Blind Date: Two Years Later

Ben and I left the bar and went to a Chinese restaurant. We shared a large Shrimp Lo Mein and chicken wings; two egg rolls and two fortune cookies came with the meal. We talked throughout the meal, getting better acquainted. When the evening ended, he paid for the meal, like he promised, drove me home, and even walked me to my apartment.

"I had a good time tonight," I admitted, leaning against my door.

"Me too," Ben said with a smile. "I'd like to see you again."

"I would too, but I'm pretty busy."

"So am I."

We exchanged numbers to keep in contact and plan the next date. After saying our "good nights," we went our separate ways.

On our second date, we picked up where we left off, despite the three-and-a-half weeks between. We went to an Italian restaurant. He ordered Chicken Alfredo with broccoli; I stuck to classic Spaghetti and Meatballs. While we ate, we updated each other on the past few weeks. He still listened politely when I rambled on; I often felt bad for it.

"Sorry," I said, embarrassed. "I'm talking a lot."

"It's okay," Ben said with a shrug.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I like listening to you talk."

I blushed, not even bothering to hide it this time. The second date continued to go well and ended even better. He drove me home and walked me to my door again. We scheduled the next date in two weeks.

"Can I kiss you?" he asked. Admittedly, I was taken aback. Not by the fact he wanted to kiss me but by the fact that he asked.

"Yes," I replied with a smile. We both leaned and kissed only briefly at first. We had barely pulled away before going into a deeper, more passionate kiss. We pulled apart again, both gasping for air. We both smiled and chuckled awkwardly before saying "good night."

We had been seeing each other for months which eventually and quickly turned into a year. Our date nights became more frequent as our schedules became more opened. We met each others' families and had dinner at the same Italian restaurant. After introductions, drinks came, fueling the conversations. Our moms talked about our separate childhoods, including embarrasing moments we tried to forget. Our dads bonded over their love for movies and specifically talked about sequels.

"I'll tell ya," Ben's dad, David, said. "A good sequel, especially one that surpasses the original, is pretty rare these days."

"Oh, absolutely," my dad concured. "I gotta admit though: Top Gun: Maverick is definitely on the list."

"Yes! I was a bit skeptical at first, but the film really exceeded my expectations."

"And the guy who played Goose's son. Uh, what was his name, mija?"

"Miles Teller," I answered.

"Yeah, he's pretty good."

"And what about that Glen Powell fella!" David said a bit loudly.

"David," Ben's mom, Jill, scolded. "Lower your voice."

"Same goes for you too, Mark," my mom, Veronica, said. Both of our dads murmured apologies and lowered their voices. Ben and I looked at each other and smirked. I noticed he had been particularly quiet during the evening and that he was fidgety and deep in thought about something.

The evening continued along smoothly and eventually ended. We said goodbye to our parents before leaving in Ben's car. As usual, Ben walked me to my apartment, but this time was different. Before we kissed, Ben gently takes ahold of my hands.

"Hey," Ben said, timidly. "I want to ask you something."

"Okay," I said, suspiciously. "Shoot."

"How would you feel about moving in together?" I blinked a few times, stunned by this question.

"Uh...wow." I managed to say.

"Oh God," he said in a panicked voice. "You hate that idea, don't you?"

"No, it's not that. I just..."

"You think it might be too soon."

"Yeah, kind of." We stood outside my apartment in silence for a while. I was hesistant about taking such a big step, especially after how things were with my ex. Then again, Ben and I had taken things much slower than my previous relationship.

"If we were to move in together," I said, carefully. He looked up at me with hopeful eyes. "I'd prefer to move into your place."

"Okay," Ben said with a firm nod. "That's fine by me."

"Okay."

"So, is that a yes?"

"Yes." He immediately cupped my face and kissed me passionately. We broke apart after some time, out of breathe and happy.

In the next few weeks, I started moving my things into his place. We also talked about key factors such as, boundaries, cleaning habits, and financial situations, in between the transition. At one point, we clashed over how much stuff I had.

"Diana," Ben said with a exasperated sigh. "How do you have this much junk?"

"First of all," I said pointedly. "It's not junk."

"What would you call it then?"

"Various items...that I've collected over the years...that I may need one day."

"You need a globe?"

"Maybe." Truth be told, I probably didn't need it, but I was attempting to make a point. He sighed, took my hand, and sat me down on the couch.

"Okay," Ben said softly. "What if we get you a storage unit?"

"Uh uh," I immediately said, shaking my head. "Those places tend to lose stuff; I'm not risking it."

