Aunty May told her husband she had received an invitation from a friend to have dinner at a golf course clubhouse near Discovery Bay. She also told Gillian the invitation was extended to her but kept her friend anonymous. All Gillian was told was that this friend of Aunty May’s was considering moving to the United States and wanted to ask Gillian some questions about living abroad.
Knowing the venue at the golf course was considered somewhat ‘high society’, Aunty May insisted her husband wear a formal suit. Gillian, however; had put on a collared T-shirt with a pair of shorts because the weather was so hot and humid on this late June evening. After being nagged by Aunty May, Gillian had no choice but to change into the new dress she had purchased from Darling while visiting New York during Christmas last year. It was the only dress she managed to throw into her luggage on a last-minute spur before boarding the flight to Hong Kong for the medical conference. She figured she might need it in case she had to attend any formal functions with Dr. Millard.
Upon arriving at the entrance of the golf course, Gillian was surprised to spot Ethan from afar. He was waiting at the terrace of the club house. Looking from a fair distance, she was already captivated by his outer appearance which was very, very, and again, very different from his usual ‘dark and gloomy’ dress code. Gillian had to blink a few times to be certain that it wasn’t some other celebrity standing there. Ethan was dressed in a slick navy-blue suit with a tie. His appearance was so mesmerizing that Gillian had to slow her footsteps and watched from a few steps back as Aunty May approached him. It was at this exact moment when Gillian realized the person who sent the mysterious dinner invitation was Ethan. She wondered why he and her aunt had gone through all the trouble to conceal this fact. They both knew that she would had accepted an invitation whenever and wherever free ‘good’ food was to be offered.
Gillian watched as Ethan greeted Aunty May and shook her hands. “Mrs. Chan.”
“Yip Sir!” Aunty May responded with a smirky grin.
“Please, call me Ethan.” Ethan pleaded and then turned to Mr. Chan to shake his hands as well.
Aunty May eyed Ethan up and down approvingly. Then she turned to look at Gillian who was still standing a few feet behind. “You can’t fault me this time when I say you two are made for each other! I didn’t tell Ethan you were wearing that dress! But see how matching you both look tonight with your clothes. The perfect couple!”
Gillian looked at her dress and realized Aunty May was right. They were truly dressed like a couple with matching colors. Looking at Ethan’s attire, she was rather glad she had put on a formal dress for this occasion; though whatever it was, she had no idea.
Ethan approached and greeted her with a timid smile at first. Then he extended his hand to her.
Thinking he was just going to shake her hands, Gillian accepted his.
But Ethan turned her hand in his and gave it a peck on the back of her palm. Then he told her. “I am really happy you came tonight.”
For fear that her knees might give way and buckle; Gillian pulled her hand away and quickly made her steps towards Aunty May and grabbed unto her arm as a support. She couldn’t believe the effect Ethan’s touch and mannerism were having on her tonight.
However, Aunty May was very quick to grab hold of Ethan’s arm when he followed behind Gillian. Aunty May placed Gillian’s hand in Ethan’s and spoke. “Here you go, Ethan! Don’t let her slip away again! Hold on to her tight!”
“I will!” Ethan gladly accepted and gave Gillian’s hand a squeeze. He gave out a bashful smirk when he noticed how Gillian was sending Aunty May a glare. But he held Gillian’s hand tight, nonetheless.
The Maitre’d approached Ethan and asked politely. “Mr. Yip, are you and your guests ready to be taken to your venue?”
Ethan turned to Gillian. “Are you ready?”
Gillian wanted to ask ready for what, but the emotional surge in her tummy were keeping those words from being voiced. So, she nodded at Ethan who then gestured to the waiter to lead the way. Gillian noticed Ethan was being such a gentleman when he placed her arms through his elbow and then gestured for her father to follow the Maitre’d first. “Please, after you and Mrs. Chan.”
Gillian looked at Ethan as they started walking into the restaurant, she couldn’t help but wondered what mischievous deeds he had up his sleeves tonight. At first, Ethan wouldn’t look her way. When he finally turned to look at her, he gave her that dimple grin which she could never resist. The one that made her heart melt and knees weak.
