You'll Say Yes (3 page)

Camila blushed again.

I smiled grimly. "Let's have lunch then. I'll wait for you downstairs."

Joshua nodded and turned to Camila. "See you later, Camila."

Camila beamed when Joshua walked out from my cubicle.

"See, Abby...he likes me," Camila said with dreamy eyes.

I combed my hair with my fingers and took my glasses off. "For the record, Camila, he knew you were lying."

"Huh?"

I turned around just before putting on my blazer. "His father is not a lawyer. His father is a doctor too. Have a nice lunch, Cam."

I suppressed the urge to laugh when Camila's face turned pale. I turned around again and walked to the front office.

I guess payback was a bitch, literally.

I walked side by side with Joshua. I just looked down or looked at the street, didn't have the heart to look at him. Sometimes I caught him glancing at me from the corner of my eye. He ran his fingers through his hair a couple of times; he seemed nervous.

"Where are we having our lunch?" I asked, speaking for the first time since we left the office.

He smiled, seemed relieved I broke the tension. "Actually, we’re already here."

I stopped beside him and looked to an expensive restaurant in front of us. I looked at my costume and frowned. "Um..Joshua, I don't think my clothes are presentable for this type of restaurant."

He rolled his eyes. He didn't answer as he opened the glass door for me. "Try me."

I sighed and walked in. Like I said, he was a determined person.

"Didn't we have to call a reservation in for this?" I whispered to him.

He just smiled as we approached a waitress. "Excuse me, Miss. We have a reservation."

The waitress seemed surprised as her jaw dropped when she stared at Joshua. Oh, please, not again! In seconds, she composed herself. "Oh...yes...um...under which name, Sir?"

"Walsh."   

She looked at the list. "Ah, yes. Very well, Mr. Walsh. Please, follow me," she said, and for the moment, I swore she was glaring at me.

What was her problem? I almost rolled my eyes.

She guided us to the corner of the room. Soft music heard from our table. It was romantic. Joshua pulled out the chair for me. The waitress still glared at me as she walked away from our table.

"Do you come here often?" I asked him, just curious. Perhaps the waitress knew him.

Joshua shrugged and looked over the menu. "A couple of times, but only on special occasions." And then he looked at me. "Why did you ask?"

"I think the waitress likes you."

Joshua scoffed. "It happens all the time."

All the time...figures!

"And this special occasions…as in dates?" I dared him.

Joshua sighed and stared at me with his piercing green eyes. "No, Abby, special occasions as informal dinners with my dad."

"I see."

A waiter approached us. "Hello. Can I take your order, please?" He asked Joshua, but he was staring at me. Odd! What could be possibly interesting about me?

Joshua narrowed his eyes and cleared his throat. The waiter smiled and diverted his attention to Joshua.

"Your order, Sir?"

"Abby? What would you like to eat?" Joshua asked.

"Um..." I glanced over the menu. Some names I didn't recognize, I meant how could that be possible? It was just a food. Why should they have to put complicated names on it? "I’ll...have...beef stroganoff," I picked the most recognizable food.

"And you, Sir?" The waiter asked.

"Make it two."

"All right." The waiter wrote down our order. "And for the drink?"

Joshua stared back at me. "Abby?"

"Um...a..coke?" I nearly grimaced.

Joshua nodded and turned to the waiter. "Two cokes, please."

The waiter wrote down our drink order and took the menus. He winked at me when he was leaving our table. Seriously, that waiter really needed help.

I turned back to Joshua. He still scowled in the waiter’s direction. "Um...thank you for the flowers," I said to him, trying to have a conversation.

Joshua stared back at me and smiled. "Anytime, Abby. I know they are your favorites."

I blushed. "Er...yes. And that was a nice move with Camila there. I didn't know you still had it in you. Well, thank you again, even I don't remember mentioning that to you."

Joshua looked at me, amused. "You really don't remember, do you?"

I stared back at him. His face turned sad. I swallowed hard. "Joshua, I don't mean to be rude, but yesterday my mother called me and told me about...something."

Joshua gave me a sly smile and looked to the table. "About the proposal?"

I shuddered. "Yes." My voice was barely a whisper now.

Joshua didn't answer me, just playing with the napkin, when suddenly he stared deeply into my eyes. "I love you, Abby."

I stopped breathing. My eyes went wide. I was sure there was nothing wrong with my hearing when he said he loved me. My brain seemed malfunctioning for a moment.

"Abby, please, say something," Joshua pleaded. His hazel eyes were full with remorse.

I exhaled, realizing I was holding my breath. Anger filled my body immediately. "What do you want me to say, Joshua? We didn't see each other for seven years. You told the whole student body of Long Beach High some rumors about me. You made out with a blond in the school hall the day you asked me to the Spring Dance, and you had different girls every week. Suddenly, you have the right to ask my father for my hand in marriage? What is this? Another plan of yours to conquer women? How many women did you ask to be your wife, huh?" I said through clenched teeth.

