“If there is anything I or Stacey can do for you – in terms of finding a place or beating someone up or anything – you just have to say the word.”
“I know that. I always knew that, don’t be silly, Nick. Nothing has changed. I do need your help telling Stacey about this after the proposal though. I’ll need someone to grab the pillow she will most definitely throw at me,” she joked.
He bowed as to say ‘at your service.’
“Of course that’s not for a while and I have this freaking party with Zayden tonight to worry about too,” I said, suddenly remembering. “When do you plan on doing it anyway?” Then I eyed him suspiciously and added, “And how do you have so much money for a fancy ring?”
“I want to do it next week on her birthday. And my grandma gave me the money. She was quite the anarchist back in the day so her and my grandpa decided to get married without spending a dime – something about love not needing a show – so there was no ring. Now that she’s older, she thinks there should have been one so she could pass it on to my bride. Since she can’t, she’s been insisting on buying it for me.”
“That is so adorable,” I said and smiled. “Okay, let’s get going, Nick. We don’t know when Stacey will be back and we need to spend as much time as we can to find the perfect ring. Both Stacey and your grandma deserve that.”
---
By the time Nick and I were back with a beautiful princess-cut diamond ring that she would definitely adore, Stacey was already home and in her baking gear.
“Where did you two go?” She raised her eyebrows. “I thought you were supposed to be setting up the place, Aria.”
“I was! I was scrubbing the floor. Look how much cleaner it is now,” I said, pointing at the floor which hadn’t been touched, but she would probably believe me because who can really tell the difference? “I got super exhausted from doing that so Nick and I went for a walk…to get some ice-cream.” I must have sounded obvious to anyone in the world, but Stacey shrugged oblivious, focusing on the batter she was beating with surprising intensity. “When are you going to start the chicken? I only ask cause the stove is going to be very hot for the next two hours because of the oven beneath and I don’t think you cooking over that heat is the best idea.”
She looked at her watch. “We still have about three and half hours before your boyfriend is supposed to get here.” She paused and gave me a very amused half-smile. “You’re grinning really hard, Aria.”
“Oh, sorry,” I said, feeling the sides of my mouth stretched. “I didn’t realize I was doing that. It’s just that…you called him my boyfriend.”
Stacey made an “aww” face and said, “If I wasn’t completely covered in cookie batter I would give you the biggest hug right now. But more importantly, let’s make the best of our time here. Why don’t you go get ready – it’s bound to take over an hour since your man is coming – while the oven is on and then you can make the chicken? I’ll cook everything else. I already have the rice cooker running. I would do the chicken too but he has yet to try your cooking and your chicken and sausage curry really is to die for!”
“No, I want to make it!” I said, thinking of how he had grilled everything on the night that I had been to his house. “But not after I get ready. I hardly want to smell like chicken and curry.” I giggled.
“Okay then, if you wait for the oven to be done you’ll only have about a half hour to get ready, so if you can manage—”
“Of course,” I cut her off, grinning once more. “My boyfriend is coming. Part of the charm of that particular terminology is that I get to spend less time getting all dolled up. He has seen me right out of bed and right out of a shower so he knows what I really look like.”
“Shower?” Stacey looked at me with her eyes wide open. “You guys have already managed to hit the shower?”
Nick, who had been sitting on the couch and too busy munching on ch
ips so far to speak, chose this moment to quietly exit the living room.
Stacey and I both giggled for a second because of Nick’s reaction. “I thought I told you. So much has happened these last few days. The shower was fun…but Zayden will be here soon so we better get all set up. Thanks so much for agreeing to hang out with us tonight.”
“Are you kidding?” She pointed her spatula at me. “I’ve been dying to properly hang out with the dude since we first – ahem – corresponded about you.”
“Yeah, I haven’t forgotten,” I said, trying to be reproachful, but was glad that all those months ago Stacey had tipped off Zayden, believing he would be the right guy for me.
---
“So where is your living room?” Zayden looked at me expectantly as he sat on our couch sipping on the Margaritas that I had freshly made.
I looked at him with my mouth open, unable to answer, while Stacey and Nick burst into a chortle.
“Did I say something funny?” he asked.
Before Nick or Stacey could answer with something sarcastic, I jumped in. “We only have one. Most people only have one, Zayden.”
My face was getting scarlet red.
Zayden grinned softly. “I was only joking.” He chuckled.
“So, uh, Zayden,” Nick said nervously. “What do you do for fun?”