Céline was stunned. She sat there with her glass in mid air gawking at Damien. She couldn’t believe her own ears. Her legs shook with surprise and happiness, all at once.
Was this really happening? Was Damien really proposing?
She couldn’t bring her brain to accept what her ears were telling her. Her heart was not even helping the situation, for it kept hammering in her chest, causing butterflies to erupt and flutter everywhere, leaving warm kisses everywhere they touched.
She didn’t know what to do. Should she scream a fat yes, or should she remain quiet? Should she run and hug him with a fast nod or should she keep gawking at him from a distance?
Her breathing started coming in gasps as she kept looking at Damien. His words echoed once more in her ears and she feared her heart will burst out from its place in joy.
“… Céline Fayet, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
She had never even imagined how she wanted this proposal to be. All she knew from the very first day she read about the post in her aunt Elizabeth’s magazine, was that she wanted to be Damien Culhane’s wife but she didn’t plan on how she wanted it to happen. Now, it was happening, she was frozen in a world of shock.
The hall went so silent, a pin could be heard if it was dropped at the center. Everyone was staring at her, waiting for her to give a response. They were all waiting for her to do something, but Céline was in a dilemma. She didn’t know what to do.
What should she do?
Lucas got up from his seat and came to her rescue. He stood in front of her and offered her his hand with a smile, “Come with me, your prince is waiting,” he said and Céline’s butterflies turned into dragons. She was beetle red. Her insides fought between staying hidden far away from the lurking eyes of the party guests and running into Damien’s arms.
“He’ll tire out and start crying soon,” Lucas whispered pointing a finger at Damien’s direction.
Céline smiled but the joke gave her the strength she needed to raise a shaky hand to meet Lucas’ waiting one.
Squeezing her hand lightly, Lucas led her to the podium where Damien was waiting. Her legs trembled as they walked. She feared she would make a huge scene by losing her balance and fall flat in front of everyone. She was thinking so much she started feeling dizzy. Thankfully, Lucas strong arms held her upright, leading her slowly, until they got to Damien.
As soon as they got in front of him, Damien went down on one knee. He dipped his right hand into his jacket inner pocket and brought out a small red velvet box that fit right into his palm. He opened it and there were gasps from the crowds at the beauty that Damien held.
It was a small gold ring with a diamond adorned on top of it.
Tears pooled in Céline’s eyes. Goose bumps rose all over her skin as she stared at the person holding the jewelry, Damien. To her nothing could be compared to the man in front of her.
In the course of seducing him, she had falling in love with him. She had grown so used to seeing his face and teasing him. She was hurt when he shut her out for a few weeks. She drove herself crazy thinking she had messed things up. Now, everything was falling into place. The one man she thought she would seduce into marriage, was willingly asking her into marriage.
“Céline…” Damien called her name and she felt like the sweetest chocolates in the world were dropped unto her mouth.
“… the first time I saw you, you wore only a crop top, cargo pants and boots… yet you were the one that drew my attention among all those women on the dance floor that night…”
There were whistles and happy sighs from the crowd and Damien smiled, before continuing.
“… I hadn’t even seen your face then but I was itchy to get on the dance floor and spin you around… And when I did see your face…”
“… your beauty was alarming. It is still alarming Céline. You are not just beautiful, you are smart and intelligent…”
Céline was blushing so much she couldn’t stare up at him. She peeked up from under her lashes and saw that even he was anxious. There was so much emotions going on in his face, Céline could not put a finger on any of them. He was happy, he was scared, he was excited, he was worried, yet he was confident of what he was doing.
“… I want to wake up every morning to your beautiful face Céline.”
He stretched out the ring forward and looked into her sea blue eyes that were glistering with tears.
The crowd went silent again as Céline stood with tears in her eyes staring down at the man of her dreams. She wanted this with all of her might.
“Will you marry me?”
It was like she was transported into a different world where only she and Damien existed. And there he was in front of her asking her to be his wife. How could she say no when the dragons in her stomach were threatening to develop into love-dinosaurs. Her heart was fluttering so much, she feared she would melt with all the feelings she was getting.
Time stopped and she opened her mouth, “Yes! I will marry you Damien!” she whispered.
She put forward a trembling hand and Damien slipped the ring on her finger. The coldness of the ring on her finger was also transferred to her heart. It was like Damien had found a way into her heart, never to leave and she in turn was in his heart, never to let him go.
This was how true love felt. They were complete in that one moment as they stared into each other’s eyes. In that one moment when they silently promised to love one another forever. Céline realized they were finally connected, not by sex, not by money, but they were connected by true love and attraction.
She pulled him up to his feet and he embraced her, pulling her tightly against his chest. She inhaled his scent and sighed. This was everything she wanted.
Damien placed a long kiss on her forehead and whispered to the back of her red hair, “Thank you.”
It was at that moment a thunderous round of claps and screams filled the whole place. It was like they got reminded by a director to react or maybe Céline was the one who just returned back to earth after her trip to love land. Music resumed back and the paparazzi went crazy flashing cameras into the two lovers.
“Congratulations bro!”
Lucas patted Damien shoulders and Damien had no choice but to pull away from Céline’s embrace. He held on to Céline’s hand and all his friends came over to congratulate him.
The other guests too came up to them and gave them hugs and kisses congratulating them. Céline could not keep her eyes on any of them. She was lost in Damien’s heart and she never wanted to come out of it.
This surely must be how her aunt Elizabeth felt about her dear husband. Even though Céline had promised herself no to fall this much in love with anybody for the fear of ending up lonely like her aunt, she could never wish for anyone else but Damien. If love was going to hurt, she would risk it all with him. He was worth all of it.
After the guests started leaving, the media wanted to come pester them with questions but thankfully Lucas was close by.
“Mr Culhane, we are so happy for you. When should we start hearing the wedding bells?” One asked.
“They won’t be responding to any question at the moment. For update make sure you stick to my social media pages and outlets including my controlled tabloids, for those are the only places you will get the information you need. Thank you!” Lucas told them with a wink.
Charles and Mirilyn walked up to Damien and Céline as Lucas distracted the media. “We should get you two out of here,” they said.
Damien nodded and held Céline’s hand even tighter. They followed Charles and Mirilyn through a side door and there, Damien’s Limousine was already waiting to take them home. Damien opened the door and Céline entered, followed by Mirilyn. Damien himself went in and left the door for Charles to also step in.
“Where should we go sir?” The chauffeur’s voice came in through a small speaker Céline had not noticed the first time.
Damien looked at Charles and his friend shook his head. “You can’t go home,” Charles warned Damien.
Céline from Damien to Charles and back again, wondering what they were talking about.
“Why?” Damien asked his friend. Céline’s hand was still safely tucked in his, as he questioned Charles.
“The paparazzi will definitely trace you back home. They will be waiting to get more response and insight.” Charles explained and a frown formed on Damien’s face.
“I should take her home then. I can handle the media on my own.” He squeezed Céline’s hand for comfort as he spoke.
“No, have you see the news?” Mirilyn asked, waving her phone in the air.