Joshua pinched the bridge of his nose, his habit when he was frustrated. "Look, I'm sorry, Abby. I didn't mean to hurt you. At that time, I just thought you're going to like me if I’m that type of guy."

"What type of guy?"

"The cool guy."

I threw my hands in the air. "The cool guy is not my type. I thought you already knew that. So, you didn't know anything about me. At all. And suddenly you proposed to me?"

"I know, Abby. I'm so sorry. Through my college years, I tried to make it up to you. I stayed in contact with your dad, trying to convince him, so I could escort you back-"

"Wait...wait...what? You were in contact with my dad? All these years? He never told me!" This time I nearly lost my temper.

"I told him not to," Joshua said, slowly.

I tried to control my breathing. This man was unbelievable. Our conversation cut off when the waitress brought out our meal. I was too hungry to be bothered by her glare and her flirtatious towards Joshua. I ate my food with an uneasy feeling. What was I going to do now? There was so much I needed to ask Joshua about this.

About his proposal.

About his love declaration.

I finished with my food in record time. Actually, it was the fastest I have ever eaten.

I played with the glass of coke, waiting for Joshua to finish with his food.

I glanced over to him when he finished.

I decided to ask the one question that bothered me when I was in high school.

"Is the rumor true?"

Joshua raised his head and looked at me. "What rumor?"

My blue eyes bore into his hazel ones. "That you slept with all those girls."

Joshua's jaw hit the floor, and for the moment, he didn't answer me. I sighed. Well, I guess the rumor was true.

"Who told you that?" He asked, incredulously.

I looked at him, surprised. "So, you really did sleep with them. And then you want to marry me? Not a chance, lover boy!"

Joshua shook his head. "No, I meant, who told you that rumor?"

"Scott Baker," I answered shortly.

Scott was or maybe still is one of Joshua’s friends in high school. I didn’t really remember what he looked like.

Joshua burst out laughing. "Oh, man...he's really sick."

I raised my eyebrows. I guess they are not friends anymore.

"I don't understand."

Joshua grimaced. "It was Scott who slept with those girls, Abby. Not me. It was Scott's way to wash his hand clean. I never had any interest in them. At the time, you caught me kissing that blond; it was a dare. And she kissed me, I didn't kiss her back."

I raised my eyebrows. "That was not what I saw."

Joshua chuckled. "I was pushed into the wall. What do you want me to do? Besides, it was just a dare. She was Scott's next target. I didn't care about her. Well, she did try to get close to me, but I didn't return her affections."

I shook my head. "I don't understand you, Joshua Walsh. Why didn't you tell me that we knew each other when we were children? It would have made my high school years much easier."

Joshua sighed, playing with his napkin again and then stared deep into my eyes. "Do you remember the day you moved from Long Beach? We met for the last time as kids."

I stared back at him, questioning him with my eyes. Joshua just gave me a-try-to-remember-look. Suddenly, those hazel eyes in front of me changed to a younger boy’s eyes.

*Flashback*

"
So, you are going to move?" younger Joshua asked.

"Yes," I replied.

The boy in front of me just played with the sand in his shoes. "Will you come back?"

I shrugged. "I don't know."

He looked at me with his green eyes. "I like you, Abby."

I smiled. "I like you too, Joshua. You are nice to me, and you are a good friend."

He shook his head. "No, Abby. I mean...I. Like. You."

I
tilted my head. "What do you mean? I don't understand."

He smiled. "Abby, will you marry me someday?"

My face lit up. "Marry? Is that the game we usually play? About a mom and dad and kids?"

"Yeah, just like that."

I frowned. "Does that mean Stella and Evan will be our kids too in the future?"

He smiled knowingly. "Of course not, silly Abby. We will have our own kids."

"Oh, I see."

Joshua held my hand. "I'll find you, Abby, and when that day comes, I'll marry you."

I smiled. "Ok!"

"Abby! Honey! Come on!" My mother called me from the car.

Joshua squeezed my hand. "Go. Your mother is waiting for you. I promise you, I'll find you."

I just nodded and smiled.

Joshua smiled back and kissed my cheek. "See you later, my Abby."

*End of Flashback*

The memory of the young boy suddenly returned to the present Joshua. I glanced frantically to nothing in particular. I felt something hold my shoulder.

"Abby...Abby...hey, are you all right?"

I breathed hard and looked to the same green eyes.

"You...it was you," I whispered.

Joshua nodded, seemed relieved and scared. "Yes, that was me, Abby. I made that promise years ago, and I nearly broke it. I told you I would marry you."

I shook my head. "What is this? Some kind of love at first sight? We're not living in a fairy tale, Joshua."

Joshua smiled warmly. "It's not. The first time I met you, for me, you were just a clumsy girl and annoying. However, the longer I spent with you, the more I had drawn to you. You are selfless, kind, beautiful, smart. You're perfect, Abby. Sometimes, I always know what other people are thinking, but I never understand you. I don't know why. So...no, Abby. It was not love at the first sight. I really like you...love you."