I hired a cleaning service to spend the entire day detailing my cramped two bedroom apartment. The kitchen was so clean someone could have done surgery on the floor. The bathroom literally gleamed. Nothing, not even a spec of dust could have caused me a moment's grief. Clean sheets on the bed. Small grocery bouquet of flowers on the dining table. Even a budget bottle of champagne was in the fridge.
I wanted the night to be perfect because I knew beyond reason that tonight Grady was going to finally propose.
I'd had my suspicions but three days ago when I put laundry away, I found a small, maroon jeweler's box in his sock drawer. It was too small to be a bracelet or a watch. I don't wear necklaces. So it was either a pair of earrings or a ring.
In old really bad black and white movies about the Middle East or India, there is usually a snake charmer at some point. When the charmer loses his concentration for even a second, the snake strikes. That must have been how I looked at this box. I'd been hoping and waiting for what felt like forever and Saturday was just around the corner. This had to be the ring.
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I didn't even see my hand enter the drawer and pull the tiny box from its resting place between all of those black dress socks. I wasn't even breathing as I drew it out and brought it to my face. With one shallow breath, I eased the box open ever so slowly. If it wasn't a ring and it was just earrings, I didn't want to be disappointed too quickly. If it was a ring, I wanted to adjust to it before I screamed and did the Snoopy dance in the bedroom.
It was the ring and it was exquisite. It wasn't his grandmother's ring, nor his mothers. I loved how delicate and tasteful those rings were. This was either white gold or platinum and probably well over a carat. How much did it cost? When had he chosen it? Why would he choose something so extravagant when we were just starting out and he was so determined that we be debt free? When I pulled it from the velvet nest to place it on my finger, just to make sure it was as pretty on my hand as it was in the box, it didn't fit. It didn't go past my first knuckle. Probably it would need to be sized, with the cost of precious metals, the basic rings were designed to fit skeletons and I'd have to pay a fortune.
I heard a key in the lock and decided it was best to slip the ring back into the drawer and pretend I'd never seen it. Why kill his surprise? If he wanted to create a perfect evening for me, I would let him. Only three nights and I'd finally get to say yes, gush and beam at everyone in the restaurant, and maybe even hear a little applause.
"Hey, Grady," I called. "Good group? Get much done?"
He came into the bedroom, dropped his briefcase with our communal laptop on the bed, and pulled the shirt off over his head.
Grady grunted, peeled off the rest of his clothes, crossed the bedroom, went to the bathroom, shut the door and started the shower.
Okay, so maybe not the response I'd been hoping for, but I still had three days to get full words.
Ten minutes later, he yelled, "Why don't you ever buy beer?"
Easy. Beer seldom if ever goes on coupon and since I don't drink it, it isn't really on my radar. "I never remember what kind you like." It wasn't a total lie, they all look about the same, cost too much, and he usually drinks at happy hour on Friday nights, so it hadn't been a real issue in years. "There's still some rum and some gin. If you want beer, you should go out and get it yourself."
He came back to the bedroom wearing only his towel, dripping water all over the carpet. "Can you pick some up tomorrow after work?" He put on a clean pair of briefs and pajama bottoms and sat on the bed.
"No. I won't be home until late." Tonight I still had a pile of laundry to get off the bed and hung before it all wrinkled. Tomorrow I was supposed to have dinner with Vic and xxx (boyfriend - insert name here), and we were going to go shoe and perfume shopping.
"That's ok. I'll text you with the brand so you'll know for later."
Wasn't it enough that I brought home the bacon, fried it, served it, cleaned up the dregs of it? Couldn't he buy his own damned beer? It wasn't like he didn't have a break between his classes. In three days, he'd finally ask me to marry him, the financial burdens would start to abate, and I could put myself first.
"Fine."
"Can you cope with this mess tomorrow, Bern? I'm exhausted and just want to go to sleep."
After he got a couple of checks under his belt, a cleaning service would be nice. Actually, since it was just the two of us, a tidy service would be better. I'm clean, not tidy.
I carried the remaining clothes back to the living room, placed things on the sofa, and went back to the bedroom.
He was already snoring.
I watched half an hour of the news, made my lunch for the next day, took a shower and cried.
None of it mattered. I was going to get married. Soon. Life was going to get better. A lot better.
~~~
tbc
word count: 1001
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