Fallow Your Heart

I sat at the dressing table in my large bed room as I slowly got ready. Tonight my boyfriend and I were going to a nicer restaurant for my eighteenth birthday. He had even told me what he wanted me to wear while we were out. Normally, he wouldn’t care if I wore rags. That wasn’t the only thing off about tonight. I was nervous, very nervous. I had no idea what was going to happen. I couldn’t place why I was so upset. I was always comfortable around James. We have been dating for the past four years. We hardly ever got into a fight, mainly because there was nothing for us to fight about. We are always so happy together, and I love him more than I have ever loved any one before.
I put on makeup, and then put my hair up in a French twist for the night, leaving a few pale golden strands to curl around my face. I put on the earrings that James had gotten me for Christmas last year and then the necklace he had given me for Valentine’s Day. I wore the tight red strapless dress he had practically begged me to wear, even though I hate it so much. Once I felt I was done I went over to my closet and got the heels I wore when I had to wear this dress. The form fitting, curve hugging dress came down about halfway to my knees. It was the shortest, nicest and almost only dress I owned. Then I grabbed my hand bag before looking in the mirror one last time.
James would be here any minute, exactly on time as always. There was a faint knock on the door and my mother answered it “Hello James,” she said. “Jacquellene will be down in a minute. Why don’t you have a seat while you wait.”
“Thank you, but I think I’ll just stand if that’s okay with you,” James said politely as always to my mother.
I took a deep breath as I stepped out of my room and into the hallway. A few short steps and I could see him standing in front of the door his hands clasped behind his back. James was stunning as usual; he wore black slacks a white button down shirt tucked in and shiny black shoes. His hair was in its normal tousled mess. It always looked like he had just woke up and did nothing but ran his hand throw his hair. All the butterflies that had accumulated in my stomach started to float away. Everything seemed to be like normal again when I saw him. I slowly destined the stairs and three pairs of eyes were set on me. A smile slowly grew on James’s face and I smiled back at him.
“Wow, Jacquellene, darling you look stunning,” My mother said, “Doesn’t she honey?”
“Yes, of course, as always.” My father said as he was reading the paper.
“Good evening Jack,” James said holding out his hand to me as I reached the bottom of the stairs. “And they speak the truth. You’re absolutely stunning.”
“Good evening,” I replied placing my hand in his taking the last step. I gave him a one armed hug then kissed him on the cheek. “Are you sure it’s okay for us to go out?” I asked my parents. They normally planned an evening out for the three of us on my birthday.
“Yes, were sure,” My mother said a secretive smile spreading across her face. “Go eat and have fun. You’re officially a young adult.”
I went over and hugged my parents and said “Good bye. Don’t wait up, I’ll come home. I always do.”
James waved to my parents as he helped me put my jacket on. Then opened the door and helped me out to the car. He opened my door for me then closing it before going in to get behind the wheel.
“Now will you tell me where we are going?” I asked. All he had told me was we are going to a nicer place. He refused to tell me the name of the restaurant.
“You will have to wait and see.” James said leaning over to kiss me before he buckled in and put the car into reverse pulling out of the drive way.
“Aww, why can’t you just tell me? Are you trying to make me sick with nervousness?” I asked sarcastically. Then casually crossed my legs, which was actually quiet hard to do in the dress he wanted me to wear. I leaned over to toward him a little to kiss him on the cheek. “I love you,” I whispered.
“I love you too,” he said. “But that’s not going to get me to tell you where we are going.” James was smiling knowing I would possibly do anything to know the location of our destination.
“Are you sure?” I asked a devious smile on my face. I put my hand on his thigh knowing that could affect him so much, and in more ways than one. I kissed him on the cheek again and moved so I was sitting on the console that rested on the floor between the two seats in the front of the car. My hand moved closer to his crotch as I did this and I could feel his excitement. I knew he was hoping to night would be the night. Though neither of us knew what the night would contain.
“Please wait,” he said “I don’t want to get in a wreck that could possibly hurt you.” He placed a hand on my cheek, “Please sit back in the seat. I’ll tell you everything once I’m not driving.”
“I don’t think I can wait that long,” I whispered my hand still on his leg. “Please tell me.”
“Okay we are going to that place you’re always saying you want to eat at. Umm, Medium Rare or Medium Roar.” He said as he glanced at me. I had moved back to where I was sitting in the seat.
I smiled at him then kissed him on the cheek again. Then I whispered “Thank you, I’ve been waiting to go there since it opened.”
“I know you have, and I thought it would be the best place for us to go tonight for your eighteenth birthday. I also got the perfect present for this occasion, but you have to wait until I’m ready to give it to you.” he said. James had had this planned for two years now. He had been planning to propose to her on her eighteenth birthday, and he had wanted everything to be perfect. He had even asked her father for his permission before buying the perfect ring.
“Aw,” I said acting like I was genuinely sad that I had to wait. James knew that I never really liked a big fuss over my birthday or receiving gifts for Christmas but he ignored it any way. “Couldn’t you give it to me now?” I asked with the puppy dog look on my face.
“Nope, it has to be perfect when I give it to you.” James said. “I’ve had this planned for a long time. Just as long as you have been wishing to go to Medium Roar.” He put his hand on mine as he drove.
“Okay,” I whispered. “But you know I’m only waiting because you would probably have a spaz attack if I tried to make you give it to me now.”
