„I love you, sunshine.”
„Love you too, sweetheart. Now go take your panties off and come play nurse with me.”
„Yes, sir.”
Epilogue
Six months later
Sophie
„Don`t touch those cupcakes ”
He freezes with his hand just above the red velvet cupcakes I have cooling on the countertop. He tries to give me an innocent look, but I know better.
Max and I have been living together for the last six months. The next day after his very public grand gesture, I moved in with him for good, and, at the risk of sounding sappy, I`ve never been happier in my life.
I took Gwen`s suggestion and started my own business, an online bakery, and it`s going great.
As expected, Max`s apology went viral, so when I started my business, there was a lot of interest. After people tasted my food, it stopped being about who I am, or better yet who my boyfriend is, and it started being about the fact that what I make is very tasty.
At first, I didn`t want to hire anyone to help me, but after a month, I realized I couldn`t handle it alone, so I hired an assistant. Her name is Jenny, and she`s fast become a friend to Gwen and Ema and me. She`s twenty-two and wicked talented as a baker.
We usually do the baking at my old apartment, but I received a special last-minute order, and since I was already home, I decided to do it here.
„Can`t I have just one? They look so good.”
„They`re for a client; I`ll make you some tomorrow if you want.”
He looks like I betrayed him in the worst possible way. Such a drama queen.
„How could you, sweetheart? You know our deal; if you bake something at home, then I get to eat some of it too.”
„I didn`t think you`d want red velvet cupcakes.”
His eyes get comically big, and he gives me a disbelieving look.
„You`re just making it worse. I think we need to go to couple`s counseling.”
I roll my eyes at his theatrics, but I can`t help a smile from forming on my lips.
„I didn`t think you want any red velvet cupcakes because I`ve made you something special, a new recipe I`ve invented just for you.”
That gets his interest in a big way. He looks like a kid who`s about to get his present from Santa early.
„Wh-what did you make? Where is it?” he asks while looking over my shoulder.
„It`s a new kind of cupcake. It took me some time to get the taste just right because of how unusual the main ingredient is.”
„Oh my god, oh my god, I`m so excited. Can I have it now, please?”
If only people could see him now. Six ft four, over two hundred pounds of muscle and giddy as a schoolgirl over something as simple as a cupcake. God, I love this man.
I`m a little nervous about showing him my invention. What if he doesn't like it? Oh well, if he could give me pink stuffed animals in front of hundreds of people as an apology, then I can give him a cupcake.
I go to the pantry and come back with a plate full of my new Max cupcakes.
They are vanilla-caramel cupcakes topped with- wait for it- caramel popcorn.
When he sees the cupcakes, his eyes go bigger then I`ve ever seen them before.
He stands there looking happy and a little shell-shocked, but he doesn't say anything, and he doesn't take a cupcake. Instead, he turns around and walks out of the kitchen, leaving me utterly confused.
He comes back a minute later carrying a little black velvet box. I feel my pulse go wild, and I try to calm myself because there`s a chance that it isn`t what I think it is, and I don`t want to look disappointed if it isn`t.
When I see him get down on one knee however, I can`t control my pulse anymore because it`s pretty obvious what`s happening. He opens the little box, and I see what has to be the single most beautiful engagement ring ever created. But I could be biased.
It`s white gold with a square-cut diamond, and I fall in love with its simplicity on the spot.
„Sweetheart, I wanted to plan something special and romantic, but I couldn`t think of anything good enough. The fact is that I love you more than anything in the world, and I want us to always be together. There aren`t any words that I could say that would express just how much you mean to me. You`re my favorite person in the whole world, and it would make me immensely happy if you would be my wife. Will you marry me?”
Oh my god! The feels, I have them all. My heart is bursting with happiness, and I can feel my eyes well up with tears because what he said was absolutely perfect, the best marriage proposal of all time.
„Is this because I made you caramel popcorn cupcakes?” I ask because I wouldn`t be me if I didn`t make a joke.
He smiles with so much love that I`m in real danger of melting in a pile of goo.
„Those definitely sealed the deal.”
„See, I knew straight from the start I`d win you over with my cooking. You never stood a chance.”
„No, I didn`t. Thank god.”
He looks at me expectantly, but I`m in such a haze that I don`t understand what he wants me to do.
„What?” I ask.
„Well, I`d like to know if you`ll marry me if that`s not too much trouble.”
Oh, that.
„Of course I`ll marry you, are you insane” I put the plate of cupcakes on the counter before giving him my left hand and wiggling my fingers.
„Put it on already,” I tell him when he doesn't move fast enough.
He chuckles and gets up from
