"I'm really glad you liked it because if you didn't, I was about to burn it. And when I say burn it, I mean I was about to take a match, some lighter fluid, and it was about to be the Fourth of July in my backyard."

If there was one solid thing Dean was good at, it was relieving stress.

He had a carefree vibe about him that was both endearing and annoying. It almost seemed he never worried about anything. Or maybe, Sydney really suspected, he only worried about the right things.

He was a world-renowned hockey player with a multimillion-dollar contract on his shoulders and all he cared about was if his new expensive mattress wasn't a complete waste of money. He revealed he was suckered into those late-night infomercials one evening and he felt like spending money.

"It's a very comfortable mattress," Sydney revealed as they strolled around the Conservatory of Flowers, "it holds up my knees very well."

Dean chuckled. "I love that position," he remembered how he kept putting her in doggystyle. He loved seeing her ass jiggle as he thrust into her. "I love them all but I really love that particular one."

"Oh, look over here," she deflected as she began to get flushed. She led them to an area that showcased Venus flytraps. She'd never seen any in person before. "These are so cool looking!"

"They are," he agreed, "they remind me of Plants versus Zombies."

"What?"

"It's an addicting game you play on your phone, you're supposed to fight off these zombies with your plants, and there's this one really cool plant that eats the zombies These remind me of those." Sydney turned to him as Dean sheepishly smiled at her. "What?"

"You're such a nerd!" she laughed. "I love that about you. You're so normal."

"You keep saying that," he mentioned, "what were you expecting me to be?"

They began walking again. "I deal with a lot of hotty-totty bitches at Macy's. Women whose faces are so pulled back, they look like if they stepped outside into the sun, they're going to melt. I see them with their high heels, their little toy dogs…their whole outfit that's probably worth more than four months of my rent. And they have an air about them. They'll give an attitude and all you did was just say hello. They know they're better than you. They don't come out and say it. In fact, they'll never say it. But they'll give you that look. They'll think that way. 'Oh, poor little girl who's working at Macy's meanwhile my husband just bought me my ninth Mercedes.'" Sydney vividly recalled. "So if I sound redundant about you being normal, you have to excuse me. I'm used to otherwise."

"How do you deal with it?" He asked as an image of Renee ran across his mind.

"I suck it in and smile," she shrugged, "nothing else I can do. I say something back, I'll get written up no matter how much of it wouldn't be my fault. So I just deal with it."

"And you want to stay in retail?" He genuinely asked.

"No, I don't," she revealed. They stopped walking and she turned to him. "I want to move in with you. I don't know how soon and I haven't figured out all of the details but I want to be with you. Now and forever."

"Break your lease and I'll pay for everything. The moving trucks, the airfare, everything," he cupped her face, "I don't want money to be a factor in your decision. I don't want you to worry about how you're going to afford lunch or if you can afford to get a nice purse you've had your eye on. I'm going to take care of you, Syd."

Sydney felt suffocated with joy and relief. She blinked back tears and tightened her lips. "No one has ever promised me that," she sniffled.

"Good," he thumbed away her falling tears, "the others didn't deserve you." He kissed her tear-stained cheeks. "Come on, I have a surprise planned for us."

"What is it?" Sydney glanced down at her watch. "The park is about to close in a few minutes and we need to get going."

Dean grabbed her hand and led her to the gate. They stepped aside as they watched people file out of the conservatory to go home. When the last person walked through the gates, the employees closed them. "We're ready for you, Mr. Ambrose." One of the employees said to him.

"Great," he smiled, revealing his dimples, "just lead the way."

"What?" Sydney looked around and began walking with him again as they followed the employees. "What's going on?"

Dean stopped walking. "Shh…" He put a finger to his mouth. He pulled out a handkerchief, blindfolded his girlfriend, and grabbed her hand. "Let's go." They began walking again.

After a short while, they stopped and Sydney could hear shuffling and quiet voices. She became anxious and wondered what Dean was up to. The anticipation of what was happening was becoming unbearable. She was about to take off the blindfold just to get a peek, when she felt Dean behind her. He wrapped his strong arms around her and pressed her body close to his. "Shhh…" he whispered in her ear. "…you gotta be patient, baby girl. Just a few more moments."

"What's going on?" She asked.

"You'll see," he gently swayed her from side to side, "you'll see."

Sydney silently moaned and frowned. She was horrible when people intentionally kept teasing surprises to her. Even as a child growing up, she would relentlessly bug her parents and brothers about what they got her for Christmas. Now her boyfriend was doing it to her. It was a reverse form of blue balls, she was convinced of it.

"Are we ready to go?" Dean asked to whomever he directed his attention to. "Cool." He turned his attention back to Sydney. "Ready, steady, here it is!" He removed her blindfold.

Sydney's eyes widened as her mouth dropped open. In the middle of the Conservatory, Dean created one of the most romantic scenes she'd ever witnessed. It was better than what she'd seen in movies. It was better than what she'd read in all of those romance novels.

It was her real life.

Several strings of lights were overhead a small table. A string quartet played nearby. A bottle of champagne chilled in an ice bucket and a pair of servers stood by in the corner. Dean led her to the table, where dinner was laid out. He pulled out her chair before he sat next to her. A server came by and poured two glasses of champagne before he retreated back.

"Honey," Sydney looked around, "what is all of this?"

Dean held up his champagne glass. "A celebration."

"Of?" She raised her glass.

"Us," he declared, "of you. Of everything. Cheers!" He clinked glasses with hers.

"Cheers!" She took a sip of the tart fruity beverage. The second server appeared and removed the lids on the dinner plates. "Wow, this looks amazing."

"I'll let the chef know." He smiled. "Eat up. The night's young and we still have a lot to do."

"Oh?" Sydney took a bite of the filet mignon and it melted in her mouth. "What else is on the menu?"

Dean smiled, revealing his dimples once again. He hoped to make it through dinner long enough without dropping any hints. It was bad enough he kept checking and triple-checking his pockets the entire day to see if the engagement ring was firmly snug and secure. "An unforgettable night."