Gillian noticed there was something different about Ethan tonight, she thought she was detecting a tad of nervousness from him. However, she couldn’t quite place her finger on what it was that could make him appear so antsy. After being seated, Gillian thought perhaps her father found the reason.
“Ethan, this looks like a very high-class venue!” Mr. Chan voiced his concern after the waiter walked away. Then he spoke in a whisper. “Should we just have a drink and then go somewhere cheaper to eat dinner?”
“I think that’s the least of his concern tonight!” Aunty May chuckled at what her husband said and helped herself to the menu in front of her. “Ethan has come prepared for us to order the most expensive wine here! Right Ethan?”
“That’s right! Don’t worry about the bill!” Ethan pointed to the menus. “Please order whatever your heart desires, Mr. and Mrs. Chan.”
While Aunty May and Mr. Chan were looking at their menu, Ethan picked up the stem of red rose that was sitting by his side of the table and presented it to Gillian.
Gillian was still trying to figure out what Ethan was up to as she accepted the rose from his hand with caution. Then she took in a quick swift of the rosy fragrance without taking her eyes off from him. When his dimple smile appeared, Gillian was certain he had something cooking up his sleeves. She was trying to read his mind, but her brain was spinning with the words Ethan had just said to her dad and Aunty May. So, she asked him. “And what is it that your heart desires, Mr. Yip?”
Ethan gained confidence upon seeing Gillian’s analytical smile; from her eyes, he knew she was in the game of trying to figure out what he was doing tonight. He grinned at her but gave nothing away. "Wait and you will find out!”
Ethan then directed Gillian’s attention to the open menu in front of her. “What do you fancy eating tonight?”
After a quick glance of the menu, Gillian made her choice. She then took the opportunity to look around the surroundings for the first time. She knew they were in one the event function rooms of a private golf club; and she could definitely imagine how very costly the bill was going to be. However, she felt the venue was rather cold and wasted because of its emptiness. Gillian looked over to the small stage where there was a big screen TV and a Karaoke System by the side of the stage. There was a set of drums as well as an acoustic guitar that was leaning against one of the speakers.
As Gillian took in more of the function room, she felt it was strange how their table was situated in the middle of nowhere, like an isolated island. The room was way too big for their one and only table; however, she saw there were other tables pushed to one side of the room against the wall. Gillian turned around and was about to look over Ethan’s back to see what was on the opposite side of the room when she realized Ethan was looking at her with amusement in his eyes. She grinned and asked rhetorically. “I am guessing you couldn’t book a smaller room?”
He shrugged his shoulders and directed her attention back to the menu with hand gestures. But the waiter thought Ethan was telling him that they were ready to give their order. When it was Ethan’s turn, he asked for oysters as appetizers. Gillian gave him a knowing look and then chuckled to herself.
“What?” Ethan noticed Gillian’s reaction and his automated long-term memory mode reminded him of a particular time in the past when Gillian had teased him about eating oysters. He turned to her and whispered. “I’m not sensitive anymore!”
Aunty May saw the entire facial expression exchange between Ethan and Gillian and even heard what Ethan told Gillian. She addressed Gillian openly. “People say oysters are really good aphrodisiac, you should encourage Ethan to eat more!”
Ethan started blushing after hearing the comment, but only Gillian could see that.
“Really? Is that true?” Mr. Chan asked innocently as he was clueless to his wife’s teasing.
“Why are you curious, Dad?” Gillian saw this as her golden opportunity to get back at her aunt. “Is Aunty May complaining about your performance in the bedroom?”
Without paying any attention to what Gillian was saying, Mr. Chan turned to the waiter. “I’ll have two orders of the oysters please! One for me and one for my wife!”
Aunty May smacked her husband’s arm and boisterous laughter broke out around the table; even the waiter couldn’t restrain himself from laughing.
