Jill's coworker, and older woman named Natasha Muhr, had a small smile as the Alligator Animalian gave the man that had proposed to her a hug and practically spun in place. She was happy for Jill in a way that one could attribute to a mother or an aunt in many ways. She had known Jill for years and remembered the day when she first hired Jill to work for her as a cashier and clerk and help her with a lot of the shelving and organizing duties that her own age was starting to make difficult. As while most of their stock was in used paperbacks, that didn't mean boxes of them were entirely light. It had made for a good friendship and the two had shared a lot about each other.
In this it really hadn't been a surprise to Natasha showed up one morning with black scales a long u shaped muzzle and a long tail dragging behind her. She knew all about Jill's interest in the American Alligator going back to nature specials that Jill had seen as a child, and that becoming an Alligator Animalian likely harkened back to those memories for Jill. But it wasn't without its problems, as Jill soon found that all the Alligators that had been uplifted when the Animalia Virus got into Lyre's city water systems and thus to the zoo and the town of Lyre already had mates. She'd seen Jill, who Natasha also knew to be somewhat self-conscious in a few ways soon become depressed when most of the single men in Lyre that she liked and was friends with respond with the comment that they wanted to remain "just friends." It was something that Jill felt hurt as her new Animalian instincts began to draw her toward looking for a mate and the companionship that went with it.
Now, Jill had a fiancé, and Natasha was happy for her. Eventually Jill stopped spinning and looking toward Natasha with a smile that never seemed to end.
"Did you hear?" Jill said with a smile.
"I did," Natasha replied, "and seems to be a fitting day for it."
"I want to share this with the world," Jill smiled, still holding Beauregard to her, "as... I never thought anything like this would come."
"I'm sure, though you might want give him some air," Natasha commented.
Jill only looked down to see Beauregard practically buried in her chest. She let him go with a weak grin and said to him, "Sorry."
"That's quite alright, Miss Jill," Beauregard managed, "I'm just glad to see you happy."
"So, how long will you be in town Mr. Shucks?" Natasha asked to him.
"Only for a few days, I'm afraid," Beauregard gave a small frown as he looked up to Jill, "as I'm sure there will be a lot to plan for with regard to the wedding... And you'll deserve the most wonderful dress you'd want... And so on. Once we get it ready we can then have the wedding in the summer."
Jill could only smile, "A summer weeding would be nice..."
Beauregard nodded, "and we can have the wedding here. Since I'll be asking you to move to Louisiana to be with me, it'll be fair to have the wedding here."
Jill smiled and raised a fist for a moment and then pumped it down. Not only was she happy to have found love in Beauregard Shucks, she hound the plan to be quite easy. She had fantasized about her wedding a few times, and with the support she'd gotten from friends in Lyre and Animalia before she'd met Beauregard, she'd hoped to be able to share the news with others and that it would take some time to get things in order. There were many people she wanted to share the news with, and especially with those who had been there for her while she'd been depressed over not many people wanting to become an Alligator.
"Oh... there will be so much to do and plan for," Jill said excitedly, "there will be bridesmaids, food for everyone, decorations, and a venue... I'll need to tell my folks... shoot, I want to tell EVERYONE."
Natasha gave a small chuckle, "well... things are pretty quiet right now. Feel free to talk here at the counter."
"You'll come right? To the wedding?" Jill asked Natasha.
"I'd be glad to come," Natasha smiled, happy for Jill to be happy.
Jill then moved around to take a seat at the counter. It wasn't much more than a stool with no back, but it did support her weight and allowed for her tail to be free. It also had a soft cushion. As she sat down she noticed Beauregard looking around at the shop's decorations, which for the moment were for Valentine's Day.
"I told you about this place," Jill commented, "it's not big or rich... but it's a nice place."
"That I can see," Beauregard commented, "afraid I'm not too knowledgeable on second-hand bookstores in Louisiana... I'm sure I could find one if that is the place you prefer. Though, most of the contacts I've had have been with B.A.M. or Barnes and Noble."
"That'll be something to handle AFTER the wedding," Jill told him, "and right now... that's what I'm looking forward to."
Beauregard turned to her with a smile, "as am I, Miss Jill. You've been on my mind far more than anyone else I've ever met... I'd think that qualifies as being "the one" as they say..."
Jill nodded and Beauregard continued.
"And don't worry on costs, forward any bills to me," Beauregard told her, "you're more precious than money..."
Again Jill smiled and the two then continued the conversation, largely planning out what they would do. They confirmed a summer wedding, preferably in mid July. That way, the schools and colleges would be out and they wouldn't be interfering with the Fourth of July. This was especially critical for Jill, as she voiced the preference that Sylvia be her "maid of honor." She had other friends in Lyre and Animalia, but then the way the Rattlesnake Animalian had comforted her had really touched Jill and that made the friendship special.
Figuring out who would officiate the ceremony was a bit more difficult, mostly as there were so many choices. Like any American city, Lyre had a church for nearly every Christian denomination, and contrary to what many overly political people claimed, many Animalians that had been uplifted did attend one church or another. There was also the possibility of asking a justice of the peace, which would then raise the question of either Lyre or Animalia. While the two towns were legally separate entities, the overall community was so intermixed and interwoven that both were reliant on each other. In that, Jill couldn't quite come to a decision and Beauregard wasn't going to force her.
About the only thing they could make a decision on was WHERE the wedding would be. Lyre had a nice city park with an old bandstand that would do well for the ceremony. It had a nice lawn that was soft on Animalian feet, and it had a few large trees that would provide some shade if it was too hot. It was a perfect setting that Jill had pictured as quite romantic.
"I'll have to take your word for it, Miss Jill," Beauregard commented after she told him on the idea, "I think I came past it after my plane landed. It looked like it was buried in snow."
"It's winter right now," Jill laughed.
Not too many people came in while they were talking, but the conversation was more than enough attract some attention and Jill was able to happily share the news that Beauregard had proposed and she was the happiest person in Lyre or Animalia in her opinion. That soon earned some congratulations and questions on when the wedding would be. One or two even asked to attend, which both were ultimately agreeable to. After all, with an outdoor wedding in a public park, it'd be pretty hard to forbid people from coming. It soon also included updates on that Beauregard's family was also looking forward to the wedding, which made a summer wedding all the more important, as the younger members of the extended Shucks family would also be out of school and were eager to see more of Animalia after meeting Jill over Christmas.
All in all, it made for a quiet afternoon, though one that soon had its own question as Jill's workday ended... Were they to go to Horizon for Beauregard's conversion, or was that to be saved until after the wedding for the honeymoon?