Will you marry me

Since I lost my mother three years ago, Victoria and her family have been nothing but wonderful

to me. If indeed there was anything called a fairy godmother, She was mine.

We met at the restaurant where we both worked three years ago. She was always ready to

cover up for me anytime I couldn't show up for my shift. Everything was going smoothly until six

months ago when I got fired.

*** ***

A colleague had beckoned on me, pointing to the table at the right corner of the restaurant,

where my attention was needed.

I swung gracefully to the Table where a hawk-nosed Englishman was seated with two other

men, and with a proper smile I asked what their order was.

I could feel the man's dark hungry eyes all over me and I have never felt more naked in my life.

This time around, I shot him a malevolent look and asked again.

‘‘What exactly do you want sir?’’ My proper smile had already disappeared and I swore within

me to teach him a lesson if he tried any nonsense with me.

‘‘Sit down and have a drink with us.’’

‘‘I don't drink with customers, it is against the Restaurant's policy. If you don't want anything, I'd

like to take my leave as I have other customers to attend to.’’

As I turned to take my leave, he grabbed my wrist in a not-so-friendly manner, slipped a piece of

paper into my bodice, and openly put his hands over my breast before he let go of my arm, I

looked around and the man seated with him was laughing, all eyes were on me at the

restaurant.

In that instance, I was filled with rage and felt so embarrassed. I pulled the object out of my

dress, threw it at him, and gave him a befitting slap as I moved back to my post.

‘‘You will regret this, I will make sure you are fired and you'll never try such with me again, You

silly bitch!’’ He stood up and dashed straight to my Manager's office.

I knew I was going to be fired as my manager has zero tolerance for rudeness, he wasn't going

to listen to my side of the story, so I was already packing my bag when I heard my name.

‘’Esther, Get into my office now!’ His voice thundered.

My legs moved mechanically like they belonged to someone else as I went ahead. I hoped and

prayed my manager would listen to my side of the story and let me keep my job but the reverse

was the case.

‘‘You were rude to a customer today, you even slapped him, what effrontery!’’

‘’Sir…He…I…’’ my voice shaking, I could feel tears trickling down my face as I tried to explain

to my manager but he didn't want to listen.

‘‘You are Fired!’’ He said in a stern voice.

‘‘I knew it, I knew you were not going to listen to whatever I had to say,’’ I said with lots of

emotions running through me; fear, anger, and hatred—I took my bag and hurriedly left his

office and went straight to my house.

My pillow soaked with my tears, I kept turning and tossing on my bed, ‘’Oh God! What should I

do? My Rent is due in a week and now that I have lost my job, what do I do?’’

A message appeared on my phone and it was Victorias’

‘’Esther Darling, I just got to work and I heard what happened. I'll come over to your place once

I'm done with my shift, I know you must have cried a river but promise me you'll stop crying.’’

My Angel in disguise has once again come to my rescue. I heaved a sigh of relief.

*** ***

The half-dozen electric fans that whirred from the ceiling of the nightclub did little except stir air

thick with tobacco smoke and strong smell of alcohol. They certainly didn't cool a temperature

that must have been well over a hundred degrees. As I moved around looking for Victoria, I

could feel the sweat soaking into my dress.

My eyes darted around still looking for her amid the crowd, Thankfully I found her attending to a

customer at the bar.

‘’Over here,’’ Victoria shouted and gestured with her hand for me to come over and I found my

way to the bar.

‘’Excuse me, Can I get a vodka tonic?’’ A fine young man probably in his late thirties said to

Victoria.

‘’Common! Vodka tonic? That's too simple, test me a little and see if I won't blow your mind’’.

‘’Oh really! Okay then let me have a negroni.’’ he chuckled.

‘’Neg what? What's Negroni?” Victoria looked at the ceiling like she was confused.

‘’You asked me to test you a little and you don't even know what a negroni is?’’ He responded

disappointedly with a smirk on his face.

‘’I'm just kidding,’’ she grinned and began to mix the drinks.

‘’First made in 1919 for Count Camilo Negroni when he swapped the soda water in his usual

drink, the Americano, for gin,’’ I said, interrupting their conversation.

‘’Wow!’’ his face lit up in excitement. I am Charles and I just buried my father he extended his

hands for an handshake.’’

‘’Oh, I'm sorry about your father. She is Esther and she just broke up with her boyfriend, I think

you should both have a conversation.’’ Victoria winked at him and went ahead to attend to other

customers.

Victoria has a matchmaking habit, she was the one that hooked me up with Matthew too but

unfortunately, Matthew was no good, Although I am not ready to go into a relationship just yet

there's no harm in having a conversation with a fine gentleman.

‘’I am so sorry about your father but I haven't seen you in here before, where are you from?’’

‘’It's fine, he is old and now resting in peace, anyways this is not really my neighborhood, I'm

from Greenwich.’’ He shrugged.

‘’Greenwich sounds nice but I'm sure bartenders in Greenwich don't make negronis like this.’’ I

pointed at his drink and we both chuckled.

‘’What's with the suitcase? Why are you in a club with a suitcase?’’ he asked, pointing at my

suitcase.

‘’It's crazy right! The thing is I just broke up with my boyfriend that I used to live with and now I

have nowhere to stay, but I'm sleeping in Victoria's house tonight. I'm just waiting for her to

finish her shift so we can go over to her place'’.

‘’I’m sorry to hear that, but Esther! what is the craziest thing you have heard since you were

born?’’

‘’My boyfriend ‘now Ex’ just told me that I'll never find anyone to love me—that's crazy right?’’

‘’He must have said that out of frustration, you punctured his ego by leaving him so what were

you expecting him to say or do?’’

‘’I don't know.’’ I shrugged dismissively.

‘’That's not crazy enough compared to what I am about to tell you though.’’ he said as he gulped

down his drink.

‘’What can you possibly want to say!’’ I rolled my eyes, now starting to get nervous.

‘’Will you marry me?’’ He said in a serious tone.

I couldn't contain the laugh and so it bursted out.

‘’I am serious, Do I look like I am joking? It’s not like I want you to do it for free!’’ he said with a

stern expression.

‘’Excuse me? Me? Marry you? How? Why?’’ I said in a confused state.

‘’Who is getting married!’’ Victoria shouted and appeared suddenly in front of us.

No one responded and she snapped her fingers.

‘’Hello! Is no one going to answer me? I said who is getting married?’’ She looked from Charles

to Me.

‘’Ask your customer,’’ I said pointing at Charles.

‘’I am giving you just one week to think about it, call me when you have an answer for me.’’ He

said in a commanding tone as he paid for his drink, dropped his phone number, and left the

club.

‘’What effrontery! You won't believe I was beginning to like this arrogant idiot, only for his to

show his real attitude.’’ I said angrily.

‘’Esther, what is the matter? Fill me in! Who is marrying who?’’

‘’You won't believe he asked me to marry him? How Can Someone be so desperate?’’ I stood

up to leave.

‘’Marriage? Have you guys met before?’’ Victoria asked not believing her ears as we walked out

of the club together.

‘’Let's just go home, I need to drop this suitcase! I knew this night was going to be a long night

but I never knew, I would be proposed to.’’

‘’What an Irony of life! I don’t want you to worry about him, he is just an idiot.’’ Victoria said as

we both laughed and headed to her house.