DISCLAIMER: I own none of these characters, and have borrowed some from other FanFic stories. (Thank You!)
This series is three months after "the kiss". Sam and Josie have been happily dating since then.
I have been inspired to write this series because of the many weddings I have participated in lately. And also by my newly found friends from the weekly chat room I have just joined. Please let me know what you think of my series by emailing me at [email protected] or by leaving a message on the message board. ENJOY�
* * *
It had been three months since what came to be known in Chicago as "The Kiss" happened. Tonight, Sam and Josie were to celebrate their anniversary. Sam had made reservations for a romantic dinner at Luigi's, which had fast become their favorite restaurant. Luigi's had always meant something special to Sam and, he believed, to Josie because it was the site of their first official date. But not only that, the owners were good friends of his and had welcomed Josie into their hearts as readily as he had.
So it didn't make much sense that Sam would be so nervous about dinner at a restaurant they had frequented so many times before�but then tonight was not going to be an ordinary anniversary dinner. Tonight, Sam was going to propose.
Sam swallowed a lump of nervousness from his throat as he tried valiantly to tame his unruly hair with his comb. The thought of Josie being his wife felt so comforting to him, yet the idea of having to ask her if she wanted to be his wife terrified him. He knew that he'd only known her for only a few months, well, five months and twelve days to be exact. But for the last three months, he and Josie had been inseparable and Sam found that he's fallen in love with her a little more every single day since.
'It's right that Josie should be my wife,' Sam thought, as he looked at himself in the mirror and patted some aftershave onto his cheeks and neck. 'I feel so complete when I'm with her. And I know that she feels the same way about me. And if we're so sure about each other, then what are we waiting for? So tonight's the night when I ask her to be my wife, my partner, my confidant for life. God, I just hope she accepts my proposal,' Sam thought.
Sam walked out of the bathroom and prepared to change into his dress clothes. Earlier in the day, Sam had scanned his closet thoroughly to choose just the right outfit for tonight. He'd decided on black chinos and a red lightweight V-neck sweater that Josie had bought for him. Josie always said that she thought Sam looked good in black, and he knew what she liked. He wanted to make a good impression on Josie; seeing that hopefully tonight would be an occasion she'd remember the rest of her life.
Once dressed, Sam walked over to his nightstand, looking down with both hands stuffed into his pockets. There it was, the little black box that held the engagement ring he would offer to Josie. He picked up the box and opened the lid. Inside was a one-carat pear shaped diamond ring with two pear shaped opal insets on each side all set in white gold. He'd had it specially made for her because he knew that opals were Josie's birthstone and that she loved them. As Sam looked at the ring, he began to imagine slipping it onto her finger, and how beautiful it would look on Josie's hand.
"I hope she likes it� Man, I hope she says yes," Sam whispered to himself nervously. Closing the box, he shut his eyes and took a deep breath. He was excited yet anxious at the same time. Sam walked over to the mirror and stared into it. Opening the box to the reflection of himself, Sam knelt down on one knee and practiced his proposal.
"Josie�will you marry me? No, no that's too common. Umm� Josie, we've been together for three months now and�no that's corny. Josie, marry me?" Sam smiled at the mirror, "Wanna get hitched or what?" Sam put his head down and sighed to himself. 'Oh, this is pathetic,' he thought to himself, 'I can't even propose to myself!' Sighing again, he decided he definitely needed more practice. As Sam was about to face the mirror again, the phone rang.
"Hi honey, it's me. Sorry, but I just got home. Gus made us all stay for that seminar at work. Are we still on for dinner at Luigi's tonight?" Josie gushed all in one breath.
"Hold on, Jos� Slow down!" Sam said with a laugh. "Yes, we're still on for Luigi's�unless you're too tired to go, that is. Then we could just eat in or something�."
As soon as he said it, Sam was slapping his forehead with his hand. 'What are you thinking!?' he thought, disgusted with himself. 'You can't cancel tonight! You made all those plans for Josie tonight!'
"I would never miss going out to dinner at Luigi's," Josie replied, the smile evident in her voice. Besides, it's our three-month anniversary� Or have you forgotten that, Mr. Coulson?" she teased.
Sam looked at the diamond engagement ring he held in his hand as its multicolored light glimmered back at him and replied solemnly, "Josie, trust me. I have not forgotten�"
"Okay� Well then, let me get myself together, and by the time you get here to pick me up, I should be ready. Does that sound okay, hun?"
"Yeah, sure. I'll be there in a while," Sam replied. "Oh, and Josie?" Sam paused, and then said, " I love you."
Josie, on the other end blushing, replied, "I love you, too, Sam. And I'll see you in a little while."
As Sam hung up the phone, he realized for the first time that Josie Geller could, after tonight be the soon-to-be Mrs. Sam Coulson. "Josie Coulson, Josephine Coulson, Josie Geller-Coulson," Sam recited out loud. "Hmm, not bad." Then he thought, 'But what if she doesn't want to take my name because of her career?' Sam then realized that he didn't care if Josie wanted to change her name to Minnie Mouse, just so long as she became his wife.
