Well this is it. Three years of endless dates, kissing in the moonlight and romantic picnics under the stars and here we are. It may not be in the most romantic place ever, my office, which I absolutely hate, so not the greatest place to go down on one knee. Well, hopefully.  That Chanel wedding dress is half price in Bloomindales.  I mean what else could it be? In fact let's not go there shall we. The more I stand there, the more the silence gets more awkward, and I am literally bursting. I just want him to go down on one knee, for him to pull out the biggest ring ever and for him to go "Kel, will you do the honour of becoming my beautiful wife". And then I'll say yes and fling myself into his arms and kiss him so lovingly he'll fall over.

So, why the heck's he taking so long? Get on with it! "Um, well, Kelly, I know we've been dating for a long time, and, ahem, I have something to tell you", he says quite nervously, weird for Peter. He never gets stuttery or nervous, he's very well-spoken. If you interrupted him then there was Hell on Earth

So why's he going all stuttery? "Well, there's no way to say this..." BREEP-BREEP. My phone rings and vibrates in my pocket and, even though it's unromantic, I have to answer it, it's my boss and if you don't answer her calls you won't see the sun again.

I reluctantly pause Peter and pick up the phone to music and drunk voices. I just roll my eyes and put down the phone. Another drunken phone call from my lovely boss. "You know what Kel, it's getting late, I'll tell you tomorrow", Peter says with a surprisingly happy tone. That's my chance to wear my Chanel wedding dress gone. Oh well, tomorrow's another day, maybe he might actually get through it without looking like a nervous wreck. He goes to leave and waves to me behind him.

I actually love him. I know he's rich and everything, but I just want to go over his house and propose to him myself.
In fact, why not? Let's do it.  I have a ring, and not a girly one, but my grandfather's actually. It's twenty four carat gold and has a sapphire in it. Been in our family for years. It'll be perfect for Peter. But, not today. It's eleven o'clock. Way too late for proposing to your boyfriend because he's too nervous to actually do it to you. I wander through the corridors where I've wasted half my adult life and lock the door behind me.

I hop in my Porsche (birthday present off my friend Emily, such a sweetie, buying me another Porsche, and in my fourth favourite colour too) and drive off. Maybe this time I won't reverse into the barrier, since daddy sued my work the last time I went into it. He's a firecracker in court, is my daddy. Driving along the road, I think about how I'm going to pop the question. Should I knock on the door and when he opens it he sees the ring and a note? Nah, he's not into that. Should I put it on a cake and give it to him? Definitely not, he's allergic to gluten. I've got it, I'll just tell him. It's not the most complicated idea in the world, but well I need something simple.

I have to be honest, even though daddy bribed Harvard University into accepting me, I wasn't really listening. I was more interested in the boys there. I mean Luke Wickers, C-U-T-E. I sat next to him in science and at the start of the lesson I used to give Mr. Underwood $50 bills to make sure he didn't ask me anything. What, I needed more time to flirt. Though, don't think that $750 was worth it, because when Luke actually did go out with me, not very cute after all.

Anyway, I look at the street signs and the skyline lit up in the distance and doubts about this whole engagement thing fly through my head. I mean in our family all the men in have proposed to the women, never the other way round. Daddy thinks of it as a bit of tradition and, well, let's face it, to him it's a bit like having a burger at Christmas.

And what if he says no. His family are at his house and they are so posh, it'll be mortifying. God, Kelly calm down. He won't say no, you are going over his house tomorrow and proposing to him. Up in the distance I see a sign saying "Garden Mansion of New York. NO TRESPASSING". Home. At the front door Alfred is standing proudly, waiting for my arrival. Alfred is the best butler a girl can have, he cooks, he cleans, and he's brilliant.

I swiftly park the car, hop out and strut down the path. Alfred nods to me and opens the door. The bright chandelier shines down on the marble reception floor and the gold staircase gleams. Daddy comes out of his office and noticing me, gives me a goofy smile. "So, you finally decided to come home did you Kel?" he asks jokingly.

"Yeah, well, I thought Scruff would miss me", I answered. Scruff was my 19th birthday present and when he pawed his way out of the box he was wrapped in, I fell in love instantly. He is a brown and white terrier with huge paws and a tongue way too big for his mouth. When he goes to sleep he can't fit it in, so he lays there with his tongue sticking out. Mum walks down the stairs wearing a hideous green dress and a patterned yellow scarf. "Right, sweetie. What do you think of this one?" she asks Daddy.

