Swallowing the lump in his throat, Josh rubbed his thumb over the warm metal in his pocket. It's warmth coming from his constant touch, reassuring himself it was still there. He bit his lip, checking the clock to his right once more. It read: 7:13. Cher was late. As usual.
Letting out a sigh, he leaned against the counter, pressing his forehead to it, hoping the cool granite would cool off his heated body. His hand slid back into his pocket, caressing the familiar band. Pulling it out, he lifted his head up, resting his elbows on the counter as he inspected the object in his hands.
The ring was simple, but the most expensive one he could afford. The band was a thin gold that came together at the squared diamond, wrapping up around the stone like golden rose petals. He slide the ring onto his pinky finger, barely getting it passed the first joint. He laughed at the memory of stealing one of her rings so he could get the measurements right.
He pulled it off, carefully dropped it back into his pocket and looked again at the clock. Only 7:21. With a groan, he ran a hand through his hair and pulled at his shirt. The plan was to take her for a small walk through the park so he could pop the question and then to her favorite restaurant, Madam Chelsea's, for a celebration.
First things first though, she needed to get home. And now would be a great time.
His heart jumped as he heard the front door open. "Josh?" She called, her heels clicking on the floor. "Can you come help me with my bags?"
He took one last deep breath and walked out to greet her. His jaw dropped a bit as he walked her trying to lug five different sized bags through the door. "What the hell, Cher? I thought you were just going to pick out a dress."
She giggled, swatting her newly manicured hand at her. "I did! But with a new dress comes new shoes, new hair accessories, new jewelry and some new make-up! Even a new pair of underwear." She ticked each one of them off with her fingers.
Groaning, he stuffed his hands into his pockets. "The reservations are in an hour, but I wanted to take you through the park for a little walk." He admitted, looking down at his feet.
Cher licked her lips, looking guiltily at the shopping bags in hand. "I'm sorry, Josh. I didn't mean to. Could you possibly go after we eat?" She asked, batting her lashes at him, a soft smile touching her face.
His eyes moved to her face and he shrug, his own smile tugging at his lips. "Yeah, that'll be fine. Just hurry up."
She beamed at him, moving closer and kissing his nose and hurrying up the stairs, kicking her shoes off as she went. Rolling his eyes, he picked up the offended heels and carried them up after her. "Cher, this isn't Cinderella, you can't just..." Reaching out to open their bedroom door, he stopped talking, finding it locked. Grumbling, he set the shoes down and went back to his place in the kitchen.
Sitting at the counter, the ring was back in his fingers. He twirled it around, letting the light hit it.
"How do I look?" He practically jumped from his chair at Cher's voice. The ring fumbling through his fingers before he shoved it into his pocket.
"W-what?" He asked, swallowing nervously and looked over at Cher.
She grinned at him, placing her hands on her hips, clearly oblivious to his slight panic attack. "I said, how do I look?" She repeated, still smiling.
He let himself look at her, his eyes widening a bit. She stood in three-inch plain black heels that made her legs seem endless, with a red cocktail dress that hugged her chest, pushing it up just a bit. The bottom only reached mid-thigh on her, with two ruffles at the end. The dress was completed with a long black sash tied around her waist, with a little bow at her hip. Her blonde hair was pulled back into a ponytail that laid over her shoulder, and a silver head band in her hair. The end of her look was a simple heart shaped silver necklace on her throat.
"Well?" She questioned, a light blush on her cheeks.
Josh swallowed, nodding. "You look magnificent." He answered.
Her face light up into another smile and she raced towards him, kissing him softly and taking his hand. "So do you." She fixed his tie a bit, before working on his hair that he had messed up. "There we go."
He lead her out to the car, opening her door and sliding into his own side. Arriving at Madam Chelsea's, Josh helped Cher out and let her inside.
Throughout the dinner, Cher chatted aimlessly about this and that. Her nails clicked against the table as she spoke and Josh couldn't help but notice that her ring finger looked especially naked. But as the night wore on, Josh tried to concentrate on whatever she was saying, desperate to ignore the burning ring that laid against his leg.
He paid the check and instead of leading her towards the car, he took her arm in his. "Let's go on a walk," he whispered against her ear, kissing her cheek.
She smiled at him and nodded, "Alright." She let herself be lead across the road and down towards the park. Leaning against him, she kissed his cheek. "I want to thank you for this, Josh. I've really missed getting to spend time with you."
He nodded, wrapping an arm around her waist. "I know. I'm sorry works kept me so busy." His lips found her forehead and he sighed, "I plan on being home for often though, after I get this new promotion."
She looked up at him, her eyes shining with excitement. "So you're for sure getting it?" She asked.
Nodding, he grinned, "Yep. Your father called me this morning and told me that I had it in the bag."
A girly squeal erupted from her and she threw her arms over his shoulders, pulling him down into a kiss. "I'm so happy for you Josh. You do so much for Daddy, you really deserve it."
He basked in her praise for a moment before they took a seat at a small concrete bench. "Thanks Cher, it means a lot coming from you." He brushed his knuckles over her cheek, sighing. "But, if I get this promotion, I'm going to have to move." He scratched the back of his neck, looking away.
Standing up, he glanced back at her confused face. "But, the thing is, if I move…there's going to be something missing." Before giving her time to answer, he dug the ring from his pocket and turned to her, dropping to his knee. "And that's you." He held the ring up, unable to meet her eyes.
"Oh Josh…" Her voice hitched and she covered her mouth. He looked up at her, his eyes meeting hers and she smiled. "You really mean it?"
He nodded, "God yes, Cher."
She squealed again, lunging at him as he stood up. He swung her around, kissing her as she bounced in his arms. "Yes!" They kissed once more, before stepping back.
Josh pushed the ring onto her finger, watching as her eyes filled with tears of joy. Once it was on, she was in his arms again. "I love you, Josh."
Squeezing her tight against him, he sighed contently, "I love you too, Cher."
She sighed against his shoulder, "This is where we have our happily ever after, right?"
Chucking, he nodded, their noses brushing as he nuzzled her, "Yes, Cher."