The golden light from the chandeliers fell on the polished surface of the wooden table, casting a soft warmth over the restaurant. The soft melody of the piano played in the background, soft and unobtrusive, like a night that could be simple and carefree.
Gary sat across from Amelia. He was wearing a formal suit, but his fingers, tapping restlessly on the table, betrayed his anxiety. He picked up the glass of water; his hand trembled slightly. He took a sip and tried to compose himself.
Amelia was staring at him with a warm, honest look. She had a simple smile on her face; not a show, not a fake one. She tilted her head slightly.
"Gary… I have a question."
Gary sat up straight.
"Ask."
Amelia said with gentle mischief:
"Why haven't you had a drink since you proposed to me?"
Gary paused. Her gaze became serious, as if the simple question had more weight than she had expected.
"If I do something wrong, I'll drink wine again."
Amelia laughed; a short, soft laugh that lightened the space between them. But her laugh slowly faded and her gaze remained fixed on the table; as if she were passing through a distant memory.
"You know… when I was a kid, I always wanted to be a fashion model."
Gary listened without anxiety this time.
"But my sister was jealous of me. When she found out, she went into the modeling industry herself."
A brief flash of light flashed in her eyes, but it quickly faded.
"I backed off too. I said it didn't matter… I just didn't want our relationship to be ruined. I went to paint."
A few seconds of silence fell between them; a silence that was pain, not momentary discomfort.
"But even she couldn't extinguish her jealousy. My relationship with my family slowly deteriorated… and then… I lived alone."
Gary clasped his hands together. His anxiety was still there, but now his gaze had become kinder.
"You know, Amelia… I'm the only one of my family left."
His gaze dropped.
"My little brother, Earl. He works for the government. We don't see each other much… but we're not bad."
He paused, then continued more calmly:
"I used to work for the government too."
Amelia looked up.
Gary smiled bitterly.
"I got fired."
He took a deep breath.
"Then I became Lloyd's bodyguard."
At the sound of Lloyd's name, there was a brief silence between them; but it wasn't heavy. It was real. It was sincere.
Their hands moved slowly towards each other. Not showy, not hurried. Fingers intertwined; Warm and steady.
Gray said to himself,
Maybe it's time to give my life a chance.
For the first time in a long time, his smile wasn't forced.
It was genuine.
He thought about the future; a quiet home, a simple life, no wine… no hassle.
And just then, the restaurant door opened.
A chill breeze crept in and the sound of neat heels on the stone floor.
Knock.
Knock.
Knock.
Gray didn't notice at first, but when several of the customers suddenly fell silent, when the waiter stood up straight and the manager himself stepped forward, an uneasy feeling settled in his heart.
He slowly turned his head.
And the color drained from his face.
Fearne Maire.
A shiny black dress, neat hair, and a smile that was more like a death sentence than a friendly greeting. A woman with eight marriages. Eight husbands. Eight "mysterious incidents."
His eyes slowly scanned the room… until they settled on Gary.
Gary muttered,
"I'm dead…"
Amelia saw the change in his expression immediately.
"What's wrong? Are you okay?"
Gary suddenly sat up straight, releasing Amelia's hand and taking a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from his forehead.
"Nothing! Nothing! Just… my blood pressure has dropped a little!"
At the same time, he picked up the menu and held it in front of his face. It had a picture of a large steak printed on it, but he was hiding behind it.
"No, no, no… why here? Why tonight?"
Amelia raised an eyebrow.
"Gary?"
Fearn strode forward, and at that moment his gaze locked directly on Gary. His smile deepened; not romantic… predatory.
Gary lowered the menu—
and immediately raised it again.
It was too late.
Fearn changed course directly toward their table.
Tch.
Tch.
Tch.
Gray whispered hurriedly:
"If I died now, I would be without you."
Amelia said in disbelief:
"What?!"
Fearn stood by the table. There was silence for a few seconds; a silence that even drowned out the sound of the piano.
Then he said in a soft, drawn-out voice:
"How interesting… the world really is small."
Gray slowly lowered the menu and faked a smile.
"Wh… Fearn?! What… what a coincidence!"
Fearn looked at Amelia, then at their hands, and back at Gray.
"Aren't you going to introduce yourself?"
Sweat rolled down Gray's temple.
"Wh… this… is my colleague!"
Amelia said in disbelief:
"Companion?!"
Gray quickly added:
"Old colleague! Very old! Very formal!"
Fearn tilted his head slightly.
"It's weird… because last night at a fancy bar downtown, you told me I was the woman of your dreams."
Amelia said softly,
"Gary…?"
Gary almost choked.
"It was a misunderstanding! A complete misunderstanding! I was drunk!"
Fearn leaned down and placed a gentle hand on Gary's shoulder.
"And then you asked me to marry you."
A deadly silence fell between the three of them.
Gary muttered,
"A miscalculation…"
Fearn stood up straight.
"Interesting to know… I take proposals seriously."
The chandelier above them shook slightly—or maybe it was just Gary who felt it.
Amelia asked very quietly,
"Gary… how many other people have gotten this proposal?"
Gary closed his eyes.
"Statistically… it's not a high number."
Fearn smiled.
"The exact number?"
Gary said softly,
"Two."
"Two?!" Amelia was shocked.
Fearn said calmly,
"I'm second."
Gray whispered in horror,
"It's not the order that matters… it's the quality that matters!"
Fearn paused and said calmly,
"Don't worry, Gray… I'm a logical person."
A few seconds of silence.
"I just want to know… when are we going to set a wedding date?"
Gray's head flashed with the headline:
Young bodyguard falls from balcony in completely accidental accident.
He thought,
"Oh my God… I'm really a dead man."