Killer Results

The proposal

The Proposal

POV David

The rest of our visit went quite well. As we were preparing to say our goodbyes, Samuel spoke up.

"I would like to speak to my daughter alone." He paused then looked at me. "If you could spare her for a few minutes."

I gave Lauren a side squeeze and whispered in her ear, "I'll just be in the kitchen with your mother, if you need me." Then kissed her head gently and assisted her mother with carrying out the trays to the kitchen.

As we entered the kitchen, I needed to speak to Mrs. Franklin before we left, and this was my opportunity.

"I'm glad I'll have a moment to speak with you Mrs. Franklin."

"Please call me Rose. Any man who can make my daughter so blissfully happy, can call me Rose." She smiled as she started to clear the remaining food on the dishes into the trash.

"That's a beautiful name. I can see why Lauren chose it for her daughter."

"You know about Michelle?" She paused and watched me as I approached her. I took the cleared dishes to the sink and started to wash them while she walked over to dry the ones I rinsed.

"Of course. I want to marry Lauren, I want to keep her and Michelle Rose safe. She is my everything and that's why I wanted to speak with you." I finished the last dish and shut the water off. "I want to take Lauren to City Hall at the end of the week to get married, but she needs her birth certificate, she'll need a dress and we'll need a witness. I know she'd want her parents there. Can you make that happen?"

She dried the last dish and set it off to the side. Then looked at me with two big beautiful blue eyes that matched Lauren's and said, "I would be honored."

She leaned towards me and hugged me. I wasn't sure how to respond. I never had a mom hug me. She released me, stepped back and asked. "How old were you when you lost your mom?"

"I never knew her." I wasn't sad, because I didn't know what I was missing, not having a mother. I just had a father and that was my normal.

"You're a good man. Your momma would have been so proud of you." She hugged me again and this time I returned the sentiment.

We left the kitchen with our plans for the end of the week decided.

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POV Lauren

When David and my mother left the room I was concerned about what was going to happen between my father and me, but our visit was going so well, I was hoping to end it on a high note. My father approached me and pulled me down on the couch, he spoke so quietly to me, I had to lean in to hear him.

"Are you happy with him Lauren? There was real concern in my poppa's voice. I couldn't believe he was worried about me.

"Poppa, he makes me feel so happy and safe." I felt like my voice was booming in comparison to his but I couldn't stop smiling. My poppa cared about me.

"Do you love him?" He reached out and held my hands, I didn't know how to answer. I knew that I had strong feelings for David and an overwhelming need for him. However, at the same time we didn't have the s****l relationship I had with my first real love if you could call it that, but it was a relationship or sorts.

"I don't know poppa, but I know my feelings for him are stronger then friends. He has been very good to me. And poppa, he has never, ever taken advantage of me. I feel safe with him." My feelings were truly never expressed out loud, even when my mother and I spoke of David earlier, it was more like schoolgirls speaking about a crush then the real thing.

"Then you have my blessing." Smiling he held his hand out and assisted me to stand but before he let me go, he embraced me. I stood shocked for a moment, my father was hugging me, this was something he hadn't done since I was a little girl.

"Thank you poppa, you don't know what this means to me to have your support." I couldn't hold back the tears that fell against my father's shoulder, as he held me in his arms. I missed my father so much, as angry as I was at him, I understood why he was forced to do what he did to protect our family. I needed to place my anger at the person truly responsible for all my pain and misfortune, Mr. Randal. 

"Never doubt my love, you'll always be my little girl Lauren." He quietly whispered in my ear. After a few more seconds he released me from our first hug in over a decade and pulled his pocket square out to remove the tear stains from my cheeks. 

David and my mother walked into the room as we were ready to step out.

"Is everything okay in here?" David's voice held an edge of concern, as he reached my side and wrapped his hand into mine.

"Everything is perfectly wonderful." My cheeks were beginning to hurt from all the smiling I'd been doing today. I don't know the last time I was this happy.

We all moved to say our farewells. David shook my father's hand and exchanged a few parting words and hugged my mother leaving her with a kiss on the cheek and a thank you for the visit. I hugged both my parents, promising another visit and a return with their grandchild. 

Then we left, my arm wrapped around David's arm, my shoulder pressed towards his shoulder. My body couldn't get any closer to this man while walking back to the car, but it wanted to. David was helping me, he was finding ways to mend my broken spirit. How would I ever repay the debt?

