Mike and Ed were walking to work one morning, they passed by the jewelry store and something caught Ed's eye. He stopped and stared into the window. Mike hadn't even realized that Ed had stopped walking and was still walking along continuing their conversation with himself. He turned back once he finally realized that he had lost Ed. He grinned when he saw Ed staring into the window, knowing what he was looking at. He walked back to Ed and stood next to him to see what had him so interested. He glanced over all of the diamonds trying to see which one he'd picked out for Carol.

"Which one?" Mike asked interested.

Ed looked at him innocently "Which one what?"

"Come on Ed, which one are you thinking about? I'll tell you if it's ugly, you don't want to get the wrong ring, she might say no," he teased.

Ed just looked at him skeptically.

"I'm serious buddy, the ring is supposed to be a reflection of how well you know her, it's a prime example of that psychological mind game crap women like to put us through, took me six months to pick out Nance's ring, I got an ulcer"

Ed just shook his head "Well it doesn't matter since I am not thinking about any of them, I was just looking that's all"

"Ed, a man does not window shop engagement rings for no reason, okay just for arguments sake, let's say you were thinking about it, which one would it be?"

Just then Ed saw Carol and Molly coming down the street. He ducked into the store, pulling Mike along. They watched as the girls passed by.

"Well well, now why are we hiding from the girls Ed? Perhaps it's because you don't want Carol to see you buying her engagement ring?"

"Or maybe I don't want her to see me NOT buying a ring"

"Well since we're already inside the store, we might as well take a gander at those rings huh Ed?" Mike said excitedly pushing Ed over towards the engagement rings and patting him on the back for encouragement.

"Michael!" Ed said sternly in protest.

"Oh give it up Ed, you know you're thinking about it, you've been thinking about it since you were fifteen years old! You've probably got your proposal memorized!"

Ed sighed in defeat and turned towards the counter and asked to see a heart shaped diamond with a sapphire band. Ed turned the ring over in his hand admiring it. Mike smiled his approval "He'll take it!" Mike spoke up.

"What?" Ed screeched, surprised by Mike's outburst.

"You've been in love with her your entire adult life, you waited this long to have her and now you do so get off your ass and ask her to marry you already"

Ed narrowed his eyes at him, thinking it over.

"You've got a pool going don't you?"

"What? A pool Ed? No, I wouldn't do that"

"Mike"

"Okay yeah"

"And you apparently picked this week?"

"Yeah so if you don't propose this week I lose"

"Oh well why didn't you say that before? That changes everything, of course I'll propose to my girlfriend, I wouldn't want you to lose a pool or anything!" Ed said annoyed.

"Ten bucks Ed" Mike said trying another approach.

"Yeah that's what I want, for Carol to find out I proposed on a bet"

"What will it be gentlemen?" the salesman asked interrupting.

Ed looked down at the ring then back to Mike "Okay, I'll take it"

"So what's the plan?" Mike asked excitedly as the salesman finished up the sale.

"I don't know, I haven't thought about it yet"

Mike stopped walking and looked at him skeptically.

Ed turned back to him and saw his expression "Okay I have thought about it, and I've thought about it, and thought about it but that's the problem, I've got a million ideas, it has to be perfect"

"Well how did you propose to Liz?"

"Liz?, are you kidding Mike?, This is Carol Vessey we're talking about, the love of my life, the woman I've been in love with since high school, We've dressed up in knight suits, thrown waffles, aligned the stars, I cant just ask her, it has to be big"

"Oh no, here it comes, another famous Ed stunt to make my wife jealous that I'm not the wonderful, romantic, Edward J Stevens"

Ed smiled jovially and smacked Mike on the back "Sorry my friend, cant be taught"