The long drive from Amarillo was made even longer by Sarah`s insistence on "feeling their way there".  Bob, the poor, beleaguered GPS was put into the glove compartment so, as she drove the last half of the trip, she could find her way intuitively.

"What is this about?" Nick asked as they hit hour nine of the 8 ½-hour trip.

"It`s south and a little east, and it`s a big city," Sarah explained.  "How hard can it be?"

Looking at his watch, he said, "For you, no engagement ring in San Antonio, Texas."

"You have no faith," Sarah told him.

"And you picked the longest drive we have to play this game," Nick said, beginning to get angry.

"I`m driving.  Shut up and run the stereo." Sarah snapped.

Nick shut the 311 CD off altogether.  Sarah reached over and turned it up loud.

"Why don`t you just ask for directions?" Nick yelled over the music.  "You`re such a guy sometimes."

"And you need to pull your skirt, up, Sally, and relax," Sarah told him as she turned the music down a tiny bit.

They drove in silence for a while.  Then Sarah pulled into the parking lot of a Diamond Shamrock. 

"I`m getting something to drink," she said as she opened the car door.  "You want anything?"

"No."

"Fine."  Sarah slammed the door shut and started walking toward the store.  She paused as she realized that this was their first fight on the whole trip.  That had to be some kind of record for a young couple.  She smiled to herself as she pulled the door open.

When she came out to the Jeep, she filled the gas tank and then got in.  Nick didn`t say anything, and Sarah sat there, not moving.

"Well," Nick said, "Are we going?"

"I got you something," she said, handing him a bottle of water.

"Thanks," he mumbled, opening it.

She still didn`t move.

"What?" Nick was getting agitated.

"I got you something else," Sarah responded.

"Is it another girlfriend?"

"Better," Sarah told him as she handed him a detailed road map of Texas.

He smiled and started opening the map.

"Don`t bother," Sarah told him, "We`re, like, 10 minutes from the hotel, O ye of little faith."

Nick put the map in his backpack and leaned back in his seat.  Soon, they pulled up in front of the Hotel Valencia Riverwalk at 150 E Houston Street, San Antonio, TX 78205.  It was immensely cool-looking, as promised by Yelp.com.  The lobby was equally impressive, and they could hear fun going on somewhere nearby.  As they checked in, the clerk told them about Vbar, a popular night spot which happened to be in the hotel.

They went up to the hotel room, which featured a gigantic bed with a faux-fur duvet.  Sarah squinted to see it.

"Is it dark in here?" She asked.

"A little bit, yeah." Nick told her as he put his bags down.

"I need a shower," Sarah announced, then took off her clothes and started for the bathroom.  "Ouch!" She was suddenly on the floor and swearing like a sailor.

"What happened?" Nick asked her.

"I stubbed my stupid toe on the corner of the stupid bed," she told him.  "Turn some more lights on, will ya?"

After they were both showered, they were also desperately hungry.

"Should we go to the restaurant?" Nick asked.  "Or would you rather eat tapas and drink at the bar?"

Sarah raised her eyebrows.  "You know I hate tiny food.  We can drink at the restaurant."

Their server was so nice and patient as Sarah demanded "real-sized food" and "a beer big enough to swim laps in".  After she got through her first beer, she apologized for being a pain, but she was cranky from a long drive.

"You ain`t kidding," Nick agreed.  Sarah kicked him under the table as she smiled to the server.

They went up to the room and got ready for bed. 

"Careful now, Grace," Nick warned her.

Raising her eyebrow and grabbing the remote, Sarah said, "I am hoping for an America`s Next Top Model rerun marathon."

The next morning found Nick and Sarah at Sip, a coffee house right near the hotel.  They didn`t say much until after their first cup of coffee, then talked about the day.

"Tourist-y stuff first, I think," Nick said.

"Yep," Sarah agreed.

"Maybe look at some engagement rings today?" He asked.

"Sure," Sarah nodded.  "I found a store online that looks interesting."

"I know what we should do tonight," Nick told her.

"Oh yeah, what?"

"Ain`t tellin`", Nick said, and got up to get them coffee to go. 

