The Story

Last Saturday was the anniversary of my first date with Ivana. The pretense for going out this weekend was to celebrate this event and get her out of the house for an evening. Because she didn't know what I had in store for her I had to pretend like it was no big deal when she rescheduled the date from Friday to Sunday. Come Sunday she suggested going to a movie, Harry Potter, rather than dinner. That was a tough one. I said, "Yeah, OK, that sounds like fun" when in fact I was thinking, "Oh, crap. Maybe I give it to her at Christmas or New Year's or something..." Thankfully her friend Christine, who was in on things, talked her back into dinner.

We went to the Gramercy Grill at 12th and Arbutus on Christine's reccomendation. It was a nice place, they advertise themselves as "A Little Taste of New York in Kits." Well, New York it ain't, but it was nice and the service was good. We had a nice relaxed dinner. After the main course I popped the question. The conversation had turned to having met a year ago. I managed to sneak the ring out of my jacket pocket without her seeing it and Ivana, unbeknowst of what was about to occur, mused "I can't believe I met you in a bar, and that bar no less!"

I took the opportunity and did the classic one-knee presentation. "Would you marry someone you met in a bar?" I asked. Let me tell you, guys, that particular manoever is not for the shy when done in a restaurant. The place went completely silent.

Ivana said, "Omigod! What are you doing?"

"Wadda ya think I'm doing?" I said with a big smile, feeling the eyes of the restaurant on my back and holding the ring just a little higher.

"Yes. Of course!" said Ivana.

And with that we were engaged. Of course I blew it on the ring size and it was a half-size too small.

After I sat down again Ivana called me "a complete freak" which from her, in the context, is the same as "that was very romantic." She then wanted to know who was in on it after which she borrowed my cell phone to call Christine and give her some good-natured flack for the conspiracy and tell her how it went. Also, since I was so blatantly obvious the restaurant brought over two sleeves of Champagne on the house. We ordered dessert over the course of which Ivana would occasionally stop, look at the ring and call me a freak or a goof with a big smile and sparkling eyes.

So there you go.