A Week at the Beach (30 page)

            “Yes, of course it’s a yes!” I laughed. 

            He pulled me in for a hug and I hugged him back. 

            “We’re insane, you know that!” I laughed against him.

            He laughed, “I wouldn’t want it any other way.”  He kissed me gently then pulled my arms from around his shoulders.  “Come on, let’s go to our place.  I found this amazing apartment that I think you’re going to love.  I’ll give you a tour in the morning.  Right now, we’ve got some catching up to do.”  He winked at me, grabbed my hand, and started pulling me towards the door.

            “Didn’t I tell you that guy was amazing?” Ned said in awe as we walked past him, Chrissy, and her mom.  “He just swooped in here and got her.  Amazing!”

            “You better call me!  You’ve got some explaining to do!” Chrissy shouted after me as we walked past. 

            I laughed and gripped Nick’s hand tighter.

            “Do you want to go get some stuff from your place, or can that wait until tomorrow?” Nick asked when we were outside.

            Suddenly remembering my plans for the next day, my face went red. 

            “What?”

            “Let’s go now, because I’ve got somewhere to be tomorrow.” 

            He looked intently at me, “Where do you have to be?”

            “My parents’ house,” I said hesitantly. “It’s my mom’s birthday and both my sisters are in town.”  Telling my parents I was pregnant should have been challenging enough, but telling them that I was pregnant and engaged to a man that I’d only known for five days was probably going to be even tougher.

            Nick’s face went white.  “How do they feel about this?” he pointed to my belly when he asked.

            I grimaced, “They don’t know.”

            He sighed loudly, “Oh good!  Well, when I meet them tomorrow, we can tell them together.”

            I shook my head.  “I don’t think we should tell them yet.”

            “Why not?”

            “I think me showing up with you and announcing that we’re engaged is probably shocking enough.  Let’s take this one step at a time with my family, shall we?” I stepped out to hail a cab.  In typical Cami fashion, I misjudged the curb and started to tumble to the ground.  Nick caught me before I hit the ground.

            “Do you think that for my own peace of mind, and sanity, that you could at least try not to have any accidents while you’re carrying my child?” he said as he pulled me back up to safety. 

            Unfortunately, the quick movements and the adrenaline mixed to form a powerful wave of nausea.  I pushed away from him, ran to the trashcan next to the lamppost and leaned over it just in time. 

            “That’s just gross,” I heard Nick say behind me.  In a second, I felt his hands rubbing against my back.  “Are you okay?”

            I nodded slowly, “That’s the first time I’ve actually thrown up.  I get nauseous all the time, but I’ve never actually thrown up.”

            He chuckled, “Well, I’m glad I could be here to experience that with you.  Can I get you something?”

            “No, I’m okay.  I have water, mouthwash, and gum in my purse.”  I stood up and started digging through my purse to retrieve what I needed.  As I dug, the letter I’d written, but never sent, fell out and onto the ground.  Nick bent to pick it up.

            “You dropped this,” he said and handed it back to me.  He must have spotted his name, because he pulled it back and looked at it.  “Did you write this to me?”

            I was swishing mouthwash in my mouth, so I nodded instead of answering.

            “Is this how you were going to tell me?” he asked with a grin.

            I spit the mouthwash into the trashcan.  “Yes, I didn’t think I could handle it in person or over the phone.”

            He smiled, “I think you did pretty well.”

            I smiled back at him, “Well to be fair, I was offered a ring first.  The ring kind of softened the blow against rejection.”

            He opened the letter and began reading.  I watched him as he read the words I’d spent days poring over.  It had taken me forever to get it out exactly the way I wanted it, and even then, it still felt like it wasn’t enough.  I realized that telling him to his face was the best way.  That’s probably why the letter never felt right.

            When he was done, he folded the letter back up and put it in his pocket.  “You do know that if I had gotten this letter I would have been on the next flight out here, right?”

            I smiled, “I was always hoping for that.”

            “I love you,” he said and pulled me into his chest again.

            A cab pulled up just as he finished speaking.  We slid in and I gave the driver my address.  Nick grabbed my hand and pulled me closer to him. 

            “Are you sure we need to go to your place tonight? We could just go to our place and I could buy you all new things.” 

            I laughed and rested my head on his shoulder.  “I don’t have that much stuff.  I had to downsize when I moved out of Jack’s place.  My room is kind of small.”

            “So you’re saying I don’t need to rent a truck to move you in?” he laughed and kissed me on the top of the head.

            I smiled, “Are you even moved in yet?”

            He laughed, “I have some furniture.”  He leaned down and whispered into my ear, “I have a bed.”

            I turned and gave him a severe look, “When you said we had some catching up to do, I didn’t realize you only meant in the bedroom.”

            He grinned, “Don’t be ridiculous!  I fully intend on us christening every room in the apartment.”

