Mr Thompson's Pub and Cabaret

He wanted to be with her. He couldn't keep it off his mind. The way she laughed, the way she moved so freely, even when she wasn't dancing up on stage. The way she could tell him anything, and the way she fell asleep in his arms when they were up late at her apartment watching old cheesy horror films. Brendon had fallen fast, and every moment seemed as priceless as the next.

It'd been two years. That's how long they'd been together and he had never regretted a minute of it. He loved her even when he knew he wasn't supposed to, even when she was at her wit's end with him. Even when she was sick and tired of him. And through all of that, they'd overcome it, and they were still together, and just as happy as they had been before, at least that was how he saw it, and he felt it was safe to assume it was the same with her. He hoped. At that point, Brendon could almost consider him and Vera indestructible in their relationship, and he never wanted to leave her, which might have been why he found himself parked out in front of a jewelry store.

He couldn't recall the palms had been so sweaty, and his heartbeat so fast, but he knew he'd be able to think of the next time he'd feel like this. His mind was racing at a hundred miles an hour, and all he could think about was how he just needed to make it into that store before he dropped to the ground.

This wasn't like him. He wasn't the sort of person to get nervous like this. The only time he got a little scared was before he went up on stage, but that was a different story all together. A person had never had the capability of making him feel like this, nor an action.

He went inside and was greeted by the shiny surroundings of expensive jewelry sitting proudly on their stands.

"Hello," the woman said behind the counter. "Is there anything I can help you with?" She had one of those fake smiles on her face that Brendon was almost positive she was told she needed to be wearing at all times. He was relieved that while his work did involve acting, more or less, he'd never have to fake anything for anyone. He truly enjoyed what he did.

"Uhm, yeah. I'm looking for an engagement ring for my girlfriend." The words felt strange coming from his mouth, like it wasn't even him speaking, but he knew it was all too real. He was saying these words, and he was actually going to go through with this. If Vera said yes, she would be his wife. And if she said no...

Well, he didn't want to think about that just yet.

"Oh, great. Congratulations, by the way. Now tell me, what do you think she'd be interested in? What sort of style would make her go 'wow'?"

Brendon bit down on his lip. "Well, she's very into vintage fashion. She works at the cabaret downtown as a dancer, so I was thinking something very flashy, but also modest, maybe 40's or 50's-styled."

The attendant nodded slowly. "Alright. Well let's see. Down here we've got more of a vintage collection." He followed her to a different display case and scanned all of the rings with his eyes. "Now this one is very vintage with the diamonds all along the band, and the silver that ties in here, especially with the bigger diamond right up here on the front," she said, pointing everything out as she spoke. He knew right away that was the sort of thing Vera would gasp if she saw. It had her name written all over it, and looking at everything else in the case, nothing seemed to compare.

"Wow. She would really love that one."

She nodded again. "It's very flashy, like you said you wanted, but it does have the vintage flare you're looking for. Do you see anything else you like as much, or maybe even more?" she asked, setting the ring down on the glass counter and pulling out a shelf out with a couple of rings.

"To be honest, I don't see anything that I like as much as this one. I really think she'll love it."

"Alright. I think it's a lovely choice," she said, and then started to take the ring towards the cash register, after looking at the tag tied around the band. He didn't care how much it was. Brendon came in prepared to pay whatever price they had for him, because he knew nothing could satisfy him more than that ring. It may have been the first one he saw, but he knew that Vera would think it was absolutely perfect, just like he thought she was absolutely perfect.

After he paid it off, and she passed it to him in a deep red, velvet box, he went to his car, and as soon as he got inside, he opened the box and stared at it.

This was going to be the ring that would hopefully begin his life with Vera. The very, very beginning. The one that bound her to him and said that she was his.

Now it was just a matter of working up the courage to actually propose. How was one actually supposed to propose? He knew the whole, get down on one knee and pull the box out of nowhere bit, but what was he actually going to do to ask? Could he take her somewhere and then do it?

No, that'd been done a few too many times.

Could he just casually bring it up?

No, that was too boring.

Maybe he could get the whole cabaret involved. Then again, what if one of them couldn't keep a secret? Was that a chance Brendon was willing to take?

It wasn't.

Either way, he had time to think something up. He still had to work off his nerves, and he knew that would take some time.