CHAPTER 96 - THE THINGS WE DO FOR LOVE
Dean.
Planning the perfect proposal is easier said than done. For starters, I need to figure out Lace’s ring size. And how on earth am I going to get her ring size without making her suspicious? My mind races at a million miles per hour. Maybe it will be better for me to make a list of all the things I need to do.
1. I need to ask her father for permission to marry his daughter. I’ve never met Lace’s dad. He strikes me as being a really private person. So how am I going to meet Lace’s father without raising her suspicions as well? I add a note – meet Mr. and Mrs. Higgins to ask for Lace’s hand in marriage.
Satisfied with myself, I move on to the next point.
2. I need to find Lace’s ring size. Maybe her mother will help me out with this one.
3. The ring requires much more thought than I ever assumed it would.
Damn. I really have my research cut out for me. Who knew that a wedding proposal required so much work?
4. What is her favorite ring metal? The two most popular types are probably yellow gold and white gold. Others include platinum, sterling silver, and rose gold. I haven’t noticed Lace wearing any jewelry but if I had to pin a medal on her, I would say gold. So gold it is. I am a pretty traditional person so good old-fashioned yellow gold will do it for me.
5. What type of ring and setting will Lace like? Will she prefer the classic look of a solitaire setting or the elegant bling of a pavé ring? I want her to love the ring I propose with. She will be wearing it for a pretty long time and I want her to be comfortable wearing the ring wherever she is. I have to consider that she is a writer and loves cooking so I don’t want the ring to get in her way when she is writing or in the kitchen.
6. Is Lace a diamond girl or does she prefer other stones? Of course, the classic, tried and true choice is a diamond. I would love to get her the biggest, shiniest diamond. Knowing Lace, she will not want a stone that isn’t ethically mined. I make a note to shop for lab-created diamonds to be on the safe side. I know that Lace will be just as happy with another semi-precious stone.
7. I need to know how the engagement ring will match her wedding band.
8. What type of engagement will Lace love? I know from her book Beast Next Door that Lace loves fairytales with a twist. So perhaps I need to incorporate a similar theme for my proposal.
“Hey, honey, what are you up to?” my mother asks, disrupting my thoughts.
She glances at my notes. “You’re planning your proposal?” She grins. “Did I ever tell you how your father proposed to me?”
I shake my head. “No, but I would love to know.”
She sits next to me with a dreamy smile. “He booked out my favorite park, had it decorated with lights, ordered my favorite confectionery, cheese and wine. He chose my favorite ring without me telling him what I liked. Oh, and he met with my parents and had them tell me to dress in a dress he had specially made for me. He was so delightfully devious and so incredibly romantic. I swear he put such an insane amount of work into the proposal but he made it all seem so effortless and easy.”
“That’s exactly what I want to do for Lace,” I tell my mother.
“Then you have a lot of work to do. Your father and I are willing to assist wherever we can.” She smiles. “I am so proud of you for doing this the right way.”
“Thank you.” I take both her hands. “I do need your help,” I say, “I need to meet with Lace’s parents and ask for their permission to marry their daughter.”
My mother squeals in delight. “How about your father and I invite Mr. and Mrs. Higgins to lunch at our favorite club.”
“The Elite Crane?” I ask, “You really want to go all out for this?” The Elite Crane is so exclusive that not just anyone gets invited inside.
“Yes. What do you think?” my mother asks.
“I think it is a great idea.” What better way to make a statement? Inviting Lace’s parents to such an exclusive club will show them that my family thinks their daughter deserves the best.
“Let me get to work then.” My mother leaves me in the living room to continue planning and rushes off to her den where I know she will call Mrs. Higgins and let her in on my plan. I get the worst case of butterflies as I search for dreamy proposal venues. I would love to book a ballroom. Something fitting with the Beauty and the Beast theme my mother initially mentioned. I need to find a designer who can fashion a modern version of the original Beauty ball gown. As I plan my proposal, I forget that the rest of the world exists.
***
Lace.
I cannot stop thinking about Dean. Alison called me at around six a.m. and all I spoke about was Dean and how much I miss him and want to spend the rest of my life with him.
“Why don’t you come over and cook for me to keep your mind off his dick?” Alison says.
“That sounds like an excellent idea.” I shower, make myself a cup of strong, black coffee and then head over to Alison’s place. As I drive to her I realize that I miss having my best friend around. I wish she was still my roommate because she would have figured out what I was feeling. And of course, what I needed to do about it.
She opens the door for me after the first knock. “Hey.” She sounds exhausted.
“Hey, you look like you just crawled out of a cave,” I tell her.
“I know, right? And I look like I haven’t had a good shit all winter, don’t I?” she laughs and I cannot help but laugh along with her.
“I really hope you give birth soon because I want my spunky friend back.” I feel sorry for her being so heavy and bulky that she can barely move.
“Well, you’re going to have to share me with a little human.” She pats her belly. “Do you think you can do that?”
I shrug. “I don’t know how I feel but I am going to have to deal with him when he gets here. In the meantime I am going to enjoy your company while I have you all to myself.” I hug her briefly then I rush to her kitchen which is equipped with the best utensils and appliances. Zane must have redone the kitchen because the last time I visited, I hadn’t noticed the top-of-the-range mixer or the latest wall-mounted oven. The gas cooker is still brand new and looks like nobody cooked on it yet. “Your kitchen is my dream,” I tell her. How on earth did Zane manage to recreate the kitchen of MY dreams? I never spoke to him about my dream kitchen. Alison never paid this much attention to my kitchen to know what I truly loved.
“Thank you. Zane had it redone just the way you would have wanted it. He is even willing to pay you to teach me how to use everything in here.” She laughs. “I told him he is crazy.”
“No, he isn’t. I would love to teach you how to cook but I won’t accept money for it. Just getting to use this mixer and this oven is such a dream come true.” I check out the matching toaster, kettle, microwave, and the newly done cupboards as well. “Zane is a genius.”
“Yeah. He has a photographic memory and remembered everything you had pinned on your vision board back at the apartment.”
“Oh, that is why everything in here feels so familiar.” I smile as I gaze at the kitchen for the umpteenth time. I take out a chicken from the freezer, and a mix of vegetables from the fridge.
“What are you making?” she asks.
“Chicken a la King,” I say, “it’s light enough for you to enjoy and filling enough for you to not to want to eat every five minutes. And you don’t have to worry about heartburn and all those other pregnancy nitty gritty’s.”
Alison grins. “You are the most amazing friend a pregnant girl could ask for.
“Thank you.” I begin preparing the chicken, vegetables and sauce for the chicken a la king.
“So what’s going on between you and Dean?” she asks me.
A familiar warmth spreads from my chest and into the rest of my body at the mention of Dean’s name. “Do you want the long version or the short version?”
She laughs. “Give me the short version.”
“Okay. I hope that you are ready for this. I think Dean is making me crazy,” I begin. I have barely finished my sentence when Alison bursts into laughter.
“What? Are you two banging each other every night?” she asks between laughter.
“No. I mean I cannot stop thinking about him. It’s like he is imprinted on my mind and on my brain and my heart goes into overdrive if I do so much as think of him.”
“Oh my God, Lace. You’re truly, madly and deeply in love with Dean.”