With that thought in mind, he looked one last time at Josie's ring, clapped the lid shut, kissed the little velvet box for good luck, and placed it in the inner pocket of his black leather jacket.
* * *
Josie glanced at the clock as she rummaged through her closet for that "special dress." She knew that it was only a three-month anniversary dinner, but to her it was a very special occasion. Actually, all of their anniversary dinners (only two others so far), Josie had dressed to the nines for them. "Sam will be here in ten minutes, and I still haven't found anything to wear," Josie said to herself in exasperation.
As Josie frantically looked through her closet again, moving systematically from left to right, she ran across the dress that she wore the first time Sam had kissed her. She grabbed it from the hanger and placed it in front of her. Josie walked over to the mirror and looked at herself. There she saw herself on that baseball mound, waiting for Sam. 'This pale pink floral dress that Anita helped me pick out was perfect for that night,' she thought. Sam had complimented her about the dress later in the evening after the kiss. He had told her how it was flattering to the contours of her body. And it probably didn't hurt that it was a little see through, she thought with a smile.
"This is it!" Josie declared with sudden inspiration. She thought, 'Sam has not seen me wear this dress since that night, so I'm sure he would be glad to see me wearing it again. Hopefully his memories of that night are as special as mine�' Josie slipped the dress over her head and let it drape over her body. She walked over to the mirror and looked at herself again. Then she started to think about that night again.
It was a night Josie thought would never happen to her, not to Josie Grossie. But there she was on that baseball mound in that beautiful pale pink floral dress waiting for the man of her dreams. Earlier that day, she had changed her mind and wanted to wear a different outfit. She was contemplating on another dress, the red floral one with the plunging neckline. But when Anita and Aldys arrived to help Josie with her make up and her hair, they had convinced Josie to wear the pale pink floral dress instead. Josie remembered Anita's words clearly, "Josie, you want Sam to fall in love with you, not your boobs!" Josie laughed to herself. Josie straightened out a crease of the dress in front of the mirror. 'Anita, you were right,' Josie thought.
Besides, Josie did finally get to wear that red floral dress�for their first anniversary celebration. When Josie had opened up her door for Sam to come in that night, he had stood at her door with his mouth hung open for what seemed like a century until Josie interrupted his thoughts with, "Umm, Sam would you like to come inside?" Apparently he had realized that he was gawking at her, so he replied, "J-J-Jo�Josie, you look so�beautiful. Captivating!"
Still looking at herself in front of the mirror, Josie turned beat red thinking about Sam's reaction. 'Hopefully, this dress will be okay for tonight,' Josie thought about her pale pink floral dress once more.
'Gosh, it's been three months now, and everything is going so well between Sam and I,' thought Josie. 'Sam said he's got a surprise for me tonight. I wonder what it is� Maybe he got that new after school Shakespeare club approved at South Glen South for the upcoming school year. Or�'
"Hey Jos? It's me, hun!"
Josie's thoughts were interrupted by a familiar voice from the living room; a voice that sent electricity down her spine. "I'll be right out, Sam. Just trying to find my shoes," Josie shouted from her bedroom.
* * *
Sam no longer had to knock when he arrived at Josie's apartment. They had both exchanged apartment keys a couple months back. As Sam was waiting for Josie, he could not help but think about what he was going to say to her tonight. Or for that matter, how he was going to propose to her.
On the drive over to her apartment, Sam had practiced in his head over and over again how he would propose to Josie. He wondered if he should go down on one knee, or both, or maybe surprise her by putting the ring in her salad, or maybe in her glass of wine. Sam's heart was pounding furiously. He was so nervous his palms were sweaty. After all, he'd never done this before.
When he had spoken to his sister Abby earlier, Abby had told Sam to just be himself. That it didn't matter how he asked Josie, just as long as he did it. Abby had also added with a laugh, "I will kill you if you don't ask Josie! She's perfect for you!" Sam had laughed at that thought. Abby, who had not even met Josie in person yet, loved her. They had spoken on the phone a couple of times before, but that was all.
'Abby's right,' he thought, 'I've got to calm down and relax. What am I so nervous and worried about? I know that Josie loves me, so why would she turn me down?' Sam's thoughts wandered. 'Would she turn me down? Would Josie actually say no? Sam, stop thinking that!' Trying to wrestle himself away from his fears, Sam remembered that just last week, he and Josie had been discussing how many kids they both wanted. They both agreed that two or three would be perfect for them. That thought ended as he'd arrived at Josie's apartment.
* * *
"You can do this, Sam!" Sam whispered to himself.
"Hmm, did you say something, Sam?" Josie asked as she entered the living room.
Sam, who was sitting on Josie's couch looking down at his feet, was startled by Josie's entrance. He looked up at Josie and stammered, "Uh, no�"
Josie walked over to Sam and gave him a peck on the cheek.
