On 12 February 2004, I was told to pack a suitcase as ‘we’re going away’. Bikinis or jumpers? Jumpers and good walking shoes, oh…. and pack your posh frock! I thought London or Scotland and we headed southbound on the M1 so I decided it had to be London. I wasn’t well so I fell asleep in the car and a woke to be greeted by Heathrow! I still had no idea of what was coming and I’m normally the organiser. Justin hadn’t written the luggage tags so I couldn’t sneak a peak and find out where we were off to. We arrived at check-in and he asked me to write two tags and produced a confirmation letter saying ‘Destination…John F Kennedy Airport, New York. Final Destination…The Hilton!’ Pinch me…I’m dreaming!
We’d been together for eight years and moved in together two years previously. I organised everything, kept a check on the banking and pretty much sorted everything out – which suited us both, so how had be paid for such an extravagant trip? He’d been saving £50 a week on the sly for ages (clearly I’m no good at the banking!) so I wouldn’t see credit card bills roll in with a ticket for two to the states!
Two days later on 14 February we were standing at the top of the Empire State Building and decided to get back to the hotel as it was so cold. We got back to the hotel and nodded off. That evening Justin said that we were booked into a place called ‘Town’ on east 56 Street for dinner and I was to wear my posh frock. It was a wonderfully intimate place. We sat down for dinner and we were talking about what a great trip it had been and that we must come back and to see more. Then Justin said ‘There would be something that would make it really special, if you would marry me?’ and produced a sparkler! Jaw dropping, heart pounding and dry mouthiness all at the same time, I felt like crying, of course I would, I couldn’t stop smiling. An American couple said in the loudest voice possible ‘was that a proposal?’ and the whole restaurant downed tools and glared with that half cocked head with an ‘ahhh’ look in their eyes. When our pudding arrived the word ‘congratulations’ in was written in chocolate across the plate accompanied by the sound of a cork popping, a glass of champagne (on the house). I was on the highest cloud imaginable. Not only had Justin proposed, he’d done it in complete style. It was too late to phone everyone and explain so we put our jeans on and got completely obliterated at the bar!
We are getting married on 27 May 2006 and I can’t wait!!
