Page 35 of Beauty and the Nerd

Emma couldn’t help but smile as she looked around the lounge of the restaurant.

They had one more day before they were flying back to New York and tonight they were out for dinner with Emerson and Lyle again, at one of the most gorgeous spots she’d ever seen.

There were pools with koi fish and waterfalls all around them, and she sank into Ben’s side as they were shown to a table with an incredible view of the waterfall.

The sunset mingled with the lights of the restaurant coming on was breathtaking and she grinned when Ben moved them over to the side for a photo.

Her grin turned to complete shock when instead of heading back to their table as he stepped back from her, he sank down onto his knee, opening a little box, showing her the most gorgeous, perfectly simple ring ever.

“Emmy, I fell completely in love with you long before I ever imagined it possible that you might feel the same for me, and you have made me the happiest nerd in the entire world just by being with me. I want this happiness to last forever, to be yours forever. I know others may say we’re too young, but I also know deep down that we both have old souls that want this more than we want to spend years trying to convince everyone else that we know what we want.

I promised your parents when I got their blessing that I would wait until you were ready to call you my wife, and I will wait forever to call you my wife if I have to, but I truly hope that I can call you my fiancée starting today.

Emma Danielle Watkins, my beauty, will you marry me? Be mine always, in every way?”

“Ben…” she gasped trying to breathe through the sweetest tears that hit hard and fast at the incredibleness of his words. Only one word reverberated around her mind though and it easily came out as he held her hand. “Yes…yes, absolutely yes.”

Her heart stuttered as he stood up, his hand sliding up to hold her head, and the kiss he gave her backed up every single word he’d spoken. She wrapped her arms around his neck, her face resting against his as he held her tight, unable to let go for even a moment.

“You are the best thing that ever happened to me. I love you so much, Ben,” she told him when they finally parted. Her hand shook a bit as he slipped the ring onto her finger, its size even larger looking on her hand than in the box. “This is too much though…”

“I promise it’s not,” Ben replied turning them back towards Emerson and Lyle who were both smiling fully at them, not at all surprised unlike her.

“Is this why you suggested buying this dress?” Emma asked Emerson as they settled back into the table after she hugged her.

“Lyle swore me to secrecy when I overheard him calling to make reservations for four last month, asking for any availability for this week, for a proposal. I’ve been dying to celebrate and as your hype girl, I knew you’d want to look fabulous in the photos, which yes, we have,” Emerson said with a little point towards a photographer and that simply made her blush.

“They were amazing help as was Megan with getting me your ring size to make sure it would fit,” Ben added, and she couldn’t believe her best friend knew about the proposal but didn’t say a word about it.

“She wasn’t aware of when it was happening just that it’d be coming sometime this summer most likely. ”

“Is that why we spent half a day getting manicures and then going to the jewelry store to try stuff on over Spring Break?” she asked him, and he nodded.

“I just mentioned that I was looking to get you a ring in the next few months, but wasn’t sure what size to get, especially with a quality made piece versus the mass-produced ones, so if she could help me I’d appreciate it.

It was her idea to do the manicures and window-shopping try-on to convince you to go to the photo shoot,” Ben stated and for that alone, she loved him even more.

“And after half a week on the beach it was easy to get you to freshen yours up for tonight,” Emerson tagged on, and she laughed shaking her head as she looked around at them.

“Thank you…this was perfect. Even if this ring is too much,” she added again to Ben.

“It’s not, baby. In fact, it cost less than half of what you’re probably thinking because one, it’s a lab-created diamond, not something that was mined for,” he stated, and she stared at him until he nodded at her silent question.

“Two, the gold used to make it was repurposed as well. I found a shop where most of their pieces are made from older items that were no longer functional for whatever reason. A stone may have broken, or the ring may have been cut or bent or worn so thin it had to be repurposed. I wanted you to have something that you would be happy wearing for years to come, and when I saw this one, I knew it was perfect. It’s stunning like you are, all on your own without the need for a million embellishments, Emmy. ”

“I seriously didn’t think I could love you more and then you go and prove me wrong,” Emma said, blinking back her tears because every word he uttered simply proved how much he listened to her, always had, even when he was hungry for her, he still listened and that was the most amazing feeling ever.

