Lori and most of the sisters have tears streaming down their cheeks.
Danny stands up.
Lori looks at Danny intensely, throws her arms around him and screams, “YES!”
The girls go aawwhhh and just as they are finishing, a loudmouthed sophomore yells, “Where's the rock, Danny?”
Danny backs away from Lori, into the center of the circle. Then he starts doing what he does best, playing in front of a crowd.
“Come on, ladies,” he says, leaning back and holding both arms out in the air. “I have just pledged my undying love,” he brings both his hands to his heart, “to this woman in front of all of you. Do you really think she needs a ring?”
All of us, Lori included, scream, “YES!”
Danny nods, pulls a gray velvet ring box out of his pocket, drops back and I don't believe what I'm seeing.
For the first time in my life, I see Danny's hand shake as he throws a pass.
He does manage to pass the ring box to Lori, but the pass is wobbly and a bit too high.
I fight my natural reaction to reach up and grab it.
Sadly, this pass is not meant for me.
Lori, bless her heart, who has probably NEVER caught a football or any ball, for that matter, in her life, suddenly develops the reflexes of a cat. She leaps up and snatches that ring box right out of the air. It's amazing what a girl can do with the proper motivation.
She opens the box. I can't see the ring, but when I see the way she looks at it and how happy she is, I start to tear up a little myself.
Danny puts the ring on her finger. The girls cheer and then start singing again.
I gently nudge her shoulder.
“I think this is yours,” I say, and pass her the candle. Danny winks at me, and Lori gives me a huge grin. Now she understands.
She and Danny blow the candle out together.
Someone turns up the lights.
Danny says, “Hey, I understand there is usually serenading after this. How 'bout we head outside.”
Danny and Lori lead the way, with me tagging right behind them.
I've got to see this! I can't imagine what Danny had to promise to get some lowly freshmen football players to come sing to his girlfriend.
This could be a total disaster.
This was the part he and Phillip planned all on their own.
I just hope for her sake, she's not embarrassed if it's totally pathetic.
But as we come out the door, I literally see a SEA of red.
I gaze around at the mass of people that Danny and Phillip have assembled.
There is, what appears to be, like the WHOLE football team dressed in red practice jerseys, pretty much every fraternity boy at the school, each wearing his house letters across his chest, and MY GOD, what must be the majority, NO SHIT, of the Husker marching band!
They are wearing assorted red Husker shirts, shorts and their big band hats.
Like magic, when Danny appears, the music begins. The Husker fight song. After that, they play a song everyone knows, and everyone sings along, “There is no place like Nebraska, dear old Nebraska U, where the girls are the fairest, the boys are the …hum, hum, hum, hum, hum, hum, hum, hum, hum….”
(Uh, I really should have learned all the words to this song.)
Well, one thing's for certain! No one's likely to forget this candlelight ceremony soon!
This isn't an engagement.
It's a wedding pep rally!
After a few songs, the serenading stops and the event takes on a life of its own. Everyone has come out of the neighboring houses and dorms to see what's going on, and pretty soon it becomes one big street party. The band keeps playing, and everyone starts dancing. I'm standing on the steps of the sorority house, watching the whole spectacle in amazement, when I see Phillip waving at me from across the street.
I wondered where that boy had been hiding.
I also can't help but notice how exceptionally hot Phillip looks tonight. He's wearing a Husker T-shirt and a pair of baggy, khaki cargo shorts. Nothing terribly exciting, but damn if he doesn't look good in it. He and Danny still work out together. Danny has been trying to bulk up a bit in preparation for the NFL, and I realize that Phillip has bulked up a bit too. I mean he's always had a great chest and arms, and I don't know, maybe it's because I see him everyday, but I really hadn't noticed how great he looks. I especially like how big the muscles that go from his neck down to his shoulder have gotten.
Wow!
I run down the stairs, across the street, leap into his arms and scream, “Phillip!” I throw my arms around his neck and give him a quick kiss on the lips.
“What was that for?” Phillip yells in my ear, as he grabs my hips and starts dancing with me.
“I don't know,” I shrug. “I can't believe you guys did all of this. I'm so proud of you both!”
Honestly, I really don't know why I just kissed Phillip. All the romance in the air must be adversely affecting me. That, or it's because Phillip looks so hot. I mean it wasn't much of a kiss, just a quick little peck, but for some strange reason, I don't think I would mind kissing him again.
Phillip looks at me intensely for a second, reads my mind, evidently, and gives me a kiss on the lips. This one was just a bit longer than my peck, but still, it's just a friend type kiss.
I ask,“What was that for?”
Phillip just smiles and shrugs his shoulders, like if you don't need a reason, neither do I.
We dance together the rest of the evening. We're both just so happy for Danny and Lori.
We're walking home when Phillip asks me, “So are you bummed you never got to pass your candle?” He's holding my hand and swinging my arm irritatingly high while we walk.
“Well, since I haven't found a guy that can put up with me for longer than about three months, I'd say it's probably for the best.”
“Gosh, what a spectacle that was. Would you ever want to be surprised like that in front of so many people?”
“I don't know, Phillip. Part of me says NO, way too flashy, but most of me says YES, cuz God, what a romantic thing it would be to know that a guy planned all of that, just for me. It would be pretty amazing.” I sigh and shake my head. “But I really don't think I'm gonna have to worry about it.”
“Why? Never getting married?”
“No, I just can't seem to find a guy that can handle me.”
“You are pretty tough to handle,” he replies, while bumping his shoulder into mine.
“Yeah. Well, you and Danny are the only ones that can seem to do it, and darn it, now it's official. Danny's off the market.”
“I guess it's back to just you and me, Princess.”
“Yeah,” I say, wondering if that's a good thing or a bad thing.
The next morning, I get up fairly early and am pouring myself a cup of the coffee Phillip makes me every morning before he leaves.
He is such a morning boy.
Lori comes out of Danny's room and joins me in the kitchen.
“So do I finally get to see this ring?”
“See it? I thought you helped design it.”
“Yeah, well, see if I ever help him with anything again. The shit wouldn't let me see it when it was finished. He said you HAD to be the first one to look at it.”
“Really?” she says, all flushed and happy. She holds her left hand out to show me. I notice she has already perfected the pose of the engaged.
And WOW! The ring sure did turn out beautifully.
It's perfect for her.
“How did you know I've always wanted a marquis cut diamond? I don't remember us ever talking about it,” she says, while putting two pieces of bread in the toaster.