The Circle of Friends

X - A Special Christmas-2

“My God, did this really happen?” she asked in a hushed tone.

“Yes, it did,” he said curling his hand around hers. He brought her fingers to his lips. “I want to spend my life with you, Lori. I love you.”

With a soft moan, she fell into his arms. “I love you,” she whispered.

Pressed against his body, she felt sure he could hear her heart pounding in her chest. Lori could scarcely believe they were now engaged.

Jason released Lori, giving her a quick kiss before starting the engine. She was silent on the drive home, quietly reveling in her joy. The only young man she had ever loved just asked for her hand in marriage! All the mental anguish she had put herself through, afraid they would simply drift apart, was now put to rest. Jason’s mother had once told her to think bigger and now she understood the reason. Lori began to wonder who else was involved in this surprise.

“Who knew?” she asked.

He grinned mischievously and raised his eyebrows. “My parents. Yours. And my cousin Jennifer. She helped me select the ring.”

“When did you have the time?” she inquired before it suddenly dawned on her. “You did this when you came home for Thanksgiving!”

“Maybe,” he said slowly.

“You had this planned for a whole month!”

“I can keep a secret, you know. And fortunately, so did everyone else!”

Lori sighed. “Well, it’s beautiful. I had no idea you were going to do this! I figured if you ever did ask me, it would be a long, long time from now.”

“Did I do it too soon?” Jason asked, his voice tinged with concern.

She took a deep breath and met his eyes. “No,” she said firmly.

Smiling in relief, Jason patted her knee. Lori’s fingers continued to fondle the diamond ring, as if afraid it would vanish in the darkness.

“You said my parents knew?” she asked a moment later.

“They haven’t seen the ring,” he answered, “but they knew I was going to ask you tonight.”

“You told them?”

“Actually, I decided to be old-fashioned and asked for your father’s permission.”

“You didn’t!” she exclaimed, impressed by the thoughtful gesture. “What exactly did he say?”

“Obviously he said yes!” laughed Jason, casting a sly glance at Lori, who gestured for more details. “Lori, he was thrilled. He knew that I would take good care of you and was happy to have me as part of the family. I think I scored some points by asking, too!” he exclaimed with a wink.

Lori leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. “That was sweet,” she said.

They pulled into her parent’s driveway and Jason helped Lori out of the car. Hand in hand, they walked up the large front steps. The front door suddenly swung open and Phil gestured them inside. Her father grinned suspiciously as they entered, his eyes on his daughter. Lori managed to restrain her excitement until he closed the front door.

“Daddy, look!” she cried, holding out her hand.

He grasped her fingers and smiled broadly at his daughter. “It’s beautiful, honey,” he said softly.

Lori threw her arms around her father, unable to contain her exuberance any longer.

“Well, I guess she said yes!” Lori heard her mother exclaim.

Rhonda joined them in the foyer, giving Lori a brief hug before examining the ring. Jason stood to one side, pleased by the genuine excitement. Phil stepped around the women and offered Jason his hand.

“Welcome to the family, Son,” he said, giving Jason a brief hug as well.

“You knew!” Lori suddenly cried.

Phil laughed. “We knew and we weren’t going to say a word!”

“A picture!” exclaimed Rhonda, her eyes wide. “I want a picture of the night they got engaged.”

She immediately vanished down the hallway to retrieve a camera. Phil winked at Jason and gave his daughter one more hug before releasing Lori to her fiancé. Returning a moment later with the camera, Rhonda motioned for Phil to step aside. Jason held Lori close, and they endured several shots before her father asked Rhonda to cease.

“Don’t embarrass them, dear,” he said, placing a hand on her arm.

“I just wanted a couple photos,” she said impatiently. “This is a big moment for them!”

Jason straightened his jacket. “I’ve got to go now,” he said regretfully.

He bent to kiss Lori and she returned his kiss passionately, her arms locked around his neck. After a moment, Lori and Jason realized they still had an audience. Slowly they turned to look at her parents.

“Oh!” cried her mom, grabbing Phil’s arm. “Goodnight, Jason!”

“Goodnight,” he called as they departed.

Once Lori’s parents were no longer in the room, they resumed their kiss. Jason felt loath to leave, but the emotional charge of the evening had taken the last of his energy. He desperately wanted to crawl into his bed and sleep.

“Now you’re mine,” he whispered, kissing her hand. “I don’t have to worry about someone stealing you away from me.”

Lori kissed him again. “You knew I’d given my heart to you. I love you.”

“I love you. I’ll be over tomorrow around lunch,” promised Jason as he opened the door, giving her hand one last kiss. “Bye!”

“Bye,” she breathed, slowly closing the door behind him.

She watched the lights of his car exit the driveway before bounding up the stairs, two at a time. Upon reaching her room, Lori threw off her jacket and searched for her cell phone. The hour was late, but she simply had to tell somebody.

She called Sarah first, who screamed with delight upon hearing the news. Maria’s reaction was calmer, but just as enthusiastic. She called Cindy on her cell phone and got the answering service. Leaving a very calm message, Lori hoped it would really surprise Cindy when she listened to it later. Her last call was to Heather. Her friend was watching a movie at Matt’s house and answered her phone right away.

