Tom stared at the imposing apartment block, almost as intimidating as the impression he had to make tonight. He took a deep breath, straightened his suit jacket, and closed his eyes.

He hadn't impressed Maria, Mackenzie, or any of the women in his past.

But everything was different with Prae, so he held onto hope.

The front door swung open, and she walked out in a pale pink dress that hugged her chest and flowed until just above her knees. The light breeze swept her hair over her shoulder like she'd stepped into a photo shoot. As their gazes met, a broad smile spread on her rose-coloured lips and the skin around her eyes crinkled. He swore that his heart was loud enough for pianists three blocks away to use to play an allegro melody.

"Tom, you're here, and you're dressed so sharply."

"I am, and you're..."

The gold jewelry that sat over her delicate collarbone glittered. The dwindling sun lit up her face in a way his camera would never capture. She had the golden aura of an angel.

Prae giggled. "You'd never know I was out with a native English speaker."

"There are no English words to do you justice."

She crimsoned and played with the ends of her sleeves. "Thank you. You are very handsome."

He swallowed the lump in his throat and thanked her. Next, he pulled a bouquet out from behind his back and presented it to her.

Her jaw dropped, and her eyes grew teary. "These are the same flowers my mother grows in her garden. How did you find these?"

"If I told you, it would ruin the magic. A stunning soul deserves to be surrounded by beauty."

She brought the bouquet to her nose, and a contented smile spread across her face. "You are full of wonderful surprises. I'll put them in water. Did you want to come up?"

"Only if you'd like the company."

"I like your company."

Warmth infiltrated his chest. "So do I."

As they walked up the staircases, another teacher their age, who Tom recognized but whose name he couldn't place, smiled at both of them and greeted him in English. She said something to Prae that had the word sanuk which his students had told him meant fun.

"She's excited for us," Prae said.

He loved that Prae wanted to share the idea of them dating with her friends.

"Me too." Tom's words made her beam again. He'd keep complimenting her all night to see her smile.

They arrived at her floor and went inside to be greeted by the scent of curry and coconut milk. She walked to her kitchen and eyed a green vase on top of her counters. He reached up and grabbed it for her.

She accepted the glass vase. "You can read minds."

He chuckled, but it didn't dispel the tension in his shoulders. "That would be nice. I might be less nervous if I could."

She raised an eyebrow, set the flowers on the counter, and filled it with tap water. "Why are you nervous? Our other dates have been amazing."

"Tonight is important to me. But I'm excited nervous or work-hard-not-to-ruin-it nervous."

"You couldn't ruin this."

Tom ran a sweaty hand against his dress pants. "Don't tempt fate. I am an expert at self-sabotage."

Prae pulled out her phone, held the flowers up, and snapped a picture. "Proof one that tonight is going well."

Tom laughed, and she motioned for him to come in for a selfie. He leaned in and grinned as she pressed the flowers to her chest. The picture didn't do her justice.

"Do you have a tripod or a phone stand?" Tom asked. When she shook her head, he added, "Or books and an empty box about the size of your phone."

"Perhaps." Prae searched one of her closets and another room he assumed was her bedroom, then she returned with books.

Tom rigged up and balanced a temporary stand on her kitchen table that overlooked the red-brown wall filled with Prae's lovely paintings, basking in the near dusk light. "Could you stand between the painting of the garden and the waterfall?" He adjusted the angle again to get a full-body shot. He turned on a few lamps, handed her the flowers, then played with the settings on her phone camera until it captured Prae perfectly.

"Will we miss our reservations?" she teased.

"No, you are always ready early." Maria had been apologetic about it, but she operated on her own clock, far different from Tom's. He and Prae were more in sync. "Which means we have plenty of time to capture a pale imitation of how stunning you are tonight."

He hit the shutter button and hurried over to stand beside her. She grinned up at him and slid an arm behind his back. Even though the shutter would click in seconds, he couldn't look away from her captivating brown eyes, strong like the bark of an ancient tree. The phone clicked and drew Prae's focus as a blush tinted her pale cheeks again.

"Sorry I wasn't ready."

He put his arm around her shoulder, prompting her to lean closer. Her scent was more intoxicating than the whole flower market he'd searched for her bouquet this afternoon. "It'll take another. Smile."

They posed for more pictures, but when they looked through the collection together, the first one was his favourite, as it had come the closest to capturing his amazement.

"These are beautiful, Tom, and your tie even matches. Thank you." Her fingers tapped on the screen times, and his phone chimed moments later with the shared photos. "Where are you taking us tonight?"

"Somewhere special, on the river."

Her eyes sparkled as she leaned in closer to embrace him. He cradled her head, stroking her cheek with his thumb. "What's the occasion?" Sadness had lurked in her demeanour the past few weeks, and he couldn't dispel her worries until today, which coincided with his reservations and had to be a sign.

"I wanted to do something special, and I have exciting news to share."

Her dark eyelashes fluttered, and he restrained himself from kissing her for the moment.

"Wh-what is it?"

His resolve broke, and he kissed her to evaporate the worried expression on her face. Prae had been confiding in Maria about her fear of Tom's departure. Maria would get on his case about stressing the wonderful woman out. His search for work had only proved fruitful with Mitch's help, which was the most unexpected element.

Her gentle lips pulled away from his hungry ones, and she placed her hand over his.

"You're looking at one of next year's primary four teachers."

"Tom!" Prae shrieked and jumped into his arms. He spun her around as he grinned until it hurt. When he set her down, she kissed him with an intensity that left little doubt that he'd made the right choice. It was the same feeling as during their first kiss. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.

"Are you sure about this?" she asked.

