Lucky in Love
word count: 7500
Being single on Valentine’s Day is like showing up to a party and discovering that it’s fancy dress and you didn’t get the memo. It’s like showing up to class unprepared for a final project, no work to show. Everywhere you turn, there’s love hearts and romance, couples holding hands and kissing. And then there’s just you by yourself, unable to take advantage of all the couple-deals and delights of the day.
Last year, all of your friends had been in happy relationships, posting photos of what their partners gave them, sharing photos from fancy dinners or cute brunches. One of them even got engaged at the restaurant where she and her partner had held their first date, and the staff was so enchanted by the pair of them, that they received a free dessert.
That news alone had sent you on a FOMO spiral. You’d scrolled for hours through social media apps, looking at Valentine’s Day posts from couples you didn’t even know, seeing all of these cute freebies that people got just for being a cute couple in love or as congratulations for proposals.
And now, a full year later, you were still single with less than twenty-four hours until the celebrated day of romance. No plans, no partner, just a comfy sofa and a spicy romance book and some leftover takeout in your fridge for dinner.
Which sounds… less than ideal.
You want romance. You want to be able to have a dazzling, romantic night to post about. You want free things for no reason other than being in love.
As you sit there watching People We Meet on Vacation and sipping wine, something occurs to you. Maybe the wine has gone to your head, or maybe it’s just a genuinely good idea that appears in your head, but as the clock strikes half past eight on Valentine’s Eve, you pull up your semi-dormant profile on a dating app.
It takes less than a minute to change the small bio to read “Seeking a fake boyfriend willing to fake propose to me on Valentine’s Day for free stuff”
You already semi-created a list of places to go around the city. Brunch spots, bakeries, bars, restaurants. Now you just need to wait for the response.
You finish your wine, finish the movie, and you doze off on your comfy sofa for a few hours, waking shortly quarter til midnight to a few interested responses to your profile.
The first appears to be a catfisher’s profile – one blurry, pixelated photo of a muscley shirtless man, most of his face blocked by the phone he’s holding and the hat pulled low over his eyes. The second guy has messaged you that he’s down to be your fake fiance, but one look at his profile shows you that he’s not really your type, that you have differing views on certain things.
The third guy has messaged you saying, “I’ve got the ring, just tell me where to meet you” with a photo attached. You’re a bit hesitant to tap ‘accept’ on viewing the image he’s sent you. Past experience with unprompted photos sent through dating apps doesn’t make this one seem promising, but as soon as it loads, you’re pleasantly surprised.
First you notice a pretty, but simple ring. It’s a thin silver band, a square cut diamond.
The second thing you notice is the insanely handsome guy who is holding the ring up. You’re certain he must be AI or something, but after clicking over to his profile and flicking through all of the pictures on his profile, you can’t see anything that truly points to him being fake. He’s just genuinely that gorgeous. And he seems a much better fit for you than either of the other two.
He’s an artist, both with visual arts and musically. He’s into running and cooking and traveling. He collects sneakers and cute trinkets. He volunteers at a center for elderly people and also at an animal shelter. Every detail that you glean from his profile makes him even more desirable, which also makes his unreal looks even more unbelievable.
If you were genuinely seeking a relationship on this app, you’d probably be a bit more hesitant to believe that everything on his profile was real, but if it’s just for tomorrow, then you see no reason to not buy into what he’s selling.
Lee Taeyong. 30. 8km away.
It’s a bit after midnight when you shoot an enthusiastic reply to Taeyong’s proposal, and a few minutes later, he responds.
You’re buzzing from the wine lingering in your bloodstream and from the excitement of the plan as you and Taeyong message back and forth for the next hour, plotting out your day and how to receive the most free things.
You put yourself to bed a while later, set an alarm to wake you in a few hours, and then fall quickly to sleep.
It’s not until Lee Taeyong is actually walking towards you on the street that you fully, completely, truly believe that he’s actually that gorgeous and it wasn’t just some editing trick on all of his photos.
But no. That’s really what he looks like.
Luckily, this Valentine’s Day is unseasonably warm. It feels like a mild spring day, the sun is out without a cloud in the sky. Birds are chirping. Love is in the air.
Nervously, you run a hand over your hair, then smooth out any wrinkles in the dark pink dress you’re wearing. You fidget with the strap of your purse on your shoulder, and fix a smile to your lips as Taeyong approaches with a soft smile of his own.
