Big City Dreams
It's Not a Walk in the Park
A few years later I was sitting at my desk grading papers. Well, grading art projects. I was teaching kindergarten in Boston, and today being Valentine's day I had plenty of frilly, glittery hearts to grade. I sat flipping through the papers, almost bored, begging the universe for something to happen. I looked up at the clock and jumped as my phone rang.
"Hey valentine." I said, smiling after I'd read the caller ID.
"Hey Allie, listen you need to head home if you want to have time to get ready before dinner."
Valentine's day dinner with Jared. Ever since we'd started dating three years ago we'd decided to keep Valentine's day simple. Dinner at a fairly good pizza place and a walk through the park that was across the street from it.
"Jared, I'm dressed fine for dinner. I don't need to change and stuff. Besides, I don't think I have the energy to change and redress anyway."
"Alright, well, remember dinner's at five."
I looked up at the clock again, squinting to make out the time. It was 3:30. "Don't worry babe, I'll be on time. Love you."
"Love you too. Laters."
I turned back to grading projects after hanging up the phone. After another forty minutes I decided to give up. I obviously wasn't going to get any more work done. Putting away the papers in my desk I stood up and stretched. I threw my phone in my purse and and made my way towards the door. Locking up the classroom behind me, I slung my purse onto my shoulder and headed out of the building to my car. Unlocking the car door I pulled it open and slid in. I tossed my purse onto the passengers seat and I leaned over to fish around in the glove box. My search was finally successful and I pulled out my "emergency brush" and ran it through my hair.
I dug my phone out of my purse and dialed Jared.
"Hey babe, you leaving now?" He answered.
"Yeah, I wanted to know if you wanted to just meet up at the restaurant." I asked-ish, putting my keys in the ignition.
"Sounds like a plan. I'm putting shoes on and I'll be out the door. Love you."
"Love you too." I hung up and threw my phone on top of my purse.
I backed out of the parking spot and continued to pull out of the parking lot.
Twenty minutes later I had pulled up in front of the restaurant and was checking my make up while waiting for Jared to arrive.
I saw his car pull up and I shut my mirror. Grabbing my purse I exited my car and smiled at him. "Told him I'd be on time." I muttered to myself.
"Hey beautiful." He said, getting out of his sedan.
"Hey." I replied. "Hungry?"
"Starved," he smiled down at me and offered me his arm. I took it and let him lead me into the restaurant.
Once we were seated and we had ordered drinks we started talking about each other's day. Jared was a lawyer at some important firm he'd been working at for two years, so he started by telling me all of the stupid shit his secretary did. The girl was a blonde bimbo fresh out of college with some nonsensical degree, and most days it seemed like she couldn't work a computer beyond using social networking sites. She literally once asked Jared "how do you turn it on?". I just rolled my eyes and laughed when he told me that story. He then described how his boss had given him a case that would lead to his promotion. His boss had honest to goodness said that. I smiled at him. We were interrupted once when the waitress came to take our food order. We had gone for a Sicilian style pizza with bacon, black olives, and mushrooms. When the food came out he asked me how my day had been and I went on to explain that I had spent my day in a room full of loud five year-olds who all wanted to use the same bottle of glitter at the same time, and whenever one got a card from someone of the opposite gender they went "Eww cooties."
Jared laughed and said he didn't understand how I could have the patience to put up with all of those children.
"Then again," he said. "You put up with me." I just smiled back at him, and kissed him from across the table.
When we finished Jared payed the bill and we made our way across the street to walk through the park. It wasn't completely dark yet, but the sun had removed itself from the sky, dusk had arrived and the lights in the park were turning themselves on. We held hands and walked down the path for a while until we came across the rows of stone benches. I hopped up on each one we would've passed and walked along on top of it. Jared rolled his eyes, but smiled up at me anyway.
We'd been walking for about fifteen minutes when he stopped abruptly and gave me "the look".
You know that look that you see guys give girls when they aren't looking? The one that girls sigh and swoon over and say "why can't guys look at me like that?". That look.
"What's up?" I asked, hopping down from the bench I'd presently been walking along.
He took my left hand in his.
"Allie," he started, then cleared his throat and tried again. "Allie... I..." He was struggling over his words. Finally he got down on one knee.
