Notes: Thanks to Mari and Sammy for the awesome ideas and the squeal-inducing feedback. You're the best, ladies!
Readers and REAL McRollers - We hope you don't mind a few bonus Disney stories. There were things we just couldn't bear to leave on the cutting room floor :-). Thank you for your amazing support! It is always appreciated.
Hope you enjoy!
Happily Ever After (A McRoll in the REAL World Story)
"Do you like them, Senator Pearl?" DJ asked. "We picked them out just for you."
"Dey Minnie Mouse ears!" Angie supplied helpfully.
"I love them," Senator Pearl Tanaka said, putting the black sequined Minnie Mouse ears on her head. "Thank you for thinking of me when you were in Dizzyworld."
DJ beamed and Angie clapped happily.
Catherine smiled, watching the hard-nosed senator pose in her new headband. They'd dropped by the senator's office because the kids couldn't wait another day to deliver the gift.
"Now how about you two go with Judy to her desk where I happen to know she keeps some special cookies," Pearl said. "That is, if it's okay with your mommy."
Both kids looked to Catherine hopefully. She chuckled at their expressions and nodded, having expected the offer.
"Yay!" Angie cheered, following the senator's assistant with her brother. " 'peschal cookies!"
"Just one each, please," Catherine called after them.
"Okay, Mommy!" DJ replied.
"I'm mostly talking to you, Angie," Catherine said. When the four-year-old didn't reply, she repeated more firmly, "Angie."
"Okay, Mommy!" Angie said hurriedly with a backwards wave.
Catherine shook her head as the trio disappeared into the front office and turned back to the senator.
"So everyone enjoyed the trip?" Pearl asked.
"It was … magical," Catherine said. "No other word for it. And thank you again for dinner."
"I'm glad you accepted," Pearl said with a stern look that morphed into a smile. "And that the two of you enjoyed it."
"The food was incredible," Catherine admitted. "Steve said it was the best steak he'd ever had."
Pearl smiled proudly. "Excellent."
"I still say it was too generous of you."
"Nonsense," Pearl said, waving a hand. "Nothing better than having a world-class meal and not paying a dime."
Catherine smiled. "Well, I can't actually say we did that …"
Canada Pavilion, EPCOT
Steve and Catherine held hands as they walked through the Canadian pavilion again to reach Le Cellier Steakhouse where Senator Pearl Tanaka had arranged for them to have dinner while at Disney World.
"The gardens here are really beautiful," she observed.
"Mm," he agreed with a nod, and glanced over at her in her light red sundress. ""Have I mentioned how beautiful you look?"
She smiled wryly. "A couple of times."
"I'm gonna add one more."
"You'll get no complaints from me."
He grinned, then spotted the restaurant's entrance up ahead. "There it is."
"You ready for this?"
"What? A menu without chicken fingers and mac and cheese on it?"
She chuckled. "A menu with some pretty steep prices. Just remember, you're not paying."
"What, did you talk to Danny before we left? That's one of his favorite ways of busting me."
"Just … remember that."
He released her hand to open the large decorative door. They gave their name to the cast member serving as hostess and were quickly led to the seating area.
"I like the ambiance," Catherine said, noting the dimmed lighting coming from the maple leaf shaped lighting fixtures on the walls and in the chandeliers.
As they were led to their table, Steve noted a younger couple dressed to the nines sitting a few feet away. The young man's leg was bouncing rapidly under the table, and his fingers moved nervously over a tell-tale square bulge in his pants pocket.
Steve tugged Catherine's hand lightly to get her attention and nodded toward the couple. She immediately picked up on the same clues he had and smiled knowingly.
"Will this be all right?" the hostess asked.
"Perfect, thank you," Catherine said.
Steve held her chair before taking his own. "Thanks," he echoed, smiling at the hostess.
She nodded and returned their smiles. "Enjoy your meal."
After she departed, Steve picked up the menu to peruse the selections. His eyebrows shot up and he whistled lowly. "You weren't kidding about these prices."
"I checked the menu before we left Hawaii and tried to tell Pearl it was too generous," Catherine said with a little shake of her head.
"Given the fact we're here I'm guessing that didn't go over well."
"She actually gave me a minimum amount and said if our bill was less than that, she'd be insulted."
"Copy that," he said with a small smile, his eyes dropping back to the menu.
