“Marry me.”
Looking at him all I could think of to do was laugh nervously. The me-of-10-years-ago would have never believed I would be standing right here right now receiving a marriage proposal from Cody. Hell, I would have never imagined being cool enough to rank being at this party at his house. I looked up at him nervously, biting my lip.
“I’m serious! Marry me. You know I’ve been after you since you were 11.”
Now that was taking it a little too far. “I have no idea what you are talking about.”
“You promised me then if I didn’t throw you out of line you would date me in high school.”
I can’t believe he remembers that. “Cody- middle school and high school have come and gone so you missed your dating chance. As a matter of fact, I would have dated you in a heartbeat and I think you must have forgotten I existed.”
“Well, I’m trying to remedy that oversight now. Marry me.”
He is simply incorrigible. “You are ridiculous. Seriously, Cody- sharing a moment at the middle school lunch stand in 1989 does not the basis for a marriage make. You aren’t serious, you don’t love me. You just love that little kid that wouldn’t take any crap from you.”
“Well, I do love that 6th grader you were but I much prefer your figure these days.”
I throw my head back and have to laugh. Cody is 23 years old, blonde haired and blue eyed, about 6’1” with the build that screams he’s been working hard on the ranch for years. He is quite a catch- funny as hell, attractive, and he is looking me dead in the eye. This man in front of me- a good, stand up man- was trying to right a wrong that he didn’t do. Looking at him watching me laugh, he has a confused look on his face. Damn, I think he is serious…
“Crap woman! I am trying to propose here. I don’t care whose baby this is, if it’s yours it’s gonna be beautiful and I would be honored to raise the little heathen as my own. Shit, I would do that if we weren’t married but I would much prefer you here making my breakfast every morning and in my bed every night.”
I blush. “Cody- this is the most misguided attempt at bedding me I have ever encountered and I have encountered many a misguided attempt.”
At this point, the crowd comes in. Sharon, overhearing my last comment only, buts in with a story of her own. “You remember that time that we were on 6th Street and Nikki Sixx told you that you would look great in some ink? I thought I was gonna die!” Everyone loves the Nikki Sixx story. “The Nikki Sixx encounter of 1995” is the kind of thing that people in Fredericksburg say only happens to me. I have to disagree, as I am quite sure there have been more than a few girls that Nikki Sixx has hit on over the duration of his illustrious career.
While everyone is laughing about that and mentioning other celebrity run-ins in Austin, I look up at Cody. He is smiling, and looking in on the conversation, peeling the label of his Lone Star. Then he looks up at me, through me. I don’t know what to do.
“Cody.” I take him by the hand and we walk outside into the Texas night. How did I get here? Here at Cody’s house and in this predicament if you can call it that. I am 20 years old- 21 in a month- and pregnant. Everyone in this small town knows my business. My father can’t even look at me. My grandmother has Alzheimer’s and when I call her to talk about what I have done she forgets who she is speaking with. I look again at this man in front of me, this damn good looking man that I have absolutely no romantic feelings for at all who is promising me the world.
Tears start to form in my eyes, “I know what you are trying to do and I appreciate it. There are girls all over town who would drop everything in a minute to accept your offer. You deserve one of them and not one like me that is hesitating.”
He reaches up and wipes the tear off my left cheek with his calloused thumb. “Maybe I have already had them and maybe I want you.”
“Maybe that is because you have not had me and you will get tired of me when you do.”
“Not gonna happen.”
“I know, because I am not going to say yes” as I laugh.
Cody looks wronged, and it hurts me. I take his hands and kiss his cheek.
“Thanks, Cody. I’m the happiest girl in the county tonight. I wish I could say yes to you, I really do.” And with that I walk to my car. I don’t look back. I just get in and take off down the kolege drive.
