Nick and Sarah had been on the road for months, traveling the country on their dream trip.  They relaxed for a while in Vermont while they made their plans for the remainder of their little excursion.  Then they flew into Atlanta to pick up the Jeep, which they had left safely tucked away until they returned from the north.  Sarah ran up to it and threw herself onto the hood.

"I missed you, baby," she whispered and put her ear to the warm metal as if it would whisper back. 

Nick smiled as he opened the back and piled their bags in.  "You ready?" He asked her as they climbed in. 

Petting the dashboard lovingly, she sighed.  "Charleston, South Carolina.  Engagement rings, right?"

"Yup," he said as he navigated his way to the 20.  He knew that Sarah was travel-weary, to say the least, and was glad to take her to Charleston.  She had spent a lot of vacations there when her Grandparents owned a house on nearby Sullivan`s Island, and had already told him that she planned to fall asleep on the beach for two or three days straight after they arrived. 

"Where are we staying?" She asked.

"Some place your mother arranged," Nick told her.  "I wrote down the address."

Sarah nodded and turned her head to breathe in the warm Southern afternoon as they made their way east, and Nick was thankful when she fell asleep before she could ask any more questions.  She didn`t wake up until he turned off of the highway and onto the bumpy Charleston streets. 

Rubbing her eyes, she said, "With all the money in this town, you`d think they`d manage to fill a pothole or two."

"It`s part of the charm," Nick reminded her.  "Remember?"

"No," Sarah said, "It`s the reason everyone in this town knows the second their shocks start to go."

"But you love Charleston," he said.  "You said it`s one of your favorite places in the world." 

Sarah looked at him funny.  "It is," she responded.  "But I have to pee, and these bumps aren`t helping."

"We`ll be there soon," he told her.  "I think it`s just a bit further."

Looking around, she realized that they were downtown. 

"Nicky," she said slowly, "Where are we staying?"

"I told you," he reminded her.  "Your Mom arranged it.  I`m just driving."

When they pulled up at the 115 Meeting Street. Charleston, 29401, Sarah raised an eyebrow.  "Mom arranged THIS?" She asked.  "This is the Mills House."

"I guess so," Nick told her as a bellhop approached.  Nick pointed out which bags to bring in and led Sarah inside.  Pointing to a chair, he told her that he would take care of checking in.

"You`re acting weird, Nicky," she said, and made her way through the outrageously opulent lobby to the equally-luxurious bathroom.  Then she sat down in one of the antique-looking comfy chairs and looked around.  The whole hotel was very "Old Charleston".  It was as Southern as it could be without having an accent dripping with sugar.  Sarah had been in the lobby before, but hadn`t dreamed of being a guest.  It was one of those places that spoiled you rotten, four stars all the way.  People walked by in outfits that she imagined cost more than the Jeep, and she loved that Jeep like it was family. 

Nick came back to her several minutes later with their card keys.  He looked at her and cocked his head to the side.

"You, young lady," he said, "are woefully underdressed.  We need to get you showered and changed for dinner."

"Why are you being weird?" She asked.

"I`m not," he told her, "but I made reservations for dinner, and I don`t think cut-offs and flip-flops meet the dress code."

She stuck out her tongue and lightly kicked him in the leg.  "Fine, I`ll change," she said.  "But I left the Chanel in my other Jeep."

They went up to their room and opened the door to find that Sarah`s mom had gotten them a suite.  Sarah continued to look at Nick as he gestured to the bellhop where to put the bags.

As he handed the man a tip, Nick said, "Your eyebrow is going to catapult off your face if you don`t stop looking at me like that."

Wordlessly, she turned on the shower and got in.  Nick stepped in shortly after her and shampooed her hair. 

"Am I dying or something?" She asked.

"Maybe I just love you," he told her.

"Mmm-hmmm," she said.  "Then get my back, willya?"