            I rolled my eyes at him.

            When we pulled up to my apartment, Nick paid the driver to wait for us and helped me out of the cab.  I opened the door and walked in hesitantly, not sure who might be hanging around to meet us.  To my relief, the place seemed to be deserted.  Nick followed me up the stairs to my bedroom.  With one last look down the hall, I closed the door behind us.  Finally alone, a sudden awkward feeling swept over me.  Seeing Nick standing in my room seemed like a dream, but one of those weird ones where you’re not sure what’s going on. 

            “So this is where you’ve been living?” he asked and surveyed the space.

            “This is my room.  I also pay to use other parts of the house.”  I looked around, hoping that I didn’t have anything embarrassing lying around.

            His eyes widened, “I’m pretty sure the back room at Mitch’s shop is bigger than this.”

            I laughed nervously, “It served its purpose.”

            He clapped his hands together and looked around, “Okay!  What are we grabbing for now?  We can always come back tomorrow or Sunday for the rest of your stuff.”

            I went to the closet to retrieve my suitcase.  It was stored on the top shelf and I stretched to reach it.  Nick appeared behind me and reached over me to grab it.

            “Knowing you, a bowling ball would have come from nowhere and whacked you on the head.”  He smirked at me as he handed the suitcase over to me.

            I rolled my eyes and smiled.  “Will you grab my tennis shoes and loafers out of the closet?”

            “Whatever you’d like, dear,” he said dreamily and went back to the closet. 

            I grabbed some clothes from the dresser and started placing them in the suitcase.

            “So, uh, are you planning on bringing that French maid costume with you tonight, or is that something you’re saving for when we’re actually married?” Nick chuckled as he rifled through the clothes in my closet.

            I laughed, “I don’t have that anymore.  Besides, why would you want me to wear a sexy outfit that another man bought for me?”

            Nick wrapped his arms around my waist, “I wouldn’t.  I’ll buy you a new one.”  He kissed my neck and leaned against me. 

            I looked down at his arms around my waist.  “Enjoy this now, because soon you may not be able to fit your arms around me.”

            He put his hands on my stomach, “I can’t wait!”

            “Something tells me that if it was your chiseled physique that was about to be ruined, you wouldn’t be quite so excited.” 

            He laughed, “First of all, I don’t have a chiseled physique.  I take care of myself, but I’m not some ridiculous gym freak.”  He put his hands on my shoulders and turned me around to face him.  “Secondly, I’m sure that you will be the most beautiful pregnant woman in the world.  You’re already adjusting well.”

            “What?” I looked down at my stomach.  “I’m not even showing.”

            He grinned, “No you’re not showing there,” he pointed to my stomach.  “However, up here,” he pointed at my breasts, “I can definitely tell a difference.”

            My mouth flew open. 

            He smiled widely, “Don’t be offended!  I like them.  Of course, I liked them before.  However, I have to admit, the extra oomph looks good on you.” 

            I grinned, “They are never going to be tits, Nick.”

            A grin broke across his face, “I have missed you so much!”
            I turned back around and closed my suitcase.  “Okay, I’m packed and ready to go.  Will you carry my bag?”

            “I will on one condition,” he said and reached around me to grab it.

            “What?”

            “Say, ‘Take me home and put me to bed, baby!’ If you say that I’ll take your bag for you.”  He leaned closer to me and flashed a cheesy grin.

            “I’m not saying that.  It’s stupid, and I’ll feel ridiculous saying it.”  I argued with a grin.

            “Fine,” he stood up and backed away.  “If you don’t say it then you can carry your own bag.”

            “Fine,” I said with a shrug.  “I’ll carry it myself, and try my best not to trip down the stairs as I do.”  I lifted the suitcase off the bed and stumbled back dramatically from the weight of it.

            “Give it to me!” Nick said and grabbed the case from me.  “Is this what I have to look forward to for the rest of my life?  You manipulating me into doing things?”

            I smiled, “Isn’t that what marriage is supposed to be?”  I tweaked his nose and led the way out of the room.

            I stopped at the bathroom to brush my teeth before we left. Nick followed behind me as we walked down the hall and down the stairs.  When we reached the bottom, I caught a glimpse of Henrietta sitting in the living room.  She spotted me, raised an eyebrow, and nodded in Nick’s direction.  I smiled back at her.  Nick stepped ahead of me and opened the door.  While his back was to me, I lifted my hand to show off my ring to Hen.  A huge grin broke across her face and she winked at me.

            “What was that all about?” Nick asked when we were back in the cab.

            “What?”

            “The exchange you just had with that old lady?  What was that all about?” he had a grin on his face, so I knew he had seen everything.

            I smiled in response, “Henrietta called me out for my sullen behavior after returning from the beach.  I told her about you, and I guess she figured that you were you.”