Of course I said "yes!" [part 2]

I walk over to Lexington Ave. & hail a cab down to Kristina's apartment in Murray Hill. I'm half expecting to find Jim's friends & family assembled on her rooftop, this being the final clue. I use the time to powder my nose & cool down in the open window's breeze. I want to burst, tell the driver that I'm about to be proposed to! BUT c'mon, he barely speaks English. He'll probably just nod, whispering to himself, "Crazy nutty American girl."

I call Kristina from the buzzer-door, asking for her apt number. She buzzes me in & I hop into the elevator, breathing deeply. She welcomes me in with such cute cheer, yet so casually. She hugs me, then gasps, "Oh my god! You're shaking!" I guess I was! I was inching into the apartment so cautiously, imagining people might be hiding in the bedroom. Kristina nonchalantly offered me to sit, relax, drink something cold, and freshen up in her bathroom. It only took about 30 minutes, but I calmed down a bit & cooled off. We chatted about everything, from makeup to dating, family, work and graduate school. Oh, and she also played me a voicemail -- which was an audio clue:

Clue #4 (paraphrased)
[Jim's voice] "Hi, honey. This is an audio clue, and it's also the next-to-last clue. See if you recognize these voices....."
[Jasmine's voice, Jim's roommate & band bassist] "Hey, girl! You know who this is? Come meet us where we first met! But where's the food?"
[Jax's voice, Jim's band keyboardist/backup vocals] "Yeah, there's no food in this place, man!"
[Nicole's voice, Jim's band singer] "Hey Carolyn! See you soon! Bye!"
[Jim's voice again] "OK, so you'll probably be getting here around 3pm. Bye!"

Wow. Again. This man knows how to plan! And I already know where this is going to end! So, it's down to Arlene's Grocery, a bar where Jim's band has performed a few times -- and the location where I first met Jim & saw his band perform that very first evening. To the Lower East Side, giddyup! Yalla!

No costly taxi this time; I have time to catch the subway. I ride the 6-train downtown & transfer to the F (after watching 3 D-trains pass, grrr!). I notice a text-message on my cell phone. Jim writes, "If the next people are running late, wait for them." Of course -- musicians, ya know... LOL! I get to Arlene's around 3:15 to find Jax waiting, trying to figure out how to relay the next clue to me. She manages to say, "If Jim were in this area, where would he be?" just as Nicole comes running out of a taxi, waving an envelope & blurting to Jax, "Did I miss it?! Did it already happen?!?" She didn't even recognize me standing there. Ha! We hug & she hands me the envelope. I open it to confirm the clue's answer is what I'm thinking, and it is. Six letters scrambled on six small pieces of paper:

A / A / B / B / D / R

D.B.A. Bar is where we had the actual "first date." We had first met up at Arlene's, and Jim agreed to join me for 1 brief drink at DBA before he had to return for the gig. He & I had walked the few blocks on that hot August day nearly 2 years ago to one of my favorite bars, as it's one of the only places I know that serves unique international beers like my favorite, Aventinus. Curiously, they didn't have it in stock that day, nor did they have Jim's favorite, Fuller's London Porter. So we both enjoyed Guinness -- a sign he might be a keeper! But I digress...

Just then, Jasmine appears with her SUV parked at a failed meter. She asks, "So, you know where you're supposed to go?" I reply, "Definitely! To DBA!" Jas confirms that I'm right, then asks, "So, you know where that is? Because we don't!" So we jump into her car & I direct her to 1st Ave just above 2nd St. Pure serendipity. There's a parking space right out in front.

I walk in, anticipating what's about to happen. I see Kristina through the bar's open window. Then as I step inside, I start recognizing Jim's aunt Terry, and aunt Angie, uncle Dominick, and there's Regina, and Chris & Amy, and Jim's close family-friend Charles & Galit..... I twirl around, having a hard time adjusting from the bright sun outside to the darker light inside, and taking everything in -- but looking for Jim... where is he? There are a couple of bartenders & a few patrons, but I don't see Jim. I'm smiling, trying not to appear "fake surprised" since everyone had to know I knew this was coming. But where's Jim? I turn around, and there he is.....

Down on one knee. He has the pretty curved, velvety red box I remember from the jeweller in his hand. And I think he's trying to say the words, but all I see are the tears welling up in his eyes. It's an instant reaction in me -- I well up with tears, and before he can manage to say anything, I'm incoherently mouthing, "Of course I will!" I just want to put Jim out of his "misery", the anticipation! I know it's not from pain, but the sight instinctively or inherently makes me want to reach out for him & kiss away all those tears.

Looking back now, I really, REALLY wish I wasn't wearing this shirt that makes me look like I'm 12 months pregnant!! Please disregard the overly poofy peasant blouse. I am NOT hiding any secret love-child. I swear.

All that he went through to put this together...!!?!? It simply overwhelms me. The thought, the planning, implementing, asking friends & family to participate (a full month in advance!), remembering the significance of each clue-site, the timing... Didn't I say he is amazing? Not to mention how incredible his family and friends are! He even tried to get my good friend, Michelle, to be there at the proposal -- but Jim & I didn't see each other for 2 weeks before this weekend, and he couldn't get Michelle's phone number until that morning.

Jim already had an Aventinus waiting for me (they had it in stock!) and a Fuller's London Porter for himself. In stock? Kismet! Jim tells everyone about each of the clues, how tricky it was to keep the plans a secret from me, the significance of each stop, including DBA Bar, and even brought the tank-top I wore on that first date. That story deserves a blog-post all its own, but here's the pic:

To cap the perfect evening, we then walk down to Little Italy and are treated to a wonderful dinner at La Mela (a famous Italian restaurant) by Jim's aunts & uncle, cousin Kristina, Chris & Amy. Amy & Chris then treat us to some excellent wine-flights in SoHo & great wine education. Jim definitely got his buzz on that evening! And rightly so, considering all the anxiety & anticipation he had been keeping secret from me for several weeks now!!

The newly engaged couple finish off the perfect weekend by briefly kayaking (for free!) in the Hudson River on Sunday afternoon, enjoying Jim's favorite pepper tuna sushi, and discovering some great homemade ice cream in Jersey City -- with flavors like avocado, green tea, ube, mamey, jackfruit... We had Coconut Almond, Vanilla Peanut Butter & Strawberry Cheesecake. YUM!

As my friendly doorman, Danny, said to us, "Now you'll have to really keep working to top that, for your anniversaries!" And like Jim often (jokingly) laments to me, he's just foolishly "setting the bar higher each time" without thinking of the consequences. Awwww! But you've never disappointed me!!!

And from what I've seen of his loyal friends & family, he has never disappointed them either.