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Pillow talk

POV Lauren

The drive to the restaurant for dinner was a short one thankfully, we'd spent all afternoon with my family and I was ready to have David to myself. David handed the keys off to the valet and spoke to the doorman, while I watched a man unload our luggage. I was a bit confused, but I trusted he had everything handled.

"I thought we were here for dinner." I asked. David just smiled and offered me his arm. 

I happily wrapped my arm in the nook of his and followed where he led.

"The restaurant is inside the hotel we're staying at." As he walked forward though the lobby and towards the hotel's private entry to the bar area that served as a holding and meeting space for diners before being seated, I was spellbound by the overwhelming interior of the hotel's foyer. There were a number of huge crystal chandeliers, large leaf plants nestled in corners, bouquets of fresh flowers on every table space, plush rugs in the seating areas, and staff running steadily around meeting needs. This was a very nice hotel.    

"Wow. This place is beautiful." 

"I'm glad you like it, nothing but the best for you." David looked at me and smiled, "Making new memories, remember?" We entered the bar waiting area and stood by a small table waiting for the line at the Maitre D booth to lighten before we approached.

"These are becoming my best memories." I smiled back and stood on my tippy toes to brush a kiss on his lips. His arm slipped around my waist and I felt myself pressed firmly against his chest. He returned the kiss deeply, as I warmed to his embrace and reached for his face to pull him in. I wanted more, the pressure between us was building, rising and pressing against me.

"Lauren? Lauren, we have to stop." David pulled away from me. I resisted but he was right, we were standing in the corner of a very busy bar, of an upscale hotel, and I was behaving like a wanton woman. David leaned forward and whispered, "but only because this isn't the place." Then he winked at me and we took a few minutes to compose ourselves. This did require a little nonsense conversation to get our hormones in check.       

Finally we were able to have our reservations pulled and we were seated and our meals were ordered. 

"What would you like to do while we are here in New York this week?" David asked.

"I should ask, what do you have planned, you sneaky man." I wiggled my finger at him.

He laughed, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"How did you know where I lived?" I stared him down, I wanted to know the truth.

"I looked your parents up, called them and asked. That's also how they knew we were coming today." It was the truth. I wanted her parents to know that Lauren was being brought home today, but I failed to mention that she wasn't staying.

"What did you tell them?" I was confused, did he tell them what happened to me? I would've been mortified and disgraced if my father knew what those men did to me.

"I told them that I met a woman named Lauren, who I assumed was their daughter. That her situation had her away from home and that I would be honored to be the person to bring her back to her parents." David's smile radiates warmth as he reached his arm across the booth for my hands. "I just left out the part where I planned on keeping her for myself."

"You sly fox." The word came out sharp and in mid laugh. "My poor parents thought you were there to drop me off, and you stayed to bring me back home with you. No wonder they were so confused at the door!" The laughter that started to escape me, drew attention from other diners and I had to calm myself, but this was very much the David I was getting to know. "What did you tell my parents that got them to agree to me leaving with you?"

"That I was going to marry you?" 

That sobered me up fast. "What?"

"Lauren?" David, who had been holding my hands during the conversation, shifted his right hand lightly, and I could feel an object in my left hand. He then removed his hand from mine, exposing the delicate gold band with simple details edged into the smooth surface. It was plain at first glance, but upon further inspection I started to notice detailed patterns. Small lines twirled into vines and roses, all tying together, I couldn't take my eyes off it. It was stunning.

"It reminds me of you." David said, as I released his other hand to hold the ring under the light. I just couldn't take my eyes off it. Everytime I moved it, I saw more detail, more hidden beauty. Then, I realized what David had said.

"Me?" The ring reminded him of me. Plain at first, but the longer you study it, the more you see. "David, are you asking..." Before I could finish, David was already on one knee in front of me. I was so busy focusing on the ring, I missed his transition.

"Lauren, will you marry me?" His look was full of fear and excitement. I wanted this, I wanted this man in my life, I could only hope to be the woman that he needed as a wife. I nodded. The light from his face could have outshined the sun, he was brilliant. My fiancee was glowing.

"Yes. Yes. David." I dropped from the booth and wrapped my arms around him. I loved this man so much, I would do anything to make him happy.