The Big Question

Cyrus was nervous, which he claimed was a first. Everyone knew otherwise because Linda had told them about the first time Cyrus had asked her out. He had been such a nervous wreck so he dressed adequately for once. For today, he wore what a manager should - a button-down shirt tucked into his slacks. Everything was fastened to the top collar button.

"If you do that, she is going to know something is up," dissuaded Leigha as she unbuttoned the first button.

"Should I wear a tie? It would look better with a tie," asked Cyrus, unbuttoning and buttoning the cuffs on his sleeves.

"Do you even own a tie?" asked Sierra, standing between the kitchen and the hallway.

"I do."

"That isn't a clip-on?"

"No."

"Then no tie," assured Leigha.

"Don't you need to be working, Sonata 2?"

"This is more important. You are taking a big step in your life."

"I asked a girl out before. The same girl, mind you."

"I know. Today is going to be fun to watch either way." Leigha gave him a once over, straightening any wrinkles and pulling the price tag off the shirt.

"What?"

"Now, go get her tiger." Leigha shoved Cyrus out of the back, so he was now on the floor. People turned to look at his sudden appearance but then went back to eating. Linda was sitting in her regular booth, giggling at his entrance, trying to eat to hide that she had been laughing. 

Cyrus looked to the others. Even Shasta and Anita stayed despite their shifts being over to watch his act of bravery. The others waited behind the bar, even Sierra, who had changed the station to classical music. It had been a compromise as opposed to the live music of the only song she knew.

Cyrus buttoned his cuff buttons again. Then marched over to where Linda sat before sitting down.

"Cyrus?"

"Linda."

"What are you doing up here? Aren't you supposed to be working?"

"I am, I mean I did. I finished it earlier. I'm free for my dinner break," Cyrus assured her.

"This is a pleasant surprise then," she answered with a happy smile before taking a bite of her food.

"Oh, do you want some?" She nudged the plate towards him.

"Your meal, sir," Miles appeared next to the table, setting down a plate of karaage curry and a cup filled with tea. Cyrus watched as he left, seeing that everyone else was still watching him from the bar. He scowled at them before returning to Linda.

"They seem to know something I don't," she teased.

"They are strange like that. Don't mind them." Cyrus pulled chopsticks out of the box, mixing the chicken and curry with the rice.

"I'll try not to," she giggled.

"Everything is back to normal now, I hope?" Linda asked.

"Mostly. Things are finally calming down it seems, which is nice."

"For you, I'm sure it's a long-awaited luxury."

Cyrus nodded as he took a bite of his food. "And your work?"

"As busy as ever, people have been coming in to get their flu shots, so it keeps us busy."

"Hence, the reasonable hours as of late."

"Exactly."

They both took a bite of their food, chewing in silence. The volume on the radio had been turned up. Cyrus turned in his seat to see everyone acting like normal, except for Leigha, who was gesturing him to move. He also could see Shasta holding a ladle, tapping it against his palm as Anita tried to get him to put it down. He scowled at the harassers before turning back around.

"Linda?"

"Yes?"

She looked up at him, her eyes curious at his questions. He set down his chopsticks on top of the rim of his plate.

"We've known each other for a while…" he started.

"Over ten years," she agreed, adjusting herself in her seat.

"And I know I'm not always easy to get along with, but…" he gulped, thankful Leigha had undone the top button. "I'm very grateful for you always sticking by me."

"I do care for you, Cyrus." Linda placed her calming hand over his nervous one that was fidgeting with the napkin. "A lot. You are very dear to me."

Cyrus nodded," And you are to me too. Which is why I wanted to ask, Lindawillyougooutwithmeandpleasebemygirlfriendagain?"

He squeezed her hand as he rambled out the sentence, closing his eyes as soon as the moment was over. He waited for her response, not daring to open his eyes.

"What?"

He took another breath. "Linda Nordic, will you please be my girlfriend again?"

Cyrus opened his eyes to see a perplexed Linda.

"What?"

"Linda, will you please..."

 "No, I heard you last time. What do you mean 'again'?"

"What do you mean, what do I mean? We broke up?"

"We did?"

"Yeah, at graduation."

Linda sunk in her seat, Cyrus releasing her hand so she could retreat into the booth.

Cyrus looked around, not at anything in particular.

"Did we not break up?"

"NO!"

Cyrus jumped back in his seat, surprised by her outburst.

"What in the world gave you the idea we had broken up?"

"Well, you were talking about leaving for school, and it would be too far for us to visit each other, so I thought we broke up."

"Then why would I text you even while I was at school?"

"You still wanted to be friends?"

"Why would I choose the hospital next to your work?"

"You can choose that?"

"Of course, I can? Why do you think I still wanted to hang out with you if we had broken up?"

"Because we were good friends?"

 "No, you idiot! We were still dating and have been for the past ten years!" Linda burst into tears, grabbing a napkin to blot them away.

Cyrus slumped in his seat, trying to recall every moment Linda had been with him, and all the signs he had missed.

"Well, I've been a shitty boyfriend."

Linda snorted, covering it up by blowing her nose.

"Yes, yes, you have."

"Is, is there anything I can do to make it up?"

"I don't know; I don't know. I've been waiting for you for more than ten years, only now to realize that our feelings weren't mutual."

Cyrus slumped in his chair.

"I do like you, Cyrus, and maybe you saw me as clingy the way I held onto you after our ‘breakup’. And maybe, we should have some distance to re-evaluate where we stand with each other."

"No," Cyrus snapped, grabbing her hand.

"I may have been dense for ten years thinking we broke up or whatever nonsense, but we still stuck through it. And frankly, I'm not giving you up because I'm still in love with you."

"What?"

 "It's crazy, I know." He took her other hand. "But honestly, if you say we have been dating for over ten years, I'll take it. And I'll take the punishment for being a terrible boyfriend, and for having terrible coworkers who knew all along what was going on."

They both looked back at the other staff members, who had suddenly gotten busy around the bar area, including Ramona tripping and Miles catching her.

"But, despite my stupidity, I'll spend the rest of my life making it up to you. So instead of me asking you to keep being my girlfriend, will you marry me?"

"What?"

"We're old."

"I'm not that old."

"I'm getting old, and you are advancing in your career. We've both reached the point where we are satisfied with our jobs. The only thing missing is each other. Permanently."

Linda's jaw dropped, snapping it back up to her mouth again.

"So Linda, will you marry me?"

Linda was about to open her mouth when Leigha slammed her hands on the table.

"No."

"I wasn't asking you."

"Cyrus, how could you? You aren't even kneeling. You don't have a ring. How can you call this a marriage proposal? These things aren't spontaneous. They are well planned out and may or may not have friends in attendance to cheer them on."

"I didn't ask you or your manga's opinion on weddings and proposals."

"Yes, well, did you ask Linda what she would like for a proposal?"

The couple looked at each other.

"Exactly! It must be big, grand, and glorious."

Leigha pulled Cyrus out of the seat. "Thank you, Linda, for being here tonight, but Cyrus will get back to you on the proposal in a couple of days."

Leigha pushed Cyrus out of the dining area, to the back of the restaurant.

"Sorry about my sister; she has weird delusions," commented Miles. He began cleaning up Cyrus' food so he could eat it later.

Linda smiled, covering her giggles with her hand.

"It's fine. I guess it's fair punishment for Cyrus to put some effort into a proposal after ten years."

Miles shrugged, neither agreeing or disagreeing. He was making a note not to keep whoever he intended to marry in the future waiting that long.

He looked over to Ramona and both turned red before looking away.