The Proposal

Sheila adored Jason from the beginning. He was quiet, kind, and had a resolute personality that stood him well in his business dealings in the crucible that was Wall Street. She had heard about him from several of her friends that had gone into the brokerage business, and they had all confided in her that they followed his lead whenever they could see which direction he was headed.

One example had been with a major corporation that had been all the rage a few years ago. Their stock values grew in leaps and bounds, achieving a near blue-chip status in only three months. When Jason and his small group of investors had met with their board, the board had stood tall on their newly touted reputation, wining and dining the group and sharing their rosiest projections for a bright future with the new collaboration. Jason had smiled and congratulated them on their success. He had chatted with the board members, and had even taken the time to speak with every member of middle-management at the party. At the end of the night, when the contracts had been trotted out and the party was really ready to begin, Jason was nowhere to be found. His chief investor called his cellphone and asked where he was. After 30 seconds listening, the man stood up, thanked the board for their wonderful party, wished them well in the future, and said his goodbyes for the night. While a few members of the group stayed and cast their lot with the audacious growing giant, the bulk of the investors left, never to return.

The behemoth had grown exponentially for the next several months, and then seemed to just collapse of its own weight. Jason had seen the cracks in the foundations of the business and had quietly decided to seek other opportunities for his money.

Sheila had met him during the debacle of that collapse, and admired the fact that he had saved his major partners not only their fortunes, but their reputations as well. That was the kind of man she could take home to meet her family, and know that he would be welcomed with open arms. And, indeed he was. After dating for only two months, she had taken the plunge and invited him to the ancestral home for a weekend. He had been charming and kind to everyone, and they had warmed to him immediately. He was certainly a change from her previous long array of sports figures, business moguls, and entertainers, and she was very proud of herself for getting it right this time.

Over the next several months, the two had become nearly inseparable. They had started sharing a very nice apartment on the Upper East Side, and were well on the way to forging a union that would truly humble every man she had ever dated before. She was proud to have him with her wherever she went, and she was just waiting for that perfect gesture to tie it all up. On several occasions he had mentioned quietly that they were good together, and he'd like to be able to make it official, but she knew to hold out for that over-the-top moment that would bring it all in line with her dreams and her family's expectations.

One evening, as they were walking in Times Square, a photo of them together suddenly lit up on every visible display screen in sight, and he stopped in his tracks. She faced him expectantly, and he smiled, opening a jeweler's box to reveal a simple but very elegant engagement ring. He looked into her eyes and said, "I do hope it's enough." She smiled, and looked at the simple diamond. It certainly wasn't as big as she'd expected it to be, but she knew they could remedy that easily enough. She said merely, "It's perfect for now, my love."

The earth seemed to stand still, and he smiled his gentle smile. Passers-by waited expectantly for him to put the ring on her finger, but he cocked his head a little to the right and said simply, "Ahhh." He closed the box, placed it in his pocket, and apologized for the ring not quite being what she expected. She broke into her nearly famous giggle, and hugged him warmly, saying into his ear, "Don't worry, I just want to make sure everyone can see that we're together from down the block."

They walked on together, arriving at their dinner reservation where they were welcomed to the restaurant by the chef with his warmest greeting and a bottle of specially reserved wine. After a few moments, Jason excused himself to go to the men's room while Sheila pored over the menu's exquisite selections. She momentarily lost herself in the dreams of the wedding, and could barely contain herself thinking about how her family would fawn over her now that she'd made such a good catch. She was thinking for the third time about how she would answer the questions that were sure to come about the ring when she realized Jason had been gone for quite some time. When she asked the maitre'd to check on him, he told her simply that Jason had left word for her to continue her dinner, and that he had been called away. It had happened before, so while disappointed, she was not overly worried. Besides, it would give her the chance to share it all with her family and friends.

She was on her fourth call, the important one to her parents, before she had any inkling there might be a problem. When her father asked to speak with her lucky intended, she had told him Jason wasn't there, and that she'd be sure to get him on the phone later. The phone fell silent on her dad's end. The silence threatened to overwhelm her when her father finally spoke, "Sweetie, you need to sign for the check and go home...right now." Something seemed suddenly wrong, and as she signed the check and ran out for a cab, her heart began to beat with a stridence that threatened to shatter her confidence at any moment.

All the way back to the apartment, she turned the whole evening over and over in her mind, with a slow twist developing in her stomach. As she stepped out of the cab, the doorman smiled sadly as he opened the door for her, touching the brim of his cap in greeting. She rushed in and nearly started crying as she got off the elevator and ran to the door. She went in, calling his name, rushing from room to room. His side of the closet was empty, as were his drawers in the dresser. The bathroom bore no trace of him, his razor and toiletries gone. As she went into the kitchen, she saw the note on the counter, weighted down by his key to the door.

"Sheila, I want you to know I love you, and I do wish you well. I'm sorry the ring was such a disappointment to you, but it was the only thing I entered my adult life with after my mother passed away, and I guess the promise it represents has always been enough for me. I do wish it had been enough for you."

As she sat there at the counter, she could only think of how her privileged life had made her blind to what should have been most important to her, and the bright lights of the City blurred as her tears began to flow.