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Ryder - The Law is on Our Side
Gran’s plan involves me in a three-piece suit, but since it’s late on a Sunday, we have to settle for dark jeans and a fitted button-down shirt. It’s fancier than I ever get, so even though she wanted a three-piece suit she concedes this looks pretty good too.
“We can save the three-piece for the actual wedding,” Gran says, as she pulls up in front of Denise’s place.
Oh, didn’t I mention? Gran’s plan was a well thought out proposal. Well, a somewhat planned, last-minute proposal that has about an 87% chance of failing, but a proposal just the same. In that respect the jeans and button-down shirt are a vast improvement on my last proposal. Then again, pretty much anything would be an improvement on being half naked with my dick and balls popping out the top of my boxers.
Gran is more well connected in this town that I am and within two hours of leaving her place I have a plan, assistance in the form of Aiden and Devon (thanks to Gladys calling them from my phone), and a ring. I also have a team of assorted friends setting up a location for the proposal to happen.
All I need to come up with on my own is what to say. And a way to get Denise there.
“Well, Gran.” I let out a deep breath and wipe my sweaty palms on my jeans. “This is it. Wish me luck.”
Gran reaches out and grabs my hand. “Just tell her how you feel, kiddo. Tell her what you told me. You’ve been acting like a fuck up for a while now, but underneath that you are a good man, with a good heart, and I know you will take care of that girl, and that baby. If an old lady’s opinion matters at all, I think you will make an excellent husband and an even better father.”
I lean over the console and pull her in for a hug. “Your opinion means the world to me, Gran. Thank you for everything. I’ll see you there.”
She pats me on the back before I pull away and get out of the car. Aiden and Devon walk over to me. They were nice enough to drive my car over for me and Devon passes me the keys now.
“You ready?” Aiden asks. “There’s no room for confusion now. Make sure she knows you are an option, and then she can decide if you are the option she wants.”
“What if she doesn’t want me? What if I ask and she says no?”
“That is a distinct possibility, especially based on your past behaviour,” Devon says. “But I don’t think that’s what’s going to happen.”
I send them off to the location too, leaving me standing alone in front of Denise’s place. Good thing she has her curtains drawn or she would have seen us all having a meeting in her driveway. It’d be pretty hard to deny something was going on if she looked out and saw us standing there chatting for no reason.
While walking up to her front porch, I nearly wear holes in my pants from wiping my sweaty palms so much. Not to mention I’ve almost ripped my lip ring out three times in the last minute and a half, just from pushing it back and forth with my tongue. I wish I’d thought to bring flowers with me, but we had them all delivered to the venue. At least I remembered to keep the ring with me.
The jeweller Gran knows specializes in alternative style jewellery, which is how I was able to find the perfect ring for Denise. It’s black gold, with a multicoloured stone that the jeweller somewhat condescendingly informed me is alexandrite. If I didn’t want this particular ring so badly, and if this dude wasn’t friends with Gran, I might have punched him in the face for that. But I kept my temper and left with the ring that I’m now going to propose with.
Gran’s plan, the one that everyone has helped to put together, is that I convince Denise to come with me somewhere else to talk and then I propose there where everyone else is waiting. That public proposal worked for Connor and Alex, but my situation with Denise is different. For one thing, there’s a very good chance she is going to say no. And for another, I have to make her believe that she’s not trapping me into something I don’t want. Neither of those situations are things that require an audience.
Just as I raise my hand to knock on Denise’s door, it flies open and I’m standing there, looking like I’m about to knock on her face.
“Oh!” she says in surprise. “I was just coming to find you. I called but Gladys answered and said you were out with your Gran. Oh, she also told me to tell you she’s disappointed with the lack of dick pics in your phone. She was hoping to ‘get a peek at the goods’. That woman is obsessed. You should just show her your dick and get it over with.”
I laugh. Of course Gladys would snoop through my phone looking for dick pics.
“Fucking Gladys,” I say, shaking my head. “She is persistent, I’ll give her that.”
We stand awkwardly for a minute.
“So, can I come-”
“Do you want to come-”
We both laugh.
“Yes, I’d love to come in, thanks.”
Denise turns and walks inside, and I follow. When I close the door, I make sure to lock it. Even if Andrew is supposed to be in prison, I’d rather be safe. And by that, I mean I want Denise to be safe.
“So, I have some awesome news,” Denise starts. “But first, do you want anything to drink? Are you hungry?”
While it’s true that I haven’t eaten much today, I’m so nervous I don’t think I could get any food down if I tried. I flick my lip ring back and forth and just shake my head to say no.
“OK, well come have a seat.” She sits on the couch and pats her hand on the spot beside her. “So, I talked to my lawyer today. Apparently you don’t need to claim my baby as yours in order to keep Andrew away. Since he’s already denied that the baby is his, and since I don’t plan on naming him on the birth certificate, it’s unlikely that he’ll come after me for custody. Add to that the fact that he is going to jail, and that I’m getting a restraining order against him, there’s no way he could get custody even if he tried. Isn’t that great? Now you won’t be stuck with me!”
What? Is that what she’s been thinking this whole time? She thought I was pretending to have feelings so that I could keep her safe from Andrew? That doesn’t even make any sense.
“I don’t understand,” I say softly, after an uncomfortable silence. “You think I’ve just been pretending ever since you told me about the baby?”
“Well… yeah, I guess.” She doesn’t seem so sure now. Thank god. This is my opening and I plan to make the most of it.
“Denise, I’ve only ever pretended tonothave feelings for you. My feelings for you are very real. In fact…”
