When Thursday rolled around, Don tried to be as busy as he could be, stopping to talk to people, putting himself in meetings, just so Sloan didn't have time to get him alone and potentially sniff out that something was amiss. His luck ran out when she breezed into his office around 12:30 to say she was sorry she wouldn't be able to see him until later in the day because she was going to have lunch with Charlie, Mac and Will upstairs.

"I'll miss you while I'm up there, having a fancy lunch and potentially some wine…" she said as she leaned over Don's desk to kiss him, bending a little lower than was necessary to give him a glimpse down her blouse as she did so.

"Sloan…" Don trailed off as he glanced down. "That's mean," he said, and Sloan giggled.

"I'm just glad you still care to look," she said. She simpered down at him and Don swallowed, hard.

"Are you kidding? I'll never be tired of that view. Ever." Don stood up and came around from his side of the desk. He put a hand to the small of her back and guided her to the couch. The both sat down and Sloan kicked off her heels and put her feet in Don's lap. "So what're you going to do when I'm having a relaxing lunch meeting with those three?" Sloan asked. The way she said it sounded like she thought they were the Three Stooges.

"I'll probably just do what I always do: write copy, approve copy, talk to Elliot, read the news… you know, normal stuff." Don said, trying to sound relaxed. His heart started hammering.

Sloan smiled at him. "You're so diligent and smart. I have a smart boyfriend. How'd you get to be so brilliant?" she asked in a soft voice.

Don laughed. "OK, don't start with that voice. Already I've got half an erection from that kiss and view down your shirt. And don't you dare…" he said as he grabbed her hand, which was snaking its way into his curls. He laughed loudly. "You know what your hands in my hair does to me. You're awful. I'm still with you why?" he said, mock-questioningly.

Sloan stood up and smoothed her skirt down. She stepped into her shoes and turned to him. "Because you know I'm the best, and you like my ways," she said simply.

Don stood up and closed the short distance between them. He put his hands on her hips and leaned in to kiss her. The kiss started out sweet but deepened rapidly and when Sloan's tongue started dancing with his Don let out a groan. He broke the kiss with a sigh. "Yes, I like your ways, but I'd like them better right now if we were at my place, in my bed. You'd better go get ready for your meeting," he said, looking at the clock and seeing it was 1:40. "I need to go talk to Elliot. How about you come find me when you're done with the lunch?" he said. "Then you can tell me about it."

"OK, that sounds good. I'll see you later, DJ," she said and kissed him chastely on the cheek.

Don laughed and patted her side as he let go of her. "Later, babe." He watched as she strolled out of his office and down the hall and shook his head. I love that girl, he thought. I'm going to marry that girl. Oh, shit, I have apartments to go see. Don grabbed his jacket and walked briskly up the hall to the elevators.

Don left the second apartment at 4:00 and headed back to the ACN Building in a taxi. As he was driven through the streets of Manhattan, he started a mental pros and cons list, comparing the three apartments he'd seen this week. The second one, or the first of the two he saw today, he thought, was smaller, lacked the powder room, and he wasn't happy with the color of the hardwood floors, though he knew they could be sanded down and re-stained. However, that would be a big job and might not be worth doing. The second of the apartments on today's docket was similar to the first one he'd seen on Tuesday, but there was no entryway, which was a drawback, only had a shower stall (no tub for Sloan's baths), and the kitchen was smaller than he'd like. The appliances were also older, and there wasn't as much countertop space. All things being weighed, he still thought the first place was the best one. It had everything they wanted, including a good location that was convenient to work and with restaurants, bars, and shopping all nearby. He decided, as the cab was pulling up, that the first place would be the one he'd propose in. Now he just needed to pick up the ring and he could set the events in motion.

Don headed back upstairs and saw that Will wasn't in his office. That meant they were still upstairs in the dining room. Don felt his heart rate start to slow down. Sloan wouldn't have noticed his absence because she was still busy. Don casually strolled down the hall to Sloan's office and plopped down on her couch and waited for her to come back downstairs.

When she did, 20 minutes later, she was smiling and giddy. "We might change our five minutes a night to ten," she said as soon as she saw Don. "We're thinking of five in the B Block and then a recap of 3-5 minutes in the D Block. It's a huge step," she went on. "The economy touches every major story in this country. It's about time we start giving it its due!" She turned back to Don, her eyes blazing with excitement. "Aren't you happy for me?" she asked when Don just stared at her.

"Of course I am! You just caught me off-guard!" Don said, standing up and trying to save the situation. "Was that all Charlie wanted to talk about?"

"That and some other things. It was a good meeting." She walked over and put her head on Don's shoulder and he brought his arms around her and hugged her close. He hoped she couldn't hear how fast his heart was beating. "So how was your afternoon?" she asked.

"It was fine. You know, no surprises. Typical day. When is the run-down?" he asked, trying to get off the topic of his day before he said something stupid.

Sloan looked at the clock on the wall. "Soon. I'd better go get my stuff organized. See you in a bit." she said. She kissed him on the cheek and ran out of the office and up the hall. Don took a deep breath, held it for a bit, then exhaled it slowly. I need to get this done and over with before I have a heart attack, he thought.

The remainder of the night went off without a hitch. After NewsNight, when he was done changing and Don was in the control room running Right Now, Will went to go check in with his friend on the day's developments.

"So? How were the apartments?" Will asked. Don smiled. He never thought Will would get this invested in his plans, but then, Will was often a bundle of contradictions.

"They were both really nice, but the first one is the best. I pick up the ring tomorrow. I'm thinking about doing it tomorrow." Don swallowed nervously. "Tomorrow, like when we have a break here. Leaving, getting the ring, heading to the apartment, and literally just asking her in the middle of the day. She'll have no idea what's coming, and I want her to be surprised. Or do you think I should do it over the weekend? But then I'm not sure how I'd get away from her long enough to get to the apartment to wait for her." Don whispered. He looked at Will with a look that almost seemed like desperation. "What do you think?"

"I think tomorrow is good. There's no reason to wait, and she'll never expect this. Plus, it means she'll be back in the office for a few hours with a ring on her finger so everyone here can see it and the girls can squeal over it and we can celebrate. Do it tomorrow." Will said. He patted Don on the back and said, "My fiance is waiting for me. She wants me to help her finalize our seating arrangements for the reception. Do you think I care who sits where?" Will sighed. "The things we do for these women." Mackenzie appeared, looking through the control room glass with her eyes narrowed. She knocked gently on the door, pointed at an imaginary watch on her wrist, and waved her hands as if to say, "Come on!" Will said, "See you in the morning, Don." Don nodded, and Will left the control room. Once in the hall, he bent down to kiss Mackenzie, and Don saw Mac smiling into the kiss. Those two need to get a room, he thought with a grin.