Six different courses, four of them vegetables.

When they were almost done with dinner, his phone rang. He looked at the caller ID and said to Evelyn, “It's Joshua. I have to take this.”

Evelyn nodded.

“Hey, Joshua He stood up from his seat, took out a cigarette and wiggled it. It was his way of telling her he was going out for a smoke.

Evelyn nodded again.

After walking out of the room, he lit the cigarette.

"Go ahead, I'm

Listening!"

“How's it going? Why didn't you call me? Or text me, or something!”

Since he was one of Sheffield's best friends, Joshua heard about his friend's proposal through the grapevine.

Leaning against a pillar in the corridor and smoking, Sheffield replied dejectedly, “She didn't say yes."

“What?! What was she thinking?"

"I don't know. It's okay. I'll make a bigger deal of it next time."

Joshua felt bad for his friend.

“Sorry to hear that. Hang in there, dude."

Sheffield smiled. 'm fine. If I let one rejection stop me, then could

I really say I love her? I'll win, eventually."

Joshua admired his persistence.

"Bruh, you're so in love with her."

"You know it

“Well, this is the first time it finally hit me that you're serious about her."

Sheffield pulled his bathrobe closer to him from the cold.

“Hey, I gotta go. I have a hot date that can't wait. We'll talk later. That cool?"

“Blowing me off for her, huh? That's okay. I'll probably do the same after I propose to Terilynn. We'll be so busy I won't have time to talk. You'll see!”

“You probably need your future father-in-law's approval. Let's wait till he gives the green light.”