Ella sat in a booth at her regular bar with her girl friends, having a drink after a long day of work as concierges at Breakwater Hotel. Ella took a swig of her beer and sighed. "The best part of any workday is when we come here."

"Shouldn't the best part of your day be when you go home to that sweet, sexy boyfriend of yours?" Alice nudged her. "Oh wait, it's been years, and you still don't want to move out of the employee dorms to live with him."

"It's easier for me to live in the dorms! You live there too, so what are you complaining about?"

"The staff housing is fine for me, but you have an alternative! It's too expensive for me to live near the hotel on my own, so I have no reason to move out." Alice groaned, wishing she had more money.

"I love going home to my hubby; too bad he's out of the city so much because he's travelling." Charlie puffed her cheeks out as she circled the top of her glass with her finger.

"That's what you get when you marry a pilot." Kyra gave Charlie a shoulder hug. "If you wanted someone who comes home like clockwork, you should've married an accountant like me."

"But... how exciting is it to be a pilot?!"

"If that's your response, then don't complain." The girls all laughed.

"Seriously though, Ella." Alice nudged her. "Has Nathan even talked about marriage with you?" All the girls leaned in, eager to hear her answer.

He's tried to. Ella thought. "Well, yes, but it feels too early for that, so he agreed to wait..." At least I think he understood...

"Too early? You guys have been together for how many years? You're doing it again, aren't you?"

"Doing what?"

They all exchanged tired glances. "Like what happened with Bruce or Justin," Alice said.

"Or the first one..." Charlie muttered.

"All of them were long-term relationships, and they all proposed to you, but you never said yes. You always said you weren't ready yet."

Ella frowned and took another drink. "I actually did say yes more than once; I just never made it down the aisle. Besides, it never felt right!"

"What didn't? I mean, each time, I thought you were in love."

"I was, but when it came down to it..." Ella shuddered. "I felt like running."

"And that's what you keep doing. Do yourself a favour: if Nathan does one day ask, don't run away instantly." Alice poked her in the shoulder.

Ella rolled her eyes. "I doubt he's going to ask anytime soon."

"Then I guess you have time to prepare yourself."

"Prepare myself? How?"

"Prepare yourself mentally to actually say yes!" the girls squealed. "You would say yes, right?" Alice asked.

"Uh..." Would I? She thought about Nathan and all the good times they had together, while both going out on dates and hanging out at home. She imagined him kneeling down and offering her a ring. Her stomach churned. I...

"Ella?" Alice poked her cheek.

"Hmm? What?"

"You went completely silent there and didn't answer my question."

"Oh, sorry. What was the question again?"

"I know you heard me." She pouted. "Fine, I'll ask again. Would you say yes if Nathan asked for your hand in marriage?"  

"I... Uh..." I know the answer they want, but my mouth refuses to say it!

Her friends sighed. "It's happening again!"

"N-no... I just don't know until the moment it happens." Ella's cheek twitched.

"She's not exactly wrong..." Kyra commented. "I mean, even if you think it's what you want, the moment it happens, things can change."

Charlie looked at Kyra. "That's not your way of saying you're having second thoughts about your hubby, is it?"

"What?! No way; I love my husband!"

"Sure..."

"Ella, if you don't want to marry him, and it's been a few years, maybe you should stop wasting both your time and his, and break up with him," Alice suggested.

Ella sighed and took another drink. "I don't want to..."

"Okay, I think we should head out while we're still able to walk," Kyra said, standing up. "I'll settle our tab this time."

"Thanks, Kyra, we love you!" Charlie called out.

The next day, Ella went to work with a massive headache.

"I didn't think you drank that much," Alice whispered to her while they were being given their specific duties for the day.

"Neither did I, but it sure feels like someone shoved an ice pick in my head."

Their boss handed them their papers with instructions for the day. "I also have something to talk to you two about. Please come to my office at the end of the workday." She pointed at Alice and Ella.

"Yes, ma'am," they both said.

Once they were dismissed, and the other employees left, they turned to each other. "What do you think this is about?" Ella asked. "I don't remember doing anything bad, did you?"

"Nope; my work has been perfect as always. Maybe it's not for something bad, but for a raise or promotion." She rubbed her hands together.

"Why both of us, then?"

"I don't know," Alice sighed. "We'll have to wait until later to find out. Let's get to work." Alice smacked her lightly with the papers.

"Okay..."

Ella managed to make it to the end of the day without any incidents and without her headache getting any worse. "I don't want to go in..." she mumbled to Alice as they stood in front of their boss' door.

"Oh, come on, don't be a wimp." Alice knocked on the door.

"Come in," their boss answered.

Alice opened the door and urged Ella in with her, closing the door behind them. "You wanted to see us?" Alice asked as she glanced around the office. They'd been in there a few times, but never for long, and it never changed. The same pictures and diplomas on the walls, the same full bookshelves, and every inch of the office in its place.

"Yes, our head office is opening a new hotel not too far from here." She rearranged the papers on her desk. "A hotel resort, actually."

"Why would they compete with themselves?"

She glanced at Alice. "Because we are filled to capacity so often and don't have room to expand. And it won't quite be under the same name."

"Oh, okay."

"Anyway, several of our hotels were asked to transfer a couple of staff members to work at the new hotel as a promotion of sorts to you. Both the pay and benefits will be better. Are you two interested?"

"Are you kidding? Of course, we're interested!"

"Before that, how far is not too far?" Ella asked, thinking about how they'd have to move.

"You don't have to worry; there are dorms there for you two to live in like you currently do." She pulled out a map with the spot circled. "It'll be here. This will be your new pay and additional benefits." She pulled out another paper.

The other side of the city. That's not too bad, but it puts some distance between Nathan and me.

"I'll give you two some time to think it over."

"I don't need any time. I'm up for the promotion," Alice said, her eyes bulging out as she read the new pay.

"I need time to think about it." Ella gave her a small bow.

"Think about it first, Alice." She pointed at the door. "That was all."

"Yes, ma'am." They both left and walked together to their shared dorm room.

"Can you believe this?!" Alice cheered and hugged her. "And my parents said I'd never get a promotion here."

"I need to talk to Nathan." She sat on their couch and pulled out her phone to find she had a text.

'Are you ready for tonight?'

Tonight? "Alice, did I have plans tonight?"

"Hmm?" Alice flopped down on the couch beside her. She glanced back at the calendar on the fridge. "Oh, it's date night for you two, isn't it?"

"Already?" Felt like we just went out.

"What's with that response? Shouldn't you be happy about going out?"

"I'd rather stay in..."

"Then have date night at home – at his home – and give him your good news."

"Why do you sound so sure I'm going to say yes to the job? It'll take me farther from Nathan than I already am, and I can't see him being happy about that."

"It's not that much farther."

"In wintertime it is."

"Touché. So, do you really think he'll want you to turn it down because it's farther away?"

Ella shrugged. "Between work and distance, there isn't that much time for the relationship."

"And yet it's lasted years."

"Because we've made it work, but this doesn't work in my favour."

"But it's more money!" Alice rubbed her thumbs against her fingers.

"This is one of the reasons you can't keep a guy; you value money over people."

"Not all people." She nudged Ella. "And you know I don't like to keep them for too long, anyway."

"Oh yeah, did you tell Charlie or Kyra about it yet? If we take the jobs, we won't be working with them anymore, and it'll be harder to meet up after work for a drink or two."

"You're right..." Alice frowned. "Can you break the news to them?"

"I haven't decided yet, remember? I need to talk to Nathan first. You should talk to them since you've already decided to take the new job and abandon them."

"Ugh... You make it sound so bad..."

"You know that's how Charlie will see it."

"I know, I know, but can't you tell them I got a new job?"

Ella stared at her blankly. "I have enough to deal with on my own. This one's on you. Now man up or woman up, whatever. I have to get changed; Nathan is on his way." She waved her phone around.

"Fine... Have fun." Alice stared at her friends' numbers on her phone. "Maybe a text is enough..."

A man in a suit with brown hair was waiting outside the entrance to the staff housing. "Nathan!" Ella called out to him, smiling.

"Aren't you looking gorgeous tonight?" They hugged, and he kept a hold of her waist as he stared into her eyes, unable to stop a small smile from forming.

"Why... are you looking at me like that? Didn't you say you made reservations or something?"

"Yeah, let's go." Arm-in-arm, they headed to his vehicle.

"I've always wanted to eat here, but isn't it a bit expensive?" Ella asked as Nathan escorted her through the front door.

"It'll be worth it for tonight," he assured her.

"Where... are all the other customers?" Ella looked around the restaurant. Soft, live music was playing on the stage in the back, but all the tables were empty.

"Here." The waiter led them to a table and handed them menus once they were seated.

What's going on? This place is popular, so if it's empty, then... "Did you rent out the entire place for tonight?" Ella asked, her stomach doing flips.

"Because tonight's a special night, and I know you don't like an audience, but you've also been dying to go here."

"A special night? Oh, did someone else tell you about my promotion?" Ella asked in a rush.

"Promotion? No, no one told me about that... I actually meant—"

"They want me to move to a different hotel that's just starting out. There's better pay and everything. I haven't agreed yet since I wanted to talk to you, but it is tempting."

"I see... I suppose that might complicate things a bit, but I'm still certain I want to do this." Nathan pulled a red velvet box out of his jacket pocket and knelt down in front of her.

Ella's eyes widened, and she shook her head.

"Ella Luise, will you marry me?"

Her heart rate increased, and the lump in her throat stopped her from speaking.

He waited for a moment before calling out to her. "Ella?"

"I..." her voice squeaked out. Nearly hyperventilating, she stood and knocked over her chair. "I... can't." She took off running out of the restaurant.

"Ella?" Nathan stared at her fallen chair in a daze.

"What are you waiting for, man? Go after her," the waiter urged him.

"Right..." He rushed out of the restaurant and looked all around, but she was nowhere in sight. He checked his car and through the entire parking lot, to no avail. "Ella..." He thumped his fist on the roof of his car a few times and bit his lip as he fought back the tears.