“I didn’t reject him—exactly.” Jane raises an eyebrow. “Okay, maybe I could have been nicer. But the same goes for him.”
“According to Liam, he was nice,” says Jane.
“Did he say that?” I can perfectly picture his arrogant face as he said, “You’re wrong about this.” He stated his opinions like they were facts. Just thinking about that debate gets my blood rising. “Oh, he was very nice.” I remember the feel of his hand on my back. “Until he wasn’t. And then he was atrocious. I could never be with someone like that.”
“Too bad, Charlie thinks he’s still interested. Did you know he still asks about you?” No, I did not. And I have to admit that this information boosts my ego. It doesn’t make me like him anymore. But it is good to know. “Liam told Charlie he hopes to see you at the engagement party. He promised to be on his best behavior.”
“He said that?”
“Yeah, and he’s going to bring a date. I suggest you do the same.” I perk up. Maybe I could ask Noah. There’s bad blood between those two. And the thought of irritating Liam Darcy is irresistible. Also, this will be a twofer. Noah has been low-key flirting with me by text ever since I gave him my number. It’s time we find out if maybe we could be more than friends.
I text Noah as Jane takes a call from her mom.
Lettie
Are you free Saturday, June 22?
Noah
If it’s to spend time with you, yes!
Lettie
Great, I need a date to Jane’s engagement party.
Noah
Awesome! What time? Where?
I give him all the details and am beginning to feel better about this engagement party.
“Soooo... how did Charlie propose?” I ask when Jane finishes her phone call.
“It was absolutely perfect,” she begins. “We were going on a picnic, and it was so cute. He had it all packed up in a wicker basket and everything in the cutest rowboat.” This sounds a bit cheesy but also perfect for Charlie and Jane.
“Did you get photos?”
“Of course! Charlie took care of that. He hired multiple photographers. Though I didn’t notice any of them until after he popped the question.”
“Did this come as a surprise, or did you suspect?”
“When I saw the picnic basket, I knew he was going to propose. I just didn’t know how. I thought he’d do something at our picnic spot. But no! He totally surprised me. As he rowed us across the reservoir, a small plane buzzed low over the water, pulling a banner that read:Marry Me, Jane?!I immediately jumped up, the boat rocked, and I fell in.”
“No! You fell in!”
“Yes, Charlie dove in after me.”
“The ring!” I gasp. There’s a very nice ring on Jane’s hand, so I know there’s a happy ending. But Charlie must have had it on him. “It went in the water right with Charlie; it was in his pocket. But it was wrapped tight in a bag with a floatie.”
“Thank goodness!”
“Yes, Charlie thinks of everything.” Jane’s eyes go soft and dreamy. “He pulled me back in the boat and then retrieved the ring. Then Liam flew back over us.”
“Liam was flying the plane?” Why does it bug me that I didn’t know this about him? I hardly know him at all. But still, I feel like I should have known he had a pilot’s license.
“Of course, who else owns a plane? So he flies over us and showers us with rose petals. It was really pretty, but because I was wet, the petals stuck to me; I looked like a drowned chicken.” She shows me a selfie of her and Charlie together with the ring safely on her hand. She does look like a wet chicken. It’s not your picture-perfect engagement photo. It’s so much better.
“You’re right,” I say as soon as I catch my breath from laughing. “That is the perfect proposal.”
