Page 38 of Beauty and the Nerd

She smiled seeing Annie posted a dozen hearts under it and she liked it in return, glad that the girl was doing well. She’d be a senior this fall and deserved to have a great year.

“The other group chat just sent a screenshot of your post asking if you were serious,” Megan said showing it to her and Emma rolled her eyes at their pettiness.

She’d thought it completely ridiculous that the squad created a group chat that excluded her after she couldn’t finish out the competition season with them, but it honestly didn’t matter to her what any of them thought.

Her real friends were the ones who mattered, and she was surprised she’d forgotten to text Ashley their news.

She didn’t use social media at all, and she quickly texted the girl who was home for the summer.

The ‘no freaking way’ in response made her grin and she sent her a little selfie showing off the ring, promising to tell her all about it when she had time.

“Oh they’re losing their shit now,” Megan said, showing her the new screen shots that showed off the comment Emerson left on the post, along with one she posted on her own page of them from their dinner that night congratulating her friend and newest model of the Satin Touch family on her engagement.

She had no idea Emerson was going to do something like that, but she had to admit, it felt good to rub some of their noses in it.

“Did you know the Satin Touch ad was dropping on Monday?” Ben asked her and she shook her head no.

“I knew it was going to come out sometime soon, but she hadn’t told me a definite date,” she admitted, scrolling through the comments under Emerson’s post. There were plenty of stupid ones about both Emerson and Lyle as well as her and Ben being couples, but it was the requests for the new line to be released early that caught her attention most. Several of them made note of the ad previews they received making them want more and Emma pulled up her email, finding one in her own inbox from the mailing list.

“Umm…did you see this?” Emma asked Megan, turning her phone to let her friend see it.

“Oh my god…your dad is going to be lose his mind if he sees that last one in full at the airport,” Megan said and Ben took the phone from her, his eyes lighting up entirely as the quick little snippets of her photos rotated through the screen.

“Damn baby, you look so completely amazing. None of them can top the ones from Hawaii right now, but they’re so damn good,” Ben said, dropping a kiss onto her lips that made her melt.

“I love you, Ben.”

“I love you too, Emmy. Always,” he promised, holding onto her while they let the comments pour in on her pages, and Megan showed her the different things that went through the group chat that made them all laugh.

It was just before dinner when she pinned a single response under one of the many pregnant emojis noting, ‘Nope, not pregnant, just in love and wanting to share that with everyone. Wasn’t expecting a ring but I’d never turn it (or him) down when it came from someone that knows and loves me so well.

Not only is it exactly what I’d have wanted if I had known it was coming, but it was also created from my favorite method, turning something old or forgotten or damaged into something new and beautiful.

He saw the true beauty in the ring the same way he saw the real me, just as I saw the real him and that’s what makes me so happy to marry this man whenever we decide is the right time. ’

“Aww…you just told them to f-off in the nicest way,” Megan mused and she nodded, before they headed out to get something to eat.

She loved cooking most nights, especially with Ben helping her, but when she simply wanted to enjoy time with him not worrying about stirring or turning or checking on things, going out was the best option.

With Megan in town, she also wanted to show off their favorite spots to eat, and they slid into the Italian place finding at least a fifteen minute wait ahead of them.

“Yo Ben, what’s up man?” Heath said pulling their attention over to the small group at an eight-top table just beyond the hostess station.

“Hey, just looking to grab some dinner. My girl’s best friend is in town with us for a couple weeks so they can hang out while I’m working and we’re taking her to some of our favorite spots,” Ben said with a nod towards her and Megan.

“Just the three of you?” Heath asked and Ben nodded.

“Why don’t you just join us? We haven’t ordered food, just drinks.

That okay?” he added to the hostess who nodded, and Emma smiled as she settled in next to Ben while Megan took the open spot next to Heath.

“So what have you all been up to since the semester ended?”

“Not much, just moved in with my girl, spent a week in Hawaii, got engaged, and started working full-time,” Ben said pulling the entire table’s attention down to them.

“Sorry, did you say you got engaged?” Heath asked and Megan showed him the photos she’d posted while Ben lifted her hand to show him the ring.

“Damn…you’re making me feel like I’m years behind the curve.

I mean shit dude, you’re actually working in finance this summer and planning for the future, while I’m still trying to just enjoy shit and not think that I technically graduate after this next year. ”

“Yeah, now try dealing with two of them like that because while Emma may not be already working within whatever career she wants for the long run, she knows where she wants it to head, and she’s making money to help her get there, while I’m trying to figure out if I want to live in the sorority house next year or get my own apartment,” Megan said making her laugh softly.

“You got a job too?” Heath asked her curiously and she shrugged a bit letting Megan pull up the email with the photos. “Man, you’re not going to be able to go anywhere without someone asking if you’re the guy that’s dating the girl from the ads now, you know that right?”

“And I’ll just happily tell them I’m the guy that’s engaged to her, who gets to go home to her every night,” Ben returned letting her fully enjoy their time together while Megan and Heath shot little flirtatious nothings back and forth.

By the end of the night, Megan had a date with Heath for Monday, and she had over a hundred more comments on her posts, most of which were nice, but the ones that weren’t, she just ignored.

They could question it until they were blue in the face.

It wouldn’t change that she loved Ben, even if he was still mostly a nerd.