“Hi,” he greets you, pausing in front of you before awkwardly holding his hand out. His voice is soft, but deeper than you were expecting.
Feeling just as awkward, you accept his hand, sharing a firm handshake. “Hi, Taeyong.”
Up close, he’s even more unbelievable. His eyes are warm and round, a fitting chocolatey brown color where the sunlight falls over him, enhancing the honey-blond shade of his hair. A light pink color kisses his cheeks. He’s dressed nicely in a peachy pink button-down shirt and pants in a matching shade.
Together, you look quite romantic and pink.
“You look really pretty,” he says, “Like you’re ready for a proposal.”
You smile. “I even did my nails,” you tell him as you lift your hand to wiggle your fingers, showing off the pearlescent pale pink color on your nails. “Do you have the ring?”
Taeyong fishes around in his pocket, pulling out a tiny velvety box. He opens it, revealing the charming diamond ring nestled in the cushion. “My grandmother gave me this ring to give my future bride. I figured I should find a woman to give it to.”
“Really?” You don’t know if he’s telling the truth or just creating a history for this fictional relationship and proposal.
Taeyong flips the box shut, hiding the ring from your sight again, slipping it back into his pocket. He shrugs. “It’s true. She gave it to me when I was with my ex, but that relationship fell completely apart, and then my grandmother passed before I met anyone else. I figure this opportunity is the perfect excuse to bring it out since I just don’t know at what point I’ll really be able to use it.”
“Well, it’s a lovely ring. Whoever actually gets to wear it on her finger for real some day is a lucky girl.” You hold your hand out to him again, palm up. “Should we head to brunch?”
Taeyong nods. His palm is warm and solid against yours. Your fingers lace together with Taeyong’s, and your heart leaps as his fingers settle into place against the back of your hand.
You’d asked Taeyong to meet you in a small park near the brunch place you had on your list. So now, you take a lap around the park hand-in-hand, chatting and soaking in the nice weather as you make your way towards the brunch spot.
Quickly, you realize that you like listening to Taeyong talk, that you made a good decision in choosing him – you’d actually not even bothered looking at any of the other responses you’d gotten after you checked out his profile last night.
Taeyong is just as warm and kind as you’d read him as last night. He tells you about his volunteer-work, about his art. He asks you plenty of questions too about what you do for work and for fun, about your family and friends. He is actually present and active in this conversation, which is a big change from some of the recent guys that you’ve actually gone on dates with. Taeyong pauses and listens, asks questions about what you’ve said; he doesn’t interrupt you or talk over you. And he’s funny and silly, quick to laugh.
By the time you reach the brunch place, you’re leaning into him, shoulder brushing his arm, your hands comfortably swinging between you as you laugh together.
You get a seat on the patio of the place, in a warm patch of sunlight. A light breeze teases the ends of your hair as you and Taeyong wait for your waiter to come take your orders.
When you saw someone get proposed to here last year, they’d received free mimosas and a tiny chocolate dessert, so that’s what you’re hoping to receive this year. During your messaging the night before, you and Taeyong had discussed that today wouldn’t be all freebies, some money would have to be spent, so you agreed to take turns paying for what you had to spend money on. You’re each actually ordering brunch foods, and then the plan is for Taeyong to propose after you’ve finished eating, but before the waiter brings the bill.
The waiter takes your orders and some time later delivers them to the table – berry laden French toast for you, and a fancy avocado toast that comes with salmon and fried egg – and then you lose track of time a bit while you talk and eat. To make it all more believable, you hold hands on the table and you let your foot brush Taeyong’s leg beneath the table, you share bites from your plates, and maybe if there are stars in your eyes while you gaze at him, it just adds to the believability.
You like him. A lot. That’s the semi-alarming thing to realize.
This isn’t supposed to be a real date. This is supposed to be a scam, but you almost forget that you’re here to be fake proposed to instead of just enjoying a nice brunch date with a handsome man.
You remember the truth of the situation only when Taeyong sucks in a nervous breath and glances over at the nearby table where your waiter is helping another couple. You watch him reach for his pocket. His eyes catch on yours and he smiles, lifts his eyebrows, and then he makes his move.
Taeyong shifts from his seat to kneel on one knee beside the table, smoothly extracting the ring box from his pocket.
