Part 3 – Casino Night

She sat on the counter. Her legs dangled over the side. Swinging. The way that they do when you’re sitting on a counter and as short as Shauna is. It was there. Right on that counter top that he felt the word vomit creep up. The words sat there, on the tip of his tongue, like a bomb that was going to detonate. He wrapped his arms around Shauna, leaned in closer, and hugged her.

She could see it in his eyes. How much he cared for her. How he would do anything in the world for her at the drop of a hat. He pulled back, looked into her eyes, and said “I want to say it to you so bad. But I want to wait. I want to wait until New Years.”  Shauna held her breath… and her heart began to beat so loudly that she was certain that Dixie (her adorable pup) could hear it. He opened his mouth to speak, and then closed it again.

Was he really going to say it?

He opened his mouth again and started…. “I….” he paused. “Ugh. I want to say it to you so badly!”

The air stiffened. Time seemed to slow. Shauna held her breath as she carefully analyzed every detail of Jordon’s face. The slight smile in his lips, the tension in his arms, the adoration in his eyes.

“I…”

“I.. I adore you. There! I didn’t say it. I adore you Shauna.”  The biggest grin slipped across Shauna’s face. “I adore you too Jordon Lee Cooney.”

The truth was…

As badly as his heart wanted to say it, Jordon’s mind had different plans. He knew that Shauna was different. Just how much she meant to him, and he knew that when he told her he loved her, that he wanted it to be special. His heart set on telling Shauna that he loved her, and he knew exactly when he wanted to do it. On Shauna’s favorite holiday, New Years Even, in Miami.

So for the next few months, Shauna and Jordon continued to shower each other with words of adoration. They let each other know just how much they adored one another. Before they knew it, their trip to Miami had arrived. So they piled in a car full of Jordon’s family (some whom Shauna had never even met before), and they drove snuggled up in a packed-to-the-brim SUV, and the group made their way down to Miami. Half-way through their drive to Miami, the group stopped at a gas station for a stretch break. One of Jordon’s sisters grabbed a moment alone with her brother and asked him, “Where did you find this girl? Jordon- she’s a keeper.”

Piece by piece, it was all becoming more confirmed.

Together, they adored the graffiti of Brickell, drank frozen beverages on South Beach, and made a ridiculous amount of inside jokes. All the while, he watched her. He watched Shauna laugh with his family. Listened to her sassy personality mesh with his sisters’ as they ganged up on the boys of the group. And he watched her go with the flow, and he watched her be kind and compassionate. If there was ever a moment of uncertainty, in this moment, it was all confirmed.

Before he knew it… it was New Years Eve.

The ball began to drop, champagne was poured, and the group made their way to the balcony of their suite.

10…. 9… 8…

Shauna’s heart began to beat. She could see it in his eyes… was it going to happen?

7… 6… 5…

Jordon wrapped his arm around her, and held her tight.

4… 3… 2…

Grins spread across their faces. Excitement bubbled over.

1…

Jordon leaned in and whispered, “Happy New Year. I love you Shauna.” and he kissed her.  Jordon’s family cheered and chanted for them as she whispered that she loved him too. And in that moment, on that New Year, time stopped.

Ps- Did you read the previous post, Part 2. Fun Run? Well, we are ready to spilling why we titled it “Fun Run”. As many of you are catching on to, as the major Office Junkies that we are, Fun Run is a nod to The Office episode where Pam and Jim are finally officially dating. Like us, they kept it very quiet, and on the down low, for a bit before going public. Much like Pam and Jim, it was a relationship that began from an amazing friendship, and when it did finally move beyond that, it was an eager and long awaited change.

Up next is…Part 4. Threat Level Midnight 

 

Hugs and Lots of Love,

Shauna and Jordon