Ethan welcomed that bit of euphoric moment for it helped him to relax. After the waiter left with their order, he excused himself from the table. Gillian thought he was wanting to use the washroom. She wasn’t expecting him to head towards the stage and picked up the guitar. She was totally confused when Ethan strapped the instrument over his shoulders. But before she was able to say anything, Ethan started strumming the guitar as he approached the table and started singing to her father.
“Sir, I'm a bit nervous about being here today, still not real sure what I'm going to say. So bear with me please if I take up too much of your time.”
Ethan stopped strumming and reached into his pocket to pull out a velvety box. He placed it on the table in front of Gillian. He intentionally avoided eye contact with her because he had a mission to accomplish and could not afford any distraction from her. He continued to strum and sing.
“See in this box is a ring for your oldest. She is my ‘everything’ and all that I know is … it would be such a relief if I knew that we were on the same side.”
“Cause very soon I'm hoping that I ... can marry your daughter and make her my wife. I want her to be the only girl that I love for the rest of my life. And give her the best of me till the day that I die.”
Ethan took a quick glance at Gillian who looked stunned and had to cover her mouth to keep from laughing out loud; but Mr. Chan’s pleasing smile gave Ethan the courage to continue with his mission.
“I'm gonna marry your princess and make her my queen. She'll be the most beautiful bride that I've ever seen. I can't wait to smile when she walks down the aisle on the arm of her father on the day that I marry your daughter.”
As Ethan plucked the melody of the bridge, Mr. Chan was giving him the approving nod and had on the proudest smile a father could ever have. Aunty May was ecstatically happy and feeling really proud of Ethan’s courageous proposal.
Gillian, however, was not sure how to feel. She was totally surprised, never in her mind would she have thought it was possible for Ethan to be so romantic as to serenade her a song for a marriage proposal. The first time he proposed was so casual and without any frills whatsoever.
“She's been here every step since the day that we met.”
Suddenly, Mark, Nathaniel, Jason and Derek came out from behind the curtains as the background singers. “He’s scared to death to think of what would happen if she ever left - again.”
Then Ethan addressed Mr. Chan again. “So don't you ever worry about me ever treating her bad, I've got most of my vows done so far.”
“So bring on the better or worse.” The back up singers came in.
Ethan turned to look at Gillian and her heart was turning into a gush of warm soothing feeling at the bottom of her stomach as he sang her these words. “And 'til deaths do us part there's no doubt in my mind. It's time, I'm ready to start. I swear to you with all of my heart...”
Gillian was so touched by Ethan’s sincerity that her heart started to beat frantically. Suddenly she felt she was lacking air and had to tell her heart to calm down. She had to tell herself to breathe, but she was only able to do so when Ethan turned to her father again. “I'm gonna marry your princess and make her my queen…”
Suddenly, Gillian turned smitten and her heart was touched by Ethan’s courageous performance. Hard as she tried, she just couldn’t hold back those tears of joy in her eyes. She felt as if Ethan had flew her to the moon, she tried to breathe and smile at the same time.
“The first time I saw her I swear I knew that I'd say I do.”
More was added to Gillian’s surprise was when Erica, Anita, Gabby and Katie joined in with their Ooohs and Ahhhs. Gillian could no longer hold back her emotions, so she let her tears flow from her eyes. The song came to an end and applause filled the room.
Mr. Chan stood up and shook hands with Ethan. He was so overjoyed that he pulled Ethan in for a tight hug. After they came apart from the embrace, Mr. Chan said to Ethan. “You’ve made me a very happy father tonight! When can I walk my daughter down the aisle for you?”
To responding to his future father-in-law’s question, Ethan turned to Gillian and looked into her now tear-filled eyes. “In two weeks, on July 8th. If Gillian says ‘Yes’.”
After wiping the tears off her eyes, Gillian looked up with a weary expression. She couldn’t see clearly but she could sense the ambience of anticipation in the room and knew everyone present was waiting for her to say something. Gillian took one look at Ethan, got up and fled the room with an incomprehensible pout.