Penultimate Caf� was much better than its more popular and older sister caf�, the Ultimate Caf�, which was always crowded. Even during happy hour, Penultimate was far less cramped. One of the other perks of Penultimate was the new and up-and-coming artists playing on stage every night.

　　Ron had gotten to the caf� before me, so he told me to meet him on the roof. Walking into Penultimate, I noticed a rock band performing tonight. I didn`t have much time to stop and listen, so I just took down their name for later. Then I went upstairs to meet with Ron.

　　The roof was an awesome chill area with different couches, some tables, and even a bar. I grabbed a drink and walked over to where Ron was sitting. He had been writing on a piece of paper. "Tossing around some ideas?" I said, taking the seat across from him.

　　"Actually, I`m at a bit of a loss because I want it to be perfect for her, but I have too many ideas, so it`s hard to narrow all of them down," Ron said, crossing something off his list.

　　Taking a sip from my drink, I asked, "What did you cross off?" as I tried to peek at the notebook.

　　"Well, she loves alpacas, so I thought we could get some alpaca decorations," he said, writing something down.

　　"Oh! We could rent out some alpacas and bring them up here, maybe get a little petting zoo going. Although it might not work out because we might get scammed. I don`t really know the difference between an alpaca and a llama," I said.

　　Ron laughed. "I love the idea, but we`re probably not going to bring animals up here because they serve food and drinks." Ron started flipping to a new page and jotted down some notes. "Alright, you`re in charge of getting the decorations because I can`t tell the difference between llamas and alpacas either."

　　"So, I have to take the downfall?" I laughed.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

　　"I`m 95 percent sure she won`t notice, but I need someone to blame if she does. Don`t worry, the city buses drive slow, so it won`t hurt too much when I throw you under. By the way, how`s that dating app going?" he said, closing his book.

　　"Well, that profile you made me was something else. You should do all my resumes," I said. Ron chuckled at the idea. He`d find out later I was serious. Sitting back in my chair, I continued, "After swimming through the matches, I stumbled upon this beautiful girl. Of course, since she is out of my league, I had to enlist the help of Jackie."

　　"Oh, right, you work with Jackie. I haven`t seen her in forever. Make sure to invite her and tell that Jose dude to tag along. He was super cool," Ron said.

　　"Wait, you didn`t hear they broke up? Hmm, I guess not, because the last time you saw Jackie, they were together." It was getting windy and cold, so I took my hair out of my ponytail and put on my beanie, trying to warm up.

　　"Really? They seemed good for each other. What happened between them?"

　　"Well, I don`t really know the entire story. Maybe I should ask her why. They actually might get back together because she just broke up with her new boyfriend, Glenn. Get this, Glenn was apparently cheating on her with a guy named Terry."

　　"Wait, like the ice-cream company Glenn and Terry`s?" Ron chuckled.

　　"Exactly! They`re so cute! I wish Summer and I stayed friends, so I could still make funny seasonal jokes."

　　"When are you going to make amends with her?"

　　"I don`t know. I mean, I still talk to Vin sometimes, so I guess I`ll ask him how she feels. Anyhow, things are going to change with this new girl Ruth." A chilly wind kissed my neck, causing me to shiver more. "Can we pick this up next time? I`m going to turn into Winter if I stay out here any longer."

　　"Now, that would be a sight to see. Maybe we should stay a little longer." Ron chuckled. "But anyway, it`s good we`re ending early. I have to go to the mall and get the engagement ring re-sized. I saw it was a little bigger than the one she currently wears. Let`s pick this up Sunday when you`re free," he said, standing up.

　　"Let`s do it in the afternoon when it`s warmer," I said through my chattering teeth. We left the caf� and drove our separate ways. When I finally arrived home, I noticed I hadn`t checked if Ruth had texted back.

　　A single text had four laughing emojis and said, "You`re right. Maybe I should stop being so nervous." Oh, perfect. She has a sense of humor and is just as nervous as me. There`s no way I can mess this up.