The Mechanic

-Chapter Twenty-Four-

Location: Olympia, Washington, US

Lottie shows up to work early on Monday morning, a whole collection of muffins in her arms and thoughts of avoiding her computer story stuck in her head.

She's to work early to avoid the temptation of looking at it, of course. She hasn't watched any of it since Femi left and Paul came over.

He didn't bring donuts, just so you know.

She hangs her coat over the back of her chair in her office cubicle and leans into Renee's. "Is Paul here yet?"

Renee looks up, pulling headphones out of her ears. "What?"

"Is Paul here?"

"I think so. Why?"

But Lottie can see it in her twinkling green eyes that she knows exactly why.

Her friend shoots her a mischievous smile over the brim of her coffee mug, wiggling her eyebrows. "Are you going to pay him a visit?"

Lottie rolls her eyes and starts walking toward his office through the cubicles, and calls over her shoulder. "For that teasing, your muffin rights have been revoked."

Renee groans, and calls back, "No! Don't do that. Ma'am, you've gone way too far."

Lottie chuckles but doesn't reply, an armload of boxed treats still in her arms. Her feet carry her quickly across the carpeted floor to his office, but she stops at the closed door, listening.

He's in there. And he's talking to someone, so it would seem.

She listens for a minute more and comes to the conclusion that he is alone. There are no other voices in the office, just Paul's.

She cocks her ear toward the door, a concentrated frown pulling her eyebrows together. And still her boyfriend rambles to himself.

"Lottie," he says, and takes a deep breath. "Charlotte, love, I was wondering if you would... Um, life is short, so I wanted to know if you... maybe wanted to—" He clears his throat, and she can practically hear the blush on his cheeks. "I was wondering if you'd maybe want to marry me?" He's quiet for a moment, and then he scoffs, footsteps pacing the length of his small office. "Stupid idiot, you're going to have to do better than that."

Lottie's face is on fire, and she struggles to keep a good hold on the boxes with her mind caught elsewhere.

"Charlotte, I love you. And I want to spend my life with you. So would you marry me, silly as I am?" He chuckles nervously. "No, no... stupid."

His pacing footsteps serenade the expanse of his office, as well as the girl who stands outside.

Lottie grins. With a deep breath, she sweeps inside, several boxes of muffins slipping out of her arms. The grin on her face stretches so far that it's almost painful. "Will you marry me, Paul Muller?"

His cheeks match the red armchair on the nearer side of his desk. He splutters, face increasing even more in color. "Lottie... what—what are you doing?"

"Proposing," she chuckles, as she bends down to pick up the boxes she dropped and sets them on his desk. "What did it sound like to you?"

"Um," he blinks. "It sounded like... proposing. But aren't there rules about that somewhere? I mean..."

She straightens his tie, smirking. "Have you not seen any movies where the girl proposes? Empowerment to women. I should have the right to ask, too."

He nods, looking down at her. "I wasn't saying that you shouldn't, it's just..."

"Shh," she whispers, chuckling. "And your answer?"