Make Me a Better Man

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^After Mr. Biggles Passed Away^

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Megan

I was lounging on the couch, engrossed in a TV show, when Daniel walked in. He was all dressed up in a suit, a grin plastered on his face. “What’s the occasion?” I asked.

“Get ready, babe. I’ve got a surprise for you.”

I was curious about what he was planning, but I didn’t press him for details.

I quickly slipped into a sparkly black dress and a pair of strappy heels. I added a touch of mascara and a swipe of lip gloss to complete the look.

We drove for about thirty minutes to our mystery destination. I was excited and a bit antsy.

“Daniel, are we there yet?”

“Patience, baby.”

I shot him a look. “Daniel, we’ve known each other for ages. You should know by now that I have the patience of a kindergartner.”

He rolled his eyes but couldn’t hide the smirk that tugged at his lips. “We’re here, no more complaining.”

I turned to look out the window and gasped. “Red Vine!”

Daniel grinned at me. This was one of the most exclusive restaurants in town, always booked solid.

“How did you score a reservation at Red Vine?”

“A buddy of mine had a reservation but had to cancel. He gave it to me. Just remember, if anyone asks, you’re Raine Desai.”

~Raine Desai, got it.~

We walked into the restaurant and Daniel gave them his friend’s name. I didn’t recognize it, but I didn’t care. I was too thrilled about the surprise. Or at least, I thought I was.

We were led to a beautiful table by the window, overlooking a frozen lake bathed in moonlight. A vase of red roses sat in the center of the table.

“Daniel,” I breathed, “this is so romantic.”

Daniel gave me a soft smile, but something seemed off. His usual spark was missing, and I couldn’t put my finger on why.

I tried to shake off the uneasy feeling as I opened the menu. I nearly choked when I saw the prices. “Daniel, can we even afford this?”

“Don’t worry about it, babe,” he reassured me, “I’ve been saving up.”

I raised an eyebrow. “For what?”

He shrugged it off. “Just saving for a rainy day. It’s no big deal.”

I wasn’t convinced, but before I could press him further, the waiter arrived to take our orders. I chose a creamy shrimp carbonara, while Daniel ordered a rib-eye steak—and champagne.

For some reason, champagne always reminded me of that scene from ~Spiderman 3~, where Peter Parker tries to propose to Mary Jane by hiding the ring in her champagne glass. I sighed.

Shortly after the waiter left, Daniel excused himself. “I’ll be right back, babe. Just need to use the restroom.”

I nodded and took the opportunity to look around the candlelit room.

Despite my dress, I felt a bit underdressed compared to the other patrons. Some of them were giving me judgmental looks.

~Screw them~, I thought. I wasn’t going to let a bunch of snobs ruin my night.

When Daniel returned, we chatted while waiting for our food. To distract myself from the weird vibe, I brought up some upcoming movies. ~Deadpool 2~ was set to release next May.

Daniel promised to take me on opening night, but he seemed distracted and sweaty.

I couldn’t help but wonder if he was hiding something. Was it something bad? Was that why he brought me to this fancy restaurant?

~He better not have cheated on me~, I thought as our food and champagne arrived. I flashed the waiter a smile as he set my plate down. “Thanks,” I said, a bit flirtatiously. He blushed.

Daniel frowned as the waiter walked away. “What was that about?”

I twirled my fork in my pasta, lifting a bite to my mouth. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

The food was delicious, and I couldn’t help but let out a satisfied sigh. Daniel’s eyes darkened.

“You were flirting.”

“I was just being nice.”

“I can tell you’re upset with me, but I don’t know why.”

“You want to know why?” I put down my fork. “Why are ~you~ acting so weird? Did you cheat on me?”

The words slipped out before I could stop them. We both froze.

“Why would I cheat on you, Megan?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

“Exactly!” I snapped. “Why would you?”

“Okay, okay. This isn’t going how I planned, so I guess I’ll just do it the old-fashioned way.”

I watched him warily as he picked up my champagne glass. My breath hitched when I saw a ring inside.

I was speechless as Daniel fished the ring out of the glass with a fork and dried it off with a napkin. Then he got down on one knee in front of me.

“Megan,” he said softly, taking my hand in his. “You’re the only woman I can see myself with. You’ve made me a better man.”

He kissed my hand gently.

“And now I want to ask you if you’ll make me the happiest man in the world by becoming my wife.”