On cue, you gasp loud enough to draw attention. You press your hands over your mouth while you look at Taeyong and the glittering ring he’s holding out to you.
“I love you,” Taeyong confesses with a believably nervous shake in his voice, “I’ve loved you since our first date here, babe, and it would make the happiest man in the world to make this our brunch place forever. Will you marry me?”
Around you, other women gasp and coo and hold their breath as they await your response.
You nod, pretending to be speechless at first, and then gasping “Yes!” as you hold out your hand for Taeyong to slide the ring on. He holds tight to your hand and you jump to your feet as he rises to meet you. You throw your arms around him, and he wraps you in a tight embrace. It’s a little strange for a first hug to occur with the attention of all of these strangers on you, and you hope that none of them find it suspicious that you hug instead of sharing a kiss after this romantic moment.
The moment you break apart, you continue the charade, grinning from ear to ear as you look at the ring, as you beam at Taeyong. He adds an extra layer as he lifts your hand adorned by the ring, and presses a kiss to your knuckles, his gaze locked on yours.
A flare of heat passes through you that has nothing at all to do with the unseasonable warmth of the day.
To your delight, the faux proposal worked.
Your waiter rushes to the table, overflowing with congratulations, delighted at the happy moment. When he vanishes and returns with mimosas and a small dessert cake, you both are quick to thank him while keeping your smiles bright, clinging to each other’s hands over the table. You accept his offer to take a photo of the pair of you together, and then he leaves to give you some semblance of privacy.
Taeyong laughs as you take photos of the cake and the mimosas, of the ring on your finger like you’re sending it off to family and friends to announce the exciting news.
You toast each other with the champagne glasses, share the cake.
The inside of your foot rests against Taeyong’s calf beneath the table, a small moment of intimacy as you smile at him around the chocolatey bite of heaven melting on your tongue.
Taeyong pays for brunch, accepting the many congratulations from the staff, from other patrons, and again from your waiter. There’s no charge for the mimosas or the cake, and after you walk out of the cafe hand-in-hand, Taeyong tells you that he’s fairly certain your regular food was slightly discounted as well.
You wait until you’re out of sight of the cafe before you slip the ring from your finger and hand it back to Taeyong. He safely stores it back in the ring box until you need it again.
The itinerary you laid out on the dating app has you walking a few blocks away to a bakery that last year was the site of three separate proposals that resulted in a half-dozen chocolate covered strawberries for one couple, a free decadent brownie for the second couple, and hefty slice of cheesecake for the third. The fact they gave out multiple freebies to proposals last year has your hopes high.
Taeyong holds your hand again as you walk into the bakery.
They’re busy today with numerous employees running around behind the long bakery case and countertop. Customers pass in and out of the open door, the phone is ringing nonstop even as two employees are already each talking on separate handsets. Everything in the bakery case looks delicious, and you keep noticing Taeyong glancing at the pretty rainbow rows of macarons.
In one corner of the bakery they’ve got shelves taken up with recipe books and merchandise with the bakery’s name and logo. On the wall beside the shelves is a curtain of pink and white roses with a light sign board that says “Love Is In The Air,” and that’s exactly where you and Taeyong decide to set the scene.
It’s a semi-popular photo spot. There were a couple young girls taking photos for their Instagrams in front of it when you entered the bakery, while you look at the bakery cases a middle-aged couple stands in front of the photo-op while a very bubbly bakery employee snaps photos for them, and as you and Taeyong finally approach the spot, Taeyong asks the bakery employee if she’ll take a photo for you two.
He hands her his phone, and then he draws you along by the hand to stand in front of the roses and the sign.
“You two are so cute!” The employee gushes. “So pink! I love it!”
“Can we get a couple pics?” You ask her while you curl your arm around Taeyong’s waist to stand together. His arm slides around your shoulders.
She nods, continuing to babble excitedly about how cute you are. She calls out suggestions of poses, and you and Taeyong go along with it, happy to feed into this girl’s delight. She squeals with laughter when Taeyong listens to her and tips you backwards as she snaps a photo.
And when he pulls you upright, Taeyong’s still got one hand secure against your lower back, the other hand holds one of yours, and he pulls you in close against him. You don’t have the chance to say anything else before he presses a quick kiss to your cheek.
