Suzan saw Chad as he entered the room with a worried look on his face. He smiled when he spotted her sitting across the room at “their table.” He wore a very expensive suit, as always. It was grey and fit him perfectly. The tips of is black Italian shoes reflected the lights hanging overhead as he walked her way.
He was six foot two and on the thin side, but muscular. His broad face was tanned and smooth shaven. He was always perfectly groomed. He looked exactly as one might expect a wealthy, successful, professional to look like. He walked up to Suzan and kissed her on an offered cheek and sat down.
So here they now sat in semidarkness. The room was large, lined in dark wood paneling and rather quiet for the number of people randomly seated around them. Suzan now sat waiting to make, perhaps, one of the most important decisions of her life.
Would she leave Joe, a known quantity of some merit and with possibilities unknown for a man whom she knew for much less time and whom she knew much less about? Chad obviously now possessed all of what she wanted from life. Her possible life with Chad looked to be one filled with all that she could wish for. Joe’s was only a distant possibility, at best.
She was ten minutes early as always. Chad was right on time. That was one more point in Chad’s favor, Suzan thought, as he made a bee line for her at their table. His face now conveyed excitement.
“I see you beat me here again Susan.” “Yes Chad, you have to get up pretty early to get ahead of me.” Chad liked that Susan was always running early. He hated those slugs who never got anywhere on time. It’s why the world passed them by, no doubt, he often thought as he saw so many similar looking people walking down the wide streets of the city from the rear seat of his limo on the way to work. He sat down and noticed that Suzan already had a drink sitting in front of her. Chad turned and caught the eye of Fernando with a wave of his right hand.
The two of them had been coming here often enough for Fernando to know what they usually wanted to drink. That was a comfort to Chad. He liked the known factors in life more than most. His work in stocks and bonds offered him little of that in his daily working life. He did make money on both ends of every deal, but a market climbing up made for happy clients and less trouble for him.
“I’m glad you were free to meet me tonight, Suzan.” “You know I’m always here for you whenever possible Chad.” Chad wasn’t so sure of that up to this point, but never mentioned that to Suzan. Lately however, that had been truer than in the last few months. She seemed to have a little more time for him lately. He liked that a great deal. Chad hadn’t asked any unwanted questions of Suzan but had noticed some changes in Suzan’s availability of late.
“Well Suzan, I really needed to talk to you tonight.” “Why?” “I don’t want to lose you.” “I know you are not always open with me about everything going on in your life. I have tried to respect your privacy but I have come to a decision.” “Really, I think you are being a little overly dramatic at the moment, Chad. What might that be decision be?
Chad had just received another large bonus for the year and a large salary increase. If it wasn’t time to get married now, it never would be. He had decided that Suzan was the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. His mother was also putting a good deal of pressure on him at home to get married as well. He didn’t spend much time at home these days, but when he did, he heard a constant stream of comments about the lack of grandchildren and daughter’s in law.
Chad thrust his right hand into his jacket pocket and pulled out a blue box. He sat it on the table between them. He opened it and pulled out a smaller black, velvet box. Suzan looked down on the small box in front of her and was almost surprised. “What is this Chad?”
She had thought about this moment often from her childhood years up until now. She knew the moment would arrive someday. Who the man might be seated across from her at this important time had always been an unknown until a few weeks ago.
The only question left in Suzan’s mind was just how large the stone would be. With that said Chad opened the blue box and held it in front of Suzan. Suzan reached in and pulled a small black velvet box and opened it. There sat a ring inside the box. She looked at it and handed the box to Chad. She held out her finger and Chad slipped the ring on her hand with a triumphant smile. The stone on the ring was the largest Suzan had seen outside of a museum or fine jewelry store.
“Will you marry me Suzan?” Of course I will Chad, I love you.”
That was who Chad was and the size of the stone spoke volumes to Suzan. Suzan placed her left hand on Chad’s hand and squeezed it. “I love you Chad.”
Suzan had thought about a life with Joe and compared it to a life with Chad. It was an easy choice from where she was now seated.
“Great Suzan, where do you want to go for our honeymoon?”
That will be an interesting decision.
Oh no, will they be going to Africa? I hope not.