Disclaimer: Not mine. What a shame.
This is my first try at anything longer than Christmas greating cards. So be gentle. I try to be good :-)
I've been working at the jewelry store since I was fifteen. Every weekend for the past ten years you could find me there. I like working there. It's not a great place to meet guys, that's for sure. A guy who buys jewelry is either gay, or it's for his girlfriend. And those who buy at our place are either very comfortable situated with money, or madly in love.
One of my responsibilities is to decorate the window. Maybe eight years ago I was again redecorating when this guy walked past. Somehow his eyes got caught by our newest piece of jewelry. It really was a dream, an engagement-ring. The kind you dream of having on your own finger. Even at seventeen. Anyway, you could actually see this guy shaking his head and forcing himself to get on his way again. I put the ring in the center of the arangement I was making, the top spot.
One week later, the same guy stops again at our window, starring at the ring. I remembered him because once again, he was wearing his white uniform. Nice. Anyway, he stops for a few minutes, dreamy look on his face and all, then walks away again. Next Saturday, the same. He came every Saturday. Sometimes he didn't come for a weekend or two. I think his job probably required quite an amount of travelling.
Once, I redecorated the window again, without the engagement ring. He actually came into the store to ask if it was sold. Next weekend the ring was again in the window. Whenever I redecorated it, I payed attention to leave the ring somewhere visiable.
I began to speculate about that guy. He actually came by almost every weekend to take a look at an engagement ring and not do anything about it? First I thought it might be the money. The ring might be a dream, but it still cost a small fortune. Probably the reason why it was still not sold. The money could have been a really good reason not to buy it. However, there are two things which didn't fit with that theory.
First, we are the kind of store which don't have price tags in our window. He couldn't have known the price. And he never asked. A guy who wants to buy something, but doesn't know the exact price is going to ask for it. It might just be that the ring is a bit cheaper than thought, you know?
And second, once I saw him window shooping with a woman. She was the kind of high maintainance woman. Blond. I always pictured him with a brunette. Maybe because my hair is brown, too.
Anyway, money couldn't have been it. Especially because a few weeks later, he came by and actually bought the ring. That dream engagement ring everybody wants to have. I was a bit disappointed because I didn't like the woman I saw him with.
He came in and just said: "I want it, Ma'am."
He called me Ma'am. I mean I was eighteen at the time, but still looked young enough to go for fifteen.
So I got the ring out of the window, put it on a blue velvet pillow and but it on the counter for inspection. He almost touched it, but not quite. He just stared at it. After a while I thought it best to remind him that he was actually going to buy it, and not just look at it.
"Do you want it sized, sir?"
He just looked at me dumbfonded.
"I think you girlfriend probably has size 4, sir."
I was just trying to be helpful. At his questioning look I explain.
"I saw you a couple of weeks back with her walking past our store, sir."
"Oh, Renee. It's not for her. Don't size it."
It's not for his girlfriend? I mean, no one kisses his sister or a relative that way. Or maybe she's not his girlfriend. Oh, that leaves an affair? No way. The person who gets the dream ring has no boyfriend who has an affair. Now there I was really reluctant to sell the ring. It had to be for someone worth it. Good thing my boss wasn't there at the moment, or I probably would have been fired.
That guy saw my reluctance and somehow guessed what my problem was. Man, he should be a cop or investigator or something. I am not that easily read, so people tell me.
"We broke up a couple of days ago. She said I wasn't faithfull to her. That I had someone else on my mind."
"And?" I couldn't help but ask.
"I am buying that ring, Ma'am."
I couldn't help but smile. I was extra carefull placing the ring in the box, still grinning like an idiot, though trying to hide it. He paid with a credit card, never asking about the price. That's true love, if you can afford it.
"Sir?"
He was almost already out of the door, but turned back to look at me once again.
"You can always come back to us to size it. Once you asked her, I mean. Bring your fiancee with you. A ring which fits good on her would work, too." I hated to add that. I really wanted to meet that woman.
"Sizing won't cost you extra if you bought the ring here, sir."
He just nodded and walked out the door. I took a look at the credit card receit. Harmon Rabb Jr. Weird name.
He didn't come back for almost four years. Every once in a while I saw him walking past our window, avoiding to take a look. I hoped the ring had fit or that he went somewhere else for the sizing.
I knew better though. That the ring fit would have been very unlikely. And people often came back to the store where they bought the engagement ring to buy wedding rings. Especially to our store. We still made the rings ourself, giving each one character and originality. Couples came back to look for the same in their weeding rings. I knew that he never asked her.
Than one day, he returned. He walked into our store with some woman on his arm. Ok, a beautifull woman, dark longish hair, dark eyes which sparkled with life and happiness. They made a couple you looked twice at.
Carefully, he put the dream ring down on a blue velvet pillow.
"You said to bring my fiancee with me to size the ring properly."
Was that really the same woman through all these years? My romantic heart definitely hoped so. Once again an idiotic smile threatened to break my face into half. Now, he actually smiled back. Wow, and it took them eight years or more to get it right? We sized the ring and they actually looked for wedding bands. Good taste, both of them. I really started to like the woman. She was worth it, to wear the dream ring I mean.
One funny thing happened before they left. He looked at me and said:
"You've grown up."
I could just incredulously stare back at him. And than it just went out of my mouth.
"When? During the last eight years you've been looking at the ring, or during the last three and a half since you bought it?"
Instead of being angry or insulted, he just gave me a funny smile. His fiancee rolled her eyes and they left, teasing each other good naturedly.