Andy’s eyebrows shoot up.
‘In what?’
I gesture vaguely.
‘In the fountain,’ I say, like it’s not a big deal.
There’s a beat of silence. Then Andy laughs.
‘You fell in, didn’t you?’ he asks. He knows me so well. ‘How did you fall in the fountain?’
‘I was… admiring the water feature,’ I insist.
‘Whitney! That must have been freezing!’ Cordelia replies. ‘And smelly.’
She pulls a face.
‘It was invigorating,’ I lie.
Andy’s grin softens into concern.
‘Are you hurt?’ he asks.
‘No,’ I say. ‘Just wet.’
Cordelia laughs politely, like she’s not sure if I’m joking.
Andy’s gaze drops to my hands.
‘Did you…? Is it…?’
‘It’s okay,’ I reassure him.
His shoulders visibly relax.
‘Thank God,’ he says with a sigh of relief.
I pull the ring box out of my bag discreetly, keeping it close to my body like it’s contraband, and pass it to Andy in a quick movement that makes me feel like I’m doing a drug deal in a hotel lobby.
His fingers close around it. His eyes meet mine as we do the handover, while Cordelia is looking out of the window.
‘Thank you,’ he says quietly.
‘So, what’s the plan?’ Cordelia asks, turning back to us.
Andy’s smile turns boyish and kind of adorable.
He steps back, clears his throat and then gets down on one knee.
Oh, God, no, please don’t do this in front of me.
‘Cordelia…’ he starts.
No, no, no. Stop. Let me leave first. Let me crawl back into the fountain. I don’t want to be part of this moment.
He already proposed. They’re already engaged. Can the universe please spare me, just this once?
He opens the box. The ring glints under the chandelier.
