Kapitel 66: Chapter 66
She knew he was in town. He had to be to drop off the book. But he wasn't anywhere she knew him to be. It was frustrating. She checked with Frank at the bookstore, Dylan, the charity hospital. No one had heard from him. She didn't understand what the inscription meant and it was tearing her up inside.
She finally heard back from David two days after she sent her resignation email.
"That will be fine. Thank you. And you will be paid for a full 30 days and your paid time off days. Contact HR with any questions."
And that was it. She thought she should be surprised but she wasn't. How awful it was that she had wasted her time with him and lost Rhys because of it.
She had known Rhys for a short time. She knew it was fast. She knew it was insanity to think about a serious future with him. But she did.
Tuesday morning, she still had heard nothing from him. They had their gig at the brewery the following night and she knew she had to put on her performance face. She finished up her work from home and ran a bath. She poured herself a glass of wine and then a thought hit her smack in the head. His message...she knew what it meant. She had figured it out!
It meant that she hadn't realized she was in love with him yet. She knew where to find him, he was there all along. She loved him. Really loved him. That word had been thrown around so much lately, she didn't even want to acknowledge it anymore. But she did now. She loved him. Madly. And she hadn't told him that. She hadn't admitted it to herself, let alone to him.
She picked up her phone and texted, "I found you. I know where you are. You've been there since day one. I was too blind with everything going on and was too caught up in trying to be everything for everybody else. I didn't believe you were real, so I looked elsewhere for something I thought was more tangible. I'm sorry. But I found you. If you were a bookshop clerk or a movie star, it never mattered. It's you. I know where you are and where you'll always be. My heart. I am so in love with you."
No response. She was sure that was what he wanted to hear. Needed to hear. But a day later, nothing. As bewildered as she felt, she did her best to get her work done early so she could get ready and have some time before her gig. Her text dinged at noon. It was John. "Hey Pearly Pearl. I know we are supposed to be there at 6 to set up but the owner wants us to get there at 4 now. I know he doesn't open til 7 because of the holiday and he's not open for lunch, but he wants to make sure all our gear is in and we are good to go right at 7. Busy night. Can you make it then?"
She sighed. "Yes. I'll be there at 4." She texted back. It was a distraction. And she welcomed it.
She got around and headed out at 330. When she got to the brewery, it looked dark inside, which wasn't unusual with them not being open for lunch that day. She parked and headed to the door and walked in to see something she wasn't anticipating. At all.
There were candles everywhere. Rose petals lined the floor, the bar, and lead all the way to the small stage, where she saw him standing.
"Rhys!" She ran to him, without hesitation and hugged him. "Oh my god, I'm so glad you're here. I've missed you and I'm so sorry. For everything. I was a fool. I never had attention from men prior to this and I was naive and stupid. I'm so sorry. I tried to handle it all and I did a horrible job. I told David to go to hell and I quit my job. I'm so sorry. Please forgive....."
"Done." He said. "And I already know what you did. And I already know why and I know who you are." He wiped a tear from her face. "I needed some time. I thought about all of this, and I decided that if you felt the way I felt, that I wasn't going to let another man stand in front of me again. I knew the moment I made love to you in New York that I was going to do this, and the David situation made me understand it more. I don't want to change anything. I don't want to stop being near you. I want to make it perfectly clear that I want you. It's been a couple of months. It's fast...It's insanity. But the first day I met you, when we talked about love in the bookshop, I knew at that moment that the stories could be true and that love wasn't a thing people just wrote about years ago. I was a part of it the moment I saw you. And I was lucky. I am lucky. I've had a lucky life. But meeting you, that was the day I realized just how lucky I truly was."
He got down on one knee and opened a box. Inside was a folded piece of paper. She looked at him inquisitively and opened the paper. It was the poem she recited to him the day they met.
"when Whitman wrote, "I sing the body electric"
I know what he
meant
I know what he
wanted:
to be completely alive every moment
in spite of the inevitable.
we can't cheat death but we can make it
work so hard
that when it does take
us
it will have known a victory just as
perfect as
ours.
-Charles Bukowski.
This is our victory. And it's perfect.
Marry me."
What? She read it again. She looked down at him and there was ring in the box now. It was a beautiful oval diamond with gray pearls set on each side. "The pearls are the color of your eyes." He said.
"Oh my god, Rhys. Really? It's beautiful. This is beautiful. We barely know each other. Are you sure you really want to do this?" She couldn't believe it was all real.
"I've never been more sure of anything in my life. And being engaged we will have plenty of time to get to know each other. Unless I want the wedding to happen as quick as we can plan it. Which I might." He winked, still on his knee. "You're leaving me hanging here. And my leg is falling asleep. Help a man out. Say yes."
She laughed, and wiped the tears from her face.
"Yes."
"Yes? Yes! Hell yes!" He said, picking her up and spinning her around.
She heard clapping coming from the back and turned to see her band there, even Dylan, walking into the bar from the kitchen. They were all in on it.
"We were getting tired of waiting back there, it's so hard to be quiet, bro." Blake said. "Congratulations though!"
They all hugged her and Dylan shook Rhys' hand. "Remember to love her well. And remember we love her, too." He said.
"I won't be able to forget." Rhys said back, "thank you, man, for everything."
"Be good to our girl." And he walked to Pearl and gave her a hug. "I'd do it all again, all of it. I'm happy for you." Dylan said, "I love you very much."
"I love you too!" Pearl said. "All of you."
"Ok enough of all this love. We have a bar to clean up in an hour and a show to do." John said.
Pearl looked at Rhys. His bright blue eyes shining in the candles.
She knew this was only the beginning.
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein