Lex had never been so happy in his life.

Lex hadn't realized it was even possible to be this happy. His mother had told him, back when he was young, stories that ended like this: true loves, soulmates, happily ever after, all of it. He'd had his doubts even before she had died. That had just sealed it.

They had had breakfast and lunch together today. Lex had skipped his afternoon meeting and resisted his inclinations to just stay by her side all day, and had gone to buy a ring. She probably had her suspicions, he thought, but that was all right: they didn't need any secrets between them.

This evening, when he was getting ready in his hotel room, he had set the ring box in his pocket, and he'd stopped and looked at himself in the dresser mirror for a long moment. It struck him, like coming out of a haze, just what he was doing. He'd known her for not even a week. He knew nothing about her, really. He was being foolish, ruled by his passions...

But when he picked her up for dinner, all his apprehensions faded. She was gorgeous; she was perfect; she loved him.

If this wasn't right, nothing in his life was.

He took her to his favorite restaurant in town, called for the finest champagne they had, ordered them both the chef's speciality and waited for the waiter to leave.

She smiled at him from across the table as she slipped from her flute, her lips ripe and sulty against the bubbly liquid.

Lex could feel his heart in his chest. He swallowed down, hard, and reached into his pocket to take out the velvet box and push it across the table.

She gave him another of her long, heady looks, and Lex felt almost drugged, high on it all as he said, "Desiree. I love you. Will you marry me?"

She smiled for him again and his heart was filled to bursting.