"Wow," was all that Sam could muster.
Josie watched Sam stare at her for a while. 'Sam had that same reaction the night he saw me wearing that red dress,' Josie thought with a grin. 'I guess this dress was a good choice after all.'
"Josie, you are so beautiful�you know that?" Sam stood up from the couch and walked over to Josie. He lifted up her chin and brushed his lips to hers, giving her a swift yet soft and gentle kiss. Sam pulled away from her and grabbed her hands with his. He spread both arms out and looked at her again in amazement. "Josie, everyday that I look at you, you are more beautiful to me."
Josie, now embarrassed, replied, "This old thing?" Josie knew that Sam liked this dress. "Thank you, Sam." Josie noticed that Sam was wearing the red v-neck sweater she had bought him. "You're not looking bad yourself," as she threw her arms around Sam's neck. Josie has never seen Sam wear anything red before and she thought he'd look good in that color. She was right.
Sam kissed Josie on her forehead as a thank you for her compliment. "Are you ready, Jos?"
Josie nodded, "Yes. Just let me get my purse and then we can go." Josie headed for her bedroom.
As he watched her retreat, Sam stood motionless, remembering the first time he had seen her in that dress.
There she was on the South Glen baseball field, waiting for him. As Sam was nearing Josie on the baseball mound, he noticed from the silhouette of the dress that it was somewhat see through. He could not believe how well she wore that dress�the way the dress formed and contoured her body. She looked very irresistible. And her wearing it again tonight made it even better. Almost as if it were some kind of good luck charm. The last time she wore that dress, it had brought them together. And so tonight when he proposed to Josie, he hoped it would again bring them closer together.
Josie walked out of her bedroom with a knit plum-colored shawl over her. "Okay, I'm ready."
Sam snapped out of his thoughts. He smiled at Josie and walked over to her. Sam grabbed her hands and brought it to his lips. He kissed the back of her hands. "I love you, Josie."
Josie gazed into his hypnotic green eyes and smiled. "I love you Sam."
Sam knew then that tonight would turn out to be a magical night. 'Maybe even better than that night at the baseball field,' he thought dreamily.
As they were walking out to Sam's car, Sam stopped Josie. "Wait here, Jos." Sam ran to his car and opened the passenger side door. He bent over as if he was getting something out. He stepped away from the car, still his back towards Josie, and then turned around. In his hands was a bouquet of flowers. They were wild flowers: assorted pansies, African daisies, poppies, and irises.
Sam walked over to Josie and handed it to her. "I almost forgot about this. These are for you."
Josie brought the bouquet to her face and smelled them. "They're lovely, Sam. Thank you. And they're very fragrant." Josie threw her arms around Sam again and gave Sam a kiss: not just a kiss�a long, impetuous, and ardent kiss.
Sam felt a jolt of electricity pass through him. Finally, after several moments, they stopped for some air. "Whew�umm Josie, we better get going before I change my mind about dinner."
Josie smiled at Sam, and then let burst out laughing. Sam joined along. They both knew that if the kissing didn't stop, they would never get to Luigi's. Then Sam thought, 'And I'll never get to ask Josie to be my wife.'
Josie got into Sam's car and settled the flowers in the back seat. Sam shut the passenger side door and ran to the other side of his car. Sam removed his jacket and also placed it in the back seat. He got inside the car, started the engine and drove to Luigi's.
Sitting next to Josie, Sam thought about how at the end of the night, they could be engaged. That thought brought a smile on his face.
"What are you grinning about, Sam?" Josie asked, amused. Sam still lost in his thoughts about his proposal didn't hear Josie. Again, Josie asked, "Sam? Hello, Sam, are you there?" Josie put her hand on Sam's knee, and finally Sam surfaced from his daydreaming.
Sam finally responded, "Oh, sorry Jos, did you say something?" He turned to look at Josie. She had a puzzled look on her face.
"I'm sorry, Jos, I just drifted off for a bit, I guess." Sam said.
Now curious, she asked, "What were you thinking about, Sam? You had a devilish grin on your face just now."
Sam replied quickly and nervously, "I, I did?"
"Yes, Sam." Now Josie was very curious and concerned at the same time. She thought Sam seemed so occupied in his thoughts that he had forgotten that she was in the car with him. 'What could he be thinking about? Why did he seem so timid just now?' Josie questioned herself.
Nervously, Sam finally answered, "I, I was just thinking about us. Y'know how happy these last three�five months have been for me. I guess I just got caught up in my thoughts, Jos. Sorry if I seemed to have ignored you. I didn't mean to."
Delighted with what Josie just heard, she replied, "No, you didn't ignore me. I was just wondering what you were thinking about." Josie paused. "I didn't mean to be nosy, Sam."
Sam grabbed Josie's hand in his and brought it up to his lips. He kissed the back of her hand and smiled. "You weren't being nosy, Jos. I'd never keep anything from you." Sam turned to look at Josie again. Now, she had a smile on her face. It now seemed that she was occupied by her thoughts. From her smile, Sam knew they were pleasant thoughts. That was a relief to him because he didn't want anything to ruin his surprise for her tonight.