The girl “awws,” and your heart is pounding in your chest, heat spreads across your skin from the epicenter of Taeyong’s kiss, spreading even after he draws back. The ghost of his kiss tingles against your cheek, and your mind is trying to wrap around it when Taeyong drops to his knee for the second time today.
“Taeyong!” You gasp, holding onto his hand tighter. “What are you doing?”
He smiles up at you, and you can hear the bakery employee trying to contain herself. From the corner of your eye, you can see that she’s still holding Taeyong’s phone up, probably taking a video now, if you had to guess.
“We met in the most unlikely of ways, but we’ve been together since then,” Taeyong tells you, and you almost want to laugh at the vagueness of his words, but the authentic feel of his acting keeps your laughter at bay. Taeyong continues, “It feels like just yesterday that we started talking.”
This time a giggle really does break from between your lips. Taeyong squeezes your hand tighter as he fumbles with the other hand to get the ring out.
“Our time together has been sweet, and when I think of all the time we’ve had together, I know that I want more. Can we have more time together, sweetheart? Will you marry me?” Taeyong asks, already sliding the ring on your finger when you say yes.
This time you collapse down beside him, wrapping your arms around him in another hug, hiding your face against his shoulder.
The poor bakery employee is a mess when you finally draw away from Taeyong. She’s crying and smiling, and holding Taeyong’s phone back out to him. “Congratulations! God, you two are really just so sweet. That was so cute. Oh my God!” And then she calls over to one of the other employees, and five minutes later, you and Taeyong are walking out of that bakery with a 4-pack of heart-shaped rose and raspberry flavored macarons.
You and Taeyong settle on a bench down the block from the bakery. You snap photos of the macarons, of Taeyong smiling as he eats one, and he steals your phone away to get you posing with your prize from this fake proposal.
The next stop on your itinerary is a small outdoor market. There’s all sorts of vendors here – it’s sort of like a farmer’s market meets a craft show, sort of a gathering of artisans – more bakers, painters, woodworkers, people who have canned and dried fruits and veggies, someone is selling second-hand books, handcrafted jewelry, several florists, there’s even someone who is just advertising for an animal shelter.
“Oh, that’s the one I volunteer at,” Taeyong says when you point out the cats and puppies available for adoption. “Come on over. Let’s say hi.”
Again, his hand slots against yours, and you let Taeyong lead you over. There are a few volunteers helping juggle the various adoptable animals and the people who are fawning over them. Only one volunteer notices the pair of you, and his eyes drop to your hand in Taeyong’s before he grins and looks up at Taeyong.
“Hey, man,” he reaches out, fistbumping Taeyong. “Is this why you told them you couldn’t volunteer for this today? Plans with your girlfriend?”
Taeyong slides a look your way, and you step up, standing a little closer as you answer. “Yep. We’re busy all day. Brunch, shopping, dinner and drinks.” Which is true, those are all things on the schedule for today.
“Oh, well, I won’t keep you two long, then. I’ll see you tomorrow, man,” Taeyong’s coworker says to him, then turns to you, “And it was nice to meet you.” He reaches out, and to your amusement, also offers you a fistbump.
After the other man turns away, Taeyong takes the time to show you the dogs and cats that are playing in the small pen. He gestures to a chubby little puppy that waddles around and tumbles over the other puppies, growling and yipping quietly as it plays. “That one’s my favorite. Titus. I would take him home myself, but I’m hardly home enough to give him the attention he deserves. Between the animal shelter, the elders, and then the work I do with music and art, I’d be hard-pressed to find time to take the poor guy for walks.”
Titus is a cutie, and you and Taeyong linger there a little while to play with him. He captures your heart, and by the time you’re walking away, part of you wants to turn around and go back to him.
As you wind through the market, Taeyong explains more about the work he does with music and art, how he writes and produces music, has put out some of his own with some mild success – he’s done shows all over the city, and has even done a small tour around the country and a couple shows overseas – he also works with kids in under-privileged areas to encourage their interest in music and art, providing them with a nurturing environment to create in. His own art has been displayed in some local galleries, though he really puts more of his time into music.
The next stop on the itinerary is a flower shop on the other end of the market. A permanent brick-and-mortar store, this florist last year gave a gorgeous bouquet out to a couple that got engaged right outside the shop.
