Paradigms Lost by Ryk E Spoor

Author:Ryk E Spoor [Spoor, Ryk E]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Baen
Published: 2014-12-02T10:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 50

Proposal

“How is it?”

I needn’t have asked; the blissful expression on Syl’s face told me that the food was everything she’d imagined. “God, Jason, the chef must be a wizard!”

The New York restaurant was famous for its Southwestern-grill menu. I’d brought Syl with me because of her fondness for New York, shopping, and grilled TexMex cooking. She needed the break, anyway; her visit with her friend, Samantha, hadn’t gone very well. The girl—Aurora Vanderdecken—had apparently disappeared en route to her home, no one had seen her since, and the police had no clues; even with Syl’s special talents (and those of Samantha, who Syl thought had similar abilities) they hadn’t found a trace. Syl had been there for her friend, but the visit hadn’t been cheerful.

So I wanted her to have a mini-vacation of her own, and it seemed to be working; the last couple days, she’d been more herself. Today, she’d gotten in plenty of shopping while I took care of business, and she was now temporarily lost to me as she immersed herself in the delights of cilantro, cumin, and cayenne.

This was ideal for my purposes, since it put her Talent at a definite disadvantage.

“Oops,” I said, bending over to pick up what I dropped. Then I went to one knee, opening the little box as I did so, and held it so her gaze fell upon it just as she finished swallowing and opened her eyes.

“Sylvia Rowena Stake,” I said, sounding far calmer than I felt, “would you marry me?”

For once—maybe the only time I ever would—I had completely surprised her. Not with the question, I’m sure, since both of us knew it would eventually happen, but she hadn’t had a clue that today would be the day. Why I was nervous, I didn’t know—it wasn’t like I could imagine her saying “no” any more than I could imagine asking anyone else to marry me. Maybe it was just that old fear of commitment making its last stand.

Her eyes widened until suddenly tears started rolling down her cheeks; she closed them and flung her arms around my neck. “Oh, yes, Jason, of course I will!”

The entire restaurant erupted into clapping, and camera flashes popped across the crowd. We both blushed, but neither of us could stop grinning as I slipped the glittering diamond ring on Sylvie’s finger.

The rest of the dinner was taken up by wedding plans. With the sale of the CryWolf devices, money was rolling in for me and I could afford anything, which I told her. Whatever kind of wedding she wanted, from a quick Justice of the Peace civil ceremony to an all-out extravaganza that would empty any six bank accounts, was all fine with me. “Just keep me from having to spend too much of my own time on it,” I said, honestly. “I don’t do the big fancy stuff well.”

She patted my cheek affectionately. “Jason, darling, don’t worry. The wedding’s still more for the girls than the guys, even in these enlightened times.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.