Total pages in book: 16
Estimated words: 14818 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 74(@200wpm)___ 59(@250wpm)___ 49(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 14818 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 74(@200wpm)___ 59(@250wpm)___ 49(@300wpm)
Huh? Something’s off. “Mindy, you’re allergic to seafood.”
Her face turns red, eyes blinking slowly. “Oh? Since when?”
“Since you were born. The last time you accidentally ate prawn, you kept scratching at your throat. Remember? Your lips were so puffy, you couldn’t even get a word out.”
Mindy’s eyes widen, and she bursts into laughter. “Oh my God. I remember. I was on a date! He panicked and called the first name on my call log.”
This time, I’m laughing hard too. “And when the ambulance took you to the hospital, he said maybe you wouldn’t work together.”
“I almost gave him a heart attack.”
“The paramedics said he was white as a sheet and cold all over. There was swelling on his forehead the size of a blueberry after you accidentally bumped your head into him.”
It takes us a few minutes before our laughter subsides, both of us wiping our eyes, careful not to smudge our makeup.
The food arrives. All of a sudden, I don’t care how much this meal costs because it’s so good that I almost forget my middle name. We’re both so full that we opt to just share a scoop of fried ice cream. Yes, it’s fried because if we’re going to eat anything unhealthy, we might as well go all the way.
“Oof, I’ll just go to the bathroom real quick.” Mindy darts her eyes behind me before rushing to get up.
“Wait. We should go together.”
“No. They might think we’re trying to escape the bill.”
What the heck? Is that my cue to foot the bill?
I dig through my purse for my wallet when I feel a shift in the air, like the entire place hushes and holds its breath. Lifting my head, I look around for the source. Is it a celebrity? The President? Is someone proposing or—
Oh. Oh.
Butterflies flutter in my belly when my gaze lands on Mika, wearing a three-piece suit—which has me drooling by the way—and the sweetest, most apex-clenching smile I’ve ever seen on his face.
The other patrons swing their gazes at him, casting him amused looks, tracking his movement toward me.
Maybe it’s the food or the nerves, but watching him come closer makes my pulse pound in my temples.
“Hi, doll.”
I tilt my head to smile at him. “Hi, Mika. Come join us. Mindy’s in the bathroom.”
His smile only grows wider. Instead of sitting across from me, he lowers his massive body. For a moment, I’m confused. But then, I realize he’s dropping on one knee.
Jesus. Is this what I think this is? Or is my imagination running wild again?
“Mika?” My tone is uncertain, but I’m firing on all synapses, my thoughts and emotions on overdrive.
The air between us is thick and charged, and I eye him, hungrily devouring every detail of this moment and committing it to memory.
“Max, today’s the only day I ever lied to you, and it’s because I had to pull this off. I wasn’t on duty. I wasn’t at work. I spent two hours looking for the perfect ring and the rest of the day, anxiously waiting for this moment.”
He hooks a finger under my chin and kisses my forehead. “I fell in love with you I think the moment you fell on me.”
Despite the sting behind my eyes, I laugh softly and pinch his shoulder playfully.
“I’m glad you realized we deserve to be happy just like everyone else. Because I promise you, doll, I’ll spend every single day of my life making you glad you chose me, you chose us.” Mike runs a knuckle along my jaw. “My father once told me that sometimes you just know. And I knew. I knew when I first saw you that you’d belong to me. I love you.”
Tears stream down my face, and at this point, I don’t care anymore if my makeup is a mess. “I love you too, Mika.”
“Now…” He takes out a small red box and opens it, revealing a princess-cut diamond ring. “Will you give this man the honor of becoming his wife? Max Melnik sounds pretty cool, don’t you think?”
I tug him closer to me and wrap my arms around him, burying my face in the crook of his neck. “Yes, Mika. I’ll marry you.”
Mika breaks away only to crash his lips to mine. I faintly hear the sound of cheering and applause, but I’m too far gone in the kiss to pay them any mind.
EPILOGUE
MAX
“Max, it’s just a check-up.” Mika sits beside me on the couch and drapes an arm over the backseat. I snuggle closer and rest my cheek on his hard chest.
“And it’s just flu.”
“Let’s just play it safe, okay? In and out. We don't even have to wait because I already set an appointment with Dr. Kim. He's a buddy of mine.”
“Then call him and ask him for meds. I'm not going to the hospital. They're just gonna stick a needle up my ass.”