When she got out of the shower, she pulled on her trusty cranberry-red Susana Monaco dress.  Stretch jersey never needed ironing, which Sarah considered the true indication that a dress is fabulous.  After digging through her suitcase, she found her red heels to match.  She didn`t say anything.  Nick was dressed and fidgeting with the TV remote.  She moved slowly as she put on her makeup in the bathroom.  When she was done, she leaned up against the counter and tried to figure out what was going on.  Failing that, she started picking at her cuticles.  After several minutes, Nick poked his head in.

"You`re deliberately lollygagging, aren`t you?" He was smiling when he asked.

She smiled without looking at him.  "Maybe," she said. 

He grabbed her hand and they left the hotel.  When they took a left onto Broad Street, Sarah knew exactly where they were headed.  17 Broad Street in Charleston.  The best restaurant in the world.  By the time they reached the door of Oak Steakhouse, Sarah was practically dragging Nick by the arm.  They walked into the former-bank/now-coolest-place-to-eat-ever, and Sarah inhaled deeply.  She looked to the left, past the bar and towards the kitchen until she found her mark.  Chef Brett McKee was the greatest chef—and one of the funniest humans—Sarah had ever met.  Born in Brooklyn, he never lost his accent.  He shaved his head and was covered in tattoos that were just barely visible around the collar and the cuffs of his white chef`s jacket.  He spotted Sarah and started to make his way toward her through the crowded first floor.  He hugged her and kissed her on the cheek.

"I heard you`d be here," he said.  "How`s the trip?"

"It`s great.  Tiring.  Fun."  Sarah looked him up and down.  "How`s your back?"

"The same," he told her, referring to a long-running disk problem that kept him in and out of pain over more than a decade.  "Pain in the ass."

Grabbing him by the arm, Sarah said, "You have to meet Nicky."

After introducing them, Sarah asked Brett where they were sitting.

"How the hell should I know?" He said, laughing.  "Ask the friggin` hostess."

They were led up to the third floor, across a small dining area, and, as they were about to enter Sarah`s favorite of the dining rooms, Nick stopped her and turned her to face him.

"There`s something I have to tell you," Nick began.

"Either you`re dumping me or they`re out of chocolate cake," Sarah said, a little shaken.  "It better not be the chocolate cake."  She looked around at the people eating in the small room, and they all seemed to be watching her. 

Nick laughed a little.  "Neither of those," he said.

"Then what, Nicky?" Sarah pleaded.  "You`re freaking me out."

"I want to marry you," he said.

"Yeah, I know that.  I want to marry you, too.  Now can we eat?" 

Nick looked at the floor, then back at Sarah`s face.  She looked confused, and he was impressed with himself for keeping her in the dark this long.  He shifted his weight and put his hands in his pockets.

"No, babe," he said, and took his hand out of his pocket.  "I want to marry you tomorrow.  For real."  He opened his hand and it was a ring box.

"Are you freaking kidding me?" Sarah screeched.  Then she noticed that Chef Brett was standing behind Nick with a big grin on his face.  She took the box out of Nick`s hand and opened it.

"This has to be close to two-and-a-half carats, Nicky!" She said.

"Close," he told her.  Then he shook his head.  "Wait a minute.  I think you`re missing the point."

She took the ring out of the box and looked up at Nick.  "And what, exactly, is the point?" She asked, cocking her head to the side.

"Will you marry me, here, in Charleston, tomorrow afternoon?" He asked.

"Tomorrow?"

Nick turned her and steered her into the dining room.  She saw her mom and dad, and all of the close family she really liked.  She also saw Nick`s parents and brothers and assorted aunts and uncles and so on. 

Sarah`s mom stood up.  "Nick planned everything, with a little help," she told Sarah, winking at Nick.

"So everything is done?" Sarah asked.  "I don`t have to do anything?"

Nick whispered in her ear from behind. "Show up," he told her.

She looked at the ceiling with tears in her eyes, then turned to face Nick and threw her arms around him, kissing him.  Everyone in both rooms clapped and cheered.

