'Tis confusion!

VIP

Fast-forward to the night of October 3rd. I was standing ankle-deep in rejected concert outfit. Nothing felt right, not a damn thing.  Striped tights, ripped jeans, fishnets. Nothing excited me. I glanced at my phone. Five forty-five. Q was due to pick me up at six. I was about to text him, when the fun lit up in my hand. I looked at the incoming text and smiled. Once again, it seemed he'd read my mind.

"Heya gorgeous, hope you're ready for the night of your life. See ya soon."

I texted a quick reply.

"I'd be better if I had something to wear that I didn't suddenly despise. In about thirty seconds I'm gonna end up going naked."

The reply that followed was simply a line of the smiley faced emoticon with the bulging heart eyes.

I shook my head, and tossed my cell on the bed, grinning in spite of myself. In a sudden burst of...energy? Momentary decisiveness? I grabbed my purple striped thigh-highs, black lace mini, and purple EB tank. Purple lipgloss and a thick coat of mascara tied it all together. I swept my hair back in a high ponytail, tied the laces of my purple Converse, and went to wait for Q in the kitchen. I poured a couple of shots for us; a little pre-game to really enjoy the night. 

Q rapped on the door shortly after I placed the rum bottle back in the freezer. I ran to the door and flung it open. He laughed as he stepped in the house.  "Jeeze, and here I thought you were gonna be nude. I gotta say, I'm a little disappointed." I whacked him gently on the arm."Stop it. Or I won't share my shot with you." He shook his head. "You do know there's free booze there, right?" I nodded towards the shots on the table. "There's free booze here too, what's your point?" He sighed, then laughed a little. "Ok, ok. You really don't have to twist my arm. " He grinned as he passed me one of the glasses. We clinked the glasses together, then each downed the shot. "One more?" 

Q glanced at his phone. "As much I'd love to accept, we really shouldn't keep the limo waiting."

"That's a joke, right?" Q didn't answer. "Q...did you rent a limo to take us to the show?"

Q gave a non-committal shrug. "I guess you'll find out when you get outside." I nodded, grabbed my jacket from the chair, and headed outside. Q followed, pulling the door shut behind him. I locked the door, then turned back around and let out an audible gasp. There was indeed a black limo sitting in my driveway. I turned to Q. "You did NOT do this. Oh, my god. This is awesome! " Q was grinning like the Cheshire Cat. "This was a bitch to keep a secret, let me tell you. I want this night to be a lot of fun. I don't want us to have to worry about anything. Let's just enjoy the music, and each other's company. " He grabbed my hand and led me to the limo. I climbed in, and sank into the plush seats. "This must be what heaven is like," I joked to Q. He smiled. "If I see any angels, I'll be sure to ask them for confirmation." I stuck my tongue out. He grinned again, and off we went.

We got to the arena about fifteen minutes before the concert was set to begin. Q expertly led us to the VIP section, where we each grabbed a beer and chatted up a couple standing near us. Neither of them seemed to have the slightest clue who Brian was, which had to have been a relief for him. With Jokers getting more popular by the day, more and more people were beginning to notice when the guys were out and about. I could see, however, that the woman to the left of us kept eyeballing Q, and I had a feeling she knew who he was. I pushed her out of my thoughts, and focused instead on the company at hand. Q and I grabbed a couple more drinks before heading to our seats.

The concert was amazing, but I expected nothing less. I took what had to amount to two hundred photos. It really was an awesome time. Sharing such a wonderful experience with my favorite band and my favorite person was just...perfection. By the end of the night, I was exhausted, but elated. Q and I slipped through the crowds and flashed out VIP lanyards to the security guards flanking the backstage area. They nodded curtly and allowed us inside. We spent the next half hour chatting with the drummer and lead singer of the band before Q grabbed me by the elbow and pulled me away from everyone else. I was slightly tipsy and this point, and I admittedly wasn't the easiest to get away.

"Q...I wanna talk to the band mooore," I whined, pulling my hand from his. "C'mon." He shook his head. "Just gimme a second, alright? Trust me, this is much more important. " I pouted, but allowed him to lead me to a more secluded area. He sat me down on top of a large equipment trunk, and sat next to me. He seemed incredibly tense and nervous for someone who was in paradise. I waited for him to speak, awkwardly twisting the VIP lanyard through my fingers. Q cleared his throat.

"Mara. I know I've said this before, but I truly cannot thank you enough for putting up with me. You're the most awesome, down-to-earth chick I've met in a very long time. God knows what keeps you around, but I'm super grateful for whatever the hell it may be." He reached in his pocket, and pulled out a small black box. My eyes widened.  Q help up his hand. "Now, before you get too excited, this isn't what you're thinking it is. I'm not saying it's never a possibility...just don't wanna rush things too quickly, ya know? But these last eight months have been great, and I wanted you to have this. " He flipped the lid on the box, displaying the most beautiful purple ring I'd ever seen. "It's a promise ring," Q explained. "I want you to know, this thing we're doing... I'm in. I want you to know I'm always near, even when we physically can't be together. I can't have anyone scooping you up from under me. I promise to be there for you no matter what. I care deeply for you Mara. I hope you know that. " He extended the box closer to me. I gingerly took the ring and slipped it on my finger. "This is perfect. And it fits damn near perfectly too, how did you possibly get that close?" He shrugged. "I have my ways...Do you like it?" I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him close. "Are you nuts> It's beautiful. " I kissed him softly. He beamed, then motioned to a small table that held an abandoned bottle of champagne and two clean glasses (ok,  plastic cups.) He poured champagne into both, and passed one to me. "So, then...here's to us. And the future. And all that sappy stuff. "

I grinned and nodded. "Here's to us."