Moments later, they arrived at Luigi's. Sam got out of the car and walked to the passenger side to open the door for Josie. As they were walking towards the restaurant, Sam realized that he did not have his jacket with him, actually the ring. He stopped Josie, "Josie, I forgot my jacket in the car. I'll be right back, okay?" Josie, who was not wearing her shawl, but was holding it over her arm replied, "Sam, I don't think you need your jacket right now. It's not that cold."
Sam paused for a moment then quickly replied, "Well, maybe it'll get cold later this evening when we leave the restaurant." He looked at Josie for approval. She then got on her tiptoes and kissed Sam on the cheek. Sam smiled back at her and returned to his car. He opened up the driver's side door and leaned around to the backseat, grabbing his jacket, which had slid onto the floor in a heap. Sam put the jacket on and ran back to Josie.
* * *
While Sam and Josie were on their way to the restaurant, Maria was setting up their special table for them. Sam had called Maria earlier that day and told her what his plan was for that night. Maria was so excited at Sam's announcement that she started speaking in Italian. Sam chuckled, not knowing what Maria was saying, but figured it must have been good because in between sentences, Maria was laughing and screaming in intervals. Then Sam heard Maria calling out to Luigi in the kitchen. "Luigi, Luigi�our boy is getting married!" Sam could almost imagine Maria dancing around the kitchen in her happiness.
Sam also spoke to Luigi, and had asked him to prepare something appropriate and romantic for dinner. Luigi, of course, obliged. "Anything for my teacher�and my boy!" he told Sam proudly in English.
So Maria had set up their special table near the back of the restaurant, closing it off from the rest of the room with wooden dividers and hung sheer window treatments over them. With the table set off from the rest of the restaurant, it was very cozy and romantic, with the room's fireplace set up just for them. In order to preserve the romance of the fire, Maria had set the room up with candles as the lighting and had faint romantic music playing in the background. Maria put wild flowers in a vase as a centerpiece on the table per Sam's request. She also sprinkled rose petals along the table and on the floor.
"This is perfect, Luigi!" Maria exclaimed to her husband proudly, her hands on her hips. "Josie is a very lucky woman to have such a good and handsome man like Sam."
Luigi patted her on the shoulder and with a smile replied, "Sam is lucky to have such wonderful woman, Maria. Not many like her�" Luigi had prepared his most prized recipe. It was a recipe from his grandmother, from the old country: al pesto gnocchi. This was a recipe he never made; it was not even in the menu. Luigi only prepared it for special occasions, and to him this was definitely one.
* * *
Sam opened the door to Luigi's for Josie. And there at the door greeting them was Maria. As usual, Maria came running towards Sam and Josie and showered them with hugs and kisses. "Oh Josie, you look so beautiful tonight. I love that dress; it's that same dress you had on when you and Sam kissed for the first time, right?" Josie blushed and nodded.
Sam feeling left out said, "Hey, what am I? Chopped liver or something?"
Maria pinched Sam's cheeks as if he were a little boy, and replied with a grin, "Sam, you look handsome, too." Sam gave Maria a kiss on the cheek. Now it was Maria's turn to blush. "Okay, you two, let me get you seated."
"Thanks for taking me and Josie on such short notice, Maria. I know that Friday night is one of your busiest nights here at the restaurant and we really appreciate it."
Maria was taking them to their table when they pass the booth where Sam and Josie usually sit. Sam and Josie stopped at the booth and called out to Maria, who kept walking towards the back of the restaurant. Maria turned around and walked back to them. "I'm sorry, but these booths were reserved for someone when Sam called so I made a special table for you both. Just follow me please." Sam and Josie glanced at each other and shrugged their shoulders. Maria headed for the back of the restaurant again, and Sam and Josie followed her.
As they neared their table, Sam and Josie heard a faint Italian music in the background. When they walked in, they were astonished by what they saw. Sam and Josie did not sit right away; they looked around the room and were amazed at how romantic and elegant the room was.
Josie, now bewildered, asked, "Maria, did you do this? For us?" Josie walked over to the table and bent over to smell the flowers.
"Yes. Do you like it?" Maria questioned.
"It's wonderful, Maria!" Josie ran over to Maria and gave her a hug.
"I'm glad you like it." Maria paused. "Well, I'll be right back with your wine and bread."
During Josie and Maria's exchange, Sam looked around the room. He was so surprised and amazed at how romantic the room looked. Sam thought, 'This is perfect.' He had called Maria earlier just to get a table and this is what she did for them. Whispering to himself, "What a perfect ambiance for tonight!"
Josie turned to look at Sam, "Sam, did you say something?"
Sam quickly replied, "No, I was just admiring the room." He turned to look at Maria and smiled, "Maria, thank you again. It's perfect; you really outdid yourself."
As Maria was leaving, she winked at Sam and gave him a cheeky grin.
