Pretty In Ink (17 page)

STEVIE

I gazed around the room. Wilson, his parents, Blake, Riley, Jaye, Lightning, Andrew, and both of my parents were all gathered in Wilson’s office. Considering how they were all dressed, I felt like a complete fool. Clutching the envelopes in my hand, I reluctantly took a step into the office.

Dressed in a black tuxedo, Wilson hurried to my side.

“You brought my parents to Andrew’s party?” I whispered as he leaned forward to give me a kiss.

“Don’t be angry. And you may be surprised. They’ve both recently completed a treatment program at the Betty Ford Clinic. They went together,” he whispered in my ear.

I leaned back and studied his face. “Are you fucking serious?”

He nodded his head. “It was pretty difficult to convince your father to go, but he eventually agreed. He’s doing quite well, just celebrated his sixtieth day of sobriety.”

“Holy crap,” I gasped.

My parents looked better than they had in years. I hadn’t seen them in the same room as each other since I was a toddler, and it was almost impossible to even comprehend. All eyes were on us, and I was obviously the hold up on the party getting started, but I still had no idea why I had to jump through so many hoops to find out about it. As I began to wonder if everyone else had to do the same thing, Wilson turned toward his private bathroom and released my hand.

“There’s a dress in there for you. Put it on,” he said with a nod of his head.

Still clutching the cards in my hand and feeling nervous, I walked into the bathroom and closed the door. Hanging on the back of the door was a beautiful sleeveless ivory colored lace dress decorated with small beads and jewels. It was gorgeous, and I probably would have picked it out of a million others if I had to choose one myself.

You did good, Wilson.

I got undressed, put on the dress, and fixed my hair in the mirror. Beside the vanity sat a pair of my Red-Bottoms. I slipped off my flip-flops, put on the shoes, and opened the door. Still clutching the cards in my hand, I stepped out into the room.

Wilson took my free hand and tugged against me.

“Follow me,” he said as he walked toward his desk.

Everyone seemed to be preoccupied, and could have cared less that I was there. I decided it wasn’t a party for me, and although I felt like I was the center of attention, the party was for Andrew. As I began to feel slightly foolish for my thoughts and feelings, Wilson released my hand and stepped onto his old desk.

“Ladies and gentlemen…”

All eyes turned toward Wilson.

“A few months ago, in this very office, on a day she was struggling with her feelings, the woman I love dearly came to her senses and told me for the very first time that she loved me. I, too, told her for the first time that I loved her in return. In this very office in which you’re standing,” he said with authority.

He paused, leaned down, and kissed me. As he stood back up, he held his hands in the air.

“And it is here that I decided would be the only place…could be the only place…” he paused and gazed into my eyes.

“The
only
place…”

What the fuck are you doing?

“Where I would ask the most beautiful woman to ever grace this earth…”

“If she would take my hand in marriage…”

My knees went weak.

And my throat went dry.

And the cards fell from my hand down to the floor.

“Stevie Satterfield, will you marry me?” he asked as he reached into jacket of his tuxedo.

He held a ring between his thumb and forefinger.

A tear began to roll down my cheek. I nodded my head and opened my mouth.

“Fuck yes, I will,” I whispered.

He jumped from his desk, landed on the floor beside me, and lifted my left hand. As he slipped the ring onto my finger, I felt myself begin to collapse.

Now cradled in his arms and facing the group, I watched in tears as everyone began to clap their hands.

I had never heard of anyone proposing to their wife in front of a group, but that sure didn’t make it wrong. Having his parents, my parents, and everyone we knew witness the occasion made it that much more special and memorable.

I gazed out at the crowd hoping that somehow the event could bring us all together as a family. After Wilson kissed me a few times in celebration, I felt better and nodded my head.

“You can put me down now,” I whispered.

As Wilson lowered me to the floor, Riley came running toward me full speed. She barely got stopped in time to keep from knocking me to the floor.

“Damn, girl. Excited much?” I asked.

“This is so fucking exciting. We’re
both
engaged,” she blurted.

“Congratulations,” she said.

“Thank you,” Wilson and I both responded.

Wilson’s father, who completely and wholly looked just like Wilson, only older, walked up and shook Wilson’s hand.

“Couldn’t be more proud of you,” he said as he shook Wilson’s hand.

“And to have the most beautiful woman in the world as my daughter?” he said as he turned and gave me a hug. “A dream come true, congratulations.”

“Oh, thank you,” I said.

“I’ll count the days,” he said.

“Me too,” I said with a smile.

As Wilson’s mother slowly began walking toward us, he and his father turned away with their arms around each other talking. I realized I would need to talk to her, but felt about half ill thinking about it. Although she had apologized since our arrival back in town, I still had ill feelings toward her, and suspected I always would. As I bit my lips and tried to force myself to forgive her, she held out her hand.

“I’d like to introduce myself,” she said as she reached for my hand. “I’m Constance, Asher’s mother. I’m so proud to have you become a member of the family, and to be able to call you my daughter.”

As she spoke, a tear escaped her eye and slowly rolled down her cheek. 

“Thank you,” I said. “And I’m Stevie. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“So proud,” she said as she released my hand.

I nodded my head and wiped my eyes.

You’re forgiven…

As she walked away, my father slowly walked in my direction. At his side, my mother followed.

“Congratulations,” my mother said.

“Thank you. I hate that you had to meet him this way, but…”

She shook her head. “I met him some time ago, dear. He came to the house and asked permission to marry you. He asked your father and me both. Such a nice man.”

My father nodded in acknowledgement. “Sixty days, Pumpkin.”

“So I heard. How do you feel?” I asked.

He lowered his head, paused, and slowly raised it. “Never better.”

“And you?” I asked my mother.

“Fifty-eight days,” she said. “I’d say I’m the same as your father, never better. For once in my life I feel clean inside. We’ll see I suppose, but I hope I can continue. If desire has anything to do with it, I can tell you I sure will.”

I shifted my eyes around the room, hoping I could keep from just losing it completely. My life, as fucked up as it had been at times, sure changed for the better; and all because I gave an unconventional man a chance at being what I was sure he didn’t have the capacity to be.

He proved me wrong.

Meeting Asher Wilson convinced me the perfect man is out there waiting for each and every one of us. He may be the exact opposite of what we’ve spent a lifetime looking for, but…

To find out for sure, all we have to do is give him a chance.