It was a magnificent moonlit night in Lake Palestine. Snow covered the trees and the roof tops. The night was clear. The stars were bright, and Sheldon was full of anticipation. He stood in front of the mirror straightening his tie. A bright sparkling diamond lie hidden inside his coat pocket.
These past few months had been a whirlwind. Sheldon struggled through his pre-licensing real estate classes, but managed to pass his state exam and established himself with a brokerage firm.
For professional purposes, he knew he had to free himself from his father's shadow, so he replaced his last name with his middle name. "Don Raymond," it has a nice ring to it, he thought.
Don Raymond would make a fine husband for Victoria. She had recently transformed herself into everything he had ever wanted. Always there for him, she listened patiently, she ran errands, she cooked,she cleaned, she fixed all that was broken.
Victoria had also proven to be an excellent employee for Merrick PM. She caught on to the basics of the trade rather quickly. Soon her skills included everything from cleaning a bathroom, to changing a door lock, to snaking a toilet. Quite a change considering she had previously never worked a day in her life.
Still, he was normally not one to settle down, but the idea of Victoria unattached in the male dominated field of maintenance technology made him nervous. Besides, she was getting impatient, dropping hints and flipping through bride magazines. As long as he could hold off on the babies, it would be okay.
He glanced at his watch. Dinner reservations were at 7. He mustn't be late. Nothing was going to spoil this night.
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"Table for 2 please."
"Oh, could we please have this table by the fireplace?" Victoria asked, still shivering from the cold.
The waiter seated them at a cozy table just inches away from the fireplace. Victoria stood up and warmed her hands by the fire. The logs crackled as the warm air generated heat throughout her body. She took a deep breath, relaxed and returned to her seat.
The waiter handed them a menu.
"What would you like to drink, madam?"
"Hot coffee. Please."
"Sir?"
"Club soda, please."
The room was filled with quiet conversation, soft piano music and the smell of Italian cuisine.
Victoria sipped her hot coffee. "I've just been so cold. All day long, hauling massive bags of salt pellets from one location to another, shoveling concrete steps, operating the snow blower through the cold wind. But, the weather forecast is calling for a warming trend."
Sheldon grinned. "You never cease to amaze me. The change in you in these last few months. Your drive, your determination, your zest for life." He took her hand. "I can see fire in your beautiful brown eyes."
"I owe it to you. After you left for the summer, I thought about what you said. Your words hurt, but you were right. I needed that push. I had to work on myself. I had to make that change. I had to get out in the work force, reach out to others, stop all the shopping sprees."
"Yes, and look at you now."
The waiter returned. "Excuse me, are you ready to order? You two look so happy, I don't mean to interrupt."
"Quite all right. We'll have two spaghetti dinners, please."
"Coming right up, sir."
Sheldon's phone rang. That must be Ernie the Gorilla, he thought.
"Hello Don, It's your Uncle Bob. Is this a good time to talk?"
"Uh no, not really, but what's up?"
"Ok, nothing important. I was just going to tell you Summer stopped by the store, that's all."
"Oh," Sheldon sat up straight.
"Victoria, please excuse me a moment. I'll be right back. I apologize."
Sheldon headed to the men's room and took a seat on a bench by the entry door.
"Yes, and you'll never guess what she's been up to - She's performing at Tickle's."
"Tickle's a comedy act? Summer?"
"A man-bashing comedy act."
"With that crowd? Aren't they offended?"
"Not her target audience. She performs on ladies' night."
"Oh, I see. I guess that explains why she joked about killing her last boyfriend."
"Yes, she's a woman scorned all right. Anyway, she left a message for you."
"She did, really?" he exclaimed.
"Yes, she wanted to thank you for giving her material for her comedy act."
"Oh yeah, all I did was run away from her. She calls that funny? I'd say she gave me more material to write about." He paused. "Say, uh, Bob, do you know if they allow men to attend ladies' night at Tickle's?"
"They do, but would you want to subject yourself to a possible, uh, hostile environment? I mean, surrounded by all those women and their men bashing chatter. . . . You aren't thinking of attending, are you?"
