Outrageous Proposal

Chapter 2

     Craig had always been that guy on campus that would hear about everything last; the bottom of the gossip pecking order. Yet to be the last guy to find out about his own engagement was a new low, even for him. He continued to stare at the screen and suddenly the work he was doing wasn't as important to him as it was less than five minutes ago. He didn't know how to respond. He couldn't contact Sandy, because he didn't have her number memorized. Craig attempted to get back to work, hoping that ignoring the problem would make it go away, but that strategy was an epic failure. It was about an hour later when the cavalry came running into his office, as the only other person who knew what was going on arrived. The moment he saw the engagement announcement on facebook, Alex had left his own job citing a family emergency and had come to straight to Craig's office. He could tell by the look on Craig's face that he had already seen the announcement.

     "You've seen it," Alex said as he walked in and closed the door behind him.

     "Yes, I have," Craig confirmed, "And so have all my co-workers on this floor. I wouldn't be surprised if the partners from the top floor come down soon to extend their congratulations since everyone else has already."

     "Relax bud," Alex said, trying to calm him down, "I can't imagine what you're going through right now, but I'm here to help."

     "No, you can't!" Craig said, as he was beginning to lose his temper. "What kind of loser proposed to his girlfriend of two years by text message?"

     "I get it," Alex said, nodding in agreement, "Only a total douche, a royal class turd would pop the question like that it like that."

     "And that's what I am now, a total douche," Craig said as he sank his head into his hands, almost on the verge of crying. "I will forever be the guy who was too chicken to propose in person."

     "But that wasn't you!" Alex reminded him, "So why aren't you telling anyone this rather important timbit of information?"

     "What makes you think I'm going to tell anyone?" Craig then asked.

     Alex's face was one of shock and disbelief. "You're not going to tell anyone? Not even Sandy?"

     "What am I going to tell her?" Craig countered, "I'm sorry you're all worked up about spending the rest of your life together, but that wasn't me. Just ask anyone out there, any attempt to retract a proposal is a dumpable offense. If I don't handle this just right, I could lose her. She's been talking to me about commitment for what seems like forever, which would make any attempt to retract it hurt even more. Even if I try to tell her the truth, she might think I made up the story to back out."

     "Damn," Alex confessed, scratching his three day beard, "I never thought if it that way. If she thinks you're making excuses to back out, your shit is going to be all over the front lawn by daybreak. This is kinda fucked up, bud."

     "You think?" Craig asked, with a pound of sarcasm. "Whoever this creep is, he must have read the texts Sandy and I had been exchanging and replied to them. We've been talking about commitment and taking things to the other step for a while now."

     "You were?" Alex said, somewhat stunned by the revelation. "I had no idea!"

     "That's just the beginning," Craig said, sitting back down on his office chair, "Sandy accused me of having cold feet. To be perfectly honest, she was right. I've been scared to take kick things up a notch."

     "Holy crap, dude," Alex said, sitting down on a chair in front of his brother's desk. "Is there any way this could get worse?"

     Craig looked back up at his brother. "Why did you say that?"