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“Oven mittens, great Jacob.”
Lexie smiles and kisses him on the cheek. He tucks one of her wayward strands of hair behind her left ear.
This is one of the many reasons why he loves her, he knows she's really happy with them, didn’t expect him to buy her anything sparkly or expensive.
Although of course, Jake has. In fact, he’s bought her two things. Both are expensive and long lasting and while the one gift is small and sparkly, the other is rather big but he has yet to give them to her.
In the meantime, Lexie has put the mittens on and models them for him - they're a bright red (her favourite colour) with moss green thumbs; an inside joke as she always says she has green thumbs and never even allows him near her plants.
She loves her plants, but the house she shares with her cousin does not have a garden so every spare corner and windowsill is adjourned with pots and vases.
Jake laughs and gives her in turn the thumbs up. Lexie puts them in her bag but he stops her.
“You can’t take them to your place,” he says. She looks confused and waits for him to explain.
He stumbles, is nervous because her first reaction will mean everything.
“Well, he begins," We can't have you burning your hands so these mittens have to stay in your home."
“Yes, I know that is where I'm taking them no?”
Lexie, (short for Alexia) has a tendency to finish her questions with the word ‘no'. It has taken Jake some time to get used to; a question with a built-in negative, only his Lexie does that. Who now, btw, arches her eyebrow and looks annoyed.
He coughs and runs his fingers through his dark brown hair which now flops messily over his handsome face.
“I forgot to give you your other present,” he says, jumping up and reaching for a brochure. He presses it in her hands and watches her reaction closely.
“Jacob,” she says softly, I don't think I understand." Lexie wrinkles her nose as she examines the brochure.
He needs to bring out the big guns, it’s ironic, she's always teasing him about his bluntness;
There’s no beating around the bush with Jake. He wanted to go out with her and he simply told her they would.
Lexie dismissed his manner, laughed in his face but two days later they were having lunch together at her favourite bistro followed by one of those sappy movies that he hates.
When they go to restaurants, he orders for her, not giving her a choice.
His decisions are based on what he feels and knows she needs and now that he found out she's anaemic, that usually means red meat with vegetables. He doesn't allow her to drink more than two glasses of wine and spirits are off limit completely.
Lexie complains and fights him on it but conveniently forget she is just as bossy towards him. Aside from that, Lexie is oddly clumsy and combined with her attraction to adventure and danger her plans often backfire and result in some sort of injury. Jake doesn’t care; after all, he is there to look after her and he has no plans to change that anytime soon, if ever.
He is the way he is, blunt, straight to the point. A typical Alpha Male who is overprotective of Lexie who captured his heart and soul. Jacob doesn't sugar coat things; he doesn't know how, doesn’t need to and generally speaking, doesn’t really care.
But, Lexie is different and he wants to prove to her that he listens to her and that he too can be subtle. And now that he is, she doesn't understand.
Go figure, the irony is so prominent Alanis herself could not have described it better.
“Let’s go for a ride,” he say, pulls her up and grabs her mittens in one fluent motion.
The bluntness returns and she sighs in resignation.
She's learned long ago to play along, not to ask questions.
He holds her closely while they walk to the garage where he opens the door of the car for her.
As always, she forgets to put on her safety belt and he grunts in disapproval. He reaches over and straps her in while jerking on the belt a tad too harshly - a silent warning for Lexie.
She snorts her silly laughter and he pretends to be pissed off. In reality, he is shitting himself, how will she react? Will she like it? But most importantly, will she accept?
The ride is short and Jacob is quiet. Lexie turns her lean upper body and hunches over to look for a cd she once threw on the backseat.
Again a grunt from Jake. She mutters something about 'not having fun' but obeys and resorts to the radio instead.
She twists and turns the dials until she finds what she wants to listen to and she starts signing along to a song Jacob doesn't know but will soon become his favourite. It something which marvels him; he’s loving things (certain songs, movies or food types) which he would never have even considered during the pre - Lexie era.
Not that he remembers much before her, it seems he never really lived before. Really, there’s only Lexie. He breathes her.
She sings out of tune but Jacob enjoys it. Her voice is light and airy and it makes him smile. Lexie drums on the dashboard and continues her assault on the song.
Just as it finishes, he pulls up on a drive way and shuts down the engine. Lexie looks up and opens her mouth to ask where they are but closes it again and shakes her head.
Jake opens her door and helps her out of the car. He holds her hand, fondles in his pockets and pulls out a single key. Still, nothing from Lexie, not a peep. He knows she is tired, otherwise 20 and somewhat questions had been fired off by now.
Also, she would have noticed where they are, after all, this is her favourite part of town.
He feels slightly guilty and wonders if he should call it a day so she can get her well-earned rest.
He decides against it, he’s about to do something he’s vowed to do since the minute he saw her; now almost a year ago. Tonight is the time to be selfish, he’ll make it up to her later – providing she lets him of course.
Gently, he pushes her inside and awaits her reaction. In the hall, the light of countless candles illuminate them. It seems Lexie begins to understand, the brochure is crumbled in her left pocket and she pulls it out.
Jake coaxes her further into the house, this time the room is lit by tiny Christmas-like lights in the shape of stars.
Lexie doesn't look around, simply stares at her feet and the brochure. “Come on,” Jake says and pushes her to another space. The kitchen this time.
“Mini - (Jake uses his favourite nickname for her which ironically she loathes)
I'm afraid your mittens need to stay here,” this is their home.
He shakes his and acts quasi sad. “Regretfully, this will be it from now on."
The 'on' is uttered slightly softer than the rest of the sentence and instead of a full stop, the sentence ends in a question.
Lexie is crying, a singly tear running over her face. Jacob knows she understands but wants to do it properly, she deserves that much.
He turns the insides of the mittens to reveal an inscription.
Alexia Benson. Benson, his last name.
But his Lexie can’t read, the tears have multiplied.
“Lexie, I wish to be your husband. I'm not a perfect man, but I'm a man who loves you and who will look after you forever and till the end of the movie”.
She weeps now, silent tears that he wistfully wipes away.
She nods in agreement and clutches his hand.
He uses his other to pull out ring - a beautiful delicate ring set with clear cut rubies and diamonds.
“I need to know what you want,” he says, although he figures she's accepting his proposal, he needs to hear her say the words.
“Yes. I want to be your wife”.
Jacob chokes back his own tears and slips the ring onto her slender finger. She hugs him so tightly he can hardly breathe and now he is crying too.
Him, out of all people. Crying tears of joy.
“I love you Lexie, I always have and I know I always will," he whispers in her ear soothing her, making her understand. Lexie doesn't reply but hugs him if possible - even tighter.
He shifts position and suddenly, she's cradled in his arms. Jacob is strong enough to do so and Lexie is petite enough to be caught off guard. He loves carrying her, but she loathes it.
Always moans about being able to walk herself but he always ignores her and chuckles when she complains. This time however, she doesn't say anything and kisses him in his neck.
"Mm, if you do this I don't think I can show you the rest of the house now". He grunts again, but this is a grunt of approval.
Somehow, he manages to regain control and carries Lexie, his fiancée, through the house.
It has 5 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a large kitchen, a swimming pool and a pool house.
At least, the main part of the house.
The big garden for Alexia’s beloved plants and flowers he will show her another time.