Max

That night at the bar is magical. The first heavy snow of the season is falling and everything looks pretty.

People are in good spirits.

There’s a Celtic band playing live romantic music tonight.

None of the idiots from school are here. Mom and Dad and Dianne have joined me at the bar and we are having a fun time together. Dianne already feels like another member of the family.

After a couple of hours, and when I’m slightly tipsy from white wine, Sam shows up at the bar with a woman on her arm.

“Who is that?” Dad asks.

Before I can answer, Sam walks over with who can only be Jenna. I put out my hand. “Jenna, so nice to meet you.”

“You must be big sister Max. I feel like I know you already.”

Without warning, Jenna hugs me. I’m not expecting it, but I go along with it for Sam’s sake.

Sam then makes introductions to Mom, Dad and Dianne. We all chat it up for a while, and then we hear some commotion up on the stage.

I turn to see Stoner up there, chatting with the lead singer, his hand covering the mic.

My heart starts to pound when the singer hands Stoner an acoustic guitar and he starts to tune it.

Dad elbows me. “Did you know he played guitar?”

“Of course not, I’ve only been dating him since Tuesday night,” I say.

“I’d like to dedicate this song to the woman I’ve been in love with for 20 years. And now that she’s back, I’m not letting her go again. When you’re with me, Max, the pain goes away. I can’t think of any other reason besides that to keep you from getting away from me ever again.”

My heart is pounding in my throat. People are looking at me. Mom has her arm around my shoulder and she’s sniffling.

And then, before I know what’s happening, Stoner is singing “Stand by Me.”

His voice is like a less weathered Tom Waits. My knees may buckle.

“Holy shit,” I hear Sam whisper. She grabs my elbow. “Did you know he could sing?”

I sigh. “Will everybody related to me please shut their pumpkin pie holes!”

Stoner hands the guitar back to the singer and hops down off the stage.

He walks over to me as the band starts up another tune and everyone has turned their attention away from us, thankfully.

He walks up to me because I can barely move. I think I might faint.

As he approaches I see him pulling something out of his pocket. I about cream my undies when I see it’s a little blue box.

No. Way.

Jenna and Sam and the rest of our crew back away, but I can feel their eyes on us. Stoner leans in and murmurs in my ear so I can hear him clearly over the din of the bar. “Max, will you marry me?”

His hand is shaking and my hand is shaking, but somehow we manage to get the box open. It’s a massive princess cut sapphire with three small diamonds on either side.

“Stoner. You did not go to that store for a ring. This is too much.”

He shrugs. “It was a Black Friday deal and your mom and my mom helped me find it.”

“Bullshit,” I say. “Tiffany’s doesn’t have Black Friday sales, does it?”

“Fuck if I know, but the ring was just right for you. It matches your eyes.”

By now the tears are streaming down my face and I’m sobbing.

“Well, are you going to give me an answer?”

“Oh yeah,” I say, laughing through my sobs. “Of course I’m gonna marry you. I love you, Talbot.”

He slips the ring on my finger and lifts me up off my feet, planting a kiss on my lips and all over my wet cheeks.

“And I love you, Pumpkin.”

I’m freely sobbing now and he asks me if something is wrong.

“I just wish Joy were here for this.”

“Text her right now and tell her to get her ass over here,” he insists.

So I do.

Joy, where the hell are you? I have huge news!

Moments later she texts back,

Sorry, babe. Today has been bonkers. City inspector came, shut down the Cookie Cottage. Some bullshit health code thing.

I immediately call her up, and she lays it all out.

“It’s Black Friday, right? So I’m totally in the zone, doing my thing, and then all of a sudden some jackass from the health department shows up and says I don’t have the proper licensing or some shit. And so I have like ten thousand dollars’ worth of cookie orders needing to be filled, but I can’t do my business or I’m gonna get a fine. Big time. And you’ll never guess who the city health department thug is.”

When she gives me the name, I am shocked.

“From high school?”

“Yeah. Can you believe it?”

“Can’t he give you a grace period?”

“Uh, no, he’s still the same know-it-all asshole he was when he ran the AV club like a damn tyrant. Now he’s taking it out on small businesses.”

“Shit.”

“Christmas is ruined,” Joy says with a sob.

“Now we are both sobbing but for different reasons,” I say.

“What are you talking about?” she asks.

“Well, I hate to do this to you right now but…Stoner just proposed to me. Goddammit, I wish you were here for it. Right in the open in front of everyone in the bar. Pretty risky move.”

Joy snorts. “Yeah, real risky. Girl, he had your number the second he saw you on Tuesday night. Christmas may be ruined for me, but I’m happy for you. Really, I am.”

“Listen, babe. I’m going to figure out a way to help you out of this jam. We can work this out. Stoner has a lot of connections in the business community.”

“There’s nothing to work out. I’m already a pariah.”

“You’re not a pariah,” I scoff.

“You know what? I’ll deliver my cookies in the middle if the night if I have to. No high and mighty nerd is going to ruin my Christmas.”

“That’s the Christmas spirit,” I say.

“I’m so thankful you're my friend. And now I’m thankful that Stoner is in your life. I’ll keep you posted,” Joy says.

“Happy Thanksgiving, doll, and Merry Christmas, I say.

“Same to you, love.”