The Proposal Parts 1 and 2

Spot the mistake in the recording time again. 

Part 1

‘Hey, look’ Milly said, nodding at a young couple in the corner, ‘he’s proposing to his girlfriend.’ Her horse whisper was so loud that most of the other diners in the restaurant followed Milly’s eye line and watched the young man drop to his knees and produce a sparkling diamond ring from his pocket.

‘Oh it’s so romantic’ said Hannah, ‘I wish Charlie would do something like that.’

‘Fat chance with your Charlie,’ Sally laughed into her coffee.

‘He’s not that bad.’ Hannah said defensively giving Sally a look that said at least my bloke isn’t running around with some woman half his age.

‘I wish they’d hurry up,’ said Milly observing that there seemed to be a long delay between the boy dropping to his knees and the question being answered.

‘He’s probably giving a long, prepared, slushy speech.’ Sally said cynically.

‘She’s said yes.’ Hannah cried and started clapping, the whole room joined in as the couple in question blushed profusely.

Seconds later the young couple stood up and left the restaurant with the applause of the room still ringing in their ears.

‘That’s strange,’ said Sally, ‘usually there’s a bottle of champagne on ice.’

‘They're only young, maybe they can’t afford it.’ Hannah said.

‘They're only young maybe they are going to celebrate another way,’ Milly giggled with a hint, hint, nudge, nudge tone.

‘Are you sure she said yes?’ Sally asked. She’d had her back to the whole proceedings, so annoyingly hadn’t seen the events unfold.

‘Well he put the ring on her finger and they kissed.’ Milly purred. ‘What more do you want?

Part 2

I heard the woman announce in a loud horse whisper what I was about to do and blushed, I nearly bottled it but it was too late. I knew the eyes of the room were on me as I took a deep breath and dropped to bended knee.

‘Claire, will you marry me,’ I asked.

There was silence apart from the heartbeat in my chest and the clink of cutlery.

I knew then she was going to say no.

This was so humiliating; everyone was watching me getting turned down. I thought when she left me for Seth she was dropping hints about growing up and settling down. I thought she wanted the grand gesture, the commitment. So I’d planned this evening, a chance to not only get back together but to show I meant business.

‘I’m with Seth now.’ She said, a sad look on her face. No not sad, pity, patronising pity.

I stayed on my knees, my hand outstretched, the ring catching the light, attracting wise men and shepherds.

‘Everyone’s looking’ I said, ‘please take the ring and kiss me.’ She looked down.

‘Please,’ I whispered, ‘do one last thing for me.’

She reached out and touched my face before slipping the ring on her finger. The room erupted in applause; each clap was like a punch to my stomach, a hammer blow to my pride. We hurriedly paid and left the restaurant, the cold March air barely hitting our faces before the ring was back in my hand and Claire was hailing a cab.

I stood there watching her leaving, asking myself how I could have been so stupid. I looked at the ring and wondered what size Debbie from Marketing’s fingers were.