"What about your parents' place?"

"All the way in California?"

"Baby, we gotta figure something out. Because this is excessive." I looked around the apartment and saw the numerous boxes. I saw Ben's point; the space was unlivable.

"Okay," I said. "I'll call my dad and uncles; they can come and take some stuff to California."

"Great," Ben said, satisfied. "So, what all do you need?"

"Well...,"

"And I mean actually need." I rolled my eyes; he brought over a box from the kitchen. For hours, we went through all the boxes and chose which to keep. We disagreed about a few items; most of those items ended up in the "send away" pile. We ultimately decided that 60% percent of my things would be sent to my parents' house.

The first couple of weeks of living together went pretty well. While it was still an adjustment, our now combined lives seemed close to harmonious. However, after a few months, I noticed Ben and his..."quirks."

"Ben," I called, staring in the opened fridge and cabinets.

"Yeah?" Ben said, entering the kitchen. When he looked up, his eyes widen in astonishment then confusion.

"I've noticed a lot of this stuff is past their expiration dates. And by a lot, I mean...the majority of it."

"Really? I hadn't noticed." I slowly turned my head toward him with narrowed eyes and a look of utter confusion mixed with disgust.

"You hadn't noticed?" I repeated slowly, hoping he'd realized how ridiculous that sounds.

"I mean," he started, trying to find an explanation. "I'm sure most of this stuff is still good."

"Oh, really? Smell that." I pointed at a half-full jar of mayonnaise. He chuckled dryly and picked up the jar. I looked at him with my arms crossed; he carefully opened the jar. As soon as he caught a whiff, he gagged and slammed the top back on the jar.

"You were saying?" I said with a smirk. Ben put the jar on the counter and dried his watering eyes with the back of his hand.

"Okay," he said, clearing his throat. "I see your point."

"Mm."

"We should probably throw this stuff out."

"We?"

"I should probably throw this stuff out." I nodded firmly, patted him on the shoulder, and exited the kitchen.

After that episode, our lives finally felt officially blended, with some adjustments here and there. Within six months, Ben and I created and stuck to a chore routine and scheduled quality times and date nights. When I told him I valued my personal time, he expressed his understanding. He even started valuing his own personal time, something he wasn't used to doing in a relatonship. Additionally, we got our friends together for dinner and a game night. Holly smiled brightly, most likely with pride, as she was the one who encourage me to go on the blind date. Ben's friend, Danny, talked a mile a minute, which explained why Ben never minded my habit of rambling. Holly and Danny ended up hitting it off and exchanged numbers.

It has now been two amazing years being with Ben, and I am still in awe of how life brought us together. Though he was not what I expected, he became eveything I needed. The morning of our anniversary, Ben wakes me up with breakfast in bed. On a tray, there's a plate with french toast, bacon, and scrambled eggs, a glass of orange juice, and sugar free syrup.

"Good morning baby," Ben says, setting the tray over my lap. "Happy Anniversary."

"Happy Anniversary," I say with a smile. He kisses me on the lips while caressing my cheek. He continues getting ready for work while I say a quick prayer before eating my breakfast.

"I should get going," Ben says, looking down at his watch. "I'll see you later tonight."

"Anything special planned?" I ask curiously.

"Dinner reservations at 8."

"Mmhm."

"Then, there will be something special waiting when we get home."

"Oh? What is it?"

"Well, I can't tell you that; it'll ruin the surprise."

"Can I at leat get a hint?" Ben smiles beguillingly, kisses me on the forehead, and heads to the door.

"Please," I beg. "Just one?"

"I love you," he calls back, ignoring my plea. "I'll see you tonight." The door shuts; I sigh defeatedly and finish my delicious breakfast.

Unlike my usual work days, today feels like it's going by very, very slowly. I can hardly focus on my work because I'm eager to know about the surprise after dinner. Nevertheless, I focus as well as I can, which made time go a little bit faster.

After work, I call Holly and invite her to go shopping with me. Special occasion calls for a special dress. We meet up at the store her cousin, Kayla, works at. Upon arriving, Kayla brought out various dresses in my size. I end up picking a long red dress with a v-neck and a slit on the right side. Kayla rings up the dress; I reach into my purse before Holly stops me.

"I got it," Holly insists, pulling out her wallet. "As an anniversary gift."

"Thanks, Holly," I say with a small smile.

At 7:15 pm, I stand in front of the mirror wearing the red dress, beaming with pride. My hair is in an updo, and I'm wearing red high heels. I turn and twirl as I look at every angle of myself.

