Read the first part here.

I just kept walking around Greenbelt looking for a place to eat while waiting for her reply. Finally, she said she’s leaving the office and will be walking to Greenbelt to meet me. I just found a place to sit and waited for her to arrive.

Upon arrival she asked where we’d eat. She thought I wanted to eat at Cyma. It was just a few weeks ago when we planned to eat here but the place was closed due to the employees year-end party. I told her the place was crowded and you need to be listed first to get a seat. She insisted that we go there.

Little did she know that I don’t want a crowded place. I don’t want people to see me giving her the ring. I don’t want to dine at Cyma because there are plenty of people but she kept on insisting. Grrr… How can I tell her I don’t like the place without being obvious about my plans? I can’t make valid excuses without giving her a hint about the proposal.

So I acted like an irritated guy who is already hungry and who can’t wait to get a seat. I also pretended to be in a bad mood for her being late and she has to follow everything I say. It worked. Of course it will work since it also works for her when she does that. She just asked me where I would want to eat. We walked away from Cyma and I started guiding her to a place that have the right atmosphere.

Again, I have to pretend I haven’t seen the place it. It was in Spicy Fingers which is a few stalls away from Cyma. I have already checked the place, the food and, yes, the price. It was ok. The place is a bit dimmed. Soft music. Familiar Mediterranean and Asian food. Casual. No pressure. I got back to my acting again so that she would say yes with my suggestion on the place and food. It worked again.

We placed our orders right away. And while waiting for the food, we have a little chat and I pulled out the pocket bible as a gift for her and I wanted her to bring it on her business trip in Europe. She opened it and liked its handy size and funky pink leather cover. She started taking about how excited she was on her trip and that all of the necessary papers are ok. That was my cue to give her the travel book.

I showed her the book. She got excited and wanted to grab it and view the pictures. Hey! Be careful. There’s a ring in there! I had to defend the book and pulled it away so that she can’t reach it yet. Then I asked her to calm down a bit and that we will browse through the pages together. The ring was placed in the middle and we can still browse the front pages. I opened the pages slowly for her. We would stop at the pictures of France and would point to her the places she would visit for me. She was concentrating on the pictures and still without any idea on what’s going to happen.

We paused on browsing when the food came. We started eating and finished it up. In a few more minutes, I am about to pop the question.

After the table had been cleared, we talked again and browsed the book. I placed a marker on one of the pages of the book as a reminder that I’m almost close to where the ring was placed. Any page further and I would spoil the suspense.

We reached the page marker. I immediately closed the book. She stared at me blankly. I gave her a hug, made a silent prayer, and whispered to her that I love her.

She whispered back, “I love you, too.”

Then I opened the book. And there it was — the ring!

Her face was still blank. I took a few moments to look at her face. Then, I hold her close and whispered to her again. “Will you marry me?”

She said yes.

I took the ring from the book, took her hand, and slipped the ring to her finger. It fits.

It was a perfect night for both of us. We stayed for a while to start a little planning especially on how to tell our parents and everybody else. We had a glass of wine to celebrate and listen to the band play a few songs.

That was it. After being in love with each other for 10 years (now going on 11), I finally had the courage to propose to her. And this night. is a night to start the rest of our lives being together.

February 1, 2008, Spicy Fingers