Becoming the Browns - Part 10

Because I’m feeling like a kid at Christmas waiting to share the next part with you…. You have to know what happened at the end of my year in grad school.

April 16, 2004.

It was the weekend before my last week of school.  Mr. Brown said he wanted to go out for a nice evening to celebrate the end of the school year, my internship & graduation.  So he said he’d pick me up at 5 and that I should wear something nice (like a dress – not common attire for a grad student).

When he arrived and I opened the door I was not expecting what I saw.  Mr. Brown was wearing … wait for it … a TUXEDO!  I had my suspicions that he might propose that evening but I was definitely not expecting formal wear.  This was a big night indeed! 

We headed down to his car and I got another big surprise… a stretch limo waiting for us outside of my building.  Yep… tuxedo, limo and…. chilled champagne inside.  Now Mr. Brown is not a man who drinks alcohol.  That’s not to say he has never had a drink but the few he has had have been selected for him and generally, he hasn’t enjoyed them.  So having a bottle of champagne (which I love) was a big step for him.  I learned he had consulted his friend Byron and his wife Karin for advice on a champagne that was sweet enough for him to enjoy and not so sweet as to cause your face to pucker.

After getting the driver (who was incredibly nice) to snap a few pictures (disregard the date stamp – the elder Mrs. Brown’s camera was off by a few hours) we hopped in and headed to an undisclosed location.  He wouldn’t tell me where we were headed.

I was thrilled when after driving for what seemed like forever we arrived at Morton’s in Southfield.  We both love Morton’s.  We’d had the opportunity to eat there a few times in Chicago and have yet to find a steak to beat theirs.  Mr. Brown let me know that the menu was completely open to me.  When our waiter brought the cart displaying the offerings of the day, I was instantly drawn to that gigantic lobster.  Imagine my surprise when he MOVED!  Yes, the lobsters on the cart are indeed still alive.  But not for long.  Soon a delicious, huge, 4 pounder was gracing my plate.  I think Mr. Brown had the porterhouse but I can’t say that I remember specifically since I couldn’t get enough of that tender sweet lobster with butter.  Yum yum!  If you’ve never had the chance to eat a full lobster… find an excuse.  It was heavenly.

We topped it off with wine and a chocolate soufflé.  I could have taken or left the soufflé (it was good, it’s just not my favorite dessert) but it was a nice finishing touch.

Now, the whole time we are eating people are staring.  We are clearly the most dressed up folks in the place.  And we are ordering lavishly.  There is reason to be curious.  Everyone asked what we were celebrating.  Mr. Brown, ever calm, stuck to his story that we were celebrating my graduation.  I, of course, kept wondering IF and WHEN he was going to get around to the real reason for the evening.  I had no proof but it certainly seemed obvious.  But we finished dessert and left the restaurant with nary so much as a mention of wedding bells.

Back to the limo and back toward home.  It seemed like a lot of money and effort just for a nice dinner out.

And there on the interstate, in the backseat of a limousine, Mr. Brown got down on one knee and asked me to be his wife.  What came next (now, now, get your mind out of the gutter)… tears, kisses, laughter, hugs and of course… YES!  I said yes! (I’m sure you guessed that since this is the story of the Browns… not of Mr. Brown and Mrs. Somebody-else’s-wife)

It was perfect.  While leaving the restaurant I had been a tad bit disappointed I was secretly relieved that we were able to share that special moment alone without the prying eyes of strangers.  (The driver doesn’t count… I’m pretty sure he knew it was coming.  I also think the divider was up.)  And of course, it had been planned all along that way.  Mr. Brown knew I wouldn’t prefer a public proposal.  And he also wanted to make it happen as close as possible to where it all began – in a limo.

We stopped at a park for a few more pictures and then headed back to my place to properly examine that sparkling lump of carbon. 

Oh – in case you’re wondering about the ring… it is a brilliant cut solitaire in a semi-cathedral setting on a medium-width 18k gold band.  Simple but beautiful… just like I had always wanted.  This was a man who took notes (at least mental ones).

This isn't my actual ring but it's a very close approximation.

And if you think you might be about to lose your lunch from the sappy romance of it all then hold on to those air-sick bags for another minute longer.  There was one last surprise for me.

The next morning Mr. Brown again spirited me away to an undisclosed location.  It turned out to be my regular salon.  For a prescheduled, prepaid manicure.  If I was going to be showing off that rock, I certainly couldn’t have shabby nails hogging the spotlight!

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Answers to a few questions you may be asking yourself.

Did Mr. Brown ask for your father for your hand in marriage?

Sort of.  My parents live in California.  Mr. Brown lived in Illinois.  He did not make a personal visit.  He did call and have a nice long chat with my parents.  Which if you know my father that is not surprising – he’s never been known for his brief conversations!  He told them he was planning to propose and asked for their blessing.  The exact details of that call remain a mystery to me – known only to my dad, Mr. Brown, and possibly my mom.  But they did know in advance.

Did you call everyone as soon as it happened?

No.  I didn’t make a single phone call until the next day.  I called my parents first, around 6 am their time.  I knew they’d be awake.  It turns out my mom had been up waiting by the phone for quite some time already.  She kept asking my dad if she could call me and he insisted that she wait for me to call.  We went to visit Mr. Brown’s family later in the day (after the manicure).  It was actually kind of funny because of all of the friends I tried to call no one was home except my high school best friend. 

What was the first thing you did as an engaged couple?

After Mr. Brown picked me up from the salon we headed right over to the bookstore so I could buy a wedding planning book.  That probably doesn’t surprise most of you.

How did Mr. Brown know what kind of ring you wanted?

I dropped many not so subtle hints.  And he had straight out asked me several months earlier if I preferred yellow or white gold.  My basic ring philosophy was to not waste money on side bling but instead to focus on the main attraction.  I was never shy about sharing that.

How did Mr. Brown pick out the ring?  How did he learn about the 4Cs?

First Mr. Brown bought a book about diamonds.  Then he consulted with Karin for her advice.  She liked to make her own jewelry and was pretty savvy when it came to looking at stones.  She brought her own loup on the shopping trip. It was a good investment of her time.  She helped Mr. Brown find a ring and her own hubby bought her one too!  As a side note, Mr. Brown actually purchased 4 rings but returned 3 of them.

How did Mr. Brown know your ring size?

He didn’t.  He had asked me several months before (just in case he ever needed it).  I hadn’t been sized for a ring in years so I told him what I thought it was (7.5).  Turns out that was way too big.  I took it to be resized the next Monday and had it cut down to 5.75.

Did Mr. Brown know you would say yes?

Yes.  I’m certain he wouldn’t have asked if he had been uncertain of the answer.

How did Mr. Brown think up the idea to schedule a manicure?  That’s brilliant!

This wasn’t actually his idea.  This idea was something I had shared with him many years before.  A coworker of mine had proposed to his girlfriend before they headed out to dinner.  They were late for their reservation because after he proposed she had to stop and paint her nails before she would head out of the house.  He suggested to all the guys that they should just plan on a manicure for their new fiancé to save themselves some headache. 

Why did you order lobster at a steakhouse?

Um… have you had lobster?  Steak is wonderful but…

If you've missed the beginning of this story, go here.