He took her soft hands in his. "I've never been more sure about anything."

She squeezed his hand and gazed at him. Tom would never tire of that amazement in her eyes. "So, are we celebrating your good news tonight?"

"I had something else in mind to celebrate. Fate just smiled down on us."

"We are in the land of smiles."

"And I will do whatever I can to put one on your beautiful face every day." He leaned in for another tender kiss that was hard to pull away from. "Would you care to adjourn to part two of our wonderful evening? You may enjoy having a little extra time to explore the place."

"Sure, is the destination still a surprise?"

"Yes, but I am 99 percent sure you'll love it."

"I will trust your instincts."

They ventured to the street to catch a cab. Prae rested her head against his shoulder as they gazed at the city. This time, as she reminded him of her favourite spots, he knew they'd explore them together in the year to come. The streets narrowed as they grew closer to the Chao Phraya river. Soon they pulled into a long driveway lined with manicured bushes and trees leading to a tall white hotel building with balconies. Flowers and a doorman stood at the entrance.

"Tom," Prae whispered with eyes as wide as saucers. "This is the Oriental."

He smiled. "It is."

After exiting the cab, he opened her door and led her out by the hand. She leaned into him as he put his arm around her waist. "I would have bought a new dress, had I known."

"You're beautiful just the way you are." He'd lost track of how many kisses they'd shared this evening, but it didn't diminish their effect.

As they approached the doors, a man wearing a traditional gold and brown Thai shirt with a red cloth tied at his waist and loose red pants to match greeted them in Thai.

Inside the lobby was a fancy sitting room with plush chairs and high ceilings, adorned with hanging flowers, plants, and wooden lamps in the shape of birdcages. Windows that covered the entire eastern wall overlooked a lush green garden. Prae's jaw dropped as she took in each fuchsia flower arrangement and antique lamp. The hotel was over a hundred years old.

A magnificent fountain lay beneath some of the fanciest hanging greenery and white lotuses floated in its waters. He captured Prae's beauty beside it on her phone, not caring how much of a tourist he appeared to be.

"Good evening," a Thai uniformed employee greeted them.

"Good evening. We have a reservation at La Normandie at 6:30. Can we visit the gardens while we wait?"

"Of course, Sir." The man gestured to a set of doors further down the hall.

As they walked away, Prae pinched at his arm. "La Normandie?"

"You enjoy French food."

"There is a big difference between liking French food and getting a reservation here."

He had made it last month after their first date, and this was the soonest he could get in since the place was well-known and popular. He held the doors open to the dazzling green space, very manicured and grassy, but still nice. "Do you not want to go?"

"Of course I do! It's just very unexpected."

Tom took her hand in his and took in the tall trees and bushes along the path to ease his pounding heart. He hoped Prae wouldn't notice how sweaty his palms were becoming. He planned to do this in the restaurant, but the natural beauty instead of the staff and other patrons convinced him otherwise. In front of an elegant and understated bowl of floating lotuses, he stopped and drew a deep breath to motivate himself. She watched with a slight smile on her lips.

"Prae, our time together has been amazing beyond anything I imagined. I've been searching for a job since our first date because the thought of leaving this, of leaving us, is unbearable. I would have done anything to stay in Bangkok with you."

Prae beamed and took both his hands in hers. "I am overjoyed that you're staying another year."

"Since I am staying, I wanted to ask. Prae, will you make me the happiest man in Bangkok by being my girlfriend?"

She wrapped her arms around his neck and nodded. "Yes, a thousand times, yes."

His embrace encircled her waist, and he pulled her into a passionate kiss. "That's a relief because I am, without a doubt, falling more in love with you every day."

Prae drew in a shaky breath and pressed her hand to her heart. "In love?"

"My love for you is as tall as Doi Inthanon, as deep as the ocean that I want to lie beside with you, as strong as a rainy season downpour."

Tears trickled down her cheeks as her thumbs rubbed soothing circles on the back of his neck. "Tom, I..." More tears overwhelmed her, and she hugged him tightly. The erasure of the space between them and her happy tears were all the reassurance he needed.

"You'd never know I was out with an English teacher," he whispered in her ear.

She drew back with her lips curved into a pout. "I have no words to match yours. Only that I love you too."

"Phom rak khun," he murmured his affection in Thai.

Prae sniffled and kissed him. "Chan rak khun," she echoed her love then wiped at her eyes, leaving slight black smudges. "My make-up must be a mess."

"You are stunning, no matter what."

He helped her fix it with a wipe from her purse, and they linked arms to explore the rest of the area. The buildings next to the river were lighting up as the sun set behind them, and the sky darkened.

"This is like a dream," Prae said.

"Now you know how I've felt since our first date."

"How can I ever thank you for tonight?"

"By being there for me when I need you, by making me feel like the most important person in your life, and by amazing me with your presence. But you already do all of those things every single day, Prae, so all I ask is that if you ever stop feeling the way you do tonight, please tell me so I can fix it."

She fanned her face. "You're going to make me cry again."

"As long as they are happy tears." They reached another restaurant near the river, where jazz music drifted their way. "Oh, you may have to act a little surprised once we're upstairs. I requested they write will you be my girlfriend on our dessert. Sorry, I couldn't wait to ask you once we arrived."

"It was perfect, Tom."

"Just like you."

"And you," she whispered and leaned in for a kiss. 

*** 

There you have it, Tom's final and very cheesy chapter. I did it for Prae, lol. I hope you enjoyed it, and now there's just one chapter left, the finale with our whole cast from Maria's perspective. I'm hoping to post it this weekend. 

Thanks again for your support with this story. It's always great to hear or see how you're connecting with the characters and storyline.