counting down from ten.

“Ten…” came the voice over the loudspeaker below.

“Cayden what’s going on?” Anna asked confused standing in the exact same spot she did on the first day he met her.

Cayden pulled a small royal blue velvet box from his trousers and got down on one knee.

“Eight…” the crowd had all joined in the counting.

“Anna-Sophia Jackson, I think I fell in love with you the moment you stepped into this office. So it’s here where I first saw you I want to make you a proposition.”

“Six…”

“A proposition?” Anna asked confused.

“Someone told me life was for sharing and for loving. Would you be willing to love me and to share your life with me? I promise to commit to you and this relationship until the day I breathe my last breath.”

He watched her eyes brighten with happiness and moisture as the crowd chanted below. “Four.”

“Come on, Anna. What’s it going to be? Am I going into the New Year a committed man or not?” He grinned at her arrogantly and took out the ring.

The large solitaire diamond shone bright amongst the smaller sapphire stones.

“Of course.” Anna exclaimed as the crowd below burst into cheers.

Cayden pulled her in for a hot passionate kiss until the crowd quieted downstairs. He grabbed her hand and rushed downstairs, he headed straight for the bar where he grabbed the microphone and jumped onto the bar.

“Happy New Year Everyone!” He shouted to the entire exuberant crowd. “I just want to thank you all for joining in a true Rosi’s tradition and to celebrate even more I’d like to share something with you.”

He held out his hand for Anna and waited for her to join him on the bar, a little tricky exercise with her short tight red dress. When she finally stood next to him he kissed her fingers and looked into her eyes.

“My mother, who hopefully some of you still remember, always told me vows are something to be taken seriously. She had fond memories of the ones she took with my father.”

Salut rang out in respect for his parent’s memory throughout the crowd.

“And hopefully in a few months I will be saying the same vows to the woman I love.” Cayden turned to Anna and felt his heart nearly explode with love as he spoke. “May I never steal lie or cheat. But if I must steal, let me steal away your sorrows. If I must lie, let me lie with you all the nights of my life and if I must cheat, I’ll cheat death. Because I couldn’t live a day without you in this world or the next.”

Applause rang through the crowd but Cayden didn’t hear a single sound as he heard Anna softly whisper against his lips. “I love you.”

 

 

 

~THE END~