"Oh no, of course not."
"Good. Trust me. Stay away from Summer. She's bad news."
"Ok, but please promise me you'll notify me if she stops by again."
"Will do. Good to hear from you. We miss you. Give my best to your father."
"I will. Thank you for calling. Have a good night."
Sheldon hung up and immediately googled, "Tickle's Comedy Club Ladies' Night." The page read:
Summer, our Hot New Comic, will Tickle you Pink - Ladies' Night, October 20
Underneath the heading was a photo of Summer. Wow! He couldn't believe his eyes. She was a raging sex pot. All decked out in a mini skirt, and a hot pink halter top. The photo zoomed in on her shapely legs and high heels, as she kicked a suitcase out of her front door.
All those repressed feelings he had for Summer came rushing back, totally consuming him. It hit him like a ton of bricks! Panic overwhelmed him. His heart pounded; His knees grew weak.
I can't do this!
The phone rang. Sheldon jumped.
"Hello?"
A gruff voice on the other end spoke. "Hey Sheldon, Ernie the Gorilla here, your messenger of love."
"Where are you?"
"I just stepped inside the front door."
"Look, go directly to the men's bathroom. It's straight ahead. Don't say a word to anybody. Don't look at anybody. Just go. I'm there now."
"Ok, man."
Sheldon peaked through the bathroom door and motioned him inside. The gorilla arrived carrying a bouquet of red roses and a huge box of chocolates. His white tuxedo and top hat stood out in sharp contrast to his dark fur.
Sheldon motioned for the gorilla to be seated on the bench. "I'll get right to the point. I can't go through with this. Please go home now!" Sheldon pleaded with urgency in his voice.
Ernie looked puzzled. "I just got here."
You have to understand. I can't go through with this."
A gentleman walked in, stared at them and kept looking back, before he disappeared in one of the stalls. Ernie smiled and waved at the man.
"What is it, you don't like my tux? I can remove it."
"Shhhh, please lower your voice. No, nothing personal."
"You know you can't get your money back."
"I know that."
Sheldon tried to explain it in a way he would understand. "Cold feet," he said in a shouted whisper.
"Oh, that's all. Listen, buddy, I've been doing this for years." He placed his hairy arm on Sheldon's shoulder. "Trust me, all men get cold feet." Ernie stood up and stepped outside the door. "Listen, I have to run on schedule."
"No, no, no. You don't understand." Sheldon reached for his billfold and handed Ernie a $100 bill. "Take this and go."
Ernie grabbed the bill and grinned. He whispered, "I do understand. Your secret is safe with me. I won't mention that you had a little case of cold feet."
Sheldon grabbed on to him and desperately tried to steer him out the front door.
Suddenly Victoria appeared. "There you are. I was wondering what ----" Victoria spotted the gorilla. She gasped, "Sheldon, what is going on?"
Ernie put his free paw on Victoria's shoulder. "Miss Victoria, you are such a vision of loveliness. Step this way, madam."
Seeing that their backs were turned, Sheldon quickly disappeared into the bathroom stall.
Ernie guided her out of the hallway into a centrally located area front and center, facing the tables. Decked out in his gorilla suit, Ernie was an imposing figure, commanding attention. All conversation ceased. All eyes were on them. Even the kitchen staff peered through the window.
"Good evening ladies and gentlemen. I am Ernie the gorilla, messenger of love." He turns to Victoria. "Miss Victoria, I present to you this fragrant bouquet of red roses. May it be a symbol of your young man's undying love for you." He handed the flowers to Victoria.
Victoria was fighting back tears. A waiter handed her a Kleenex box.
The crowd was "oohing and ahhing."
"Victoria, may I present to you this box of fine chocolates. May it symbolize your sweet life together as a couple." He handed her the box of chocolates. The box was so big that she had to place it on a nearby table.
Cheers and whistles filled the room.
"One last surprise for you. Your young man is waiting back stage. He has a serious proposition for you."
