The Un-Proposal

Act 1

A small wooden cabin was sitting vacant in a wooded mountain area. Beautiful colorful leaves fell off the trees as a constant sound of crunching filled the air. A man wearing a tan trench coat and a brown scarf was helping a woman walk up the road having covered her eyes with his hand.

He was behind her with one hand on her hip. She was giggling afraid of falling.
“Don’t worry. I got you” he said in a soft deep monotone voice.
“Don’t let go” she shouted with a smile.
He continued to direct her to the front of the cabin. It was slightly rickety due to weather conditions but it was still cute and quaint.

“Okay, ssstttoooppp right here” he elongated the word stop.
“Waylon..Can I open my eyes now” she begged?
He laughs.
“Yeah, in 3..2..1” he counted down while he removed his hand.

She opened her eyes and her curious smile fell into a blissful smile.
“Aww. Waylon”.
She looked at him with admiration in her eyes.
“Look, I know I’ve been caught up at work a lot and lately things have been a little…tense between us. But I love you Joy and I felt like we needed a break from the outside world.”
She stood there looking at him than looking back at the cabin and taking in this romantic moment.

“I remember you said your favorite memory with your parents were when you would go to your vacation cabin up the mountains, so…”
She shook her head in disbelief.
“I can’t believe you did this for me” she said.
She walked over to him falling into his arms.


Act 2

The next morning Waylon was in the kitchen cooking breakfast while Joy slept in. She walked in stretching seeming like she was refreshed free of stress. He smiled at her holding a spatula.
“Good morning” she said hugging him from behind.
“This is a change of scenery. You cooking me breakfast” she added.
He flipped the pancakes and put the spatula down. He turned and held her back. As a joke he sang a lyric from an Usher song…
“That’s cause we’re trading places”.
She laughed and gave him a kiss. She let him go and walked to the table to sit down.

“So, what are we having”?
Waylon plated the food and walked over with hers.
“Pancakes, bacon, and, eggs with coffee” he said as he poured her a cup.
He sat down across from her beginning to eat. She broke the silence to questioned him about their plans for the day.
“I figured we could drive into town. Maybe stop at a few antique store.”
“Ooo. I like that”.
He nodded.
“Then maybe stop at the market to buy something to make for dinner. Whatever you like.”
“Lobster” she added.
“Maybe…And we can come back here spend sometime together. Light the fire place, watch a movie”.
“Sounds romantic” she reached over and gave him another kiss “what did I do to deserve this” she said jokingly?

Once Joy became preoccupied with eating Waylon dug in his pocket and pulled out a ring box. He took a nervous breathe before shoving it back in his pocket and masked his nervous face with a smile and they continued to finish breakfast.

Act 3


While in town Joy was enjoying herself but every 30 minutes Waylon’s phone would go off. He would decline the call but it would start bothering her. She had thought they came to the cabin to get away from work but it just sort of followed them.
“Oh, babe. Let’s take a picture by the wishing fountain.”
She ran over pulling him along.
“Do you have a quarter? I want to make a wish”.
As he was checking for a quarter his phone rang once more. Even though he declined Joy grew angry and was already over it. He went to hand her the coin but she pushed his hand away.
“Let’s just go” she said with an attitude.

He knew he was being quite the buzzkill but he wanted to try to make it up to her but before he did that he closed his eyes and made his own wish. He flipped the coin into the fountain and Joy watched from the car. When he walks over to her he tries to open her door for her but she wasn’t letting him. She was icing him out. She was quiet all through the market barely speaking and the rest of the way to the cabin.

Finally after being ignored the whole way back Waylon slammed the grocery bags on the counter top.
“I had enough of this. Your being a brat. I know. I know. Work keeps calling but I’m not answering am I? I’m trying to be here with you but it’s kind of hard when you already checked out”.
His last few words triggered her.
“I already checked out. We been here barely a day before your phone goes ringing off the hook, or your texting or answering an e-mail. You checked out before me. But I’m use to coming second. And to be honest…”
Another call comes through on his cell phone.
“Oh. I am so sorry but I have to answer this one.”
In the middle of the argument Waylon answers and walks all the way outside to have his conversation while Joy observes from the window.

