Chapter 21

Jordan’s eighteenth birthday is Sunday and I’m getting ready to propose to her as I had promised. I have to go and pick up the ring Friday and I’ve reserved a small private room at the city’s most exclusive restaurant for Sunday evening. The restaurant owner is related to one of my most important clients and is looking after everything for me.

Sunday is finally here and a limo arrives to take Jordan and me to the restaurant. Unbeknown to Jordan, her mom and Wilson are already in the room. We’re ushered in and after the surprised greetings from Trish and Wilson, I have Jordan sit in a chair that had been placed there just for this purpose.

“Jordan Harrison, will you marry me?” I asked as I knelt in front of her.

“Brian Moore, I love you. Yes. Yes. Yes I will marry you. I’ll be yours forever” was the reply as she leaped from the chair to hug me. After I untangled myself from Jordan’s arms, I reached into my pocket and took out the engagement ring and put it on her finger.

While all this was going on, I could see flashes from behind me and I knew one or the other of our guests was taking pictures. Finally, after much hugs, handshakes, kiss, tears and laughs we sat down to a wonderful meal. As the meal was winding down, I asked one of the wait staff if I could settle the bill. When the young man returned, he gave me a sealed envelope and when I opened it, there was a letter from my client saying that he was picking up the bill as a gesture of thanks for my good service and wishing Jordan and me all the best. The limo arrived to pick all four of us up and we delivered Wilson and Trish at their hotel before continuing to take Jordan and me to our home. Trish and Wilson would be coming over tomorrow to spend the afternoon with us.

When Trish and Wilson arrived the next afternoon, Wilson managed to get me off to one side for a moment and told me that Trish had filled him in on everything that Jordan and I had done. He emphasised the word ‘everything’ so I knew that Trish had told him about me taking Jordan’s virginity. I’d also asked a couple of our neighbours to come and join us in our celebration. I hadn’t told the neighbours what we were celebrating although I believe a couple of them were not too surprised when I announced that Jordan and I had become engaged. Soon the party was over, Trish and Wilson had gone back to their hotel for the night and I took my new bride-to-be to bed. Our lovemaking that night was slow, sensuous and gentle as befitted the occasion.

The next morning we had breakfast with Trish and Wilson. By the time breakfast was over, Jordan and Trish had decided that Jordan and I were to go to Maxton in two weeks to spend the weekend with them. Trish looked at Wilson with a smile on her face. “You’d better plan what you and Brian are going to be doing since Jordan and I will be spending our time doing some serious planning.” Wilson and I laughed and gave one another a ‘hi-five’.

This was Jordan’ last year of high school and when she came home Monday afternoon, she was on cloud nine. “I never said a word but during the first period, one of the girls saw my ring and managed to let the other girls in the class know. Just before the bell rang to signal the end of class, Mr. Jamieson asked me to come to the front of the class. When I did, he asked me to turn around and face the students and asked if the rumour was true that I had gotten engaged. I told him it was and he asked who and I told him you!”

I took her into my arms and hugged and kissed her. “Mr. Jamieson is the older teacher isn’t he?” I asked.

Jordan nodded. “He told me that he might get into trouble over it, but he asked if he might be allowed to kiss my cheek. He’s such a nice, gentlemanly person that I couldn’t refuse. The class made such a noise clapping and yelling that we almost didn’t hear the bell.” Jordan stopped and seemed to be looking back. After taking a deep breath, continued. “Of course, by the end of the day everyone knew about it. A couple of the prissy women teachers ‘tsk-tsk’ed when they heard my future husband was you but I don’t care.”

That evening Jordan and I talked about the wedding date and finally settled on the weekend two weeks before the graduation. A couple of phone calls between Jordan and Trish settled the date.

Jordan and I joined Trish and Wilson for the weekend and Wilson and I found things to do to stay out of the house. While not much of a boating enthusiast, I did enjoy going with Wilson to look at all the expensive toys at a boat show. Wilson said he often thinks about owning a boat like some of the ones at the show, but the cost always proved to be more than he could afford. “Maybe, someday” he said with a smile.

“One can always dream.” I replied back, smiling.

Wilson and I had done all the looking and wishing we could then headed back to find our ladies. Trish and Jordan had got the basics of the ‘who, what, when and where’ sorted out and over the next couple of months they’d iron out the exact details. Trish turned to me and said something that took me a bit by surprise.