I'm Admired But He Is Feared

Chapter Twenty

I hope nobody saw that. Looking around the room for a quick check my eyes stay focused on the table on the other side of the room. Please don't say who I think that is. He turns around properly in his chair with the phone placed on his ear while looking through the menu.

It's none other than Mr Peace. What is he doing here? Out of all places, why did he have to be here for? Looking back at Gerry he has a small smile on his face as he continues looking at his own menu. I'm not going to tell Gerry that Mr Peace is here, I don't want to ruin this night for the both of us.

Taking one look back at Mr Peace he is now talking to the other man that was sitting across him. He's probably here on a business talk thing or something. Ignoring him is the best policy for me.

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Gerry starts laughing loudly at a joke he just cracked catching the attention of a few people around us. Gerry had a bit too much to drink making him drunk, I tried stopping him but he told me he hasn't drank in a long time.

Ignoring Mr Peace wasn't even easy for me; I kept looking over at Mr Peace a couple of times when Gerry wasn't paying attention. Speaking of looking at him, I hope he hasn't noticed me yet. I take a quick peek at him to see he is now surrounded with two other men and they seem to be in deep conversation.

Mr Peace has this slight frown to his face as he listens to the other men talking. I wonder what they're saying to him. I hear Gerry's chair shuffle causing me to redirect my attention to him. Oh my God, what is he doing?!

"Gerry, get down" I warn him but he ignores me.

He's standing on his chair with a glass and spoon in his hand.

"Can I have everybody's attention?!" He barks loudly.

I quickly put my head down on the table and try to ignore everybody now looking at the drunken Gerry that is standing on his seat.

"Somebody kill me" I whisper to myself.

"Tonight has been amazing for me. I don't think I've ever been so happy before" Please don't say my name, please don't say my name! "It's nice to spend time with someone but it's even amazing when you get to spend it with the person you love. I'm here today with my girlfriend Sofie...Sofie Koenraad" Oh you just had to say my full name Gerry!

Taking my head off from the table I look around the room to see everybody is now looking at me. Moving my overgrown fringe out of my eyes I look over to Mr Peace who looks at me with irritation. Why am I not surprised?

Gerry hops down from his chair setting the glass and spoon back down. He looks at me with the widest smile on his face as he approaches me. Taking my dead hand from the table he gestures me to stand up which I do.

I try my hardest not to look around the room and keep my eyes focused on the blues of Gerry's. He's showing me the love he held for me when I first told him that I was in love with him. Yes, I was also the first one to say 'I love you'.

I miss seeing this look in his eyes; I need to see this side of Gerry more. I know that he's drunk right now but I'd do anything to see it again. His hands on mine tighten a little making me give him a smile.

"What are you doing Gerry?" I whisper to him as the entire room is quiet from the show Gerry is holding.

"Sofie...Sofie Koenraad. The first time I saw you, well the first time you approached me and asked me out straight away, I was blown away" He says letting out a chuckle. All of the females around the room sighed at what he said making me smile and let out a small laugh as well. "I always saw you around the corridors, I wanted to approach you because you seemed really nice and when you asked me out, I couldn't decline. Since that day, I never realised how much of a blessing it was to me. The moment I realised I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you was when you were moving away to California for college. I knew then and there that I didn't want you out of my sight. That was when I first fell in love with you. I was scared; I felt that if I told you I loved you it would scare you away. So I waited and what I didn't expect was you telling me you loved me- I fell in love with you even more. Before we met...I never knew what happiness was. Call me cheesy but it's true. You know me better than I know myself. You know my whole routine, my bad habits and that's what I love about you...you get me like nobody else. So I want to ask you something today" He lets go of my hand and reaches into the back of his pocket while keeping his eyes on me.

"Gerry..." I say breathlessly.

I know what's he going to ask me and I don't know whether I'm really prepared for it. My heart stammers in my chest as I put a hand over my mouth as he gets on one knee pulling a diamond ring. He's drunk; he doesn't know what he is doing.

"Will you marry me Sofie Koenraad?"