by Jillian Dodd
I knew that, as planned, Danny would be hiding just behind the door to the kitchen with the house mom, Doris, who, even though she is old, is still female and, as such, adores Danny.
I told him not to get distracted and to peek and listen carefully, so he would come out at just the right time.
Lori starts passing the candle around the circle to her right and says, “Promised or Lavaliered.”
I’m strategically standing next to Lori on her left. I know she will practically shit a brick when the candle makes it all the way around to me on Engaged.
The candle makes its first lap, and as Lori starts the second round, she says, “Pinned.”
Once again, the candle makes its way around to Lori without getting blown out.
She pauses, holding the candle for an extra second, then says with dramatic flair, “Engaged.”
Then she starts it on its third go round.
Whenever we get to Engaged, there is a special magic in the air and even though we are all singing, there is kind of a collective Oh!
This time is no exception. We know it’s the big one!
The candle is almost back to me, and I am freaking out! I’m using my mind to try and send Danny major telepathic messages.
Come out now!
Come out now!
But it doesn’t seem to be working. The candle is just being passed to me. Lori is giving me a look that by all rights should have knocked me dead. She waits for me to blow out the candle.
What a joke that would be!
Me engaged? Ha! And to Phillip!
Although, I mean that wouldn’t be an awful thing. He is really hot and adorable.
But, oh, yeah, everyone is staring at me. They now know that either Lori or I got engaged. I look at Lori and smile at her. She gives me another death look.
I’m frantic!
So I decide to stall. I take a breath in and pretend like I’m going to blow it out, and thank you, God, Danny suddenly parts through the other side of the circle.
I shouldn’t have freaked. I should have known his timing is always impeccable.
I watch him walking toward us. Danny moves like a panther. Graceful, yet feral. I mean, girls can’t help but stare, and trust me when I say that all eyes are riveted on him.
Well, all eyes but Lori’s.
She’s still got her eyes laser locked on the candle she thinks I am about to blow out. I keep the candle in my hand, look at her, and bug out my eyes toward Danny.
She sees him and gets a look of horror on her face.
I can tell she is thinking, Oh my God, why is he here? Did something terrible happen?
He stalks up to her and she whispers, “What’s wrong? Why are you here?”
Danny doesn’t answer her.
He looks her straight in the eye and slowly bends down on one knee.
The singing stops and there is a collective gasp of breath from the girls. They’ve all figured out what is about to happen.
Lori still isn’t completely sure what Danny is doing, and if she’s figured it out, she can’t believe it’s really happening. She just stares at him in disbelief.
Danny takes her hand and says, “Lori, you are the most beautiful and brilliant woman I have ever known. I love you more than I ever thought was possible, and I keep falling further in love with you every day. You’ve made me so happy. I’m hoping you’d like to keep me that way for the rest of our lives. Make me a happy man, Lori. Marry me?”
Lori and most of the sisters have tears streaming down their cheeks.
Danny stands up.
Lori looks at Danny intensely, throws her arms around him, and screams, “YES!”
The girls go aawwhhh and just as they are finishing, a loudmouthed sophomore yells, “Where’s the rock, Danny?”
Danny backs away from Lori, into the center of the circle. Then he starts doing what he does best, playing in front of a crowd.
“Come on, ladies,” he says, leaning back and holding both arms out in the air. “I have just pledged my undying love,” he brings both his hands to his heart, “to this woman in front of all of you. Do you really think she needs a ring?”
All of us, Lori included, scream, “YES!”
Danny nods, pulls a gray velvet ring box out of his pocket, drops back, and . . . I don’t believe what I’m seeing.
For the first time in my life, I see Danny’s hand shake as he throws a pass.
He does manage to pass the ring box to Lori, but the pass is wobbly and a bit too high.
I fight my natural reaction to reach up and grab it.
Sadly, this pass is not meant for me.
Lori, bless her heart, who has probably never caught a football—or any ball, for that matter—in her life, suddenly develops the reflexes of a cat. She leaps up and snatches that ring box right out of the air. It’s amazing what a girl can do with the proper motivation.
She opens the box. I can’t see the ring, but when I see the way she looks at it and how happy she is, I start to tear up a little myself.
Danny puts the ring on her finger. The girls cheer and then start singing again.
I gently nudge her shoulder.
“I think this is yours,” I say, and pass her the candle. Danny winks at me, and Lori gives me a huge grin. Now she understands.
She and Danny blow the candle out together.
Someone turns up the lights.
Danny says, “Hey, I understand there is usually serenading after this. How ’bout we head outside.”
Danny and Lori lead the way, with me tagging right behind them.
I’ve got to see this! I can’t imagine what Danny had to promise to get some lowly freshmen football players to come sing to his girlfriend.
This could be a total disaster.
This was the part he and Phillip planned all on their own.
I just hope for her sake, she’s not embarrassed if it’s totally pathetic.
But as we come out the door, I literally see a sea of red.
I gaze around at the mass of people that Danny and Phillip have assembled.
There is what appears to be the whole football team dressed in red practice jerseys, pretty much every fraternity boy at the school, each wearing his house letters across his chest, and, my God, what must be the majority—no shit!—of the Husker marching band!