They ordered the tuna tartare as an appetizer along with two glasses of Cabernet Sauvignon to have with dinner. Steve selected the ribeye steak while Catherine elected to have the filet mignon along with the restaurant's signature poutine for them to share.
"Will that meet the senator's minimum?" he asked, lip quirked in a half smile.
"That should do it, but just to be safe, maybe we should add the Maple Crème Brûlée," she replied, fighting her own smile.
He nodded. "Definitely, just to be safe."
"The Maple Crème Brûlée for dessert," Catherine told their server.
"Excellent choice," he said. "I'll get this right in for you."
All three looked over at a sudden crash from the next table.
"Oh!" the young woman said with a gasp, jumping up as both water glasses spilled into her lap.
"Oh my god, Amy, I'm so sorry," her boyfriend rambled, standing as well. "I don't know how I … I can't believe I just … I was just trying to–"
"It's fine, Kevin," she said, waving him off. "It was just water."
"But your dress–"
"Miss, here's a towel," a cast member offered as another started wiping up the table.
"Thank you," she said, accepting it and holding it to the wettest part of her dress. "I'm just going to clean up in the restroom. Where is …?"
"Just back there," the first cast member said, pointing the way.
With a grateful nod, she followed his directions. Once she'd gone, Kevin dropped back heavily in his chair and covered his face with his hands.
"I'll grab a couple of new water glasses for you, sir," one of the cast members said.
He looked up, remembering their presence. "Thanks," he said miserably.
Catherine and Steve exchanged a look. She tilted her head toward the restroom and he nodded his understanding. Catherine stood and disappeared in the direction the young woman had taken. Once the cast members had finished cleaning up, Steve turned toward the table.
"Tough night?" he asked.
The young man, Kevin, looked up in surprise, having been lost in a world of self-reproach. "I … um … yeah, I guess you could say that."
"How long have you been planning this?" Steve asked with a meaningful glance at his pocket.
Kevin started to ask how he knew, but stopped, sighing. "Six months. Disney World is Amy's favorite place. She's always wanted to have a fancy meal at this restaurant."
"Good choice then," Steve said with an approving nod.
"I didn't think it'd be this nerve-wracking," Kevin admitted. He noticed the ring on Steve's finger. "Were you nervous?"
Steve smiled, his mind immediately flashing to that moment on the beach five and a half years ago. "No," he said. "But I hadn't planned to propose. I can see how planning something like this might make you nervous."
Kevin sighed again, running both hands over his face with a groan. "I can't believe I basically flung two glasses of water on the woman I love just trying to take her hand."
"Have you two talked about it?" Steve asked. "Marriage?"
"Yeah, a bunch of times. We've been together for years."
"Then you've got nothing to be nervous about. When she comes back out, ask her."
"It's really that simple?"
Steve smiled softly. "Some things are."
Catherine stepped into the women's restroom to find the young woman, Amy, standing in front of the mirror patting the front of her dress with a towel.
"Here's a fresh one," Catherine said, offering her the towel she'd stopped a cast member for on the way to the restroom.
"Oh, thank you," Amy said. "This one's pretty much soaked through."
"It's a beautiful dress."
"Thanks," Amy said, smiling at the compliment. "I haven't worn anything this fancy since my sister's wedding. But Kevin suggested we get really dressed up for dinner here." She shook her head, patting her dress some more. "I don't know what's wrong with him, he's not this clumsy normally."
"Mm, maybe he's … got something on his mind," Catherine said noncommittally, not wanting to spoil the surprise.
"He's never been big on fancy, expensive restaurants, either, I was surprised he suggested–" She stopped suddenly, turning toward Catherine. "Oh my god, he's going to propose, isn't he?"
Catherine bit her lip, then smiled. "That'd be my guess."
Amy put a hand to her mouth. "Oh my– he's going to propose. It makes total sense now. The dinner, getting dressed up, his nerves …" She sighed fondly. "The big, sweet doofus."
Catherine chuckled. "I take it you two have talked about it before?"
Amy nodded. "We have, but I had no idea he was going to propose on this trip." She looked down at her slightly drier, but still wet dress, and groaned. "If he's still going to after this," she said, motioning.
Catherine smiled. "I think he will," she said confidently.
"So I'm going to get engaged in a wet dress?" Amy said, chuckling.
Catherine's smile widened. "Think of it this way, you've definitely got something to tease him about for the rest of your lives."
