Author's Note: I had no idea that this would go beyond a one shot deal when I typed my first word for But Now. After typing my last word for But Now, the tiniest of flickers flashed crossed my imagination but I didn't give it much thought. Then I read Make Believe by AnnabelGrey. It made me wanna cry but the intensity of emotion somehow put a spark to this mere flicker in my imagination and I sat down and wrote. Here's what I came up with. I hope you like!
Summary: Tony shares his secret with Michelle and continues to insist that he is not a poet.
"Remember when I told you I had decided to keep personal and professional stuff separate?"
"Yeah" she smiled and I guessed she was remembering that day she put me on the spot.
"Listen, ah, what we were talking about before… Yeah, um, I'm sorry. I, ah, I shouldn't of put you on the spot like that… Well, no. Actually, I'm glad you did… You are… Yeah. There's been something hanging between us since you started here… Yeah, yeah there has… I made a decision a while ago to try to keep personal and professional stuff separate… but now, I ah…"
And then the damn phone rang and killed my momentum… and saved me from making a fool of myself and sounding like an idiot from one of those romance novels my mother reads. I was on the verge of losing all common, rational sense because it was on the tip of my tongue to tell her that I think I fell in love with her the first time I looked into those eyes.
"Ever wonder what made me change my mind?" I grinned as I took one of those wild curls and wrapped it around my finger like she had wrapped me around hers.
She gave me that smile… the one I was crazy about… the one that said I was embarrassing the hell out of her…
"I wondered…" her smile got bigger, her cheeks got redder.
Those eyes were looking up at me in that special way she had perfected and were about to do a number on me.
"You still wonder?" I asked, slipping into those eyes.
"Sometimes."
Still grinning, still slipping I said, "And you've never asked?"
I raised the hand I was holding and kissed the back of it. Then I turned it over and landed a kiss in the center of her palm.
She likes it when I do that.
If it was possible, and apparently it was, her smile got even bigger, but she didn't answer me. She just kept looking up at me… with those eyes. I wondered if she knew what she was doing to me… with those eyes.
"So are you ever gonna ask?" I said, trying to take back control of the situation.
"Why don't you just tell me" she suggested.
"You have to ask."
"Are we being difficult?"
"We aren't being difficult baby. You are."
"I am not" she insisted.
"Yes you are."
"No I'm not."
"Yes you are."
"No I'm not."
We were at a standoff. And if I remembered correctly, at our last standoff, I gave in so it was her turn.
…
…
"What changed your mind?" she finally acquiesced.
"About what?"
"Tony!" she slapped me on the shoulder, faking a frown that I completely ignored.
"You have to ask the entire question" I said as I rubbed the tip of her nose with the tip of mine before stealing a quick kiss.
She likes it when I do that.
"What made you change your mind… about keeping personal and professional stuff separate?" she smiled, embarrassed as hell but still breaking me down with, you guessed it, those eyes.
Remember when I said I'm not a man given to talking like a poet or anything? Well, I'm still not but, damn it, I'll say it again… damn… those eyes.
Still holding the hand that I had kissed, I dropped to one knee.
"Tony…" her voice shook and those eyes looked at me with disbelief. "Wha… what are you doing? Oh MY GOD!" she whispered in the next breath as those eyes started to cry.
Now I'm nervous as hell.
"It was those eyes" I began.
"Oh MY GOD" her lips moved but her voice was inaudible as the biggest tear slid down her cheek.
"Because of those eyes, I couldn't hire you… Because of those eyes, I did. Because of those eyes, I had to keep my distance… Because of those eyes, I didn't. Because of those eyes, I couldn't date you… Because of those eyes, I did. Because of those eyes, I had to keep my heart… Because of those eyes, I didn't. And now… I'm down on one knee… All because of those eyes."
"Tony… Oh MY GOD"her trembling voice was barely a whisper as another tear slid down her cheek.
"Those eyes began to wrap themselves around my heart from the first day I met you. I never believed in love at first sight, but now…"
…
"Those eyes began to touch me in ways I never thought possible. I never believed in love at second sight, but now…"
…
"Those eyes began to make me believe in a love that I thought was reserved for only a few. I never believed in love at third sight, but now…"
…
"Those eyes have captured me… Those eyes have touched me… Those eyes have made me believe."
…
"And now… I want to make those eyes mine. I want to make them mine right now and ever after."
…
"Michelle, I need you. I want you. I want to make you mine… right now and ever after. Will you… Will you be mine… Will you be mine right now and ever after?"
She stood there looking down at me and said nothing, nothing at all. Not one damn peep.
I broke out in a sweat. Maybe I shouldn't have done this.
Maybe I shouldn't have hired her. Maybe I should have kept my distance. Maybe I shouldn't have dated her. Maybe I should have kept my heart.
Maybe this was all a mistake. Maybe…
"Yes" those lips finally uttered. "Yes" she dropped to her knees. "Yes" she was eye level with me, tears running down that beautiful face. "Yes" she leaned in as I met her ½ way. "Yes" she whispered into my open mouth as I covered those lips with mine.
And now…
Yes… Those eyes are mine… Yes… Those lips are mine… Yes… that head of wild, curly hair is mine… Yes…She is mine… Yes…She is all mine… right now and ever after.