"Um. Maybe a bit too flashy for a winter ball. What about that nice blue one I bought you last week?" he answers honestly. That's one of the things I love about Daddy, he's so honest. He will tell you the pure truth and doesn't care how much you hate him for it. That's why he's been so successful, but with that comes enemies. There are many people who would love to see my father's empire fall. But he doesn't seem to care, so I don't worry. He's a grown up. He knows what to do.

Mum huffs, another dress denied. She stomps back upstairs with that horrendous yellow scarf trailing behind her. God I wish Scruff would chew that up. I don't know why she bought it. "Mr and Miss Kennington, dinner is now being served", says a calm Alfred who had snuck into the room without anyone noticing.

"Thank you, Alfred. We will be in in a minute", I answer. When will I tell my parents that I'm getting engaged? I know I'll get them really drunk on that strong red wine Daddy buys by the bucket load and then I'll just blurt it out. By that time, Mum and Dad will be so busy doing their Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers's impression that they won't notice me. Wow, that won't be the first time I've had to sit through four renditions of "Islands in the Stream" in our living room.

I go into the dining room with Daddy in tow and sit down at the one end of the table. Daddy sits at the other end and we sit silently (maybe slightly awkwardly) until Mum wanders through the door wearing a skin tight silver sequin leotard and pink tights. I try so hard to hide my horror, but only manage to screw my face into an even more obvious disgust at this monstrosity that stands in front of me. "What the heck are you wearing Wanda? You look like an extra from a disco version of Swan Lake", he bellowed. The dining room was one of the biggest rooms in the house so you had to shout to be heard.

"What, oh Pietro, this is the fashion these days. Isn't it Kel?" she answered, clearly annoyed. I just nodded, trying to hide my embarrassment at my Mum looking like that.

"See, she agrees. Right, well if you can't stand me wearing this then you can go and eat in the pantry with Alfred".

"Sorry Wanda, it's beautiful. Can we eat now? I'm starving", Daddy says, half way in the pantry. Right, now's my chance, time to put my plan into action. Let's get my parents drunk so I can tell them I'm proposing to my boyfriend because he's too terrified to do it himself and breaking every family tradition they've ever loved. "So, why don't we crack open that nice bottle of wine you bought on your holiday to Australia. You've been meaning to", I say hopefully.

"Oh go on then Kelly, can you tell Alfred to get it from the cellar. It's the one in the red box". Dad had a huge smile on his face as if to say "I'm going to get drunk and embarrass you a lot tonight, sorry in advance". I smile back, I knew what was coming. I'm going to be the ones they yell at to put the Dolly Parton Greatest Hits album back on.

I head out the door to see Alfred standing proudly at the far wall. A young girl with dark plaited hair wearing a maid's outfit is talking to him, but he doesn't seem very responsive. He never really is. His answers include "Yes, ma'am", "No, I am not busy", and a series of nods and shakes of his head. I quickly chirp into their one-sided conversation and the maid walks swiftly away. I catch a glimpse of her face, rounded cheeks, huge green eyes and tiny nose. She looks the spitting image of Alfred. "Hello Alfred, Mum and Daddy asked if you can bring the special red wine up. It's in the red box", I enquire.

"Yes, ma'am", he responds. "I will get onto it immediately". Before I get to ask who the maid is, Alfred shuffles off into the darkness. Maybe Mum and Daddy will know. I re-enter the dining room and sit down. "Who's the new maid?" I ask breaking the silence.

"Oh, we hired her last week, Alfred's granddaughter. Pretty little thing, isn't she?" Dad says. Alfred has a granddaughter?! So that means he has a daughter and a lady friend. I need to ask him about this. But tomorrow, tonight's too late. Wow, I'm doing a lot tomorrow. You know, with proposing and everything.

Alfred wanders through the door, with tired eyes. He looks like he's going to go to sleep. In his hands he's carrying a tray with three glasses and the biggest bottle of wine I've ever seen. Did Daddy buy the extra-large bottle? Probably did. Though those two can get through a bottle of that stuff in one night.

He places it carefully on the table and Daddy nods to him. With a sigh of relief, he drowsily slumps out the room. I think that was his sign that he was relieved for the night. Mum grabs a glass from the tray and slides one across the table to Daddy. "Want one Kel?" she asks, beckoning to the single glass sitting on the tray.

"No, I'm okay. Need to stay sober, don't want to wake up tomorrow with a hangover". I desperately want to grab that bottle and swig it, but I don't. Oh my God, am I an alcoholic? Whatever, Daddy's the alcoholic. He tried giving it up for Lent, but he didn't last two days. Okay, maybe he's not an alcoholic, that's a bit of an overstatement. Perhaps an intimate lover of expensive Australian wine might be a better label. Wow, that makes him sound like more of an alcoholic.

