"Do I... Do I look okay?"

"You look absolutely beautiful, Mary," I replied, keeping my voice even, "I mean... Wow... Absolutely gorgeous."

Watching her face light up was worth it as she stepped forward to kiss my cheek. Once she locked up, I took her hand and led her towards the taxi, opening the door so she could slide into the backseat, and walking around to join her. It was a smooth ride into the city, arriving at the restaurant around half an hour before the reservation time so we could relax before our meal.

I knew Mary was more nervous than she was letting on as she ordered a...