They are wearing assorted red Husker shirts, shorts, and their big band hats.
Like magic, when Danny appears, the music begins. The Husker fight song. After that, they play a song everyone knows, and everyone sings along. I sing the first few lines, then start humming. “Hum, hum, hum, hum, hum, hum, hum, hum, hum . . . ”
(Uh, I really should have learned the words to this song.)
Well, one thing’s for certain! No one’s likely to forget this candlelight ceremony soon!
This isn’t an engagement.
It’s a wedding pep rally!
After a few songs, the serenading stops and the event takes on a life of its own. Everyone has come out of the neighboring houses and dorms to see what’s going on, and pretty soon it becomes one big street party. The band keeps playing, and everyone starts dancing. I’m standing on the steps of the sorority house, watching the whole spectacle in amazement, when I see Phillip waving at me from across the street.
I wondered where that boy had been hiding.
I also can’t help but notice how exceptionally hot Phillip looks tonight. He’s wearing a Husker T-shirt and a pair of baggy, khaki cargo shorts. Nothing terribly exciting, but damn if he doesn’t look good in it. He and Danny still work out together. Danny has been trying to bulk up a bit in preparation for the NFL, and I realize that Phillip has bulked up a bit too. I mean he’s always had a great chest and arms, and I don’t know, maybe it’s because I see him every day, but I really hadn’t noticed how great he looks. I especially like how big the muscles that go from his neck down to his shoulders have gotten.
Wow!
I run down the stairs, across the street, leap into his ar
ms, and scream, “Phillip!” I throw my arms around his neck and give him a quick kiss on the lips.
“What was that for?” Phillip yells in my ear, as he grabs my hips and starts dancing with me.
“I don’t know.” I shrug. “I can’t believe you guys did all of this. I’m so proud of you both!”
Honestly, I really don’t know why I just kissed Phillip. All the romance in the air must be adversely affecting me. That, or it’s because Phillip looks so hot. I mean, it wasn’t much of a kiss, just a quick little peck, but for some strange reason I don’t think I would mind kissing him again.
Phillip looks at me intensely for a second, reads my mind, evidently, and gives me a kiss on the lips. This one was just a bit longer than my peck, but still, it’s just a friend-type kiss.
I ask, “What was that for?”
Phillip just smiles and shrugs his shoulders, like If you don’t need a reason, neither do I.
We dance together the rest of the evening. We’re both just so happy for Danny and Lori.
We’re walking home when Phillip asks me, “So are you bummed you never got to pass your candle?” He’s holding my hand and swinging my arm irritatingly high while we walk.
“Well, since I haven’t found a guy who can put up with me for longer than about three months, I’d say it’s probably for the best.”
“Gosh, what a spectacle that was. Would you ever want to be surprised like that in front of so many people?”
“I don’t know, Phillip. Part of me says no, way too flashy, but most of me says yes, cuz, God, what a romantic thing it would be to know that a guy planned all of that, just for me. It would be pretty amazing.” I sigh and shake my head. “But I really don’t think I’m gonna have to worry about it.”
“Why? Never getting married?”
“No, I just can’t seem to find a guy that can handle me.”
“You are pretty tough to handle,” he replies, while bumping his shoulder into mine.
“Yeah. Well, you and Danny are the only ones that can seem to do it, and darn it, now it’s official. Danny’s off the market.”
“I guess it’s back to just you and me, Princess.”
“Yeah,” I say, wondering if that’s a good thing or a bad thing.
The next morning I get up fairly early and am pouring myself a cup of the coffee that Phillip makes me every morning before he leaves.
He is such a morning boy.
Lori comes out of Danny’s room and joins me in the kitchen.
“So, do I finally get to see this ring?”
“See it? I thought you helped design it.”
“Yeah, well, see if I ever help him with anything again. The shit wouldn’t let me see it when it was finished. He said you had to be the first one to look at it.”
“Really?” she says, all flushed and happy. She holds her left hand out to show me. I notice she has already perfected the pose of the engaged.
And wow! The ring sure did turn out beautifully. It’s perfect for her.
“How did you know I’ve always wanted a marquise cut diamond? I don’t remember us ever talking about it,” she says, while putting two pieces of bread in the toaster.
“We didn’t. Danny bought the diamond on his own. Did he know that’s what you wanted, or did he buy it because it’s the diamond shape that looks most like a football?”
“Well, I may have mentioned it once in passing, now that I think about it.”
“I only got to help with the setting.”
“Really?” she says again. I don’t think she can believe that Danny did all of this himself.
Really, neither can I.
He’s usually not so romantic. I guess he’s never had to be that way. I suppose you don’t have to work too hard to romance girls when they are throwing themselves at your feet. Still, it’s good to know that a guy can be romantic when he finds the right girl.
Maybe there is hope for me.
Sadly, one of the guys that tried to “romance” me this week, thought saying, Hey, wanna get drunk and hook up, was romantic.
Even sadder, I actually considered it.
So, maybe not.
Somewhere, my prince is waiting.
Ha!
Actually, I don’t think he’s waiting. I think he’s hiding from me.