Josie noticed, but didn't say anything. She now thought that something was going on. But what? Mentally shrugging her shoulders, decided to use the romance of the room to her advantage. Josie, who was standing by the fireplace, looked at Sam and pointed at him and with her finger, motioned him to come to her.
Sam stared at Josie in awe. She had a remarkable smile on her face that was driving him crazy. 'I love it when Josie has that come-hither-look on her face,' he thought. Sam also couldn't help but notice how see through Josie's dress was with the fire behind her. He could not help it; Sam swiftly crossed the distance between them and swept Josie into his arms for a passionate kiss. With his right hand free, he caressed Josie around her waist and hips.
Josie, swept up by the ambiance of the room, and of course, by Sam, kissed Sam back�hard. She ran her fingers through his hair and clutched the back of his jacket as the sensations swirled around her. She slipped her hand inside Sam's jacket, and was brushing her hand against Sam's chest and along his sides near the interior pocket of his jacket.
With a jolt, Sam realized that Josie's hands were inside his jacket and panicked. He didn't want her to find his surprise. "Oh, the rrri�" Sam stopped himself from finishing his sentence. Sam freed himself from Josie rather abruptly.
"Sam, what?" Josie was still recovering from their incredible kiss, so she didn't hear what he had mumbled under his breath.
"Nothing�is it me or is it hot in here?" Sam tried to change the subject.
Josie, who now was fearful that something was wrong, walked over to the table and sat down in the chair, and then finally spoke out, "Sam, is something the matter?"
Sam walked over to the table also and sat across from Josie. Looking at Josie, Sam realized that he might just have upset or offended her by pulling away from her during that intense kiss. He answered her in his most sincere voice, "No, Josie. Nothing's wrong. Honest. It's just that� Well, we were very into it just now, and standing by the fireplace� And well, I just became rather flushed�and look at what I'm still wearing." Sam held out the lapel of his leather jacket. "I just got very hot, that's all. I didn't mean to upset you." Sam reached for Josie's hands to comfort her.
Josie looking down at the rose petals sprinkled on the table, looked up and peered through the centerpiece of flowers at Sam. Josie thought, 'Sam couldn't be hiding anything from me. He looks and sounds very sincere.' But at the same time, something didn't feel right. She couldn't put her finger on it, but Sam was acting strangely tonight.
Still, she responded, "I'm sorry Sam. I wasn't upset�Why don't you take that jacket off then, silly?" Josie responded with a laugh.
Sam couldn't help but laugh either. He stood up and removed his jacket and placed it behind his chair. He picked up his chair and brought it closer to Josie and sat down in it.
Just then Maria walked in with a basket of bread and a bottle of red wine. She placed them on the table. "All right, here we are. The first course of the evening." Maria grabbed the wineglasses and poured the first glass with wine. As she poured, she told them, "You know, these crystal wineglasses were a wedding gift from Luigi's mother to us when Luigi and I got married." Maria picked up the other glass, and poured. "I think it was also a gift to Luigi's mother and father when they got married. They are one of the things we brought here in the United States from the Old Country."
Maria looked at Sam and Josie. "We don't use them much any more, because they have such meaning to us. But, since tonight is such a special occasion, I mean with Sam�" Realizing that she was about to give Sam's secret away, Maria quickly changed the subject. "Oh look at me, just rambling on like that. You two are here on a nice romantic dinner and I am ruining it already."
Sam sat quietly and watched to see if Josie had put the pieces of Maria's hints together and was relieved when she didn't seem to.
Josie replied, "Oh no, Maria, you are not ruining anything at all. I think that is very romantic. Don't you think so, Sam?"
Sam relieved that he was not found out, answered, "Oh yes, Maria, that is very romantic." Sam thought, 'Whoa, that was close.'
Josie picked up the glass and inspected it. "Maria, I hope some day, Sam and I will have a story like that." Josie looked at Sam and demurely smiled at him.
Thinking to himself, 'We will, Josie, we will.' Sam picked up his glass and brought it to Josie's. He gently tapped her glass with his and they both took their glass to their lips and took a sip.
Maria, knowing that this was her exit, walked out quietly. As she was walking away, Sam called to her and said, "Hold on Maria; we haven't ordered yet."
Maria walked back to their table and explained, "There's no need. Luigi is preparing something very special for you both. I'll go check right now to see if it is ready. Enjoy the wine." Maria left Sam and Josie to their wine.
"Sam, I'm glad you brought me here. I've always felt a kinship with Maria and Luigi since you introduced me to them. I like them a lot." Josie told Sam.
Sam agreed, "I know they like you, too. They are very kind people and look at what they've done to this place for us!"
"What did you tell Maria tonight was, Sam?" Josie asked teasingly, but she was very curious now. 'There has been a lot of odd things that have happened tonight since Sam picked me up,' Josie thought.