“Of course,” James replied. “Because if you were going to try to make me give it to you, I’d rather not be driving. I’d rather be somewhere special and safe.” We were driving half way across town to get to this restaurant. Once we got there James got out then came and opened my door for me once again, taking my hand in his so I wouldn’t fall or anything was I got out. Casually he tossed the keys to the valet, and put his arm around me as we walked in.
“Do you have reservations,” the hostess asked.
“Yes, Griffin, James Griffin,” he said as he held me close to him.
“Okay Mr. Griffin, right this way.” she said leading us to a table. “The waiter will be right with you,” she continued before she walked away.
James pulled out my chair for me, then pushed it in a little after I sat down. He sat in the chair across the table from me. Reaching across it to take my hand “You really look wonderful,” he said and I could see it in the deep loving look he gave me.
“And so do you,” I whispered as the waiter came over.
“Here are your menus and just flag me down when you’re ready to order,” he said before walking away.
“What are you going to get,” he asked knowing I didn’t eat much meat and there was a lot of that on the menu.
“I was thinking a small chicken salad,” I said as I looked through the menu. “What about you?”
I never really cared if he liked to eat a ton of meat in a day, but it just wasn’t my style, if style was the word for it.
“Uh, probably the same. I’m not that hungry tonight,” he said.
In fact, he seemed rather nervous to me. I wish I knew what was going on but I knew just as much as the next person. James moved his hand ever so slightly and the waiter returned. James ordered for the both of us not having to ask what I wanted to drink, knowing I would absolutely love the sweet tea. I always did.
After a while of silence and watching the other couples around us, James got up and walked over to me. He was smiling but it didn’t make any sense what he was doing. He got down on one knee in front of me like he had many times before, when he was comforting me, but this time he wasn’t comforting me. This all made me so confused. James then slowly reached in his pocket, “Jaquellene Ann Jennings,” he said pulling out a small box. “We are here to celebrate your birthday but I wish to ask you a question”.
It was clear that the rest of the people around us had noticed what was going on, and they had already guessed what he was doing.
“So now I ask, with all my heart. Will you marry me?”
I was speechless. I had no clue what to say. It felt as if I were about to faint from shock and slowly my head started to moved up and down. “Y-Yes I will,” I stuttered smiling, seeing tears of joy in his eyes. I was sure his feelings were mirrored in mine. He had opened the box when he said his last four words, now he took the ring out of the box and slid it on my finger. James pulled me out of my seat before putting his arms around me, he kissing me full on the lips. The people around us clapped as they awed at us. I was sure they had found this display of affection so cute and adorable for two people just barely old enough to get married, to be thinking of it like this.
Soon our food arrived. Neither of us could find the motivation to pick up a fork and eat the food that was placed in front of us. We sat there in an odd silent state smiling at each other. I could see the ring glimmering on my left hand, just out of the corner of my eye. But the ring wasn’t what I loved; I loved James and would love him even if he had drawn the ring there with a sharpie.
“I love you,” I whispered to him.
“And I love you,” he replied a smile on his face. After an hour of sitting there smiling at each other not saying a word, James asked, “Would you like to sit here all night or go somewhere else?”
“What do you want to do?”
“Whatever you want to,” he replied.
“Well I will go where ever you go,” I smiled at him “even if you led me to the worse place in the earth. I’ll always be there for you.”
James smiled and asked a passing waiter for our cheek. He paid for our untouched food, then took me out to the car. He drove out of town to a small country road, where we could see the open night sky that was filled with twinkling stars. I unbuckled and turned in my seat to face him careful to keep my lets so nothing showed.
“Do you have any sweat pants and a shirt of some type in the trunk?” I asked him.
“Yeah, but why would you want to take off that beautiful dress?” he had also unbuckled.
“It’s so uncomfortable. I can barely move in it.” I whispered
“Okay I’ll get them for you,” he got out and went around to the back of the car. When he got back in he was holding a pair of black sweat pants and one of his t-shirts. By the time he had gotten back in the car I had gotten into the back seat. He handed me the clothes then got back out and moved so he could sit next to me.
While he was outside I had put on his shirt and started to take to take my dress off. After taking the ridiculous heels off, I slowly maneuvered my way out of the dress and slid my legs into the sweat pants.
“Aw, I missed the best part,” James said, I could tell he was joking as he said it. I smiled and leaned over kissing him.
“I love you,” I whispered kissing him again. I could feel one of his hands on my thigh and the other rested on my back underneath the shirt, as he kissed me back.
“I love you more,” he said kissing me some more. He pulled me close and kissed me ever so passionately.
“And how is that possible?”
He smiled and kissed me again.
“Let me show you,” he said. “Let me show you how much I love you.”
“Please not here,” I whispered. “Not in the back of your car.”
“Okay, come on,” he whispered. Then we both got back in the front seat and he drove off once again, back toward town. He took us to the nicest place to stay in all of Missouri City, Texas. James parked the car and came around to my side of the car. He opened my door then got my dress and heels out of the back seat.
I stayed close to James as we walked into the hotel and up to the cheek in counter. He asked for one of the nicer rooms, and led me towards the elevator where we went to the fifteenth floor. He picked me up and carried me into the room. James kissed me as he closed the door with his foot and carried me over to the bed.
“I love you so much,” he said quietly laying me down and then laying next to me.
“I know,” I whispered kissing him back.
“You’re scared aren’t you,” he asked in a whisper.
“Why do you have to know me so well?”
“Because we belong together,” he said.