“I don’t know about this one,” Taeyong tells you as you pass through the market. “Honestly, I think we’ll be pretty damn lucky if our proposals actually end up working at every place we try today.”
You smile and bump your shoulder into his. “I know. But I’m feeling pretty lucky today, aren’t you?”
Taeyong’s eyes flick between yours, dropping to your lips for a heart-stopping moment, before rising to your eyes again. “I am. Today’s a day for love, isn’t it? I’ve not been so lucky in love in the past, but today alone I’ve gotten engaged twice already, so my luck must be turning.”
You laugh. “Exactly. So just think positive, and this’ll all work out.”
It does.
The florist sees Taeyong proposing, and as luck would have it, they present you with a pretty bouquet of roses and baby’s breath.
Each proposal throughout the day goes well. In a chocolate shop, in another bakery, in an ice cream shop. You stop in a pub for lunch and get free drinks and a free appetizer after you throw yourself into his arms with an exuberant “Yes!” Mostly you get free drinks and pastries and food, so as the afternoon goes on, you realize you’re full. You can’t possibly eat anything else now, especially if you’re still planning on a fake proposal at dinner.
“We could just do it for attention,” Taeyong teases, tugging on your hand to get you to leave the park bench you’ve just collapsed on to moan about your full belly. “You could turn me down a couple times for the drama of it all.”
Instead, you walk around a while. You find some cute places that are hosting Valentine’s events, and check them out for fun. And it is fun to spend time with Taeyong. You’ve spent the entire day together, and you’re not tired of being in his company yet. You’re still laughing and getting to know each other.
When it comes time for dinner, most places are packed. The really nice places have been booked for months with reservations. You’re just looking for anywhere with an opening for two, and eventually you find it at this cozy Italian place sandwiched between a steakhouse and a French Michelin-starred restaurant.
Taeyong captures the waitress’s attention while you use the restroom, telling her about his plan to propose after the meal, before dessert, and he hands over the ring in its little box. The meal is good – a tasty lemon linguine alle vongole and rigatoni carbonara – and you share a fine bottle of wine that loosens your tongue enough that you keep insisting to Taeyong that you’re paying for this one since he got brunch.
“And how would that make me look?” Taeyong asks good-naturedly. Then he whispers for only you to hear, “Me proposing to you, then making you pay for the meal? No, I’ll pay. You can get it next time.” He waves off your next argument, and before you can really continue insisting, the waitress appears with a plate held aloft.
When she sits it down in front of you, there’s a strawberry carved to look like a rose, a garnish of mint, a perfectly smooth scoop of vanilla ice cream, and then in a chocolate cursive script the words “Will you marry me?” beside the open box presenting the ring.
On cue, Taeyong gets down on one knee.
You feel every eye in the restaurant fall on the scene.
“All day I’ve been imagining this moment,” Taeyong says loud enough for all to hear. “I’ve been nervous and excited, and I love you more than I think you’ll ever know. I want to be the man for you, baby, so I’ll ask you again on this day filled with nothing but love, will you make me the happiest man, and marry me?”
Heat simmers beneath your skin from the wine and the attention and the way that Taeyong caresses your hand as he looks into your eyes and asks you to marry him. For a moment, you let the little bit of tipsiness carry you away into a fantasy where this is real, where Taeyong is actually yours, where he’s really asking you to marry him and telling you how much he loves you and wants to spend forever by your side.
“Yes,” you nod, choking around a very real emotion, tears rising up in your eyes. “Yes, Taeyong, I’ll marry you.”
All day you’ve been playing this game, this charade of romance like two little kids playing house on the playground. But as Taeyong fits the ring onto your finger for the nth time today, tears spill down your cheeks because you just want to really be in love. You want a real relationship with a man who is so easy to get along with, who you love and who loves you. You want to be wanted, want to have someone who asks you to stay by his side forever.
Taeyong’s hands come to rest on either side of your face, your cheeks cupped tenderly in his palms. The pads of his thumbs brush away the tears, and you close your eyes as he leans closer. His forehead meets yours, noses brushing at the tip.
“Are you okay?” Taeyong whispers. “The tears are looking a little too authentic right now, sweetheart?”
Your heart tumbles and you reach out to steady yourself. Your hands land on Taeyong’s firm shoulders. “It’s either the wine, or you’re just really good at proposing.”
