"Angela, I love you. Will you marry me?"
Angela gazed at the man kneeling before her. She couldn't believe this was actually happening. Although they had been dating for a while. She just never imagined in a million years they would ever get to this point.
The evening had been wonderful. He had cooked them a terrific meal and then they retired to the living room for a glass of wine. They talked about various things. Some serious, some not so serious. Then to her surprise and amazement he got off the couch and kneeled before her with a ring box in his hand. She was stunned. She was shocked. She was at a loss for words. This was the moment she had been waiting for a long time. There was only one problem though.
The man who was proposing to her wasn't the man she loved.
Unfortunately, he was dating another woman. A woman he was getting closer and closer to. If helping her redecorate her apartment and meeting her Father wasn't proof enough she didn't know what was. When he had told her that he didn't know if it was over with her after spending the night together she had been devastated. She had felt like she had been punched in the stomach. She had wanted to beg him not to see her anymore but she knew she didn't have any right to. They weren't officially a couple and besides she had her pride. She wanted him to want to be with her because he wanted to- not because she begged him not to date another woman. A woman that he had already gone farther with in one night than they had in seven years.
She loved him though. But at times she hated him too. She hated that he had put them in this situation. That after all these years, after everything they had been through he was willing to throw it all away on another woman. And now because of what he had done another man was now proposing to her. A man that she cared about and in another time and place could see herself with. But not in this time and place, She could only see herself with one man. But the way things looked that probably was never going to happen. And she didn't want to be alone for the rest of her life. Maybe she should marry Andy. Maybe when she had told Tony that they had to go through this to see if they could go any further had led to this point. The two of them dating and eventually marrying other people. She hated thinking that however. But maybe this was fate's way of telling her that Tony and her would never be more than just best friends.
"UMMM Angela you've been quiet for a while. I must have really surprised you!" Andy chuckled.
Angela laughed nervously. 'Yeah, you did. I'm just overwhelmed."
"I can see that." He cleared his throat. 'So ummm will you marry me?"
Angela knew she should say no. She wasn't in love with him. But he loved her and she did care for him. Maybe he was the man she was meant to be with. Perhaps in time she could and would fall in love with him. But she also knew she needed time. Time to think. Time to weigh the pros and the cons of marrying him. She wasn't ready to say yes or no just yet. He was going to be hurt by her non-answer but she wanted and needed to be honest with him. He had been nothing but good to her and had always treated her with respect. It was only right she gave him the same consideration.
'Andy, I want you to know I am very touched and I want to say yes but I'm just not ready yet."
Andy got off his knees and sat back down on the couch. He picked up his wine glass and took a swallow. "Okay, I understand."
"Andy, I'm not saying no. I just need some time."
Andy breathed a sigh of relief. "Okay, I can understand that. I mean I know you weren't expecting this."
Angela smiled. "No, I wasn't. Just give me a little time?"
Andy smiled back at her. "Take all the time you need."
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"Kathleen, I love you. Will you marry me?"
Kathleen gasped in shock. She couldn't believe this was finally happening. When he had come over to fix them a romantic dinner she had never in a million years thought their evening would end with him proposing. To be honest she had never thought they would have been dating this long considering the way they had begun their relationship. And not to mention the time he took her out just so he could spy on Angela and her date. She had been humiliated and outraged. But, he had apologized and they had talked it out. And their relationship had only gotten better. So good that she had introduced him to her Father. The evening had started out rocky but then had turned smooth. So smooth that her Father had invited him to go play war games with him. He had never done that with the other men she had dated. She knew then and there she had his approval and blessing. And the icing on the cake had been when Tony had told her that her Father had informed him that his biological clock was ticking. She had been embarrassed at first but when Tony had said that he had understood where he was coming from she had gone from embarrassed to exhilarated. And now here he was finally proposing.
"Oh my God Tony!"
"You're surprised aren't you?" Tony smiled.
"Yeah, you could say that." she laughed. Her eyes filled and a tear trickled down her cheek. He wiped it away.
"So what do you say? Will you marry me?"
'Yes! Of course I'll marry you!"
Tony smiled and slipped the ring on her finger.
"I love you.'
"I love you."
Tony got off his knees and sat back on the couch. She put her head on his shoulder and he wrapped his arms around her.
She had never been happier in her life.