Intermission // Van McCann

2. So Tell Me

I looked at Bondy with wide eyes as he looked between Van and I. Van was too busy putting his luggage in the trunk.

"Are you two engaged?" Bondy questioned. I nodded my head, unable to form words. "Congratulations! It's about fucking time!" He slapped me on the back and I looked at Van who stopped stuffing his luggage in. He obviously heard Bondy's outburst. "Can I see your ring?"

I held out my hand and Bondy held it, eyeing the ring. "It's a beautiful ring. Don't tell Van I said that," he said softly. He then raised his voice so Van could hear. "Van, where's the diamond? I need a fucking magnifying glass."

"Fuck off, ya git! You can't see shit!" Van shouted from the car. Bondy smirked, obviously satisfied at riling up Van.

"You're going to have to tell me everything," Bondy said to me and then he rolled my suitcase towards the car.

I went ahead and sat in the passenger seat. As soon as I closed the door, I remembered that I can't open the door from the inside and immediately regretted sitting here. Van went ahead and sat in the back, moving to the middle seat while Bondy got into the driver's seat.

"Oi Van, move to the side, would ya? Your big head is blocking my view of the back," Bondy called out, smiling slightly. Van muttered some obscenities but moved to the side anyway. As soon as Bondy pulled out onto the freeway, he began speaking again. "So where to?"

"We're treating you to dinner so you choose," I answered. "Just not Italian, please. That's what we've been eating the past two weeks."

"No, don't let him choose. He's going to choose the most expensive restaurant he can think of," Van complained.

"Who do you take me as? I'm offended," Bondy replied. "D'you see how he treats me? And you want to marry him?"

"Well, you're not the one marrying me so what are you complaining about?" Van retorted.

Oh, I forgot how much Bondy and Van bicker. Whatever chance they get, they'll take. It's gotten worse now that they don't live together. It's like they've been saving all their insults for when they see each other. I honestly wish Iván was here to tell them to shut up.

Eventually we made it to the restaurant. Bondy kept his mouth shut the whole time so we didn't know where we were eating until we arrived. Thankfully he chose a Thai restaurant. He could've done a lot worse.

The restaurant was slightly busy but we were seated right away. Van and I sat next to each other while Bondy sat on the other side. The waiter filled our glasses with water and left us alone to decide on what to order.

"Are you sure you even went to Italy?" Bondy asked. Van and I were confused at where he was getting at. "How on earth did Van go to Italy where it's hot during the summer and still come back pale?" I began laughing and Van scowled.

"Look Bondy," Van started, "I've got Irish skin so I melt."

"Oh yeah, I forgot."

The waiter came by to take our order and stepped away.

"So tell me how the proposal went," Bondy insisted.

Van and I looked at each other wondering who was going to tell the story.

"Why don't you tell him?" Van encouraged me. I'm pretty sure he asked me to tell the story because Bondy would interrupt him every few minutes.

I stared blankly wondering where I should start. "So we were in Riomaggiore, one of the five villages that make up Cinque Terre," I said slowly. "Van wanted to watch the sunset from the rocks down below so we began our descent towards the sea. I got to the edge and he took too long to get there so I turned around to see what was taking him so long. When I turned around, he was on his knee. I didn't know what was going on so I just waited for him to speak and he had this whole speech prepared but he forgot it because he was so nervous. And then he asked me to marry him and I said yes." The memory was still fresh in my mind and I had to take a moment to realize that that actually happened.