Chapter 10

Ten

S cout checked that the small, black box was safely in the inside pocket of his winter jacket for the second, third, or twentieth time in the past hour. He and Alex spent the past three days exploring New York City. While he remembered a few places from the one and only other time he was in the Big Apple, it all felt new and exciting again, with Alex playing his personal tour guide. During the daytime, they went to many tourist attractions and did quite a bit of Christmas shopping for their families and friends.

On their first night in town, they ate dinner at the Four Seasons, where they’d reserved a hotel room, and then met up with several of Alex’s former coworkers and bosses in the hotel’s bar for a few hours. Last night, they went to a little cabaret-type place in Greenwich Village, where a good friend of Alex’s was in an improv show—it’d been a lot of fun.

Tomorrow, they had tickets for a new Broadway musical everyone seemed to rave about, including the critics. But tonight ... tonight was what Scout had been most excited about.

The two men dated for over seven months now, and Scout had never been happier in his entire life. In a couple of hours, they’d stand with hundreds of other people in Rockefeller Center, watching the Christmas show and waiting for an eighty-two-foot-tall Norway spruce tree to be lit up for the first time. According to an article Scout read in that morning’s newspaper, over 18,000 multi-colored lights would come to life with the flip of a switch. At that moment, he planned to get down on one knee and ask Alex to marry him with the platinum and diamond ring he’d had custom-made a few weeks ago. In California, his and Alex’s families awaited the good news. As far as Scout knew, his boyfriend had no idea that a proposal had been in the works.

The two families joined Alex and Scout for their first Thanksgiving together a week and a half ago in their penthouse. Alex finally moved in there a few weeks earlier. Scout wanted that to happen several months ago, but instead, he gave Alex the space he needed while their relationship grew. And it wasn’t as if Alex hadn’t spent a lot of time there with Scout, to begin with.

Two months ago, they traveled to Seattle for the grand opening of Paradox-North. Turner Continental threw a large celebration gala and invited local dignitaries and business owners to join them. Scout’s new staff at the hotel already had the banquet halls booked solid for the next eight or nine months with dozens of weddings and other events. They’d also received many rave reviews for the events they hosted since opening. All in all, the new venue was a smashing success.

Inside the bathroom, the toilet flushed, and a few moments later, Alex emerged. He picked up his gray wool coat and put it on over a red sweater that looked amazing on him. “Ready?”

Scout forced himself not to ogle the man. If he did, they’d never get uptown in time to get a good spot by the ice-skating rink in Rockefeller Center, where the tree was located. Hundreds of people would also be there, trying to find the best vantage point to view the entertainment leading up to the big finale. Scout offered to pay for an indoor spot overlooking the event, but Alex said it was more fun being down below in the middle of it all. Scout was just glad it wasn’t supposed to get too cold outside. The forecast was for light snow, with the temperature hovering around thirty-four degrees with little to no wind chill.

Patting the hidden ring box one more time, then making sure he had his phone, hotel key, and wallet, Scout gestured toward the door. Instead of getting a cab or Uber, Scout arranged for a limousine to take them wherever they wanted to go tonight and a bottle of chilled champagne to celebrate after he popped the question. “Let’s go.”

After they arrived at Rockefeller Center, early enough to find the perfect place to watch the festivities, Scout held Alex’s hand, knowing they were meant to be. Their future was together, traveling the world and experiencing new things. Maybe, one day, they’d have some kids. They both had great paternal role models, so raising a family wasn’t as scary as Scout had once thought it would be. But for now, they’d settle for the two rescued dogs waiting for them back in California. The medium-sized, mixed-breed sister and brother, Apple and Jacks, were one of the Christmas presents Scout had gotten for Alex. Their foster mom was taking care of them for Scout until Christmas Eve. He couldn’t wait to surprise his lover with the two pups, but first, he had a proposal to make.

Suddenly, impatient, Scout decided not to wait until the tree was lit. Without letting go of Alex’s hand, Scout reached into his pocket with his other hand and withdrew the little box. Alex’s eyes widened in shock as Scout dropped to one knee, and gasps and murmurs of “aww” erupted from several people around them. But Scout only had eyes for the man he loved with all his heart. “I thought I had this whole speech prepared, but now, all I can remember are these five words: Alex, will you marry me?”

Alex just gaped at him for three or four heartbeats, but when the corners of his mouth lifted and his eyes glistened like the snowflakes that started softly falling around them, Scout knew he had his answer. Someday soon, they’d be husband and husband.

I hope you enjoyed Scout and Alex’s novella. Check out Rico’s story next in Cock & Bull Book 2.