Schuyler Square Day 130 Mindy and Tyler

"What would you think about getting engaged?"

Tyler Schuyler spit out the ice cream he was eating. "What?"

Minday looked at her boyfriend of almost two months coolly. "Don't act like I just asked what you thought about getting West Nile disease. I'm talking about getting married."

"To who?"

"To me, silly." Tyler might be cute but he sure was on the dumb side. That was OK with Mindy. She liked being the smart one in a couple. It made for a lot less headaches. Tyler could be Pinky and she'd be The Brain. "Why not? We get along, we have fun together, we're both quite attractive--I bet any kids we produced would be stunning."

"You're asking me to marry you? I thought guys were supposed to ask girls."

"Tyler, that thinking is positively antiquated. Why should I wait for you to ask me?" Mindy didn't add that she knew that if she did wait, she'd be old and grey before Tyler got around to popping the question. She didn't want to be old and grey before she got married; she wanted to be young enough to enjoy shopping and taking fabulous vacations. "So, what do you think?"

Tyler slowly finished the enormous sundae that he'd ordered. "Well," he finally said, "I don't think it's a totally bad idea."

"Gee, thanks."

"Don't get mad. It's just that we don't know each other all that well. Marriage is a big step."

Tyler obviously had never heard of divorces. "I know it's a big step," Mindy said patiently. "That's why people get engaged first, to see if they're ready to get married. We could get engaged, have a sumptuous engagement party at your house, maybe even move in together and see what happenes next."

She watched as Tyler processed the idea. It was like watching a cow chew its cud. "I guess we could do that," Tyler said after several long minutes of deliberation. "Would I have to get you a ring or something?"

"A ring would be nice." Mindy would pick it out, however. She didn't trust Tyler to choose anything big enough.

"Would we have to tell anyone that we're engaged?"

"Why? Are you ashamed of me?"

"No, but you know how my mother is."

Oh, yes. Mindy knew exactly how Mavis Schuyler was, which was another reason why she wanted to be engaged to Tyler even if it was only for a week or two. It would make Mavis nuts and that was reason enough for Mindy. "Your mother and I will become the best of friends," she predicted, smiling sweetly at her almost-fiance. "I bet we'll find that we have a lot in common. Come on, Tyler, what do you say? Will you marry me?"

"I guess so," Tyler answered.

Mindy picked up her spoon and began eating her own sundae. Tyler's response wasn't what she'd call enthusiastic but that was all right. He'd said yes.