They walked to the Alamo.  They knew they couldn`t go to San Antonio and not go to the Alamo.  They walked around together, checked out the chapel, went on a tour, and looked at the paintings, weapons, and a short video about the famous battle there, although there were, historically, many battles there.

Standing several yards away from the famous front of the Alamo complex, Sarah was craning her neck, looking in different directions.

"What are you looking for?" Nick asked her.

"Payphone," Sarah told him.

Without thinking, Nick handed her his cell phone. 

Sarah held it for a few minutes, waiting.  Nick watched her.  Then she dialed the phone.

"Hi, Dad," she said, "Guess where I am?"

Holding the phone out, she sang: "The stars at night…are big and bright…"

One guy, clearly another tourist and probably college student, clapped four times and yelled back, "Deep in the heart of Texas!"

Nick laughed and shook his head.  He could hear Sarah`s Dad laughing on the other end of the line.  Sarah talked to her Dad for a few minutes and got off the phone.

Handing it back to Nick, she said, "That wasn`t at all like it happened in `Pee Wee`s Big Adventure".

"Life seldom is, babe," Nick told her.

Nick shouted to the guy who had responded to Sarah and went to talk to him.  After having a brief conversation with him and the two friends he was with, he returned to Sarah, who looked at him quizzically but didn`t say anything.

Going up to view San Antonio, Texas from the top of the Tower of the Americas, Sarah took Nick`s hand and kissed it.

"Know who`s from San Antonio?" She asked.

"You know I don`t care, right?" Nick responded.

"Tommy Lee Jones," Sarah went on.  "He`s hot, and was awesome as Ty Cobb."

Nick didn`t say anything.  He knew she wasn`t done.

"Olivia de Havilland is from here, too," Sarah said, "but all I know about her is from the episode of MASH when Hawkeye had to wear the "OD" Officer of the Day armband and called himself `Olivia de Havilland."

Nick was determined not to give in.

"Also, Lara Flynn Boyle," Sarah continued.

Nick turned his head.  "That anorexic chick who was with Jack Nicholson for so long?"

Sarah smiled.  Then they enjoyed their 360-degree view of San Antonio for the amount of time it took to ride up and then down again.  Nick knew she was gloating on the inside.  He preferred it when she gloated on the inside.

Having silently called their truce, they walked hand-in-hand into a huge jewelry store that was known for its enormous selection.  Since they were recovering from their first major fight of the trip, they decided not to use characters in the store. 

As soon as they walked in, a man approached them.  Sarah almost took a step backwards, he seemed so happy they were there.

"Welcome!  My name is Ramon.  Can I help you find anything?"

Nick smiled.  "We`re looking for an engagement ring," he told Ramon.

"How wonderful!" Ramon`s enthusiasm bubbled.  He looked at Sarah and winked.  "Don`t want any surprises, huh?"

"Not when I plan to wear it for the rest of my life," Sarah told him, squeezing Nick`s hand.

"Do you have any thoughts on what you`re looking for in an engagement ring?" Ramon asked.

Nick looked down at Sarah, smiling.  "She likes something that looks simple but isn`t.  And she prefers square cuts.  Maybe a nice princess cut diamond with smaller princess cut diamonds channel-set in the band?"  He looked to Sarah for approval, and she nodded.

"My, my," Ramon said, "You DO know your diamonds, don`t you?"

"We`ve been looking for the right ring," Nick said, "for quite a while."

Ramon went behind the counter, asking them if they`d like anything to drink.  When he returned with two bottles of water, he began arranging rings in a display tray.  Sarah began looking them over. 

Pointing at various rings, she said, "This one is too big.  This one is too plain.  This one looks like that place that Superman lived."  Then she paused, picking up one and trying it on.

"That`s a one-carat center diamond, princess cut, as you can see," Ramon began.  He reached for the card that went with it.  "F color, VVS2 clarity," he read, "and the princess cut sidestones are each .30 carats."

"It`s nice," Sarah told him, looking at it from different angles.  "I`m glad I know what all of that means.  What does this one cost?"

Ramon smiled and said, "That ring is only $8,100.  We have some of the best prices you`ll find anywhere.  It also comes with cleaning, and you can also get a warranty on it for a very low price."

As Sarah put the ring back into the display, Nick smiled at Ramon.  "It`s lovely.  Definitely near the top of our list.  We just want to do a little more research first."

