Page 30 of A Win-Win Situation
"This Saturday? As in,theSaturday we fly back home?"
Fuck, I had forgotten about that. How the hell am I going to do this without them?
"I can’t do this without you. This is a mistake. I should call him back and tell him I changed my mind."
"No. No. No, don’t freak out. You decided that you’d do this and you will." Sophie reassures me, but the unease lingers.
"Habibti, listen, I know I was against this idea in the beginning, but I’m coming around. It’s going to help you out a lot in your career, and whenever you doubt this, remember you’re doing it for the experience."
I’m doing it for the experience;I repeat the mantra in my head. Whenever we’re unsure of something, Adeline always says, "Do it for the experience. You’re the main character and whatever moment—good or bad—is merely a plot point leading you to your end chapter."
Adeline caresses my hair and I relax into the feeling. "On the bright side, if this doesn’t work out, you’ve given me the perfect premise for my next book."
I gently push her away. "I hope I’ll get twenty percent of the royalties if you ever write it." She laughs and Sophie and I join her.
"What’s that in your hand?" Sophie asks me, curiously. I completely forgot about his credit card. I raise it, showing it to the girls, giving them a rundown of what happened.
"Who wants to come engagement ring shopping with me tomorrow?" I smirk, waving the black card in the air.
The ringssparkle in all sorts of ways. Adeline looked up a few jewelry shops in the area, and this is the second one we’re visiting. My heart is pounding as the reality of it all settles in.
What am I doing?
"Leora, come on!" Adeline calls, waving me over. I take a deep breath and follow them into the store, my eyes drawn to the sparkling diamonds and colorful gems.
The saleswoman greets us warmly and asks us what we’re looking for. I swallow hard, feeling overwhelmed. Noticing my unease, Adeline takes charge, explaining that we need an engagement ring for me and wedding bands for Lucas and I. The saleswoman looks at us incredulously, probably surprised thatI’mthe one buying the rings, but I laugh it away by explaining that my fiancé is very, very busy with work and that I’m very particular when it comes to jewelry. She nods, not saying anything, as she shows us a variety of rings, each with its own unique cut and carat.
I try on rings in yellow gold and white gold, princess cut and square cut, but none feel right. If I’m being honest, I should just pick one and get it over with, but there’s something in me that wants to relish this moment. What if I’ll never have the chance to wear an engagement ring again?
"This is one of our most spectacular rings. I’ve seen several celebrities wear it." She brings it out and takes my hand in hers before pushing it onto my ring finger. It's a square-cut diamond, at least 5-carats with a halo of smaller diamonds surrounding it. It sparkles when it catches the light, but it's way too big and extravagant for my taste. I don't want something that screams, "Look at me, I'm engaged!"because in reality, I won’t be engaged or married for long. Nonetheless, Lucas said I needed to get something "believable"—whatever that might mean—and he's paying for it
Sophie notices my hesitation. "Maybe something less in-your-face. Do you have anything smaller?" The saleswoman lets out a small huff, probably tired of my ambivalence.
We move on to a display of oval-cut diamonds in different settings, but they don't quite catch my eye either.
Then we come across a round-cut solitaire with a few smaller diamonds on the band, and it immediately feels more to my taste. The center diamond is smaller, just over a carat, and yet it’s beautiful in its simplicity. But then my eyes find another ring—a ring that makes me think of Lucas’s words again, and I smile.
"This is a beautiful piece," the saleswoman states, noticing how my eyes light up and I nod.
"It is, but I want that one." I point at a smaller, solitaire ring. It’s modest and delicate, something I doubt Lucas will like. Which is exactly why I want it.
Sophie leans in. "But you seemed drawn to that other one with the slightly bigger diamond."
I shrug. "I want this one."
The saleswoman nods hesitantly and takes it out. "This is a 0.2-carat diamond with an excellent cut and an IF clarity."
"Great, I want it."
It’s perfect, because Lucas is going to hate it. Excitement bubbles in my stomach. I can’t wait to see Mr. You-Have-To-Look-the-Part’s face when he sees this ring.
I leave the jewelry shop with the little engagement ring on my finger and with two wedding bands stuffed in a white bag. A simple platinum ring for Lucas and a matching, single-row, diamond-covered ring for me. It was too beautiful not to buy.
As we walk toward another boutique, this time to find some clothes, Adeline stops us in the middle of the street. "I seriously don’t understand why you didn’t get the bigger ring. He’s the one paying. Let’s go back."
"Because I have a feeling he’ll hate this ring and seeing his reaction will be better than owning the largest rock we could find."
We step into the boutique, my eyes scanning the racks of clothes for something eye-catching. Lucas had demanded that I go on a shopping spree to buy new,elegantattire. So here I am, using his card, already taking on the role of his "wife".