Surprised by her question, Sam answered carefully, "Well, Josie I, I just told her that it was our third anniversary dinner; and if they can squeeze us in tonight, seeing that tonight is one of their busiest nights. Maria said she'd fit us in somehow. And everything here that you see was done by Maria and Luigi. Aren't they the greatest?" Sam sighed, 'Great come back!'
Josie nodded in response. "They are great! You know Sam, I did mean it when I said that I hoped some day we would have a story like theirs." Josie smiled. She took her glass and took another sip.
"Me too, Josie." He said. Sam's heart was now beating fast. 'When should I propose to her,' he thought. 'When would be a good time? Should I do it now or should I wait after or maybe during dinner?' Sam took a deep breath and drank all his wine. 'I think I need more wine before I do it.'
Sam picked up the wine bottle and poured himself another drink. He looked at Josie and gestured to her if she wanted more. Although, her glass was only halfway empty, she gave her glass to Sam. Sam filled her glass with wine, and handed it back to her.
They looked at each other and smiled. They both had nothing to say at the moment to one another, but that was okay with them. They knew that silence between them was golden and magical. That silence was a moment for them to capture each other's presence. To know that words did not have to be said to tell one another that they loved each other. The silence and the romantic glances between them intensified the love and connection between Sam and Josie. It was almost as if it strengthened their love. No one understood it, but them.
Sam finally broke the silence. "Josie, I just want to tell you again, how beautiful and irresistible you look tonight. And I can't tell you how glad I am that we're here together, spending our third anniversary. Isn't it weird, I mean, how we got to where we are now? I mean, I never thought that I would have a bond with a student, but you weren't a student, I mean�" Sam sighed. "I'm babbling, aren't I?" Sam was now embarrassed.
Josie took hold of his hand and rested her hand in his. "Sam, I know what you're saying." Josie paused. "I do think it's weird. The turn of events, I mean. Who would have thought that you and I would be celebrating a three-month anniversary? Gosh, let alone, that we would be dating. Funny, how things happened, huh Sam?"
Sam nodded in agreement and thought, 'I think this is the time to�'
Maria interrupted Sam's thoughts when she walked in. She was holding a tray full of something that was very aromatic. Maria took one of the plates and placed it in front of Josie, then took the other plate and placed it in front of Sam. Sam and Josie looked in wonderment at the food. Maria then took two bowls full of salad from the tray and also placed it on the table.
"Wow, Maria this looks terrific. And smells so good, too!" Josie exclaimed to Maria.
Sam agreed, "Yes, Maria. My mouth is watering just from looking at it. You and Luigi have outdone yourselves again. Thank you."
Maria, in her typical style, blushed, but brushed off the compliment. "It was nothing�no trouble at all for my two favorite people. I hope you'll like it. Along with the crystal wineglasses, the al pesto gnocchi recipe came with us here. It's a special recipe that Luigi's grandmother concocted in Italy. It's sort of a family recipe." Maria said proudly.
Sam and Josie, very appreciative, thanked Maria repeatedly.
"Please, just enjoy the food and wine�" Maria grabbed the bottle of wine and shook it a little. "Looks like you two need more wine. I'll be back with more." Maria left and took the empty bottle with her.
Sam and Josie, who were by now entranced by the aroma of the food, took their forks in their hands and took their first bite.
Sam had never tasted pesto like this before, even the other pesto dishes that Luigi made in the restaurant. "Mmm, this is wonderful," he said in between bites.
Josie, who had never had gnocchi before, was stunned by how delicious and pleasing it was in her mouth. She loved it. She went on to take another bite and then another, then another. "Wow, Sam, this tastes amazing. It's great."
Maria walked back into the room with a new bottle of red wine. She poured them wine into their glasses. "So, how do you like Luigi's gnocchi? We're very curious because we're thinking about putting it in our menu."
Josie excited, replied, "Oh Maria, this is wonderful. Compliments to the chef!"
"Here, here!" Sam exclaimed, lifting up his glass. "Tell Luigi that this is by far the best dinner we've had in a long time�and that's saying something, at least for me, since I've probably had everything on the menu at least twice!"
"Yes, Maria. You should definitely put this in your menu." Josie told her.
Happy that Sam and Josie liked the food, she, joyfully, burst out in laughter. "I will tell Luigi you loved his recipe. Thank you. Enjoy the wine and the food." Maria was so excited to tell Luigi, she left quickly.
"I think we made her day, Sam," Josie said with a soft smile.
"I think so, too," Sam replied. Then he thought, 'Now, it's my turn to make your day, Josie Geller.' He picked up his glass and took another sip, then he drank the full glass of wine.
Josie noticed this and cautioned him, "Whoa, Sam, slow down. The night's still early."
But Sam was now feeling good. He was feeling up to "it". It, meaning the proposal. Maybe the wine helped him relax his nerves. He felt confident and sure of himself now. He was ready.
"Jos�" Sam began. "I need to talk to you about something."
'Uh oh,' Josie thought. 'Is he drunk? What's going on?' Josie now felt uneasy, but curious. 'Nothing ever comes good after starting with I need to talk to you about something�' thought Josie. Finally she answered, "Yes, Sam?"