A few minutes later, Amy and Catherine came out of the restroom and made their way back toward their respective tables. Kevin glanced at Steve who nodded encouragingly, and jumped up, meeting his girlfriend in the middle of the restaurant and immediately dropping down to one knee.
"Amy," he began, taking her hand. "I had this whole elaborate speech planned and I've been repeating it in my head all night, but … when it comes down to it, it's really this simple: I love you, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Amy Josephine Harris, will you marry me?" he asked, opening the small ring box that had been burning a hole in his pocket all evening.
Amy tried unsuccessfully to blink back her tears, smiling brightly. "Yes! Yes, of course I will."
Beaming, he leaped up to kiss her as customers and cast members alike applauded. He broke away long enough to slip the diamond ring onto her finger before kissing her again.
Catherine, who had paused when she'd seen Kevin approached, saw Steve wave a cast member over and hand her his credit card, pointing to the newly engaged couple. She smiled, knowing exactly what he'd just done and agreeing wholeheartedly.
The happy couple, who had eyes only for each other once they'd returned to their table, were shocked a half hour later to learn their bill had already been paid for by a fellow diner. They immediately looked over at Steve and Catherine who were halfway through their own meal.
"Congratulations," Steve said simply.
"But … that's too much … we couldn't possibly accept," Kevin began.
"It's already done," Steve said, and Catherine nodded.
"Save your money for the honeymoon," she added with a smile.
"That's so generous," Amy said as the two came over to stand by Steve and Catherine's table.
Kevin nodded. "We already owe you so much. Like, pretty much the whole engagement."
Steve chuckled. "You would've gotten the question out eventually."
"But who knows what else I would've spilled first," Kevin replied, glancing at his fiance with a sheepish grin.
She squeezed his hand, running a hand over her mostly dry dress. "And you know I'm never going to let you forget it."
"I'd expect nothing less," he said, leaning over for a brief kiss.
Steve and Catherine smiled up at them. "Congratulations again," Catherine said. "We wish you all the best for your future together."
Amy and Kevin smiled gratefully. "Thank you so much," Kevin said again. He looked at Steve meaningfully. "For everything."
Steve nodded his understanding. "You're very welcome."
Catherine's eyes stayed on the two as they walked away while Steve's gaze drifted back to her. She felt his stare and turned to him with a smile. "No," she said.
"No, what?"
"No, I don't wish you had planned an elaborate proposal in a fancy restaurant."
He chuckled, digging his fork back into their shared dessert. "I think I know you better than that. A public proposal wouldn't really have been your thing."
"Or yours," she replied, and he nodded in acknowledgement.
"But," he said after swallowing a large mouthful of the crème brûlée, "do you wish we did more stuff like this? The fancy dinner just the two of us?"
Catherine set her fork down and smiled. "No," she said simply. With a small shrug, she continued, "Honestly we never did a lot of that before kids anyway, right? And not just because we had some trouble making it to dinner."
He quirked an eyebrow. "I wouldn't call it 'trouble.' "
She grinned before her expression softened. "I don't feel like we're missing out. But even if I did, the reason is worth it. So if the majority of restaurants in our immediate future have chicken fingers and macaroni and cheese on the menu? I'm good with that." She reached across the small table for his hand. "I know we'll still get our time alone together. We've always made sure of that, and we always will."
He smiled softly, squeezing her hand.
They held each other's gaze for another moment, and then she picked up her fork for another bite.
"You know you're wrong about one thing, though," he began.
She quirked a curious eyebrow, pulling the fork slowly from between her lips.
"There actually was mac and cheese on this menu," he said, fighting a grin.
She chuckled. "So next time we bring the kids?"
"Mmm …" he said, tilting his head as if vacillating over the decision. He smiled, interlacing their fingers and running his thumb along the side of hers. "Maybe we keep this place just for us."
"Well, now I'm doubly glad I insisted you accept the reservation," Pearl said after Catherine finished telling her about the eventful evening. "Without you and Steve there, who knows what would have happened to the poor couple."
"Ohh, I think they would have gotten there without us," Catherine said.
"Ah ah, don't ruin the magic with your logic."
Catherine chuckled, folding her arms. "I never would've pegged you for the hopeless romantic."
"Hopeless? No," Pearl said with a smile. "But I do like a good happily-ever-after."
Hope you enjoyed!
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