Friday, May 19, 2006, Forest Hills, New York – It was the day of our 2 ½ year anniversary. I’ve known that she was the woman I wanted to share the rest of my life with for well over a year and a half. I would have proposed earlier, but we had bought an apartment together back in August of the previous year, and that had depleted most of my savings. I wanted to wait until I was able to get a ring that I felt deserved to be worn on a finger of an angel. But today I was ready.
Since it was a work week, we both got up and got ready to work. We went though our usual routine of getting ready, hopped on the subway, and I dropped her off at work. But what she didn’t know was that I had taken the day off, and instead of heading uptown to my office, I went a little further that I normally did to the Upper East Side to pick up some items that I needed for tonight. She and I call each other periodically at the office, so I needed an excuse for her not to call me at work that day. Being an accountant, my ability for creative thought is terribly impaired. So before I hopped back on the subway to head back home, I called and nervously chattered the only reason that I could think of. “Honey, the phone lines are down at work. You’re going to have to call me on my cell phone if you want to reach me…”
As soon as I came home, I jumped out of my work suit, and started to get to work preparing the apartment and cooking dinner. She called various times while I was getting things prepared. “Yes honey, the phones are still down…I might have to work late tonight…I think you should come home first by yourself” With every subsequent phone call, I could feel her suspicion rising over the phone. She knew something was up, especially since we had both acknowledged our anniversary was today, but I believe she played along with my game. She told me later on that when she came home that day from work, she knew I was already home, since I had closed the shades of the windows that she could see while walking to our building. The shades are normally left open, so she knew something was up, but she just wasn’t sure what.
When the elevator doors opened to our apartment floor, she was greeted with a trickle of rose petals scattered onto the floor, leading to our front door. Taped to the door was a simple paper sign that read, “WARNING – Passing through these doors may result in excess love and pampering. We are not responsible for any tears and melting of hearts which may result. You have been warned…CONTINUE AT YOUR OWN RISK!” When she opened the door, all the lights were off, except those emanating from the fifty tea lights that I had placed all over the apartment. Throughout the entire apartment floor, I had scattered rose petals…A LOT of rose petals. She arrived just in time, as I had just finished cooking dinner. We shared a stuffed lobster and a Kobe beef rib eye steak. She thanked me for a delicious meal, and then we went outside on our balcony where we shared some champagne and strawberries. After chatting for a while, I got up, and asked, “So, are you ready for your gift?” I asked as I opened the balcony door to go back into the apartment. Her face lit up with excitement as she nodded yes to me. I went into our bedroom, where I had been hiding her ring, and slipped it into my shirt pocket. Now, given the extent of what I had done tonight just to celebrate a semi-anniversary, I had anticipated that she might be expecting that I was going to “pop the question”. So before I went back out to the balcony, I grabbed a gift bag with a bottle of perfume in it, which I had bought in order to throw her off, returned to the balcony, and presented it to her. She smiled and thanked me, but I could sense a tiny bit of disappointment coming from her. Shortly after giving her the gift, we came back into the apartment since it was getting a little chilly. We sat on our couch to finish our champagne. It was past 11 o’ clock, and I was starting to get anxious, since I wanted to propose before midnight, and I hadn’t really rehearsed any speech. She commented on how much she liked the champagne, and I saw my opportunity to strike. I told her that I was glad she liked it, because I spent quite a bit on it. She seemed shocked and asked why I spent so much. So I told her, “Because I wanted something special to toast to with when I do this…”, and I got down on my knee (both knees actually, since I was so nervous I had no idea what I was doing), pulled out the ring from my shirt pocket, told her that she was the best thing that has ever happened to me, that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her, and asked her to be my bride. I don’t think I need to tell you what she replied, because if she said no, I wouldn’t be submitting this story!
For those who are interested, I've posted pictures of her engagement ring in the "Show me the ring" Forum. The link is below:
Link to Ring Pics
Since it was a work week, we both got up and got ready to work. We went though our usual routine of getting ready, hopped on the subway, and I dropped her off at work. But what she didn’t know was that I had taken the day off, and instead of heading uptown to my office, I went a little further that I normally did to the Upper East Side to pick up some items that I needed for tonight. She and I call each other periodically at the office, so I needed an excuse for her not to call me at work that day. Being an accountant, my ability for creative thought is terribly impaired. So before I hopped back on the subway to head back home, I called and nervously chattered the only reason that I could think of. “Honey, the phone lines are down at work. You’re going to have to call me on my cell phone if you want to reach me…”
As soon as I came home, I jumped out of my work suit, and started to get to work preparing the apartment and cooking dinner. She called various times while I was getting things prepared. “Yes honey, the phones are still down…I might have to work late tonight…I think you should come home first by yourself” With every subsequent phone call, I could feel her suspicion rising over the phone. She knew something was up, especially since we had both acknowledged our anniversary was today, but I believe she played along with my game. She told me later on that when she came home that day from work, she knew I was already home, since I had closed the shades of the windows that she could see while walking to our building. The shades are normally left open, so she knew something was up, but she just wasn’t sure what.
When the elevator doors opened to our apartment floor, she was greeted with a trickle of rose petals scattered onto the floor, leading to our front door. Taped to the door was a simple paper sign that read, “WARNING – Passing through these doors may result in excess love and pampering. We are not responsible for any tears and melting of hearts which may result. You have been warned…CONTINUE AT YOUR OWN RISK!” When she opened the door, all the lights were off, except those emanating from the fifty tea lights that I had placed all over the apartment. Throughout the entire apartment floor, I had scattered rose petals…A LOT of rose petals. She arrived just in time, as I had just finished cooking dinner. We shared a stuffed lobster and a Kobe beef rib eye steak. She thanked me for a delicious meal, and then we went outside on our balcony where we shared some champagne and strawberries. After chatting for a while, I got up, and asked, “So, are you ready for your gift?” I asked as I opened the balcony door to go back into the apartment. Her face lit up with excitement as she nodded yes to me. I went into our bedroom, where I had been hiding her ring, and slipped it into my shirt pocket. Now, given the extent of what I had done tonight just to celebrate a semi-anniversary, I had anticipated that she might be expecting that I was going to “pop the question”. So before I went back out to the balcony, I grabbed a gift bag with a bottle of perfume in it, which I had bought in order to throw her off, returned to the balcony, and presented it to her. She smiled and thanked me, but I could sense a tiny bit of disappointment coming from her. Shortly after giving her the gift, we came back into the apartment since it was getting a little chilly. We sat on our couch to finish our champagne. It was past 11 o’ clock, and I was starting to get anxious, since I wanted to propose before midnight, and I hadn’t really rehearsed any speech. She commented on how much she liked the champagne, and I saw my opportunity to strike. I told her that I was glad she liked it, because I spent quite a bit on it. She seemed shocked and asked why I spent so much. So I told her, “Because I wanted something special to toast to with when I do this…”, and I got down on my knee (both knees actually, since I was so nervous I had no idea what I was doing), pulled out the ring from my shirt pocket, told her that she was the best thing that has ever happened to me, that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her, and asked her to be my bride. I don’t think I need to tell you what she replied, because if she said no, I wouldn’t be submitting this story!
For those who are interested, I've posted pictures of her engagement ring in the "Show me the ring" Forum. The link is below:
Link to Ring Pics
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