The One After [SHAWN MENDES]

Chapter 127

"How are things going with your hot rockstar boyfriend?" Fallon asked after taking a sip of her iced tea.

We'd met for lunch on a weekday, just the two of us, because she wanted to discuss proposing to Briya. I felt honored to be in on the secret, though at the same time, I wondered if Bri was planning to pop the question herself. Their situation made me think how horribly patriarchal straight relationships were. Why was the onus of asking for someone's hand in marriage left up to the man in almost every scenario? It was very cool that either of my besties could do it and that it was essentially a race to see who was first. Maybe if Shawn and I stayed together a while, I'd propose to him. Even if he hadn't said it outright, I sensed he'd asked Camila, either casually or with a ring, and he was scarred by how that hadn't worked out. If I took things into my own hands, it would relieve him of that pressure. But would that be weird? It was 2023, so couldn't women do anything men could? I needed to give this some thought and perhaps journal about it.

"Things aren't really going anywhere since he's on tour, but he'll be home very soon and hopefully we'll get back into a nice routine then," I replied.

She smiled at me. "How many days until he's back?"

"Two days and approximately seven hours. Not that I'm counting."

I missed Shawn terribly, probably more than I had during any other separation. He texted me constantly and we talked at least twice a day, but it wasn't enough. I needed his kisses and to be held in his strong arms. I needed other things, too. Badly.

"It kinda sucks that you reconciled while you're on different continents."

I laughed. "Kinda sucks? More like massively sucks! Usually when a couple gets back together, there's hot sex. The only sex we've had has been over the phone."

We had quite the fun session that morning before I started work. He was on his tour bus, which added to the excitement. There was something naughty about doing it when people were right outside the thin walls and door of his private suite, forcing him to concentrate on being quiet. I did my best to tease and excite him into crying out, which was a little evil. Ultimately, he'd bitten his pillow as he reached his peak, and all I heard were muffled groans.

"Do you two take turns or do it simultaneously? And is this on FaceTime or just audio?" she asked

"Damn, girl. Those are some personal questions."

"Sorry. Curiosity got the best of me."

I leaned closer and whispered, "We like to do it at the same time, and it's only over the phone because he's afraid of transmitting overtly sexual images. He claims that people can hack that shit and sell it."

"I imagine a vid of Shawn Mendes masturbating would make a pretty penny."

"Let's change the subject," I suggested. "Are you getting Briya a ring?"

Our server came over and we placed our orders. I opted for the cheeseburger and fries with a side of ranch dressing since it packed a caloric wallop. Fallon got a honey mustard chicken wrap.

She returned to the conversation. "This is why I need your help! She's vehemently anti-diamond. Do I get a lab-created version like moissanite, or do I get a different gemstone completely?"

"She loves purple. You could get her an amethyst."

Fallon made a face. "But I hate purple."

"It's for her, though, so shouldn't it be what she likes?"

"I guess, but it's also a symbol of our love, so I think I should like it, too."

I nodded. "That makes sense. Given how you struggled with colors for your apartment, maybe going neutral with a faux diamond is best. Who doesn't love something sparkly?"

"True. Next question...do I go understated or big and gaudy?"

"Bri is a bit extra, so I think she'd want something that caught people's attention."

"She is adorably extra isn't she?" Fallon grinned. "Her hands are tiny, though. I think something over a carat would be too much."

"A carat sounds like the perfect size to me. Traditional setting? Or something more modern?"

She pulled out her phone. "A couple weeks ago I saw a ring online and saved it. I'd get a slightly smaller version, but tell me what you think."

I looked at the image and gasped at how gorgeous it was. The ring was in the shape of a lotus flower and had an intricate band with inlaid diamonds. "This is it!" I exclaimed. "You have to get this one!"

"Yeah? You think? I know that the lotus is important to her culturally, which is what made me search it in the first place."

"She's going to flip out! It is perfect."

Fallon high-fived me. "I am so glad this decision is made! I'll need to see if this company can customize it with moissanite or some other synthetic diamond. If not, I guess I'll hire a jeweler to recreate it."

"Do you envision a ceremony where you both wear wedding dresses?" I asked.

"If it were solely up to me, the answer would be no. I love dressing up, but why blow thousands on dresses we'll only wear once? I prefer the idea of buying coordinating 'fits that we could use again. It's a shame that neither of us is the type to wear a suit or a tux, because that would be great in terms of aesthetics."

The waitress brought our food and placed the plates in front of us. My big juicy burger looked incredible, but I wondered if I'd eat more than a quarter. I took a bite, chewed it, and swallowed. A thought occurred to me. "Who will I be the maid of honor for? You or Briya?"

"She hasn't said yes, yet, so let's not jinx it! Presumably you can stand up for both of us. It's not like we'll have a big wedding since we can't afford it."

"What if I threw you a reception as a wedding gift? I have an awesome caterer in my family, you know. My dad will want to make the cake for free. Oh! And I have connections with several liquor suppliers from my job, so I can get the booze at cost!" The whole thing started coming together in my head, and I knew I could pull off an amazing party.

Fallon reached out and grabbed my hand. "That's too much. If you can arrange to get things at a discount, we'll pay for it. I don't think we'd have more than fifty people, so finding a location should be easy. Knowing Briya, she'll want to handle that part."

"We can discuss the reception later," I said dismissively, since I knew I could keep pushing to help out after they were engaged. "Do you have a timeline for when you'll propose?"

"Initially, I thought I'd wait until the day we got together, but that's months away. Maybe mid-August? That way we could get married around our first hookupaversary." Her face lit up with excitement. "Oh my god! What if we had a Halloween wedding!"

"That's what Shawn's parents consider their anniversary, though they aren't married in the legal sense. Would it be a costume party?" I asked.

"Do you think that would distract from the meaning of the event? I don't want everyone so focused on what they wear that they forget it's a wedding, but on the other hand, it would be so fun if it was themed."

I was about to reply when I got a stabbing pain in my head. I reached up and rubbed it, since it felt like the pressure was directly under my scalp. Then I squeezed my eyes shut because the light made it worse. Migraines could come on suddenly, but this was unlike anything I'd experienced before.

"You okay?" Fallon asked.

"Headache," I said as I cautiously opened my eyes. What I saw, shocked me; everything was blurry and I had double vision. "Something is wrong," I told her as I began to panic.

"Oh fuck! Your face!" She jumped up and shouted, "I need help!"

I closed my eyes again and rested my head upon my folded arms on the table. I could hear garbled voices around me and after a bit, I was vaguely aware that I was being moved. Several words jumped out at me, but the terrifying one was stroke.