This story has been bugging me for awhile. I just wanted to see how everyone would like it before I really get into it.
"Guys, how about this one?" James pointed at a large, silver number with an intricate design inside of the double bands. Diamonds dotted the outside of the ring.
"It's gorgeous, dude." Kendall didn't look up from his hockey magazine.
"That's a Neil Lane Bridal," the saleswoman spoke up. "One of our newer ones. Fourteen K, white gold, three-quarter carats."
"Too flashy." Camille said. "Not really Emma's style. It'll cover her entire finger. It kinda looks like battle armor."
James nodded. "Right. Her hands are delicate," he told the saleswoman. "She plays the piano a lot, though, you'd think that her hands are so brittle-"
"James, as cute as it is to hear you talk about your girlfriend like that, as your best female friend, I agreed to help you today, under the agreement that I don't miss my audition." Camille reminded him, tapping her watch. He sighed and nodded. "I know, I know-I just want to get something perfect. Something she'll love."
"You could always design a ring," the saleswoman suggested. James started, but shook his head. "I'd rather wait and design the wedding ring."
"Confident she'll say yes?" the woman smirked playfully.
James sighed dreamily. "Ohh, yes." he glanced out the window, his mind drifting to Emma, until Camille smacked him upside the head. "James! You gotta put a ring on it!"
"Right!" He continued to scan the row of rings while Kendall groaned and tossed the magazine down. "Dude, it's Emma. Whatever you get, she'll love it. Because it's from you. A symbol that she's marrying you."
"James Diamond." Camille smirked. James snorted. "Yeah, like she cares who I am. Remember how she wouldn't date me because of my attitude?"
"Remember how the only reason you liked her was because she's pretty?" Camille laughed. "This one?" she pointed toward one with a large diamond with the silver band snaking around it.
James glanced at it, then shook his head. "She told me a long time ago that she hates how the band does that. It reminds her of snakes or something. And yes, I do remember that." He rolled his eyes, chuckling. "And she's still pretty. So hah."
Camille laughed and continued walking down the aisle way, searching for the perfect ring. Kendall's cell phone rang, blasting the Party Rock Anthem through the ring store.
"Hey baby," he said, answering it. James and Camille shared a knowing glance at each other, chuckling. Kendall and Jo had gotten back together after she returned from New Zealand and they were still going strong.
"Nah, we're ring shopping with James." there was a slight pause and he responded. "I dunno. Dude, when are you planning on proposing?" he asked James.
"I was thinking New Years. And a June wedding."
"New Years proposal, June wedding." he told her. She said something and he chuckled. "No, I don't think he came up with that on his own."
"Did too!"
"He says he did. Yeah, I don't believe him either." James rolled his eyes and bent to observe what Camille was pointing at. "Well, I don't think he has. Hey James, did you meet Em's parents yet?"
James shrugged. "Nah. Emma doesn't really talk about them."
"He hasn't-OW!" Shrieking suddenly shot out from the phone. Jo's voice could be heard from across the shop. "ARE YOU KIDDING ME? PUT HIM ON THE PHONE RIGHT NOW!" Kendall, holding his ear and groaning, threw the cell phone at James. He caught it in one hand and held it a good foot away from his ear. "Jo?"
"Don't 'Jo' me! James, what the hell are you thinking?" she yelled.
"Jo, what are you talking about? I'm thinking I'm going to marry my girlfriend."
"James, you don't ask a girl to marry you without meeting her parents. You need to ask her father for her hand, dummy!"
James mouth fell open as he gaped at the phone. Camille stood up, shaking her head, and took the phone from him.
"Emma's not really that traditional, Jo." she paused, and a horror-stricken look crossed her face. "Oh- really?" she bit her lip and looked at James. "Oh, jeez…okay then. Let's talk about this later. Bye."
Camille hung up the phone and tossed it back to Kendall. She turned to James, who was still staring into space in shock. She waved a hand in front of his face.
"James?" Kendall joined her, waving his hand in front of his friend's face. Camille sighed. "I get it. He thought this was going to go perfectly, and you hit this roadblock."
James shook his head and leapt up. "Roadblock? I think not." He turned to his friends. "I'll just go home, talk to Emma and we'll go see her parents. They'll love me, let me have her hand, and I'll propose! No problem!"
"And what if her parents don't like ypu?" Kendall pressed. Camille nodded. "Yeah, Emma told me they're a little-"
"Please. I'm James Diamond." he winked at his friends and walked past them.
"And, he's back." Camille muttered. Kendall nodded as they watched their friend strut out of the store.
