"Just Dinner"

N, a good friend from Birmingham, and I had been trying to set up a dinner or lunch to hang out, catch up, and just chat, but our schedules have been crazy, so it wasn't a surprise to me that, a week ago, she asked me to have dinner this past Tuesday night at the restaurants below her loft apartment. "Come up when you get here," she said. "I got some new things for the apartment I want to show you."

Yesterday was a long day, so I was really looking forward to a nice glass of wine and a good dinner. I left work at 6:30 and almost called N to see if we could move dinner up, then thought better of it and ran a few errands before it was time to meet.

I got to the complex at about 7:20, my inner monologue running nuts...You're early, go walk around for a few minutes, then call her. She's back in school so she may be coming from the library. Who are we kidding? N's always ready early, just call now!

I shrugged off my inner dialogue (both sides) and went straight to the call box in the underground parking lot. To call N, I had to either know her apartment number (which I didn't) or the name on her lease (she sublets, so I definitely didn't know that). Sent a text, but I had zero reception, so I started hiking up the concrete ramp so I could get my cell to pick up. On the way, I looked to the right and saw J's car, another friend of ours with a big orange "P" sticker on the back of her Jeep. Hard to miss!

Peering under the safety rails, I looked and noticed J sitting in her car. Should I go knock on her window? See what she's doing here? That would scare the hell out of me. Maybe I'll just go before I'm late. So I call Nina to ask her the apartment number and tell her that I'd seen J. "Oh yeah," she replied, "I think she had Bible study tonight for her teens." She told me to keep walking up the ramp and go around to the side entrance and dial the numbers.

I typed in the numbers for a Ms. Mason and called once, but the call box hung up on me. N called my cell and said, "I'm so sorry--I think I hung up on you! Do it again." So I did, and I got in. I took the elevator to the fourth floor and wandered through the hotel-like hallways to find her room.

N was waiting outside the door (it is a little wind-ey in there) and ushered me in to her loft, which smelled amazing. I rounded the corner and there were our other three friends, K, L, and J, all holding wine glasses or Champagne flutes and smiling. There were presents on the table, a potpie in the oven, and fresh-baked brownies waiting on the counter. Surprise! Engagement party! I was shocked. They were really shocked that I was so shocked. Surely I'd known, but I promise I had no clue.

We spent the next three or four hours sharing a cheese plate, eating L's famous chicken potpie, drinking Champagne and wine, and laughing our tails off about what's been going on in the past few weeks. I love these girls, and I love them even more for helping me celebrate with such a memorable night.

After dinner, I opened up the sweetest card and then two presents--J gave me a sweet, delicate china cup and saucer set, a family tradition in her crowd for newly engaged brides-to-be, and, as if that wasn't enough, they all purchased gorgeous toasting flutes for B and I to use at the reception, and for many more happy occasions in the future. If I hadn't been so surprised, I would've cried. A lot.

We spent the next hour or so munching on brownies and ice cream, polishing off another bottle or so of red wine, and just catching up. What a perfect night. What perfect friends! I'm very lucky to have such wonderful girlfriends in my life, this I know for sure...