Victoria rested her hands on her head, overwhelmed with the moment.
Ernie outstretched his hairy arm toward the hallway that led to the bathroom. May I present to you your future husband, Sheldon."
The room grew silent with what seemed like forever. You could hear a pin drop.
Ernie tried again, louder. "Sheldon."
Victoria stared at the floor. She ran her fingers through her hair, looking worried.
An awkward situation. But Ernie, an experienced gorilla man, knew how to roll with the punches. He broke out into song and dance. He clapped his hands and stepped from side to side. "Ding dong ding dong, bells are gonna ring. Ding dong ding dong, it will happen in the spring. Da dadada la da la dadada la da dada da dada." His loud, off-key voice resonated throughout the room. Some were clapping along and some were covering their ears. He repeated. "Ding dong----
Sheldon suddenly emerged from the bathroom, pale as a ghost. He was shaking all over.
The crowd cheered. They jumped to their feet.
Ernie chanted, "On your knee," and the crowd followed.
"On your knee, on your knee, on your knee, on your knee," they demanded.
Victoria was losing control. She reached for a Kleenex. Noticing all the customers taking photos, she only hoped she wasn't ruining her makeup.
Sheldon stood there dumbfounded, staring at the crowd as they chanted. He was annoyed by all the fuss. Who knew it would come to this? He was trapped!
Ernie whispered in his ear. "You can do it."
Slowly he got on one knee. The crowd cheered louder than ever. Finally, the crowd grew silent, waitingUh, Victoria," Sheldon's voice cracked from the stress. He paused. The words wouldn't come out. Ernie nudged him. "Um...... will you......... um........ marry me?"
Victoria shrieked, "Oh yes, yes Sheldon, yes!"
Ernie nudged him. "The ring."
The crowd went wild. The customers crowded around them, attempting to get a good shot with their cameras.
Sheldon fumbled for the ring inside his jacket. His hands were shaking so hard he couldn't get it passed her knuckle. Ernie helped him along.
That was it. It was over, finally.
Afterward was a whirlwind of congratulations, handshakes and photos from the crowd. Ernie gave them each a hug and wished them well.
"Be sure to invite me to the wedding." He winked at Sheldon.
The couple returned to their seats. Victoria was glowing. She held up her ring finger, admiring the diamond. "Sheldon, it's so beautiful."
The waiter stopped by, "Champaign for the happy couple." Before the waiter could place the bottle on the table, Sheldon grabbed it, poured himself a glass and drank it in 2 gulps.
"Oh, Sheldon, you're so nervous. That's so cute. You must have been afraid I would say "no."
"Uh huh, that's it."
"It's just what I've always dreamed of, a spring wedding."
"Spring?! You said spring?!"
Sheldon poured himself another glass of champagne and gulped it down.
"Yes, Ernie mentioned that in his song. I thought it was a message from you."
"No, I think he was desperately coming up with something that rhymed with, "ring." . . . . Look, Victoria, It's just not practical. You know that spring is a busy time for both of us. Real estate sales pick up and you'll be busy with landscape work."
"Okay, but we'll need to plan our venue far in advance. We should pick a date soon."
"Okay."
An older lady with white hair and perils approached them. "Congratulations, you two are so adorable. I captured your moment from beginning to end. I plan to post it on YouTube."
Sheldon took another gulp.
"Oh, that's wonderful. Thank you so much. I'll give you my email so you can send me a link," Victoria said.
"Okay, thank you, goodbye."
She turned to Sheldon. I can't wait to see the video. Ernie was so cute. Keep his card handy. I would love to have him perform for our child's birthday parties."
Sheldon choked on his champaign. "Child?! What child? What are you talking about?" he snapped.
"The child we plan to have some day, of course."
Sheldon took a moment to recover. He took a deep breath and took her hand. "Victoria, I have another serious proposition for you."
"Yes?"
"Will you be my designated driver tonight?"
"Certainly, but first, I will have one little sip of champagne. She raised her glass. Here's to our engagement."
Let's make it a long one, he thought.