Emma sighed as she pushed the door open, weighed down with groceries. She wasn't sure where James was- she'd been at the studio the entire day laying down vocals with Logan and Carlos- but today, Gustavo had attempted to choke Carlos with the straps of his helmet after Carlos had belched into the mike while recording. While Kelly was on maternity leave last month, she'd left Emma with a tranquilizer incase Gustavo got out of control. Emma had never needed it until today. Kelly was already back, but she wanted to work as secretary so that she could take care of her baby.
So, after dragging Gustavo to his car (well- she made Carlos and Logan carry him) gotten him to his mansion, driven back to Rocque Records for her car (Carlos still didn't have his license), forgotten to go grocery shopping, searched for non-dairy yogurt for twenty minutes only to find out that there was none, yelled at the cashier for not accepting her coupons, and driven home, she was exhausted and ready to collapse in bed.
She dropped her key into the key bowl and stumbled into the kitchen and dropped her grocery bags on the counter, sighing with relief. She didn't want to make two trips down there, so she'd carried them all up. Some people considered that stupid. Emma called it efficiency.
She began pulling cartons and boxes out of the bag and sorting them. Refrigerator and non-refrigerator. Fruit and vegetables. Healthy and unhealthy stuff, only for when she was on her…woman time. Once the finished putting refrigerated things where they went, she began taking out the medicated items. Midol, James' allergy medication, vitamins for the both of them. She'd also stopped and gotten soaps for the both of them. Brooke Diamond's Cleansing Facial Scrub and Moisturizer, and 'Cuda Body Lotion- she'd noticed that he was running low yesterday. Emma never found James' 'Cuda obsession annoying. She also used a lot of products- a whole variety- but she'd completely switched over to his mother's skincare treatments. Not because she was sucking up, but because they worked. Besides…she thought 'Cuda made him smell amazing.
She was in the bathroom, sorting out their separate soaps in the shower then two big hands had clamped around her waist. She squealed and jumped, turning into the laughing face of James Diamond. She swatted at his arm and giggled. "Jerk!" he laughed and tossed her over his shoulder and left the bathroom, her playfully hitting his back and laughing. He tossed her onto the bed and climbed on, pinning her arms down and pressing his lips to hers. He ran his fingers through her long hand and she did the same to him. They finally separated, breathing heavily.
"What was that for?" she asked breathlessly.
"You got me new body lotion." he smiled kissing her cheek.
"I saw that you were low," she said, letting her head fall against the blanket.
"Well, thank you." she giggled and rolled to her side, facing him. She touched his face, loving the feeling of the barely-there scruff that had formed. "Seriously. What's up?"
"Can nothing be up?" he responded, raising an eyebrow.
"You must have been deprived today. You're never that affectionate when you get home."
"Well, we do work together. So I see you all day at work, but not today."
Emma shrugged. "True."
James sighed and lifted himself up. "Okay, there is something I wanted to talk to you about." Emma copied his motion, resting her body weight on her elbow. Her laughing face slipped into a stoic look, her hazel-green eyes staring right through him. "Nothing bad! I promise." she raised an eyebrow. "I was just wondering…" the phone ringing made Emma roll her eyes and groan, dropping herself onto the couch. She covered her ears. "Why is the phone so damn loud!" she yelled. James couldn't help but agree. The phone was ridiculously loud- he wasn't even sure why they had a landline anyway. He stood up and hit the screen button so that it went to voicemail.
He began walking back over as their voicemail burst out their two voices in obnoxious low tones groaning "Speak." They both laughed. They'd gone to see RENT for one of their dates several years ago, and Emma thought Roger and Mark's voicemail was the funniest thing ever. The tone sounded, and the voicemail began.
"Emmaline? It's your mother. What kind of voicemail is that? Is there someone living with you in that apartment? Or just you and that Camille girl being idiots? Or-is that Jo girl actually a man? Some nice lady from your workplace gave me your number. I can't believe you haven't even given me your landline number- why haven't you been answering your cell phone? Anyway, incase you've forgotten what I called you about since you couldn't visit during Thanksgiving-tell your boss that he's a jackass for making you work during a holiday- your sister is graduating in two weeks and therefore I expectyou to be there. I found plane tickets for you already. Why don't you bring that boyfriend of yours as well? I know nothing about him and we all want to know. I WILL see you next week. Bye-bye!" the tone rang and James looked at Emma, who was horrorstruck.
"Emma? Babe, say something." James touched her cheek and gently shook her shoulder. Finally, she spoke.
"Kelly," she snarled angrily.
I dunno, I thought it was good. Reviews?
Happy Thanksgiving!
-V