“You still want to go barhopping after this?” Taeyong asks softly, amusement curling around the edges of his voice.
“We’re getting all the free drinks we can tonight,” you whisper.
Taeyong moves his hands from your cheeks, and as he pulls his forehead from yours, he dips his head to the side, and kisses your cheek again.
Like earlier today, when he first did that in the bakery, the feeling lingers on your skin long after he’s settled back in the chair across the table from you.
The imprint of his lips tingles there long after the waitress brings out a free tiramisu dessert. It lingers while other tables congratulate you and chat with you about your fictional relationship, which you’ve had all day to create a history for. And when Taeyong asks the waitress for the bill after you’ve both cleared your dinner plates and the dessert plate, she delightedly tells you that your entire meal was paid for by a couple that witnessed the proposal, who has already left the restaurant, but the waitress assures you that they were more than happy to pay for you two.
You leave the restaurant flying high, giddy with how the day has gone.
And then you head into the bars.
“I’ve got my best friend favorited in my contacts,” you tell Taeyong after the first bar proposal provides each of you with a few free drinks from other excited bar patrons. “So if I get too fucked up, give her a call. She’ll come get me.”
The next bar also falls over themselves to supply you and Taeyong with celebratory drinks for your engagement. And the next, and the next.
By the fifth bar, you’re definitely feeling it. The Italian pasta and dessert has soaked up all the alcohol it possibly can.
Taeyong’s maybe a bit worse off than you. His cheeks are flushed, he’s got a goofy crooked smile on his lips, and he laughs so easily when you tell him horrible jokes.
In the fifth bar, Taeyong gets up on the small stage where they’ve got live music. He borrows the mic from the lead singer, and while squinting against the light, Taeyong seeks you out at the table where he left you. Heads swivel as Taeyong loudly says into the mic, “Everyone! Can I have your attention! It’s Valentine’s Day! If you would have asked me last year what I thought of this holiday, I’d have told you that it was a day made to make single people feel bad about themselves, a day for restaurants to jack up their prices, an excuse for people to show off in public.
“But if you ask me right now, I’d say I get it. I get why we have a whole day for celebrating being in love. Because if you have someone that you really like, someone that you meet and just click with, where being with them feels like no matter what happens you can make it through, then why shouldn’t there be a whole day that you can spend with them, celebrate them? Today was that day for me. I’ve confessed my love to you so many times today,” Taeyong says, and now he points at you and people are turning to look at you, following the line of his finger. “And I’m going to do it once more, sweetheart, up here on stage for everyone to see. I want you to know that I love you, that I want to marry you!”
The crowd starts up with their usual reactive noises: cheers, hoots, and awws.
Taeyong’s eyes lock on yours, and you’ve both had a lot to drink. You’re both definitely drunk, but for a moment, you swear his gaze sobers, and then he says, “I love you, and I’ve had the most fun I’ve had in a long, long time with you. I mean it. I mean every word I’ve said to you, and I need you to know, sweetheart, that this–” He pulls the ring from his pocket, holding it up so it glitters and shines in the stagelight as he continues, “This ring is yours if you’ll have it. We’ve had a full day of being in love today, but give me tomorrow, too. I want to be yours, so will you please say yes?”
He hops off the stage, but every eye in the place follows his path back to you at the table.
You're smiling and again tears are welling up in your eyes like they had at the restaurant, and as soon as Taeyong is close enough, you’re nodding and telling him yes, and the ring fits perfectly back onto your finger. You clasp his hand, drawing him in closer, and Taeyong’s pretty lips form a pretty smile.
There’s no stopping yourself, not with this ring on your finger and the alcohol flowing in your veins.
You curl a hand at the back of Taeyong’s head, and you bring his mouth down onto yours. You kiss him to the ecstatic cheers of the crowd.
His lips part beneath yours, and for just a brief moment, you allow yourself to have this. You press forward, trying to deepen the kiss, but then Taeyong is gone.
A man in the crowd is clapping him on the shoulder, which nearly makes Taeyong’s knees buckle. People are filling in around your table to pour on the congratulations, drinks are pushed onto the table, and you probably shouldn’t be drinking them, not when you haven’t seen who’s touched them and not when you’ve probably already had too much to drink tonight, but someone offers you and Taeyong shots, and you start downing them.
The heat of the kiss is drowned away with more alcohol and the night whirls away from you.