"Is that a yes?" Nick asked.  Sarah could see little tears even in his eyes.

"Hell, yes, baby!" She laughed.  "Hell.  Yes."

He took the ring from her and slid it onto her finger.  "I did okay with the ring?" He asked her.

"Duh.  Three stone, princess cut diamonds, platinum.   It`s heaven."  She kissed him again.

They sat down after getting hugs from the family.  Sarah`s mom was beside her.  In between grins and accepting congratulations, Sarah nudged her.

"What about the dress, Mom?" She asked.

"I picked out four perfect ones," her Mom told her.  "You pick the one you like."

"How awesome is this?" Sarah said.

When all the champagne glasses were filled, Sarah stood up and got everyone`s attention by yelling, "Yo!  Bride here!"

Holding up her glass, she said, "I want to thank you all for being here.  This is the best surprise ever.  And I especially want to thank Nicky, for taking the normal bridal burden off of me and, what, pawning it off on my mom?"

Nick`s mother yelled from across the room: "I helped, too!"

Everyone laughed.  Sarah`s mom also stood and said, "Nick did most of the work, but he is not qualified to pick out flowers."

"Not after that carnation fiasco," Nick shouted.

"To all of us!" Sarah said, raising her glass.

Everyone toasted and then settled down.  Chef Brett made his way over to her and put his hand on her shoulder.

"I took the liberty of setting aside a New York Strip for you," he told her.

"Pittsburgh style?"

"And medium-rare," he said.  "And more of the Chocolate Indulgence than even you can eat."

"You underestimate me, Brett," she said.

"Never," and he kissed her on the top of the head, making his way out of the room.

Leaning back in her chair, she reached for Nick`s hand.

"So where are we getting married?" she asked him.  "Or do you plan to surprise me with that as well?"

"No more surprises," Nick said.  "I don`t want you to burst into tears before the ceremony even starts."

Sarah pulled her champagne glass closer, held up one finger to stop him, filled the glass, and then guzzled it.

"Okay," she said, "Where?"

"I got permission from the new owners to use the backyard and the beach in front of it at your grandparents` old house."  Nick put his arms around her as tears slid down her face.

"You…are…so…awesome…" she sobbed.

"No, you ah," he said in his bad Boston accent.  It got her to smile through the tears.  She leaned against him and refilled both of their glasses.

In between appetizers and the main course, Sarah got up and went to talk to her uncle, who sat stoically and always looked serious, but was soft as butter inside.  Sarah`s father gestured for Nick, who went over and sat down on the windowsill.

"Gimme a hug, son." Nick leaned in to hug his soon-to-be father-in-law.  He put his hand on the back of Nick`s neck and held his face close.  Nick must have been expecting some kind of threat, because he recoiled a bit.  Sarah`s dad laughed.

"I just have to ask you, Nick," he said, "because I know that my little girl can be difficult to please…"

Nick interrupted and asked, "Is this going to a kinda weird place, sir?"

"Don`t be an idiot, son.  And thank you for bringing that into my head."  Sarah`s father lightly slapped him on the back of the head.  "Where did you get the ring?  It`s pretty amazing."

"Well, sir," Nick said, laughing.  "One thing that Sarah and I have figured out on this journey is that you can get one helluva ring and exactly as you want it, if you know where to look."

"And?" Sarah`s father clearly wanted a name.

"I got it online.  JamesAllen.com.  I knew what she wanted and they got it done perfectly.  I`m surprised your wife didn`t tell you.  I had it shipped to your house."

"Smart boy," Sarah`s dad said.  "Well done."

Nick smiled and started to stand up.  Sarah`s father quickly put his hand on Nick`s shoulder and pushed him gently back down to seated.

"I like you, son," he said.  "But don`t get me wrong.  If you hurt my little girl, I`ll hunt you like a dog." 

Nick nodded.  Across the room, Sarah caught his eye, winked at him, and held up her champagne glass.  Nick held his up and smiled.

He knew that their adventures together were just beginning.