"Allie I know I once joked that this was how I would propose and, since we do this every year maybe you doubted that I really would but... Allie I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Please, say that you want to spend the rest of your life with me too?" and no shit, he reached into his pocket and fumbled with a little blue box.
I smiled at him.
"Yes."
"Hey valentine." I said, smiling after I'd read the caller ID.
"Hey Allie, listen you need to head home if you want to have time to get ready before dinner."
Valentine's day dinner with Jared. Ever since we'd started dating three years ago we'd decided to keep Valentine's day simple. Dinner at a fairly good pizza place and a walk through the park that was across the street from it.
"Jared, I'm dressed fine for dinner. I don't need to change and stuff. Besides, I don't think I have the energy to change and redress anyway."
"Alright, well, remember dinner's at five."
I looked up at the clock again, squinting to make out the time. It was 3:30. "Don't worry babe, I'll be on time. Love you."
"Love you too. Laters."
I turned back to grading projects after hanging up the phone. After another forty minutes I decided to give up. I obviously wasn't going to get any more work done. Putting away the papers in my desk I stood up and stretched. I threw my phone in my purse and and made my way towards the door. Locking up the classroom behind me, I slung my purse onto my shoulder and headed out of the building to my car. Unlocking the car door I pulled it open and slid in. I tossed my purse onto the passengers seat and I leaned over to fish around in the glove box. My search was finally successful and I pulled out my "emergency brush" and ran it through my hair.
I dug my phone out of my purse and dialed Jared.
"Hey babe, you leaving now?" He answered.
"Yeah, I wanted to know if you wanted to just meet up at the restaurant." I asked-ish, putting my keys in the ignition.
"Sounds like a plan. I'm putting shoes on and I'll be out the door. Love you."
"Love you too." I hung up and threw my phone on top of my purse.
I backed out of the parking spot and continued to pull out of the parking lot.
Twenty minutes later I had pulled up in front of the restaurant and was checking my make up while waiting for Jared to arrive.
I saw his car pull up and I shut my mirror. Grabbing my purse I exited my car and smiled at him. "Told him I'd be on time." I muttered to myself.
"Hey beautiful." He said, getting out of his sedan.
"Hey." I replied. "Hungry?"
"Starved," he smiled down at me and offered me his arm. I took it and let him lead me into the restaurant.
Once we were seated and we had ordered drinks we started talking about each other's day. Jared was a lawyer at some important firm he'd been working at for two years, so he started by telling me all of the stupid shit his secretary did. The girl was a blonde bimbo fresh out of college with some nonsensical degree, and most days it seemed like she couldn't work a computer beyond using social networking sites. She literally once asked Jared "how do you turn it on?". I just rolled my eyes and laughed when he told me that story. He then described how his boss had given him a case that would lead to his promotion. His boss had honest to goodness said that. I smiled at him. We were interrupted once when the waitress came to take our food order. We had gone for a Sicilian style pizza with bacon, black olives, and mushrooms. When the food came out he asked me how my day had been and I went on to explain that I had spent my day in a room full of loud five year-olds who all wanted to use the same bottle of glitter at the same time, and whenever one got a card from someone of the opposite gender they went "Eww cooties."
Jared laughed and said he didn't understand how I could have the patience to put up with all of those children.
"Then again," he said. "You put up with me." I just smiled back at him, and kissed him from across the table.
When we finished Jared payed the bill and we made our way across the street to walk through the park. It wasn't completely dark yet, but the sun had removed itself from the sky, dusk had arrived and the lights in the park were turning themselves on. We held hands and walked down the path for a while until we came across the rows of stone benches. I hopped up on each one we would've passed and walked along on top of it. Jared rolled his eyes, but smiled up at me anyway.
We'd been walking for about fifteen minutes when he stopped abruptly and gave me "the look".
You know that look that you see guys give girls when they aren't looking? The one that girls sigh and swoon over and say "why can't guys look at me like that?". That look.
"What's up?" I asked, hopping down from the bench I'd presently been walking along.
He took my left hand in his.
"Allie," he started, then cleared his throat and tried again. "Allie... I..." He was struggling over his words. Finally he got down on one knee.
"Allie I know I once joked that this was how I would propose and, since we do this every year maybe you doubted that I really would but... Allie I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Please, say that you want to spend the rest of your life with me too?" and no shit, he reached into his pocket and fumbled with a little blue box.
I smiled at him.
"Yes."
♠ ♠ ♠
Ring