I smiled. “That almost sounds romantic.”
“Don’t get used to it,” he said, grinning.
At first, dinner felt easy. He told me about a coworker whose fiancee wanted a destination wedding in Italy. I laughed. We shared dessert. At one point, he reached across the table and brushed his thumb over my wrist. Weddings
Everything felt normal and safe.
That was why I chose that moment.
I placed my fork down.
He looked up. “No?”
I shook my head. “I want something small. Just family. Maybe a backyard, maybe a courthouse. I don’t care. I just think after ten years, I’d like to make it official.”
His expression changed so quickly that it stunned me.
He lowered his fork, leaned back, and gave a short, cold laugh.
The room suddenly seemed sharper. Someone at a nearby table laughed too loudly. A server passed carrying a tray of drinks.
