“Right away, Mr. Fuller, please have a seat anywhere you like.” The waiter hurried off and arrived back with our order just as quickly.
“Eat some fruit, the sugar will help you get some strength back and drink all the water you can. Just tell me if you're going to throw up. The sidewalk is still hot enough to fry it on the spot,” Jason declared in a more serious tone than I was used to hearing from him.
I shook my head and smiled. “I think this will settle my stomach nicely. Thank you.”
“Good, we don't have to go in until you're ready, but I need to say something. You may not be happy with me, or maybe you will. I'm not sure.”
“Okay, now you have my attention. What stupid thing have you done?” I sat with my hands folded in my lap prepared for any number of confessions based on a long list of previous stupid things I have seen and helped Jason do.
“My grandfather is... well, he wants to protect you and your family by making us related to you,” Jason explained quietly.
“What? We aren't related at all, Ja,” I whispered back.
“I understand that fact, and he knows that too, but he wants to link your family to ours in case.”
“In case what?” Jason slid his hand under my palm and squeezed my fingers.
“I'm not exactly sure, but I want you to marry me when we legally can. I want you to agree to an engagement with me here tonight. I want your grandparents to hear we are getting married before they pass, and I want to announce it in front of everybody. I don't want you to be surprised by any of this and be mad at me.”
“Okay,” I replied calmly.
“Okay, what? Will you agree to the engagement?” He asked.
“I understand why you thought I would be mad. The thing that upset me so much about this stupid dress is that I didn't want you to see me wearing this thing. It looks like a child's party dress, and I don't want to look like a child to you. I will marry you, but this confession of yours does not count as my proposal,” I grabbed Jason's wrist and squeezed. “I expect something spectacular.”
“Spectacular? Sure, thing Kar, of course,” Jason put his hand over mine and nodded in agreement. “But you don't look like a child. You look like a Granddaughter who is trying to keep her grandmother happy.” He pulled at a stray sequin threatening to fall in my water. “I have never thought of you as anything less than mine. That kinda sounds creepy. Beryl is a sister to me, and I love your parents, but you have always been mine. I can't think of you any other way,” He explained a bit flustered.
“I understand it is a little creepy. It's strangely sweet too. We are expected in the celebration room soon, aren't we?” I asked.
“Yeah, we are.” I got up from my chair and slid my arms around Jason's crisp white shirt. He pulled me to him and kissed my forehead.
“We can join them, or we can watch the party from the bar. I'm only here for you. I do whatever you want.” Jason looked down at the table and turned the almost empty plate of fruit towards me.
“I think it would be okay for you to kiss me for the first time again.” Jason slid his hand across my neck and held my chin in his warm hand. He tasted like apricots and ice water. The flutter in my stomach grew until it melted into something warm and dizzying.
This kiss was an open mouth, long kiss—full of intention and meaning that I couldn't put a label on. Jason smiled and rubbed his thumb along the curve of my chin. He was happy that much I gathered. Unfortunately, this was not a place where I could feel happy.
As if it had a mind of its own, my hand kept a tight grip on Jason's arm throughout most of the party. Dredge took care of all the announcements and presented me with a beautiful black diamond broach that had once belonged to his grandmother Iris.
When the last guests left, a strange sense of panic coiled around me, making it hard to take a deep, full breath. Everything became quiet even while people busy clearing the hall rushed by me.
Finally, a moment alone with my grandparents appeared, and the world became noisy again. They hugged and kissed each of us and told us how proud they were of all our accomplishments. Jason began to excuse himself from the group. My grandfather called him back, loudly professing that Jason was now a part of our family.
Their last meal wheeled past us. The shiny steel cart was rolled into their bedroom chamber by servers wearing disposable gloves. I couldn't help but notice the care they took not to touch the food or the serving trays directly.
I sucked in a shocked breath. “Don't look in the room. You are never going to need one. You and I will live to be a hundred and die side by side warm in our bed,” Jason professed.
“You can't possibly know that.” I choked back a fat lump of disgust. “This isn't right,” I panted slowly.
“Hold my hand and let me get you out of here.” Jason walked me to the front of the dwindling crowd of event workers and shook my grandfather's hand one last time.
I hugged them both and stood off to the side to peek into their celebration suite. Clean whiteness smiled back at me. White furnishings and glass tables sat waiting for them holding trays of fruit and cakes. There was nothing ominous, nothing that said death or pain by dismemberment.
The valet parked our cars in front of the