"Of course," Ramon told them.  "You should get as much information as you can.  You already know so much!"

Nick hugged Sarah close to him.  "My girl knows her 4 Cs."

"She certainly does," Ramon agreed.  "I think you`ll find our prices are the best you`ll find.  We`ll be here."

"Thank you, Ramon," Sarah said, holding out her hand.  Nick shook his hand as well.  "We`ll ask for you if we come back."

Smiling, Ramon said, "I`m confident that I`ll be seeing you."

Nick and Sarah went back to the hotel to rest, waking up in time to shower and get dressed for their night out.

They arrived at The Lion & Rose at 5148 Broadway, San Antonio, TX 78209 early so they could get a table.  When Sarah found out where they were going and why, she was giddy.  They sat down and ordered English chips with Guinness cheese and bacon dip, crispy onion petals, and variations on the pub burger.  Since they were at an English pub, even though they were in the middle of Texas, they drank Boddington`s ale.  They both had some Boddington`s stories to tell from college.  Soon, Sarah saw a familiar face.

"Isn`t that the guy from the Alamo?" She asked Nick.

Turning around to look, Nick said, "I knew we`d need more people for our team, so I asked if they`d meet us here."

Sarah got a tear in her eye.  "You know me too well, babe," she said.

Soon, they were joined by their new friends: Adam, Carlos, and Will.  After they ordered a few pints and appetizers, and the pub became packed with people, they heard the feedback from a microphone turning on.

"Greetings, friends," a woman, the Quiz Master, said, "and welcome to tonight`s edition of Geeks Who Drink!"  She raised her arms in the air as everyone in the room cheered.  "You already have your teams together, I hope, and we`ll start soon.  I am Angie, your Quiz Master tonight.  But first, the rules!" 

Again, a huge cheer came from the crowd.

"Rule number one," Angie began, "There will always be a dance-off in the event of a tie!"

Sarah reached for Nick`s hand and yelled to him that he would have to dance.  He smiled and turned back to face the front of the room.

"Rule number two," Angie went on, and the crowd went insane.  She shushed them by putting a finger to her lips.  "No douche-baggery will be tolerated.  If you cheat, you`re OUT!"  Again, deafening cheers.

"And rule number three: Never, ever question the Quiz Master.  Are we clear?"  Angie held her hand to her ear to hear everyone yelling their agreement.

She began a roll call of all of the teams who had signed up.  Everyone was trying to one-up everyone else with clever names.  She smiled and called out, "Up to Our Asses in Alligators?"

"Right here!" Nick yelled, indicating their table.  It was one of Sarah`s favorite phrases.  She smiled at Nick.

There were eight rounds of questions, including 2 audio rounds which were nearly impossible to hear and a visual handout round.  `Up to Our Asses` held its own, coming to a tie with `Can`t Hold Our Liquor`.  Sarah was disappointed that there would be no dance-off, but, instead, a sudden-death round.  They lost when Will prematurely shouted out that the killer whale had the largest private parts in the world.  Although she had only known him for a few hours, she reached across the table and whacked him on the side of the head.

"Leave it to a guy to answer prematurely!" She yelled across the table.  "The correct answer is so obviously the blue whale.  You are so buying our next round."

Will hung his head in shame and they watched as first prize was given to `Can`t Hold Our Liquor`.  Sarah got up to accept the $25 of bar cash that they won.

Angie said to Sarah into the microphone, "You knew that one, didn`t you?" and held out her arm so Sarah could speak. 

Looking at the crowd, holding up her prize, she yelled, "You bet I did.  What woman here does NOT know that?"

The women in the crowd all started hooting and hollering as Sarah returned to the table.

"Are y`all drunk yet?" Sarah asked Nick and their new friends.

They all nodded. 

"Good," she told them, "because I hear that the Go-Go Boys at Bonham Exchange are not to be missed."

They used up their bar cash quickly and headed out into the San Antonio night, so Sarah could dance her tail off at what was supposed to be one of the best gay clubs in town.  Although there was plenty more of San Antonio to see, Nick and Sarah knew they had the whole next day before they left, so they geared up for a good, long rollicking good time.