When you wake the next day with a blazing hangover the likes of which you haven’t dealt with in years, you’re at least happy to see that your best friend is in bed beside you. Her cheek is plastered to your second pillow even as she’s groaning a “hello?” into her phone. The sound of its ringing must have been what woke you.
She peels herself off of your bed and rolls away, disappearing from your bedroom as she continues the call.
You consider letting sweet sleep consume you, but even once you’ve shut your eyes again the throbbing in your head refuses to subside enough to let you sleep. You crawl out of bed and into the bathroom where you dig out some medicine to help your head, drink down a few mouthfuls of tap water, and then drag yourself into the shower.
By the time you emerge half an hour later, all bundled up in a cozy robe and your hair dripping damp onto the shoulders, your best friend is standing in the kitchen, coffee and breakfast ready for you.
She observes you over the edge of her own mug of coffee. “Good morning, princess. I’m so glad you’re awake. You weren’t very cooperative with story time last night when I picked you up from a very, very handsome man. And you’ve got a lot of explaining to do.” She pushes the plate of toast and eggs towards you, “So eat up, and you can start by telling me what’s up with that rock on your finger?”
You glance down, and to your surprise, Taeyong’s grandmother’s ring is still sitting there on your finger.
You tell your best friend everything, starting with your misery on Valentine’s Eve, the post, the planning, meeting Taeyong, and all of the many proposals. You make her fetch your phone from where she’d plugged it in to charge last night so you can show her the photos. You finish by telling her about your emotional reaction to his big proposals at the restaurant and at the fifth bar, how your emotions got all tangled up and confused and you think that you really like Taeyong.
“Then go get him,” she tells you, sitting her coffee mug down with a distinct clunk. “I’ve watched you go on some truly miserable dates over the past couple years, and you’ve hated Valentine’s Day for even longer, but it seems like yesterday you had a really great time with a really great guy. When he called me from your phone last night, he sounded like he was genuinely concerned with you getting home safe and sound, and when I got there to the bar to get you, I was stunned by how gorgeous that man is. You were so out of it, can you remember me getting there?”
Vaguely. You remember reaching a sixth bar, but before Taeyong got around to the proposal, he decided you both were done for the night. He’d fished your phone out of your purse, and led you outside to sit together on a bench out front of the bar to wait for her to show up. You remember holding his hand and laying your head on his shoulder. You sorta remember him talking to you, but you have no idea what about or what you said in response. You remember your best friend’s face, Taeyong helping you into her car, and then not much else.
“You passed out in my car, and I had to drag you inside once we got back here to your place. But he was disgustingly cute with you, like it makes me wonder if I need to dump my boyfriend and ask your guy if he’s got any good friends to set me up with.”
You groan. “I don’t even know if he wants to see me again. Like we only matched up because of the proposal stuff.”
She rolls her eyes. “Check your phone. It kept buzzing after I got you in bed, but you changed your passcode, so I couldn’t check it. I bet it was him, checking to see if you made it home safe.”
You snatch up your phone, unlock it and open the dating app. There are about five notifications, all from Taeyong.
I hope you made it home safe
I had a really great time today
Are you home?
You’re probably sleeping so I hope I’m not bothering you, but I just wanted to let you know that I really liked spending all of today with you
And the fifth message is just a file attachment, filled with the pictures and videos of proposals and the freebies from the proposals that he’d had on his phone. You scroll through them until you get to the video in the bakery.
Taeyong’s voice plays through your phone, his proposal filling in the buzzy places in your head.
“Fuck,” your best friend says as she shoves her way in beside you to see the video better. “If you don’t go after him I will. But the man’s already told you he loves you and asked you to marry him a dozen times, so what’s there to be scared of? Call him. Like, now.”
She’s right.
But you’re too nervous to call, so instead you message him.
Yesterday was really nice and fun with you. I know it wasn’t technically a date, but I’d still like to see you again if that’s okay?
Send. You drop your phone on the counter, chug down the rest of your coffee, and you’re about to leave your phone to be babysat by your best friend when it chimes and buzzes against the hard surface beneath it.
You can’t move fast enough to unlock your phone. It keeps glitching and it’s only after you take a breath and calmly punch in the passcode that it opens onto your message thread with Taeyong.
