Staring into Rapunzel's big blue eyes filled with desire but full of confusion, I'm thankful the chaos, at least, is gone.
I lift her hand to my lips and kiss it. "Rapunzel, I have a proposition for you. Please, hear me out. "
Her eyes narrow into tiny slits. "I'm listening."
She bends her head down, and her hair swings to the front.
"I can guarantee that you will walk away from this event with not only the highest bid but ALL the media buzz, but you have to trust me."
She blinks and looks away. Trust must be an issue for her, so I make it simple. "Do you trust Cathy?"
"Yes," she whispers. "She's my boo."
"And I'm her Bubba. You can trust me too. I would never hurt her or you."
She stares at me, then nods. "I trust you."
I address the emcee. "Sir, I bid $50,000 for this wedding gown, but I insist on receiving the whole wedding package."
Then I drop to one knee, set my cover down beside me, reach inside my jacket pocket, and pull out the five-carat diamond ring. The collective gasp of the hundreds of people watching is loud, and a pregnant silence falls in anticipation.
Rapunzel's shocked face is priceless. Her mouth drops open, and the flash of a hundred cameras captures the magical moment. I speak clear and crisp for the microphones and ask her, "Rapunzel, will you marry me?"
Her free hand flies to her heart, covering it protectively.
Tiara blurts out, "Have you lost your freaking mind?" The bitter sound of her voice echos in the silence unnoticed.
Rapunzel's eyes search mine, dancing back and forth, zinging my heart repeatedly. I smile at her realizing why that is happening. I'm in fucking love with her!
Then she's nodding, beaming, saying, "YES! Oh my god! YES!"
I slip the ring on her finger, and the roar from the crowd is deafening. She never looks at it. She has eyes only for me, and my confidence soars to a new high. I feel fucking invincible as her beauty radiates with her happiness. I stand and cup her face, leaning in for a kiss. She puckers her pretty heart-shaped lips, expecting a public peck, but that's not who I am. I'm a winner takes all, and I just won.
My mouth seals itself around hers in an all-consuming kiss that seals our deal. She melts in my arms, and I thrust my tongue down her throat, wanting to be inside her, and she sucks it down her throat, owning me outright.
The sound of the emcee's high-pitched voice, yelling into the microphone, "What just happened, folks," brings me back to reality. I withdraw my tongue and release her lips, smiling victoriously into her eyes. Then I play my trump card.
I raise my hand to the crowd for silence. When the room is quiet, I lift her hand, showing off the big rock, and announce. "You are all cordially invited to our wedding!"
The scream from The Wicked Queen shatters the shocked silence, and the sound is satisfying.
The gavel pounds the end of the auction, and the emcee shouts, "EPIC EVENT!"
I pull a happy woman back into my arms, and this time I peck her lips, then take her hand and lead her back down the runway. The crowd roars their acceptance.
A mob of well-wishers, led by Cathy, rushes us before we reach the wing.
"OH! MY! GOD! OH! MY! GOD!" Cathy keeps repeating.
She runs right past me and throws herself on Rapunzel. "You're the luckiest girl in the world, Zella! My Bubba is a dream come true."
She grabs Rapunzel's hand to examine the ring. "Wow! That thing's a rock!"
Then the mob of girls swarms the ring to get a glance of it, and Rapunzel's eyes lift to mine. The directness of her stare is a gut punch. She knows I planned to propose to someone else. She's merely playing along with the fairy tale facade. She looks around at the girls, all smiles, laughing over all the attention as she shows it off to them.
Cathy comes over to hug me. "Zella is the most amazing woman I've ever known, but, of course, you know that already!"
I squeeze her.