“He what?” Heather cried, and Lori heard Matt’s confused voice in the background. “Jason proposed!” she told him loudly before returning to Lori. “He asked you to marry him? When? Where?”

She could hear Matt repeating the same questions and laughed. “Tonight, at dinner,” she said. “He got down on one knee and everything!”

Heather screamed again. “Oh, I can’t believe it!”

Lori talked with her friend for a few more minutes. Matt’s reaction amused her, as he was very vocal with his stunned disbelief. Obviously he had not known about the ring. Jason would probably get a call from him later tonight.

When she completed her phone calls, Lori collapsed on her bed. Holding her hands over her chest, she closed her eyes. Lori might have thought it a dream except for the telltale ring on her finger. Embarrassing or not, she was glad her mother had taken pictures. She never wanted to forget this evening!

She arose for her six o’clock workout with Judy, spending a little extra time in the pool this morning. Upon returning home, Lori consumed a late breakfast before taking a shower. She had just finished drying her hair when the doorbell chimed. Throwing on a robe, she raced to the front door.

“I’m sorry!” she cried as Jason stepped into the foyer. “I haven’t even dressed yet.”

Immediately he wrapped an arm around her middle and kissed Lori. “Then I’d say my timing is perfect.”

“Is that right?”

She rested her hands on his chest and leaned away to view his face. Jason grinned mischievously, his hands slowly running down her back. His grip was firm, even through her thick robe. Still smiling, he kissed her again and she finally wiggled free.

“Oh, come on upstairs.”

Eagerly, Jason followed Lori to her room. She returned to her bathroom for a moment and he closed her bedroom door as well. Glancing around the immaculate room, he realized not even a piece of clothing occupied the floor. Lori was incredibly neat and organized, but Jason preferred tidiness. Taking off his jacket, he hung it on the doorknob and awaited Lori on the bed. She emerged from the bathroom still brushing her long hair.

“What did you want to do today?” she asked.

He gestured for her to come closer. “I still need to buy a couple presents,” Jason explained, grabbing the front of Lori’s robe and pulling her into his arms. “That okay with you?”

“Sure!” she exclaimed before her expression suddenly shifted. “I still can’t believe it,” Lori whispered, her eyes bright.

“I told you I’d always be here for you,” he answered. “I love you.”

She wrapped her arms around his neck. Jason kissed her urgently on the neck, slowly moving to her lips. Flinging aside the brush still in her hand, Lori kissed him again in a complete act of surrender. In one fluid motion, he pulled her onto the bed. They continued kissing and for several minutes, simply enjoying each other’s physical presence.

Eventually Lori leaned away and smiled. She raised a hand to touch his face and Jason intercepted the gesture. Tenderly kissing her fingers, he pulled Lori’s hand to his chest.

“Now you’re totally mine,” he said in a low voice.

“I’ve always been yours,” she insisted.

Jason smiled. “I know. I’ve never had someone as devoted and loving as you. I don’t think you realize how much that means to me.”

“You’re the only one I’ve ever loved,” she said simply.

He kissed her again, reluctant to let her go. “As much as I’d love to stay here all day with you, I suppose we should get going,” Jason conceded.

Rising from the bed, he extended his hand. Once on her feet, Lori retreated to the bathroom to dress. She hesitated in front of the mirror and smiled to herself. Already it was the best Christmas ever!

They did not spend long searching for the remaining gifts on Jason’s list. Only his experience the day after Thanksgiving compared to the multitude they now encountered two days before Christmas. Thankfully, Lori had completed her shopping earlier that week. She held no fondness for crowds, either.

Jason’s parents insisted he bring Lori home for dinner that night and his mother made quite a fuss over the pair. Lori bubbled happily during the meal, her usual bashfulness lost amidst the excitement. Pleased to see her act so bold and self-assured, Jason kept quiet during the meal and simply watched her converse with his parents. He had attended enough swim meets to realize Lori possessed incredible confidence. At other times, it remained hidden behind a veil of shyness. It delighted Jason to see her courageous spirit surface at last.

After dinner, they departed for a nearby coffee shop. At Heather’s insistence, everyone was gathering tonight to celebrate the newly engaged couple. Jason had already endured several phone calls, including one last night from Matt. Heather had scarcely ended her conversation with Lori when Matt dialed his friend’s number to confirm the news. Surprisingly enough, Matt’s reaction had been anything but negative, and he sounded genuinely upset Jason had not confided in his best friend.

As they entered the shop, Lori noticed Sarah peeking around the corner. She vanished into the back room the moment their eyes met. Lori glanced at Jason, curious as to what their friends were planning. Jason just shrugged and ordered their drinks before pursuing the matter.

As they entered the back room, they were surprised to discover fifteen friends awaiting their arrival. Everyone rose to their feet, applauding and cheering for the couple and causing quite a commotion. For once, Lori did not feel intimidated by the attention. Their engagement was worth celebrating.

Sarah reached her first. “Let me see!” she cried, grabbing Lori’s left hand.

“Oh, my God, it’s huge!” said Heather, pushing Sarah aside.

The other girls crowded around her and she proudly displayed her engagement ring. Amidst the confusion, Lori noticed the boys surrounding Jason, teasing him in a good-natured manner. Several friends gave him a hug and acted as if they were crying, claiming they had lost one of their own.