ENGAGING

CONQUERING THE UNENGAGED

By Jack Collier

The Setup

One thing that I love about Ann is the way that she embraces my spastic unusual "ideas." Her easygoing embrace of the spontaneous and unusual is what helped make our engagement so special.

Prior to vacationing in France, I'd made arrangements with a photographer to capture the moment. I had a place, a time, and a picture of what the photographer looked like. The place, Pont de Bir-Hakeim bridge, isn't close to anything on our itinerary. How would I convince her to go there? We should be in dressy clothes for the picture - how could I make that happen? How would all of this fit into the timeframe I had planned?

I suspected that over-planning (coming up with an elaborate framework of false pretenses) would be suspicious. Instead, I decided to wing it.

RiSING ACTION

After a morning exploring the incredible catacombs (and drinking Ann's entire coffee after she asked me to hold her cup for a few minutes), I played my first card. "We don't have any plans until dinner. Let's dress up, buy some baguettes, a bottle of wine, and go have a picnic in the park!"

In moments, Ann is putting a dress on. She looks at me curiously as I'm buttoning my vest. "I'm down with dressing up - but perhaps a three-piece suit is a little much?"

I drop the vest, hide the ring in my jacket pocket, exhale, and we're off.

We grab supplies at the Rue Mouffetard market and head to Luxembourg Garden. A park bench sets the scene as we furtively sneak glasses of wine - as though we might get in trouble at any moment - and peoplewatch all of the blackclothed Parisians frowning their way through the park.

From there, we resolve to go to Musée d'Orsay to check out the impressionist collection.

At the entrance, I'm surprised by the unexpected. Normally, I'm not anxious about going through security checkpoints. At this moment though, I'm very conscious of the ring in my pocket as I eye the metal detectors that we're only a couple feet away from.

In a stroke of luck, Ann is distracted. As she is apologizing to the security guard for the empty wine bottle that she's carrying around, I have a chance to sneak the ring out of my pocket, hide it in my wallet, and pass it around the metal detector in the accessories bin.

Ann's last picture as an un-engaged woman

THE MOMENT

As we're wrapping up at the museum, I excuse myself to use the restroom. And by "use the restroom", I mean stand in a stall and frantically text the photographer that we're running behind schedule and will arrive at 6:02pm.

In a moment that I am not proud of, I told a lie. "Ann, I just heard from Jane and Mark! They want to meet up at the Trocadero before dinner. An Uber is on it's way to pick us up, let's go!"

"OK!" she agrees, once again embracing my stochastic decision-making.

As the Uber pulls up to the location - the pont de Bir-Hakeim bridge - Ann becomes confused. "I don't see Jane and Mark here..."

As I drag her from the car and try to recall my speech, she realizes that something unusual is afoot.

The next moments are a blur. I might have perfectly recited the speech that I'd prepared; recounting how we'd met, how we've traveled the world in adventure and glory, and how I want to spend the rest of my days with her. Or I might have stammered unintelligible nonsense for 30 seconds while her eyes got wider and wider. The history books will never know. The important thing is that she said "yes!"

Thankfully, the fantastic photographer (Sasha Dahan) caught the perfect memories that my brain was having trouble recording.

Finale

To top off the experience, our good friends Mark and Jane got engaged! On that same fateful day, at the same fateful time, she said yes at Montmartre. Together, the four of us spend the next week galavanting across France. We explored ancient Rouen, watched the sunset in Honfleur, and felt the weight of Omaha Beach and Pointe du Hoc. Mont Saint-Michel was one of the greatest things I've ever seen, and our relaxing stay at a chateau in the Loire Valley was the perfect end to an incredible trip.