I always wondered is Cupid the incontinent demi-god, or does he just refuse to use the can like the rest of us?

Anyway, Friday began “Weekend, Ho!” as Halley liked to yell waving about her feathery pen like it was a broadsword (really gotta get me one of those frickin’ pens, they’re AWESOME- oh and a broadsword too), smacking me to and fro and leaving bits of glitter stuck to my favorite hoodie (yes, it’s Scott’s- how’d you know?   ). Friday, they shove me into my bedroom and tell me to get “slutted up.” Is that ANY way for a mom and a teacher to talk? I just wish my teachers had talked like that; would’ve made Literature SO much more fun.

Back on track: I get dressed up in a pair of black skinny jeans, this perfect navy top with black lace cap sleeves, and the pair of navy t-straps that I bought on my shopping trip with Adele the other Wednesday. Btw, there are some hot guys at UGA. If only I were oh about 7 or 8 years younger, I’d be there again. *shakes head* Those were some good years…

Halley and Bella took me out to a dance club where we didn’t get S!?t-faced drunk, but we did dance and have fun until about 2 am. At midnight, all the ladies in the club got free strawberry daiquiri’s with strawberry garnish cut into heart shapes. So cute… and yummy

So, we leave the club at 2 and head back to my apartment. I went into the bathroom to change, leaving them lying on my bed- half asleep. I leave the bathroom a few minutes later, teeth brushed, face cleaned, and in my sweat pants and camisole to find them having packed up my overnight bag. “What the hell?!”

They laughed and shoved a pair of tennis shoes at me and a hoodie. “Serious guys,” I said as I put on my shoes.

“You’ll get it in a little while” was all Halley said. So, we packed ourselves into a cab, cause we don’t do the drinking and driving thing, eh? As soon as I saw Hartsfield Jackson airport, I looked at them and laughed. “So, was it y’all’s idea or his?”

“All his” they said together, making us laugh and the cabbie roll his eyes.

Two and half hours later saw me on a 6 am flight to New York City (I don’t really like flying). i watched the sunrise from my seat on the plane, wishing I was beside Scott already. He’s such a romantic! He was waiting at the gate for me with a bouquet of hot pink tulips. I threw myself at him like a junkie on a needle. We just stood there, hugging, for what seemed like forever before heading off to get in his rental- a nice black Dodge Durango- and managing rush hour traffic to get to his hotel an hour later. “So, Casanova, what are your plans for today?” I asked as we rode in the elevator, listening to some horrible instrumental of a classic song.

He cut his eyes to me, grinning. “I don’t have to work until Monday, and we have a reservation at Akita (Japanese restaurant) tonight.” He opened the door to a wrecked hotel room. “Sorry you had to the mess. I haven’t been sleeping that well.”

And… somehow it just hit me, Bam!, right in the chest. This warmth just spread from there until it reached my toes. Separated, neither of us had been able to sleep. I hugged him, hugged him like I was rooting him there, because I had realized that he was it for me. No more fear; no more games.

We slept, sort of just collapsed into his unmade bed and slept like the dead, waking up that afternoon to enjoy each others company before changing for dinner. Dinner was great. The sushi was sooo good; I ate way too much. Afterwards, we walked around the area for a while- walking for over 30 minutes- stopping only when we reached Central Park. It was the first time I had ever been to New York City, and I was loving every moment of it. Snuggled in close against the breeze that had kicked up, we walked through that little section of the enormous park in silence because it was unspoken that we both had lots of things on our minds. Halfway through, he turned us around and walked us back the way we came.

“I’ve been thinking,” he started before breaking off with a shake of his head. He waited a few beats and started again. “This week really got me thinking, about me, you- us.”

I grabbed his arm. “Don’t tell me that you are breaking up with me after how perfect today was!”

He smiled down at me, and the wind wasn’t an issue anymore. He reached into his pocket and excitement gripped me in its adrenaline filled clutches. My hands began to sweat, and I was shaking. He pulled out the famous baby blue box, and I practically passed out. To spend that kind of money only meant one purpose. Then, he said, “Breathe, Picante, breathe.” He opened the box, blinding me with a ring so beautiful that I began to hyperventilate. It’s a platinum ring, round diamond center stone surrounded by diamonds with diamonds on the band and on the base of the setting.

(It makes my heart speed up just catching a glance at it on my finger)

“But… No… It’s…”

“Trust fund, darling. Haven’t spent not a bit of it since college- except for our vacation last year.” He removed the brilliance from its box and picked up my hand, sliding it onto the right finger. it was only then that I realized that his hands were shaking. “Don’t think of it as an engagement ring, yet. Think of this as a Valentine’s Day gift, and maybe later, when you’re ready, it’ll be your wedding ring.”

“I will marry you,” I blurted, my voice volume on the fritz as it came out louder than I planned. “Someday,” I added with a smile.

Shock showed across his face for a second before he laughed and swung me around. “Wasn’t expecting that, Lina, Damn!”

“Well, I wasn’t expecting a ring worth more than the contents of our apartment.” As we continued on our walk back in the direction of the hotel, I told him about our shared insomnia leading to the epiphany.

He laughed at that description saying something along the lines of I made him feel that way all the time. Again, I hate being behind in the story. I like being the one ahead of the game. Ah, well, love shouldn’t really be a game anyway; the players get hurt in the end.

I flew back to Atlanta on Monday, never taking my eyes off the ring on my finger. I caught one the rare cabs to my apartment, where Bella and Halley had converged to hear about the trip. They had had no idea that he was going to give me a ring, so they flipped out when I showed them. I feel like I’m following some herd of women in white dresses headed for nothing, but then again, Scott did promise that it could be just a ring until I wanted otherwise. I think he’s just so much more traditional than me that he has to make these little steps toward a more “normal” lifestyle. Normal is attainable and overrated. Why be the easy-out of normality when you can work and enjoy being unique, different.

Only a few more days and Skippy’ll be back. I miss him because I have to sleep in more clothes and blankets to make up for the loss of his crazy-hot body heat; I know the dogs miss him, since they sleep in his spot every night and are always lying there whenever I walk into the bedroom. He told me that since he’s doing so well in NYC that he sort of got a promotion (executive department rather than lowly editor!) and might be doing a lot of work from home, conference calls and the like. Other than the obvious more time with each other, this also means that he’ll be going on more business trips. He added that the company is replacing his old (but not so old) laptop with a new Mac. Yay!!

Off to stare at my hand while I talk to Scott, what a damn big ass rock!