Not Scared Anymore

Chapter 6 - Stephanie

Two weeks after leaving, Mark was finally on his way home. Even though he was exhausted, he told Stephanie all he wanted was a nice, quiet, romantic dinner so they could talk, hinting at some very big and important things he wanted to talk about. She had offered to cook dinner for them so they could stay in and relax, but Mark was adamant that they needed to go out, and he made a reservation at Lombardi's, the restaurant where they'd had their fifth anniversary dinner.

It was a special restaurant for them, and Stephanie automatically wondered if he planned to propose, so she spent extra time getting ready. They hadn't talked about marriage recently, but they had before they moved in together. She loved Mark, he was sweet and took care of her, he could be silly sometimes, and he was very ambitious. He wanted to be a partner in the firm, and wasn't going to let anything stand in his way.

When she had finally told him about the new job over the phone, he had said "that's great", but she could hear a lot of background noise; she knew he was trying to play it cool around his colleagues. She couldn't wait until it was just the two of them, so she could tell him all about it and he'd show her just how excited he really was.

His flight was delayed. He texted Stephanie saying that he would take the town car right to the restaurant, and she should drive his Mercedes over herself. They didn't want to miss their reservation, and he'd made sure to get the good spot in the corner window. The town car would deliver all his bags and things right to the condo so Mark wouldn't have to worry about them.

Stephanie arrived at the restaurant on time, and handed the keys to the valet. When she got inside, she saw him right away, looking out the window and not at his phone. That's a good sign. He saw her reflection in the window and turned to face her. His face lit up with a smile and he stood to kiss her. After two weeks apart, she was almost sorry they were in public. He was wearing his favourite bespoke suit, dark blue with a grey paisley liner. It was the first suit he bought himself when he got his job at the law firm. He saved it for special occasions.

As soon as Stephanie took her seat, the waiter appeared with champagne. Mark wanted to make a toast. Stephanie's heart raced; Mark's eyes were bright with excitement.

"To us, and our future together, wherever it may take us."

"To us!" they clinked and she took a small sip. It was good champagne, and she was starting to have high hopes that the night would end with a ring on her finger. She could sense the tension running through him, he was psyching himself up for something big.

He had already ordered them each the chef's special, a four-course meal with wine pairings. Stephanie slightly regretted wearing the form fitting dress instead of the one with the A-line skirt. She knew Mark preferred this one though, and she knew she looked great. They made small talk through the soup and salad courses, but when the entrees came and waiters departed, he took a deep breath and reached for her hand. She really wanted to dig into her filet mignon, because it looked absolutely delicious, but if this was their moment, the steak could wait. Doesn't he know the proposals are supposed to be scheduled between dinner and dessert?

He steeled himself and looked directly at Stephanie, "So, you know I've been aiming for partner since law school, right?"

"Of course! It's always been your goal. I love how you are so determined." She smiled at him and squeezed his hand.

"Yes, well, it turns out, the job in Vancouver may have been the most important thing I've done to get there. I managed to get everything under control and reorganized, and Lester, the founder of the Vancouver firm we want, was very impressed. My boss is worried that without one of us there, things are going to fall apart again. So, they want to move me to Vancouver full time. I can keep an eye on things there, and then once the merger goes through, they are hinting that I might be a partner on the west coast! It's amazing! It's everything I've ever wanted."