The Proposal
[Largely lifted from an email to my father. This post will be locked to friends only in about a week]
Sunday was a busy day for us. Micah had improv practice at noon, so while he was at the theater I picked up some chips and beer and then we headed to a pool party around 2pm. We swam, snacked, and generally hung out. From there we went to another friend's house to participate in a murder mystery dinner party. I've done these sorts of parties before, but was really excited for this one since most of the participants were improvisers, and likely to play with a bit more finesse.
Anyway, the mystery is set in a 1920s speakeasy in Chicago. I was playing "Baroness Ravioli," the mother of mob boss Don "Big Jim" Ravioli. Micah was playing the Police Inspector, "Neville 'The Nose' Nutella." Our characters had been having an affair, which they were keeping secret due to who my son was. The scripted, happens-right-away murder of the evening was that of Don Ravioli, after which all the players got some new information and a new set of objectives.
Well, one of my new objectives was to go public with my relationship with the Inspector. But before I could just start flirting and snogging him in front of the whole world I was supposed to TELL him that the upside to my son's murder was that we could finally go public. So I sidle up to him all flirtatious and tell him just that. He turns to one of the other characters and says, "Vicky, I'm sorry, but my heart belongs to the Baroness."
And then he gets down on one knee, takes a ring box out of his suit jacket, and says, "Will you marry me.... Shannon?" I got tunnel vision and started crying. There was that weird, horrible moment where I was still in character and he hadn't said my REAL name yet and was he really proposing or was this the cruelest joke ever? I vaguely recall saying yes at some point, and certainly I've been wearing the ring and making announcements, so we must really be getting married... but oh my gods, it still feels like a dream.
The ring's a touch small, so Micah dropped it off yesterday to get it resized.
Monday night we invited over a few of our close friends who had not been at the murder mystery or at the Mars landing party we went to after that. Sadly only three of them could make it, but the five of us sat down to a home cooked meal and had a lovely meal together. After dinner Leslie tentatively asked, "So... was there a reason you wanted to see us so badly tonight?" I had taken off my ring before they arrived, and when she asked I told our guests that I'd be right back. I came back wearing the ring (on my left pinky as it still was not resized). I sat down across from Leslie and Tiffany, with Micah on my left and Nate on my right. As I did so, I felt badly that Nate wouldn't have a very good view of the ring and might be a beat or two behind the girls in realizing what our announcement was.
I rested my elbows on the table, steepled my fingers Mr. Burns style and said, "You're probably wondering why we've asked you all here." The girls exchange glances and reply along the lines of, "Well yes, we did just ask." Meanwhile, Nate--who you'll recall I thought wouldn't see the ring right away--is already out of his seat and hugging me. Anyway, after that there was lots more hugging and just a little bit of ice cream.
Sunday was a busy day for us. Micah had improv practice at noon, so while he was at the theater I picked up some chips and beer and then we headed to a pool party around 2pm. We swam, snacked, and generally hung out. From there we went to another friend's house to participate in a murder mystery dinner party. I've done these sorts of parties before, but was really excited for this one since most of the participants were improvisers, and likely to play with a bit more finesse.
Anyway, the mystery is set in a 1920s speakeasy in Chicago. I was playing "Baroness Ravioli," the mother of mob boss Don "Big Jim" Ravioli. Micah was playing the Police Inspector, "Neville 'The Nose' Nutella." Our characters had been having an affair, which they were keeping secret due to who my son was. The scripted, happens-right-away murder of the evening was that of Don Ravioli, after which all the players got some new information and a new set of objectives.
Well, one of my new objectives was to go public with my relationship with the Inspector. But before I could just start flirting and snogging him in front of the whole world I was supposed to TELL him that the upside to my son's murder was that we could finally go public. So I sidle up to him all flirtatious and tell him just that. He turns to one of the other characters and says, "Vicky, I'm sorry, but my heart belongs to the Baroness."
And then he gets down on one knee, takes a ring box out of his suit jacket, and says, "Will you marry me.... Shannon?" I got tunnel vision and started crying. There was that weird, horrible moment where I was still in character and he hadn't said my REAL name yet and was he really proposing or was this the cruelest joke ever? I vaguely recall saying yes at some point, and certainly I've been wearing the ring and making announcements, so we must really be getting married... but oh my gods, it still feels like a dream.
The ring's a touch small, so Micah dropped it off yesterday to get it resized.
Monday night we invited over a few of our close friends who had not been at the murder mystery or at the Mars landing party we went to after that. Sadly only three of them could make it, but the five of us sat down to a home cooked meal and had a lovely meal together. After dinner Leslie tentatively asked, "So... was there a reason you wanted to see us so badly tonight?" I had taken off my ring before they arrived, and when she asked I told our guests that I'd be right back. I came back wearing the ring (on my left pinky as it still was not resized). I sat down across from Leslie and Tiffany, with Micah on my left and Nate on my right. As I did so, I felt badly that Nate wouldn't have a very good view of the ring and might be a beat or two behind the girls in realizing what our announcement was.
I rested my elbows on the table, steepled my fingers Mr. Burns style and said, "You're probably wondering why we've asked you all here." The girls exchange glances and reply along the lines of, "Well yes, we did just ask." Meanwhile, Nate--who you'll recall I thought wouldn't see the ring right away--is already out of his seat and hugging me. Anyway, after that there was lots more hugging and just a little bit of ice cream.