Navesink Bank had one water tower left. More for decoration or tradition than anything. Like that fucking creepy-ass clown.
The town name had been worn off by the elements for years, giving me a perfect, light blue canvas to put my mark on.
I didn’t do shit like roses, like jewelry. Theo wasn’t that kind of girl anyway.
But I did have my own sort of grand romantic gestures.
This was the one I wanted to get done to show her on her way home from work.
And when she was done looking at that, she could take a look at the ring I picked out for her.
You know, the kind of ring that came with vows, and agreeing to a future filled with a shitton of animals. And donuts. And under no fucking conditions, her tomato soup. A man could only eat that once and survive.
“Man, how’s she even gonna see it? It’s dark as fuck up here,” Seth said as he finally made it up onto the balcony, looking down at the city he’d called home his whole life. The one I planned to keep calling mine. And my kids’, when we decided to have some of those.
“That’s why we needed two backpacks,” I told him, pulling mine off my back. “One for the spray paint,” I said, opening his bag to pull the cans out. “And one for the lights.”
“You bought lights?”
“They’re solar,” I told him, opening the bag where they were already shining bright. “But they’re for after.”
“You’re a crazy fuck, you know that?” Seth asked, shaking his head.
“I do. It’s one of my more endearing qualities. Give me the black one first,” I demanded, taking the can from him and shaking it.
Black, for the writing.
Red, for the accent.
Her favorite colors.
“That’s fucking huge writing, man,” Seth said, sitting with his legs dangling off the edge, glancing back at what I was doing.
“I need her to see it from the ground,” I reminded him. And everyone else in town.
About half an hour later, the writing was done, and I tossed the spent cans back into Seth’s backpack, who promptly zipped it up and put it on his back.
“And now for the lights,” I said, grabbing the solar yard lamps and the extra large zip ties to attach the lights to the rail. “What do you think? Bright enough?”
“It’s stupid bright,” Seth said, already moving toward the ladder. “Come on. Let’s go before the cops come.”
I took another moment to check my handiwork before grabbing my backpack and following him down.
“Alright, yeah, I have to respect the vision,” Seth decided as we stood on the ground after, looking up. “You’re setting the bar kind of high for the rest of us now, man. We’re not gonna forgive you for this.”
With that, we went back to the clubhouse so I could wash off the spray paint, change my clothes, and grab the ring to get to the bar in time to pick up Theo after her shift.
“Why do you seem so giddy?” she asked, eyeing me suspiciously as I held out a helmet to her. “Did you order another food subscription box?” she asked. “Because we already have like eight different ones coming a month now.”
“That only equals out to two a week,” I insisted. “But, no, I just have to show you something,” I told her.
With that, she wrapped her arms around me, and we were off.
“I swear to God, if you are walking me up to a herd of llamas…”
“You would fall madly in love with them,” I finished for her as I led her blindfolded ass out of the alley we’d parked in.
“I mean, yes, but I don’t have time for llamas right now. Or alpacas,” she clarified.
“Okay, this is good,” I said, moving her into place, then stepping to her side so I could watch her reaction. “You can take it off,” I said, watching as she reached up to slide the blindfold off. “Look up,” I clarified when she glanced around, confused.
Her head angled up, and I got to watch as confusion turned to pure fucking delight as she saw the water tower.
I love Theo.
With a heart.
I’d heard about it in a song once. Thought it was romantic as fuck. And would be super cool for people to see Theo go from a girl loved by a guy to a married woman, to a mom, to an old lady still getting ass rubs by her horny old husband.
“Dezi this is so…” she started, turning to look at me, only to find me down on a knee.
“Fucking perfect? I know,” I agreed, giving her a smile as I flipped the lid of the ring box open.
Theo wasn’t a big jewelry woman in general. And she likes shit simple.
So I went with a platinum band with some small diamonds on the side and one big black stone in the middle. Since she didn’t like traditional diamond ones. I knew. I asked the girls to subtly ask.