I’d like that :)
The emoticon smiley face is ridiculously charming to you for some reason, and you goofily grin down at your phone until his next message buzzes through.
I’m at the shelter now but do you want to meet up for dinner?
And then:
I told you last night that you could get the next one, and I fully intended for us to have another dinner, so I’m really glad that you messaged back
The rest of the afternoon races by. You keep messaging Taeyong, likely distracting him a bit from his duties at the animal shelter, but he keeps up a steady stream of updates for you. He sends pictures of the dogs and cats, of at least one bunny, some caged rodents — hamsters, mice, rats — and a snake.
Your best friend spends the day hanging out with you, bingeing TV, gossiping, and then providing outfit advice as you get ready for dinner.
Finally it’s time to go meet Taeyong, and you and your best friend part ways as you reach the street outside your apartment. “Let me know how it goes!” She tells you, squeezing you into a hug. “And call me if you need to.”
You meet Taeyong at the shelter a bit before the end of his volunteer shift. He lets you in to meet some of the animals while he finishes up, and Titus the puppy from yesterday wanders over for you to scratch behind his ears and rub his belly.
When Taeyong’s ready to leave, he comes to find you, and as you sit there on the floor, rubbing a sleepy Titus’s belly, Taeyong crouches down beside you.
“Hi,” he says, his voice soft and deep.
“Hi, Taeyong. Ready to go?” You reluctantly pull your hand away from the puppy who makes a discontented sound, rolling over to push his paw against your hand.
Taeyong reaches down, scritching beneath Titus’s chin. “Yeah, but before we go I have one thing I’ve been meaning to ask.”
Your heart speeds up a little. “Oh?”
“That last proposal last night,” he says quietly, “I think we were both pretty close to drunk by that point, so it is a little bit hazy. I remember most of what I said, but at some point during the speech it all got pretty fuzzy, but there’s one thing I want to make sure I’m remembering right.” He sinks down so he’s sitting with his legs crossed in front of him as he faces you.
You look into Taeyong’s warm, round eyes. “It’s all pretty fuzzy to me, too, but I can try to remember.”
“At the end of the speech,” Taeyong says, “You kissed me.”
It’s not a question, not really.
“I did.” Your mouth goes dry, nervous sweat appears on your palms. “Was it okay?”
You remember the press of your lips, the way his mouth parted against yours. The way he’d so suddenly disappeared.
Taeyong’s gaze lowers to your lips. “Like I said, it was all a bit fuzzy, so I can’t say for sure. Maybe we should do it again.”
You laugh, reaching over to push lightly at his shoulder. “If you want to kiss me so bad, Taeyong, just do it.”
He’s laughing too when he leans forward, closing the space between you, meeting you in the middle with a kiss.
You sit there and kiss him for a while, lost in Taeyong’s touch and the taste of him. It’s only when a nosy dog approaches and butts its head against your chins that you break apart, groaning as the dog makes an attempt to kiss Taeyong while its tail thumps against your side.
You leave and grab a proposal-free dinner and a not-free dessert. You sit there and talk and laugh until the place is starting to empty out and your waiter is desperate for you to pay and clear out. You put the bill on your card, and as you do, the light catches on the ring on your finger.
“Oh,” you say, pulling your hand back quickly, and you tug Taeyong’s grandmother’s engagement ring off your finger. “I can’t believe you let me take this home last night! I should’ve returned it after the fifth bar.” You let the ring rest in your palm as you extend it across the table to Taeyong.
He smiles warmly and plucks it from your hand. “I mean, you might as well keep it. I said it last night at that bar, but the ring is yours. Now, and forever. This might only be our second date, but I already know it’s going to officially be yours some day.”
A warm thrill passes through you at the surety in Taeyong’s voice. “Well, keep it safe for me in the meantime. And when the time officially comes for you to propose, just know that I’m expecting something absolutely extravagantly cheesy to beat out all of your proposals from yesterday.”
Taeyong smiles, reaching for your hand. “I think I can do that.”
The waiter returns with a copy of the receipt for you, and then you and Taeyong head out into the night. You stand there and order a car to take you home. Alone. You’ve got an early morning tomorrow, and Taeyong’s got a late meeting in an hour with an artist whose music he’s helping produce. But while you wait for your ride to show up, you makeout on the curb with Taeyong, buzzing with the promise of the future, still flying high on your unbelievable luck with love.