Act 4

Once Joy realizes he is done on his phone call she walks up behind him.
“Who is she” she asked?
Waylon turns around confused.
“What”?
“All them long nights at work. Phone calls 24/7. WHO IS SHE”?
Offended by the accusation he becomes frustrated.
“Man, get out my face with all that” he said brushing past her.
She grabs him.
“Then why you acting like this”?
“How would you react if you got accused of doing something you know you weren’t doing?”
“Oh, bullshit. Who are you sleeping with Waylon”?
They got into each others face screaming at one another.
“WHO”?
“Jesus Christ. Fuck. You wanna know.”
She shakes her head “yeah I wanna know”.
“You wanna know why I been at the office late every night. You wanna know why I’m always working. Always on my phone” he screams on the top of his lungs.
Waylon pulls the ring box out of his pocket and shows it to her.
“Because of this stupid ring. How fucking stupid am I to bust my ass to afford a ring to propose to a woman who doesn’t trust me” he said.
Waylon tossed the box out of anger and it landed at her feet. He walked away and she felt guilty while she picked up the ring.

Act 5

They slept apart from one another and they barely spoke after their argument. Waylon was contemplating whether he was going to propose marriage at this point. Joy was contemplating herself unsure if she was even ready for marriage. She was laying in bed fiddling with the box feeling like she wasn’t allowed to see the ring inside.

She opened her bedroom door and walked out to the living room. Waylon slept on the couch last night and when he seen her in front of him he sat up pulling the blanket off the couch so she could sit. She set the box down on the coffee table.
“I don’t think I can accept this” she said pushing the ring box towards him.
Waylon awkwardly cleared his throat.
“I mean. Technically, I didn’t even propose yet”.
The tension filled the room.
“Are you still thinking about proposing” she asked?
He grabbed the box off the table.
“Honestly, I’m not sure”.
Joy exhaled in relief.
“Well, damn. Don’t seem too relieved” he said slightly offended.
She touched his hand to comfort him.
“No. Don’t take it that way. I just…after yesterday, I don’t think either of us is ready for that yet.”
He nodded in agreement.
“I mean who knows maybe in a couple years” she said jokingly.
He laughed and grabbed her playfully.

“I’m sorry. That I accused you of cheating on me. But I gotta be honest it seemed suspicious though”.
“It did. And I’m sorry that I flipped out. I don’t ever really loose my patience like that. I guess you just bring that out in me” he said flirtatious.
They started kissing and looked at each other with passion in their eyes.

Act 6

After having sex they were cuddling on the floor wrapped up in a blanket in front of the fire place.
“Maybe we should argue more often” she admitted.
“Oh, yeah. Well, in that case. That dress you wore two weeks ago to that party…I lied. It was hideous”.
She began to feel offended but realized he was kidding when he started laughing. She playfully hit him. There was a moment of silence.

“Waylon. What did you wish for”?
“What?”
“Yesterday. In town at the water fountain. What did you wish for” she asked?
“A Lamborghini”.
She scoffed “No, really”.
“Uh, for us to work out”.
She looked at him.
“Really” she asked?
He nodded his head and she nestled her head on his chest. She took a breath to let out her nerves unsure about their future relationship.
“So, what now” she asked?
He takes a moment to think.
“Ah, well, it would be a shame to waste all this food we bought. How about we get cleaned up then cook dinner together? The rest we’ll worry about when we get back home”.
Joy agreed giving him a kiss on the cheek. She got up to get a shower and after she left the room Waylon’s phone rang again he answered the phone without looking to see who it is.

A woman's voice came through the phone.
“Babe, where the hell are you? I been calling you all damn weekend. WHERE ARE YOU?”
Waylon’s eyes widen in fear of being caught.

END