Why Not?

Jeremy started laughing before he continued, shrugging his shoulders. "Emily is a friend of Sam's. He introduced us and she's been helping me out."

"Helping you with what?" Stevie frowned, unsure what it was he was trying to tell her. 

"She was meant to stay a secret. I know that it caused you to question me, you probably thought I was with her behind your back, but actually... She is sort of a planner."

"What planner? Would you just explain it properly already?" She was getting more and more confused by the second.

"I've had a lot of work lately and I needed help. I let Sam in on my plans and he said he knew a woman right for the job. She had booked two tickets to Aspen, Colorado in October, she found us a beautiful little cabin for the weekend, she made phone calls to have bouquets of your favorite flowers overflowing it, she is still on search for a chef to cook us food while we're there, she's looking for activities and calling me about what she finds... She also found me a jeweler, who's considered to be one of the best in the whole of the United States, with whom she set a meeting for me, so I could talk to him, tell him about you and... he is creating the perfect engagement ring that I was going to give you during our stay in Aspen."

"You were going to propose to me..." She covered her mouth with a hand, dissolving into a crying mess again. "Oh my God, I can't believe this! I've ruined the whole thing and you've put so much into it. I screwed it up!"

"Well, kind of." Jeremy nodded, but he smiled at her, brushing loose hair out of her face. "But it's okay, maybe it wasn't meant to be."

"No, don't say that!" Stevie shook her head to emphasize. She got down on the floor with him, straddling his legs. "I'm so sorry, I can't tell you enough how sorry I am that I didn't trust you. Oh God..." 

He wrapped his arms around her, rubbing her back in hope to calm her down. "I should have known, no, I knew that it was very risky, Sam told me that right away, but I just... I wanted to surprise you. That first time, when we were at Mick's, I didn't lie to you, saying I had no idea who the person calling and texting me was, I honestly forgot her name. Then I couldn't exactly bring Emily home to discuss those things while you were around. I know that you also answered my phone once and she basically hung up on you and she feels horrible about it, but she didn't want anything to slip or to cause me trouble."

Stevie drew back enough to be able to look him in the eyes, having calmed down some. "You really love me, don't you?"

Before replying, Jeremy left a small kiss on her lips, tangling his fingers in her hair. "So much. I'm beginning to realize that I fell for you way before than the last Christmas. We've known each other for about two years and I can't say it was love at first sight, because you absolutely frightened me to death, I didn't know how to act around you." He laughed and she smiled at him lovingly. "But I think it didn't take me long after we started, you know... seeing each other. There truly is no other like you, Stephanie. Everyone expects a man to be with a younger woman, but I think that's bullshit. I don't care that there are those twenty seven years between us. What I do care is that you're beautiful, inside and out, that you're caring, that you put everyone else before yourself. That at first you get to know people, before voicing your opinion about them. I loved how you were with my daughter, which honestly, is the most important thing to me. And I love all your quirky little things that you do, I love that you're so carefree and uplifting. I know that you get tired from all of it too, but it's only natural. I always wish to be with you every day, that once you walk off the stage, I could, I don't know... give you a hug and kiss you, and tell you how great you did out there. When we got back to the hotel room, I would run you a bath, with bubbles and light up candles, then give you a massage to relieve all the tension in your muscles. I love living with you. I've tried this a few times before, but it never felt so homey, like it does with you. I love that you hate waking up early, because while I get ready to leave for work, I get to watch you sleeping peacefully, and sometimes it's so obvious you're dreaming about something, that you start smiling or your eyebrows are knitted and I try to figure out if I should wake you up or not. I love how you forget Sulamith is not a person and you talk to her and ask her things as if she's going to answer and help you out with something. I love that even though you're a worldwide superstar, you come home and you put on your slippers, wear something entirely too big for you, put your hair in that messy bun and cook us dinner. And I love that at the end of the day, when we lie in bed together, your face is the last thing I see before I fall asleep."

The moment he stopped talking, she crashed her mouth over his, kissing him almost in a desperate manner, clinging onto him with her arms and legs as he too held her close to himself, reciprocating her kiss.

"We can still do it." Stevie pecked him again. "We can go along with your wonderful plan, go to Aspen and spend that weekend there."

"Really?"

She nodded eagerly. "Yes, God yes, please!"

"I will propose to you, you know?"

She laughed, cradling his face in the palms of her hands. "I hope you do."

"If I had that ring already, I would do it now."

"It can wait, but I'm already saying yes, so you don't have to get nervous and worry about my answer."

"I can't wait." Jeremy smiled brightly.

"I can't wait either, honey." She returned his smile and engaged him in another passionate, sensual kiss.