Sam looked down at the table, then the floor. "I don't know how or where to begin, but to say that I love you, Josie Geller." Sam paused momentarily, then looked at Josie. "I think that there comes a time in a relationship that's going to last�when it needs to go to another level, and�"
Sam paused again.
Josie, clutching to her napkin and ringing it repeatedly, was now panic-stricken. 'Oh, gosh, Sam what are you trying to say?' Josie thought. She didn't know what to think. "Yes?" asked Josie.
"Well, what I'm trying to say to you is�" Sam stopped in mid sentence. He turned around to face the back of his chair and picked up his jacket. He reached into the pocket and felt for the box that carried the engagement ring.
"Yes, Sam, what is it?" Josie asked, a tremor in her voice. Sam's actions were starting to scare her. He was acting so strange and he seemed so nervous�
Sam, still fishing for the box, took his hand out of the pocket and checked all the other pockets of the jacket. When he could not feel for the box, Sam proceeded to check his pants pockets. It was not there either. Sam started to panic, thinking, 'Oh no! Where could it be?' Sam turned to look at Josie. There she was, looking as beautiful as ever, and waiting patiently for him to say something, and he could not find the ring. He didn't know what to say.
Josie stared at Sam, and waited for him to finish his sentence. 'He looks white as a ghost,' Josie thought. 'What is going on? One moment everything was great, then the next�Oh no! Sam's breaking up with me!' The thought made Josie nauseous.
Sam thought long and hard. 'Where could that ring have gone? I remember placing it inside the inner pocket of my jacket, and that's it�I've been wearing the jacket all night until Josie and I had that kiss by the fireplace, and that's when I removed it.' Suddenly, Sam looked at the foot of the table and frantically looked at the floor and around it, thinking that the box might have fallen out when he placed the jacket behind the chair. That's when it hit him.
"My car!" Sam exclaimed.
Startled, Josie slightly jumped off of her chair. "Sam, w-what about your car?" Josie demanded.
Sam got up from his chair immediately. "I'll be right back." Without any hesitation, Sam hustled out of the room.
* * *
As Sam was leaving, Maria saw him rushing out the door.
'Oh no!' She thought. 'Josie must've turned him down.' Maria ran after Sam and stopped him right as he was walking out the door. "Sam, are you okay?" she asked.
But Sam was in a rush to find the ring. All Maria heard was Sam saying, "No�" Just then some patrons had called out for Maria. They wanted their bill.
Sam ran to his car and opened the driver's side door. He quickly jumped in the back seat and started to feel around the floor of the car. Nothing! "Where could I have dropped that damn ring?" cried Sam. Again, he bent over and foraged for the box. This time he stuck his hand under the driver's side chair. Still nothing! Sam, frustrated, sank back into the back seat and held his hands over his face. "What have I done?"
'One more time,' he thought, 'third time's a charm.' He reached further under his chair, then finally under the passenger's side chair and nothing. As he was foraging under the passenger side chair, he glanced over at the clutch and the foot brake. Then he noticed that there was something under the foot pedals. He quickly got up to the front of the driver's side and pushed the seat back so that he can reach under the console. He bent over and reached for the item. Finally, he grabbed hold of it. From what he can feel, it was square and small. He brought it up so he can see.
And there it was. The black box that held the engagement ring he was going to give Josie.
"Josie! Oh my God!" With his realization that he had just left Josie sitting in the restaurant without any sort of explanation, Sam quickly got out of the car, placed the box in his pants pocket, and ran back to the restaurant. In his haste, he didn't even notice that he had left the car door open.
* * *
Meanwhile, as Josie watched, stunned as Sam literally bolted from the table, her eyes began to water. She could not believe what just happened. The man whom she loved more than life had apparently stranded her at the restaurant on their three month anniversary. What had she done? She thought everything was going well and that their evening was perfect. She could no longer hold back her tears. Josie put her head down and started crying.
'What happened here?' she thought, agonized. 'At one moment, Sam seemed like he wanted to tell me something then�then�he just took off.' All her worst "Josie Grossie" fears sprang back into her heart as more tears ran down her cheeks. She put her head down again and sobbed into her arms.
Maria, who just had her passing with Sam, ran in see Josie. There, on the table, she saw Josie sobbing uncontrollably. Maria walked up behind Josie and put her hand on her shoulder.
Josie, thinking that it was Sam, immediately looked up, and was disappointed to see Maria instead.
"Josie, what happened?" Maria tried consoling her by rubbing her back.
Josie looked up at Maria and shrugged her shoulders, and then finally answered, "I don't know."