But back to Lori.
“You know, Lori, other than helping with the setting, all I did was tell him about the ceremony. Well that, and make the candle. Phillip got some pledge to deliver it.”
“I knew I was right about you,” she laughs, then takes a bite of her toast.
“Honestly,” I say over my coffee cup, “I was a bit worried about him getting the football players to do the serenading. Afraid it might be terribly pathetic or totally cheesy. I have to say, I was floored to see the whole fricking marching band there. So, what do you think?” I grin. “Was it worth the wait?”
“Yeah.” She smiles to herself, dreamily remembering last night. “It was definitely worth the wait. Could you believe all that?”
“Not really. Oh God, what kind of wedding are you gonna have? How in the world will you top last night?”
“Actually, there is something we wanted to talk to you and Phillip about. Danny and I decided last night that with him having to report to training camp soon, we’re just going to get married on a beach somewhere in Mexico. Probably Cancun.”
I interrupt her. “What are your parents going to say? Aren’t they going to freak out about that? Will they go too?”
“Well sure, they will definitely be there, but the wedding will be very small. Like probably only our immediate families and you and Phillip. We’ll have a big party when we get home. I’m going to book the trip today. Danny and I are hoping you and Phillip will come and stand up for us at the wedding. You ready to be my maid of honor? Gosh, I can’t believe it! It’s only a few weeks away!” She’s chattering away and practically bursting with excitement. “We’ll leave right after graduation. So, will you do it? Will you come?”
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” I say.
And I mean it.
“On another note,” she says, as she gets up, pours herself another cup of coffee and rinses her plate in the sink. “I saw you dancing with Phillip last night. You know, I think you two belong together.” She sits back down and stares at me. “So, have you guys ever dated or anything?”
“No, to dating. Yes, to anything,” I say with no expression, just to tease her.
She gets a big smile on her face.
“But don’t get too excited, the last anything was in eighth grade when Phillip attacked me during a game of spin the bottle. Oh and well, I sorta kissed him last night.”
Her eyes get huge. “You WHAT? Tell me about it!”
“Uh, well, it was just a peck—well, two pecks, but we were just excited for you and Danny.”
“Have you thought about kissing him again? He is so handsome, Jade. You two would be adorable together, and you get along so well. Don’t you see the way he looks at you, with those puppy dog eyes? I really think he’s, like, in love with you.”
Not very subtle, is she? I suppose since she’s all happy and engaged it’ll now become her mission in life to marry off the rest of us.
“Uh, I don’t know about the puppy dog eyes. And sure he loves me. We’re best friends. And, as far as the kissing goes, no. I haven’t.”
Really, I haven’t.
Fine. So, last night I might have thought about it for a second, but only a second.
Well, okay, maybe I have thought about it for more than a second, because she’s right, he is very handsome. And I have to admit, I really enjoyed having his strong arms wrapped around me while we were dancing, and I even enjoyed our two little kisses, but I try to change the subject by saying with a smile and a wink, “But I can tell you about the time I slept with Danny.”
She’s heard the prom story before, so she rolls her eyes at me and will not be distracted. “Well, Jadyn,” she says with a wi
cked grin as she walks out the door to head to class, “I think maybe it’s time you play spin the bottle again.”
Around nine-thirty, Danny strolls out of his room, looking bleary-eyed. It takes him a while to get going in the morning. His dark blonde hair is sticking up all over, there are pillow marks on the side of his face, and he’s wearing nothing but a pair of baggy sweat shorts.
He looks adorable.
And happy.
“So, what do you think? We pulled it off.” He grins, while sliding onto the couch next to me.
“We? How ’bout you and half the school? It was really amazing, Danny. I was thoroughly impressed.”
“So, I’m actually getting married,” he says, as his stomach growls. “I don’t suppose you’d make me a celebratory omelet, huh?”
I smile and close the textbook I’m reading. It really doesn’t take much persuasion to get me to stop studying.
“Oh, I suppose,” I say, like it’s a big inconvenience.
He moves to a barstool and watches while I get the ingredients out of the fridge.
I crack three eggs into a bowl, whisk them, and stir in some milk. I put a little butter in a pan and sauté some mushrooms. Then I pour in the omelet mixture.
It’s amazing how good a cook you become living with two hungry boys.
“Think she’s the right girl?” he asks me, still rubbing his eyes.
“Don’t you think it’s a little late to be asking that question?”
“Nah, I could always call it off.”
“Yeah,” I say, as I cook the omelet. “And you would be a fool. Lori is perfect for you. It’s weird because you are so different from her. You know, you and I really are a lot alike. I mean, we both love to have fun, are wild, larger than life, always ready for the next challenge, the next adventure, the next dare. But on the down side, Danny, sometimes I think you and I could float around aimlessly. We’re like kites. We just go wherever the wind blows us, even if it’s not the best place to be. Lori is like a great kite flyer. She understands that you need enough string to go on your adventures. She even encourages it and helps you soar.” I smile at him, add some cheese to the top of the omelet and flip it onto a plate. Setting it in front of him, I add, “She also knows when you need to be brought back to earth. She grounds you, Danny. In a very good way.”
