PROLOGUE
850 Words
I'm going to propose.
I knew it wasn’t exactly traditional. A girl proposing? Yeah, not exactly what people imagine when they think of romance. Most would probably raise an eyebrow—or worse, flat-out judge me for it. But honestly, I didn’t care. I couldn’t wait any longer.
I knew he loved me. I could feel it in the way he looked at me, the way he held me like I was his whole world. And I loved him just as much. We were ready—I was ready. So why drag it out? Why keep waiting for some arbitrary “perfect moment” when I could make the moment perfect myself?
And what better day to do it than Valentine’s Day? It was the ultimate symbol of love and romance. The timing felt just right for something as big as this. A little life-changing surprise to seal the deal.
For a while, we had kept our relationship a secret. Not because we wanted to, but because dating a coworker at our company was a big no-no. Yet here I was, planning to pop the question after work, picturing his shocked smile and the way he would laugh and say “yes” a million times. My nerves were buzzing, but this was it.
Or… it was supposed to be it.
Because fate—or maybe our clueless manager—had other plans.
Somehow, our boss decided that tonight, of all nights, we needed to “celebrate the season of love” as a team. Which meant we were all crammed into this overcrowded bar, with “Team Spirit” banners hanging from every possible surface. Instead of candlelight and roses, there was a loud jukebox playing pop songs mixed with outdated ballads.
And just when I thought the night couldn’t get any worse, our CEO showed up. Yes, Mr. Tall, Dark, and Intimidating, who never even bothered with office holiday parties, decided to grace us with his presence. On Valentine’s Day. Exactly what I needed tonight—an extra pair of eyes, specifically his, watching everything like a hawk. Perfect.
My nerves were frayed. Between trying not to look too obvious whenever Thomas glanced at me and keeping up with forced small talk for the CEO’s sake, this was not how I had pictured my night. I kept sneaking glances at my boyfriend, wondering if we would ever get a moment alone. And all I kept thinking was, didn’t our CEO have somewhere else to be? Like a private yacht or a rooftop cocktail party?
Finally—finally—the CEO got up to leave. He nodded curtly to a few people and walked out, and you could feel the collective sigh of relief pass through the room. I leaned back, thinking that maybe, just maybe, there was still a chance to save my evening.
Then, Thomas stood up, gesturing that he needed to take a call outside. This was it. My chance.
Heart pounding, I took one last sip of the drink I had been nursing for an hour, hoping it would give me a little more courage. I took a deep breath and slipped outside.
The cool night air hit me, waking me up like a splash of water. I spotted him a few steps away, near a tree, phone pressed to his ear, looking distracted. Suddenly, all the nerves I had been trying to keep under control came rushing back, but I pushed them aside.
This was what I wanted, right? No turning back now.
I walked up to him and, without giving myself time to overthink, I blurted it out. “I love you, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?”
Silence. An impossibly long, heavy silence.
And then, the reply: “Well, that’s… unexpected.”
That voice—it wasn’t his voice. It was deeper, smoother, a voice that sent a chill down my spine. My heart sank, and I lifted my gaze, praying this was some bizarre joke.
It wasn’t. Standing there, eyebrows raised, was the CEO. The CEO. Looking every bit as shocked as I felt.
Oh. My. God.
My stomach plummeted. I had just proposed… to my boss. My intimidating, powerful, cold-as-ice boss. This could not be happening.
“Oh my God, I am so sorry,” I stammered, my face probably turning ten shades of red. “I thought you were—this is so embarrassing, I—”
But he didn’t look horrified. He was… smiling? It was a slow, amused smile that wasn’t helping my humiliation at all.
And then, as if the universe hadn’t humiliated me enough, he said, “Yes.”
I blinked. “Yes?”
“Yes,” he repeated, with a glint of amusement in his eyes. “I accept.”
Wait… what? Is he messing with me? I searched his face, but there wasn’t a hint of a joke. He was serious. I had accidentally proposed to my CEO, and he actually accepted.
This wasn’t happening. It just couldn’t be.
- Writer