Maria could tell that Josie was very distraught, and she decided not to ask any more questions. She took Sam's chair and brought it around the table next to Josie. Maria leaned over and gave Josie a hug. Josie straightened up from her chair and returned Maria's embrace. Josie, still crying rested her head on Maria's shoulder and started to sob again. Maria just held her and somewhat rocked her like a child. Maria knew what it was like to have a broken heart. She'd felt it before, long before she had married Luigi. But what she didn't understand here was why. Sam had called to set everything up special for tonight, and now he mysteriously vanished? Did he get a case of cold feet? She wondered. But then she realized that it was not Sam's style. He was completely in love with Josie. So then, why would he�?
When Sam finally entered the restaurant, he walked in to find Maria holding Josie. And that Josie looked like she had been crying.
"J-Josie?" Sam walked over to Josie, and knelt down beside her chair.
Maria and Josie separated at the sound of Sam's voice. Maria took a long look at him. Yep, he was still in love with her. There had to be some misunderstanding. With a simple nod, she got up from the chair and left them alone to work whatever it was out.
"Josie?" Sam asked again. He couldn't believe he had done this to her. To the woman he was just going to ask to marry. 'Why would she say yes now?' Sam thought. 'I'm a complete idiot�"
"I'm very sorry, Josie. I don't know what came over me." Sam knew. He was so caught up with the proposal and the ring that he had forgotten the most important thing about tonight � Josie.
Josie, looking down at the floor, could not bring herself to look up at Sam. He then lifted her chin up to look at him. Her eyes were red from crying and a trail of tears was still on her cheek. He caressed her cheeks with the back of his fingers and wiped the tears away at the same time. Finally, her eyes met his. It was hard for Josie not to look at Sam's beautiful green eyes. And vice versa for Sam.
"Josie, please forgive me." Sam asked thoughtfully. "Let me explain."
Sam grabbed her hands and held them tightly. "Josie, this night has been wonderful. The ambiance, the food, the wine, and especially you. Gosh, Josie. I wanted this night to be the greatest night you will ever remember. More so than the night at the baseball field." Sam paused.
"And now twice I've neglected you tonight. I swear that was not my intention. I actually had other intentions for tonight." Sam looked down at his pocket.
Josie finally said, "Sam, you scared me. You started off by saying that you wanted to tell me something. Right away, I thought that it was bad."
"Jos�" Sam tried to explain.
Josie interrupted Sam, "No, Sam, let me finish. I thought you were going to break up with me. You went on to say that a lasting relationship was bound to go to the next level, and that's where you stopped. All of a sudden you just got up and left. What else was I suppose to think?" Josie's eyes were now again full with tears. As she blinked, a trail of tears ran down her cheek. Sam brushed them off with his thumb.
"Oh Josie, I�I�" Sam tried to explain again.
Again, Josie interrupted him. "Sam, you need to explain what just happened here. Were you�are you breaking up with me?" There she said it.
Surprised by what Josie just asked, Sam laughed. Of all the things that Josie could have thought, nothing could have been further from the truth! He looked over at Josie, but she wasn't laughing. Indeed, Josie did not seem amused at all.
Hastily Sam tried to explain. "Josie, again, I cannot express enough how sorry I am for getting up and leaving just now. There's really no excuse, none whatsoever. But Josie, I had this thing all worked out in my head." Sam briefly paused. "Gosh, if only I could tell you, explain to you why I had to leave just now without ruining the rest of the night for us�"
Josie was now even more confused. "Sam, just explain it to me. Please." Then Josie thought, 'Ruin the rest of the night?' What could he mean?
Because he was so worried about how upset Josie was, Sam didn't even realize that he had reached into his pocket and brought out the black box. "Josie, I had to leave earlier because I thought I lost this."
Josie watched as Sam grabbed something out of his pocket and noticed the black box as he brought it out to show her. Her eyes widened. 'Could it be? No!' Josie thought, holding her breath.
Sam, still on his knees, grabbed Josie's left hand. He looked up at Josie's beautiful hypnotic blue eyes, and without any hesitation, asked, " Josie, will you marry me?" With his right hand, he carefully opened the box to reveal the ring.
Josie's eyes widened even more and her mouth hung open. She could not believe it! Sam hadn't wanted to break up with her�he was proposing to her!
"Josie?" Sam asked, clearly distressed when she didn't answer.
Josie finally let out a sigh. "Uh�Yes! Yes, Sam Coulson, I'll marry you!"
She threw her arms around Sam's neck and embraced him tightly. Sam quickly returned the favor. He then slowly released her and brought out the ring again. Sam removed it from the jewelry box and placed it on her left ring finger. It fit perfectly.
"Perfect fit," Sam said, kissing the back of her hand.
Josie looked at her hand in awe and admired it for a while, not believing this was actually happening to her. Tears ran down her cheeks again. But this time they were tears of happiness. "I love it, Sam! It's beautiful. I love you." She cupped her hands over his face and softly kissed him on the lips. The soft kiss sent shivers down Sam's back.
"I love you, Josie Geller!"
Sam, tired from kneeling, stood and brought Josie up with him. In earnest, Sam took Josie in his arms and kissed her passionately, not ever wanting to let go of this moment, wanting to etch it into both of their minds forever.
* * *