Without A Song

Chapter TwentyFive: The Proposal

Dougie spoke before anyone else could get a word in, before I'd even made a move. The humour had been replaced by a slow sombre tone.

"Nicole? I think the person you're looking for is sat five paces to my right? In the pale green shirt."

For some reason I looked down at my shirt, at the same time as everybody else turned to look at me. My shirt was pale green. The longer he pointed the wider became the gulf in those around me. People parted faster than Moses parted the sea. In no time at all I was on my own. Now no one stood between myself and Nicole. Without no room to hide I stood and faced in her direction, lifting my eyes to meet hers except she wasnʼt looking not at me. Instead her eyes were fixed on Dougie as if she was realising for the first time that he'd actually spoken to her. A stupefying vision in pure oyster white, a tall streamlined angel with a golden halo around her neck, she was totally unaware of the effect she was causing in the room. I had no doubt of the impression she was causing me. Following the direction of his outstretched arm Nicole turned her head towards me.

Nicole had materialised, there was no other description for it. There she was, standing silently below the stage, looking for someone, looking for me. Her long auburn hair had been given bronze and blonde highlights that shone like lightning streaks in the reflected sun. Tied back in a high pony-tail by a gold band at the back of her head, golden waves of long hair hung down in ringlets that nestled and spiralled across her shoulders and onto her chest. Above her left breast was the golden tiepin I'd given her when I left for Suffolk. It naturally lent itself to the radiance of the being before me.

For a moment far too long for a casual glance, my eyes met another's across the dance floor, holding their gaze like cross-hairs in a sniper's sights. Something inside my head told me I was not ready, this was all too soon but the moment the thought appeared it was also answered. I'd been waiting, wanting, planning for something like this ever since I'd left Steve and Catie Mellors. I'd planned that I would be the one to make the surprises. Patricia's words echoed in my head, the last words she repeated to me before we parted on the drive.

"Go back to your kingdom," she'd said, "Find Nicole and ask her to marry you."

I rose and took a few slow paces onto the dance floor until I was clear of my friends. I was unaware if Fran, Baz, Naomi or Sally were anywhere close, I wasn't thinking of them, only Nicole held my gaze. I saw a question form on the thin line between her lips, I saw thoughts going through her head flashing messages from her mind to mine. I wanted to ask her if she was okay, I wanted to know if she still wanted me to be part of her life, warts and all. Maybe my quandaries showed in the lines of my face, maybe my uncertainties were holding back my enthusiasm. I encouraged smile line to show on my face. In return a slow sure smile swept across the visage before me. My courage rekindled, my pace quickened. Together we crossed the floor until we met in a spot devoid of all others. Still we hesitated, then we came close, our hands touching fingertip to fingertip, fingers on palms and along each arm, upwards until we cupped each other's face in our hands. I brought my head together with Nicole's, kissed her head and her nose until she tentatively lifted her mouth to mine. Our kisses were gentle and slow, deliberate and long, we were oblivious to the company we kept. Nicole was pushing my arms away so that she could put her own around my neck. I dropped mine down to her waist and gathered her in, felt her body move against me, melting into me as we became one. We were together in a rush, her arms around my neck. My arms around her back lifting her off the ground and slowly swinging her around. Nicole, my Nicole, was all over me and me all over her. So many questions, so much we both to needed say, so much of everything. I couldn't put her down, I didn't want to let her go. Eventually I had to but still I held onto her fingers. Nose-to-nose, headto-head, eyes-to-eyes.