"Hey babe," Ben calls from the front door. "Sorry, I'm late; I had to take care of some..."

I turn around to see him standing in the door frame, his eyes travelling from my hair and face to the dress to the matching shoes.

"Wow," he whispers, setting his bag down. "Look at you."

"You like it?" I ask, suddenly feeling nervous. He nods with a bright smile.

"Okay," he says, clearing his throat. "I'm gonna shower real quick, and then we can go, okay?"

"Sounds good," I say with a firm nod. He gives me a quick peck on the cheek before heading to the bathroom.

We make it to our dinner reservation 10 minutes early despite the delay. Ben is wearing a white dress shirt with a red tie, navy blue pants, and dark dress shoes. We're sitting at our table with our menus; Ben orders us a bottle of red wine, which we lightly sip and enjoy.

"Are we ready to order?" our waiter asks.

"I think we are," Ben answers, looking at me. "Baby?"

"Could I get the steak, medium, with mashed potatoes and broccoli?" I ask. The waiter jots down my order and retrieves my menu.

"For you, sir?"

"I'll take the grilled chicken with grilled vegetables and rice." Ben says. The waiter writes down his order, retrieves his menu, and walks away.

While we wait on our food, my right knee is bouncing rapidly under the table. I attempt to slow it down or stop it but to no avail. I hope Ben doesn't notice, but my hopes are proven futile.

"You're feeling eager, huh?" Ben asks while casually sipping his wine. It's moments like these where I wish he wasn't a Psychology major.

"Can you blame me?" I retort. "You have a secret up your sleeve."

"Not a secret, a surprise."

"And yet, I still can't get a hint."

"Nope, you'll just have to wait until after dinner." There's that damn beguilling smile of his; what is this man up to?

Eventually, our food arrives; we pray before digging in. In between bites of food and sips of wine, we reminisce on the past two years together. Our blind date, meeting each others families, moving in together, and everything in between. Our cheeks are practically sore from laughing and smiling so much.

After finishing our meals, we split a chocolate lava cake topped with raspberries and vanilla ice cream. At one point, Ben somehow gets chocolate sauce on his nose.

"Come here," I say, giggling. I pick up my napkin and wipe it off his nose.

"Thanks," Ben says with a mild blush. The waiter arrives with the check; Ben pays for the meal with his debit card. Then, his phone buzzes on the table. He opens his phone and starts typing a response. The waiter comes back and returns Ben's card.

"Perfect timing," Ben mumbles under his breathe.

"Is my surprise ready?" I ask, teasingly.

"Yes, it is. Shall we?" I take ahold of his hand when he offers it, and we leave the restaurant.

"You're really not spoiling anything, huh?" I ask. Ben's hand is currently over my eyes as we go up the elevator to our place.

"Nope," he says; I can hear the smirk on his face. The elevator dings, and Ben guides me off the elevator.

"Keep your eyes close," he says before removing his hand off my eyes. I hear him unlocking the door; he places his hand over my eyes again once the door is open. He guides me inside the apartment and slowly removes him hand.

"Okay," he says with a sigh. "Now, you can open." I open my eyes, and I am immediately in awe. As I look around the apartment, I see red heart ballons, LED candles, and red rose petals.

"Ben, what...?" I begin while turning toward him. I freeze when I see him down on one knee with a smile on his face.

"I hope," he says, taking my hands in his. "It's okay if I keep this short and sweet." I smile and nod softly as my eyes start to water.

"Baby," he continues in a whisper. "You have changed my life for the better, and I only hope you continue to do so for the rest of our lives." He reaches in his pocket and takes out a little box. When he opens it, I am surprised to see my abuela's ring. A rose gold ring with a diamond halo surrounding a ruby stone.

"Diana Calliope Vazquez," Ben says, his voice shaking. His eyes waters as he grabs ahold of my right hand. "Will you marry me?"

"Yes," I say, nodding my head softly. Tears are streaming down my face at this point. "Yes, Benjamin Michael Dawson." Ben removes the ring from the box and places it on my finger. He stands up and kisses me passionately, his hands wrapped around my body. When we pull away, he caresses my cheeks and wipes the stray tears.

"You got my abuela's ring," I whisper, gazing at the ring.

"When I got your parents' blessings," he says. "They told me how much you loved it, so I thought it would be fitting."

"I'm glad you didn't give me a hint." We chuckle softly; he kisses my hand and pulls me into a tight embrace.