Right enough of this, now's the time. They're happy, slightly tipsy and with their favourite soup. Just blurt it out, what could go wrong? "So, Mum, Dad, I've got something I need to talk to you about", I start.

"Wow, this soup is freezing", Mum says, obviously ignoring me. She wobbles her red soup around her spoon, looking disgustedly at it. "Tell Amelia that the soup is cold, will you Alfred?" Amelia is our chef/maid. She works two jobs because we haven't got much staff. A portly lady with tons of confidence and sleek black hair down to her waist. I tried to stand up to her when I was little after she told me off for playing in the kitchen. I won't be doing that again. Wow, she's argumentative.

"So, Mum, Dad about that thing I had to talk to you about..." I start, but then Dad's phone rings. I wince at his ringtone, it's like white noise. A shrill tone rings through the hall. Even Alfred turns away.

"Hello. Yes this is him. What do you mean they've pulled out?! Why? Because it's too expensive. Well, you go tell Mr. Whitestaff that he can stuff his deal where the sun don't shine. Hang on, don't hang up. What was that? Someone's been badmouthing me? Well, go and find out who this person is. Go on. I want an answer by tomorrow. Right, bye", he ends his call and sighs with his head in his hands. Okay, maybe now isn't the time to add more to his stress.

"Hun, what's the matter? Something at work?" Mum asks worried.

"Oh, don't worry love. Just someone's pulled out of work. Pour me another drink can you Kel?" He looks like he's about to cry. And nothing makes Daddy cry. I need to find out about this, I can't stand to see him like this. Alfred brings out the dessert and Daddy just stares at it.

"You know what guys, it's getting late and I don't really feel like dessert. I'll be in my office if you need me", he then wanders out, head still in hands. Right, I don't care if they don't know about my plans to propose to Peter, I need to find out about why Daddy's so depressed.

I quickly gesture sorry to Mum and rush out the door. Daddy has his head on the door to his office with his arms drooped to his side. His brown hair seemed to have greyed since he was in the living room and when he turns round to see me; his eyes were misty and full of gloom. "Daddy, what's the matter, you look so miserable", I say.

"I...the... it's all gone, Kel!" he announces dramatically.

"What do you mean Daddy? What's all gone?" I answer fearfully.

"The company, work...um, can we talk about this somewhere else? I don't want your mother to hear". He wanders over to the library on the other side of the hall and opens the huge mahogany door. Gently, he gestures me into the huge carpeted room.

"Tell me Daddy, what's happened?" I sit down in a huge comfy chair and Dad sits opposite me with clasped hands.

"The company had a deal with a huge stockbroker, who our rival wanted to sign with, but something's gone wrong and now they're suing us for damages. Damages I can't afford", he sighs.

"Why are they suing you for damages? You did nothing wrong!" I yell

"Two weeks ago, two people broke into the stockbroker's offices and stole hundreds of thousands of dollars. There was a rumour that they were employees of mine and they owned up. So they are suing for the amount they stole and they will never sign with us again".

"Oh Daddy, I...um... I don't know what to say". I get up and pace up and down the library. "I'll help out as much as I can and..."

"It's no use Kelly. I've lost it. I don't know how I'm going to tell your mother", he groans. A thought pops into my head. Now's the time to tell them, it'll help out Daddy telling Mum and it's out in the open.

"What if I say I can soften the blow?" I suggest. Daddy's ears perk up. I can't believe I'm going to do this. "I'm going to propose to Peter tomorrow. I hope you'll bless the marriage". Daddy just simply nods and gives me a hug. Hang on, that was easy. "Wait a minute, you aren't freaking out. You're happy?" I can't believe my eyes. In my head he's gone Planet of the Apes crazy and is tearing down the bookcases.

"Kelly, it's your life. You get to do what you want with it". He says it with such wisdom in his voice like he's lived for hundreds of years and has seen the universe.

"But what about the tradition? You know, where the man proposes to the woman?" I bellow (maybe slightly too loudly).

"If you want to follow me in my footsteps, follow our traditions, then you will try to follow me in my choices: for wife, career, everything. And look how I turned out. My career is falling to pieces and my wife and I are on the edge of divorce. Don't follow me Kelly, please", he calmly says.

Hang on, "My wife and I are on the edge of divorce". When the heck did this happen? Two hours ago my Dad had a stable job and they were happily married. Now everything's a train wreck. What went wrong? I can't take this. Too much information trying to be processed. I nod to Daddy and wander out, closing the door behind me. I sigh and flick my red hair behind my ear. I'm going to bed.

I climb into bed and try to process all the information running through my head. As I think about Peter, I fall swiftly asleep.