Lake Como by Anita Hughes Read Free Book Online

and took the rich streusel out of a warming tray.
    “The sorbet is served separately,” the waiter explained. “The warm and the cold function as yin and yang for your palate. Allow me.” The waiter served Hallie a slice of streusel and a bowl of white sorbet.
    Hallie put her spoon in the sorbet and blinked. On top of the ice cream, like a glistening cherry, was a large diamond-and-ruby ring. Hallie glanced at Peter, her heart thudding in her chest.
    “I meant what I said.” Peter took her hand across the table. “Without you I’m just a Southern boy who can scribble. You make me excited to get up in the morning. You make me want to fly high and see how far we can go. You’re beautiful and bright and generous. I love you, Hallie. Will you marry me?”
    Hallie stared at the ring. It was an oval diamond, flanked by two rubies. It was so breathtaking she was afraid to pick it up.
    “Put it on.” Peter scooped it up and held it in his palm. The pinpoint lighting made the diamond sparkle, as if it was flirting.
    Hallie slipped the ring on her finger. The platinum band was sticky from the sorbet. The waiters applauded as if they were at the theater.
    “Say yes,” Peter prompted her.
    Hallie gazed at Peter. She pictured walking down the aisle in a satin wedding dress. She saw her friends clapping. She imagined Constance swathed in vintage Valentino, smiling and nodding at the guests.
    “Yes,” she murmured.
    The waiter brought a bottle of champagne and two crystal flutes. He popped the cork and poured hundreds of tiny bubbles.
    “You proposed,” Hallie mumbled. The ring made her finger feel heavy. She poked the streusel with her fork, unable to take a bite.
    “I’ve been wanting to propose all summer,” Peter said, grinning. He looked like a boy who had won the spelling bee. “I wanted to pick the perfect time.”
    “You were going to propose in front of Marissa Mayer?” Hallie frowned.
    “I didn’t really have an interview with Marissa,” Peter admitted. “I used her as a decoy. I wanted to take you somewhere special without making you suspicious.”
    Hallie put down her fork. Suddenly her throat closed up and she couldn’t swallow.
    “You lied about the interview?”
    “It’s an old trick in journalism,” Peter explained. “Offer your subject an opportunity they can’t resist: theater tickets, box seats at a sporting event. They show up even when they don’t want to do the interview.”
    “I’m not a subject.” Hallie tried to keep her voice light.
    “You’re my gorgeous, talented fiancée,” Peter replied. “I asked you to have dinner but you refused. You said Kendra had you running in circles.”
    “I guess I did.” Hallie glanced at the smooth, round diamond.
    “I didn’t want to wait till you found time in your schedule.”
    Peter leaned across the table and kissed Hallie on the lips. She tasted the sweet coconut sorbet and the rich streusel; she felt the soft imprint of Peter’s mouth. He sat back, his hands sweeping across the table, and Hallie’s bowl of sorbet tipped over and dribbled on her skirt.
    “I’m all thumbs!” Peter exclaimed, reaching for his napkin.
    “I’ll dab it in the bathroom.” Hallie glanced at the spot that was spreading over black-and-white lace.
    *   *   *
    Hallie stood in front of the bathroom mirror. She felt like her breath was caught in her lungs and she had forgotten how to exhale. Everything was moving so fast. She was still reeling from Patsy’s wedding and now she had a diamond ring on her finger.
    Hallie rubbed the smooth stone, imagining announcing their engagement. Constance would immediately take out her calendar and circle the Saturdays in June. She’d call St. Dominic’s and mull over reception locations. Should they have a black-tie affair in the city or a casually elegant event in Napa? Constance would make endless lists, ticking off their choices with her gold fountain pen.
    Francesca would hug Hallie and say she was glad