“Your mom thought you’d like it so I was feeling pretty confident, but seeing your smile makes it even better,” Ben mused, making her smile even more because the only way her mom could have seen it in person was if he’d shown it to her last month when she was up in the city with them.

“I love it, it’s absolutely perfect in every way.

Thank you for thinking about me when you went looking for it, I so wasn’t expecting this, hadn’t even tried to drop hints about what I’d like one day, especially not the gold versus silver part of it,” she added pulling a laugh from him that had her brow lifting a bit.

“You only wear silver jewelry when gold completely clashes with your outfit and as soon as you’re home, you’re taking it off. You’ll wear gold, especially that necklace from Megan, the entire night.”

“A man that pays attention to the little things is a man worth keeping around whether in private or business,” Emerson said as Ben pressed a kiss to her temple.

“Once he takes his head out of his ass at least?” Lyle teased his wife making her blush. “A smart man learns from his mistakes and doesn’t make them twice, especially not if it means possibly losing the best thing in his life.”

“Or if not saying something risks losing it,” Ben said, his knuckles tracing her cheek gently and she knew he meant about him calling her dad.

“Good thing we picked nerds to fall in love with then, isn’t it?” Emma said loving his smile.

“Picked, hmm? That makes it sound like you had a choice, here I thought it was inevitable that you’d fall in love with me,” Ben returned and she leaned over, giving him a soft kiss.

“I think it was both, inevitable that I’d fall but I let myself get close enough to do it,” she suggested, sinking into the new kiss he gave her that wrapped her in the sweetest joy that lasted all through their meal and long into the night.

She rested against his side, exhausted as the sun started to come up, and sighed happily as his hand ran through her hair, her ring catching the tiniest rays from the light coming through the window. “Did my parents know you planned to propose while we were here?”

“No, I showed them the ring when you went to call Megan to tell her about the trip and invite her up to stay after your mom asked if there were any other surprises I had planned. Seems she’d told your dad that it was likely coming but I didn’t have firm plans set for the proposal yet.

Most of my mind was on trying to find a way to make our first time together special after Lyle mentioned coming, and then after your parents gave their blessing, I actually started to think more about it.

They might suspect that I intended to do it while here, but they don’t know for certain, why? ”

“Just wanted to make sure they weren’t waiting for a text from us about it anytime soon. It’s almost noon back home,” she said, her eyes fluttering shut as his lips pressed a kiss to her forehead.

“Get some sleep, baby, I’m sure they’ll be okay if we don’t tell them until we’re back,” Ben assured her, holding her tight as they took a nap until nearly eleven.

They made their way out to the beach, playing around in the surf and lounging on the chaises until dinnertime. They spent it by themselves under the stars before having an early night, even if not an early sleep.

Emerson pulled her into the car as soon as they arrived at the front for check out, and she laughed when her phone went off with the arrival of photo after photo of their engagement.

She loved every single one of them but there was one that stood out just a bit more.

The ring was on her finger in it, her hand resting on the back of Ben’s head, as his forehead rested against hers.

They were both smiling in it, her body leaning into his, and she knew it was the perfect one to send her parents.

She waited until they were in the air to connect to the plane’s wi-fi, then texted her parents the photo as she snuggled into Ben’s side. A FaceTime request popped up on her tablet almost immediately and she answered it, grinning at the smiles on their faces.

“If you sent that to say you have a date in mind already, we’re going to have to have a talk here Ben,” her dad joked, and she laughed, shaking her head at them.

“No discussions of that yet or even real thoughts on it. Emerson,” Emma said, picking up the tablet to turn slightly so her parents could see her and Lyle in the seats across from them, “sent me the photos the photographer did, and I couldn’t wait to share that one with you all.”

“It’s beautiful sweetheart, an amazing shot,” her mom said.