It was a hot sweaty Summer day and both Steve and Soda were at work.

"This heat is killing me," Soda complained pressing down the hood of the car he's been working on and wiping the sweat off his face with his shirt.

"Shut up and I'll tell you something," Steve said getting out from under a Ford. "What's that?" Soda turned around to look at his friend.

"I decided," Steve paused wiping his hands on a rag … "I'm gonna propose to Evie." Soda was caught off guard.

"No way man," he said sitting down on a curb, "really?"

"Yep, I thought about it for a while. I don't want anybody else. She digs me and I dig her, we are meant to be." Steve said opening a Pepsi and taking a sip. Soda was silent for a moment not knowing what to say. Steve and Evie have been dating for a long time, but Soda still didn't know how serious Steve's feelings for Evie were.

"Well, congrats man, but now you got to buy a ring." Soda noticed, getting up and getting a Pepsi as well.

"No kidding," Steve sighed, "I figured I've saved up enough to afford it."

"You are gonna blow all your savings on the ring man? I don't know if that's such a great idea," Soda started, while going to sit under the tree in the shade, but Steve interrupted him, "shut up man, of course it's a good idea, what else do I got to do, I can't propose without a ring." Then he said calmer "can you go with me, I mean to pick it?"

"Sure, I don't know how helpful I'm gonna be but I'll go with you."Soda assured his friend, taking the last sip of his Pepsi.

Later that night Steve told the rest of the gang about his decision, and they all congratulated him.

The next day Steve and Soda went to pick out the ring. They looked so out of place in that jewelry store. There was jewelry worth thousands and thousands of dollars, and the shoppers were all dressed nicely – women in nice summer dresses and pearls around their necks, men in button down shirts or nice suits, and here were Steve and Soda wearing black t-shirts and jeans and converses, hair heavily greased. It didn't escape them how the store clerk eyed them suspiciously as if they were there to steal or cause trouble.

"What do you think of that one?" Steve said hesitantly and pointed to a white gold ring with a large diamond in the center and two smaller ones on each side.

"I dunno man, looks really expensive." Soda shrugged.

Steve swallowed hard - "Excuse me miss, can we take a look at that ring," Steve pointed to it. She gave him a look that said why are you asking you will never be able to afford it, but she nevertheless took out the ring from under the glass and stretched her arm and gave the ring to Steve. She looked like she was afraid he was going to take off with the ring.

The ring was beautiful, the diamonds shimmering in the light like a halo. Steve turned it around to see the price tag - $6,999. His face turned into a grimace as he gave the ring back to the salesgirl, whose face was turning red. "Um," she cleared her throat, "what price range were you looking at?" "Three thousand dollars," Steve said sternly.

"Follow me." She led them to another section in the store.

"Here is everything up to three thousand dollars," she said briskly. Steve looked at the rings. Most of them were ugly.

"Shit man this isn't going well," he said to Soda disappointment in his voice "these are really ugly."

"What about that one?" Soda pointed to one of the rings in the corner. It was a princes cut diamond on the ring that was made out of sterling silver overlaid with white gold.

"That one is actually really nice," Steve looked hopeful.

Steve ran his fingers through his hair - "Excuse me ma'am can we take a look at that one?" he asked the salesgirl. She lazily walked up to where Steve was standing. She looked annoyed like she thought they were wasting her time and weren't actually going to buy anything. She lifted up the glass and gave Steve the ring, right away he looked at the price tag – 2,995.

"So whatya think?" Soda asked, taking the ring out of Steve's hands and examining it.

"Looks darn good to me," Steve said, then added unsure, "you think she's gonna like it?" Soda kept examining the ring front and back.

"I think it's real tuff, I think she'd be a fool not to like it." Soda replied honestly. Steve turned the ring in his hands, then positioned it so the light fell on it, "it shimmers real nice," he said.

"Yeah," Soda agreed, "just like that other one that's six grand that we were looking at before." Steve had a determined expression on his face – "All right I'll get it."

On the way back Steve was really excited – "oh, man we gotta celebrate it, let's go to Buck's." Then he stopped in a sudden realization – "what if she says no?"

"Oh, don't think about it," Soda tried to comfort him. "You said it yourself she digs you just like you dig her, she'll say yes." He said with finality.

Soon they got to Buck's. They spent the whole evening and Steve got a little drunk.

"So when are you gonna do it, when are you gonna propose and have you decided how?" Soda asked yawning. Steve burped – "oh, I really didn't need that 6th drink," he managed, swaying to the side a little and then flopping on one of the couches.

"Easy, buddy," Soda chuckled, "you'll be ok."

"What do you mean how am I going to propose?" Steve asked, his speech slightly slurred. "I'm just gonna ask her next time I see her."

"No man, you gotta make it special," Soda said thoughtfully, taking a seat next to Steve on the couch.

"Whatdyamean?"

"Like people always propose in some special way like on a cruise or make the billboards read 'Will you marry me', you dig?"

"Now that I think about it, you're right, I dunno what I'm gonna do." Steve looked worried.

"I think you are done for tonight, buddy," Soda smiled, "we'll talk about it tomorrow."

"Ok," Steve agreed, getting in the car.

"No," Soda prompted.

"What do ya mean?" Steve asked, confused.

"In the passenger seat," Soda instructed, "you are in no condition to drive."

"Fine, you drive," Steve moved over and they started the ride home.