(it's 1995)

"Marry me."

He says in a bit hoarse voice that you clearly heard he tried to keep as calm as possible. He was rehearsing this phrase already many times at home, but saying this in reality brought unexpected uneasiness to him. His hard wrinkled palm was laying on your hand when you both were sitting behind the cafe table.

Since what time Steve began to act like this? He was working in the same engineering company you did. He was almost your boss, always friendly, but secretive and closed as hell. Since you appeared in that company he was acting friendly towards you. Little jokes, chocolates, lunches together in nearest café. That's how a year passed.

Steve was a lonely person. It's not like he felt terrible being alone, but having someone by his side on warm evenings at home seemed to be a pleasant idea to him, in addition to the fact that his daughter had no longer lived with him for some time.

You were... An interesting individual for Steve. Young, but smart and also a bit sadistic person. He felt like you were an ideal part to live with. It's not like he was in love - he was already not a young boy for a long while - but a warm feeling made him want to keep you beside him.

So now he was sitting opposite to you, squeezing your hand gently and looking at you with his a bit nervous, but serious blue eyes from under his aviators glasses