Romantic Disasters

Romantic Disasters

LEADING HER ON

submitted by: Kristin Gratz

leading her on to a puppyThree years ago, my boyfriend at the time, started dropping hints that he had something up his sleeve. I started straining to think of what he could be doing. Well as the week drew closer to Friday, he had given me clues to lead me to believe it was the chocolate lab puppy I had always wanted. We also had a surprise for our best friend, I was picking up his girlfriend from the airport to come meet him. It was going to be a great weekend for both couples. Friday night, I arrived back with the girlfriend and she told me to go to the middle of campus and stand outside, she gave me a note. She drove my car away and I read the note it said, ” With the wind in your hair and the stars in your eyes, don’t move a bit, I’ll be right there.”  Out stepped my boyfriend from behind a tree. By this time my heart was all a flutter and I was so excited. As we walked in the moonlight, he asked me to reach into his pocket. I pulled out a dog leash! Ahhh. I was right! It was really short, so I joked, are you sure this leash isn’t for you? He laughed and said I was ready for my present.  

Finally, what seemed like forever, we arrived at his friends place. His friend said, I just fed him, but I put him back in the box, he was whining. I ran into the room, and saw a BIG brown box.  It had holes in it, I said why did you put him in a box?  That’s so cruel!  I reached out opened the box, expecting to see this little lump of joy, and I found a stuffed animal dog that sang, “how much is that doggie in the window?”  

Well heartbroken, still thinking it might be a joke and the real dog might be back at the house, I picked up the dog and there was a box and a card. Well, it was a ring. Not an engagement ring, just a ring. I felt so awful about being upset, I was trying so hard not to cry and to be happy. What girl wouldn’t like jewelry?  But I love dogs and I would take a dog over anything in the world. So he saw I was trying to smile and he asked what was wrong and I just started bawling my eyes out. I felt horrible. He was upset and he explained that he had to lead me on so I’d stop asking questions. Why couldn’t he lead me on to something else other than a real dog?! Eventually I cheered up, but we joked about that day forever, even when I finally bought myself a black lab puppy.