Dean, the manager of Salem's most prestigious jewelry store, watched the
young customer with great interest. He could be no more than twenty-five
years old, but looked more tightly wound than a man going through a mid-
life crisis. Stepping closer, Dean was able to see just why the man was so
nervous.
Lightly tapping the floor with the heel of his shoe, Jason carefully peered through the glass display case at the stunning objects just out of his grasp. And, part of him was glad that they were out of his grasp. He wasn't quite sure how he would handle having the engagement rings close enough to touch.
As Jason released a frustrated breath, the store's manager approached him. "Excuse me, sir. Is there perhaps something that I could help you with?" Dean withheld a chuckle as Jason nearly jumped out of his own skin when so suddenly brought back to reality.
"Uh, no. I mean, yes. God, I don't what I mean."
Motioning toward the rings, Dean asked, "Dare I assume that you're searching for the perfect ring for the perfect lady?"
His eyes wondering back to the display case, Jason answered, "Well, I definitely have the perfect lady, but I'm not so sure about wanting a ring. I think I want a ring for her. But, you know, rings are pretty serious, right?"
"Of course, sir," agreed Dean in hopes of calming Jason. He'd seen them a million times. Those poor guys who were head over heels but terrified that they would only mess things up if they took that extra step. No matter how much they loved the woman in their life, they had to face the fear before they could really commit.
"But, I can be serious - I think. Yeah, I could be serious for Meems. I could do that."
Dean smiled at the younger man's pep talk. He had to admit that most guys wouldn't stand in the center of a jewelry store and verbally try to convince themselves that they wanted to buy a ring. Having seen all types, Dean had a feeling that the guy standing in front of him was one of the ones who only planned to tie the knot once. And, considering the man's obvious nervousness, Dean assumed that it would be the hardest knot he ever tied.
Jason tried to force himself to focus his attention on the store employee, but his gaze continued to drift back to the enclosed jewelry. More specifically, his eyes wondered back to the fourth ring on the second row. Try as he may, Jason just couldn't keep himself from staring at it and imagining how beautiful it would look on Mimi's hand.
Paying no attention as the employee walked behind the counter, Jason kept his eyes focused on the ring. He could honestly see it on Mimi's finger. And, it would look perfect. Jason's thoughts were suddenly ripped from the ring when Dean opened the case and pulled out several of the rings - including the one that Jason had been gawking at so intently.
Clearing his throat, Dean asked, "Do any of these rings happen to suit your fancy?"
Jason hesitantly pointed to the only ring that he had even considered for Mimi. Like her, it was both beautiful and unique.
Smiling, Dean lifted the ring and offered it to Jason for inspection. Jason was pleasantly surprised when the velvet box holding the ring didn't scorch his skin. For some reason, he had expected some type of instant pain when he touched the box containing the symbol of a lifetime commitment.
As Jason carefully looked at the ring, Dean said, "I must say you have a fine eye for bargains, Mr. . . ."
"Masters, Jason Masters," he answered without lifting his gaze from the object in his hand.
"As I was saying, Mr. Masters, that ring is truly a steal. The intricate gold band is guaranteed to please your lady. And, I feel certain that no woman wouldn't love the heart shaped diamond."
"Yeah, it's beautiful."
Feeling confident that he had already sold the ring to Jason, Dean asked, "Now, what will be your method of payment?"
For the first time since he had been handed the ring, Jason looked away from it. Glancing at Dean with a confused expression, he questioned, "What?"
"The ring, how will you be paying for it?"
Jason could almost feel his body being torn in half by the opposing forces working within him. The part of him that knew there would never be anyone but Mimi was telling him that he would be a fool to not buy the ring. However, the confirmed bachelor was screaming for him to keep his independence as long as he possibly could.
Groaning, Jason laid the velvet box back on the counter. He frowned just slightly as he told Dean, "Sorry, I don't think that I want to purchase it. At least, not yet."
As Jason turned and left the store, Dean placed all the rings back in their places - except the one that had captured Jason's attention. Hoping that Jason just might change his mind, Dean moved the ring to the bottom corner of the display case with some of the costume jewelry.
If the young man was truly in love, he would return.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Mimi violently stabbed at her plate of fettuccine alfredo as she was forced to watch not only Shawn and Belle lose themselves in their marital bliss, but Philip and Chloe as well. A quick glance at her watch showed Mimi that Jason was almost half an hour late. She wasn't sure if she was more angry that he was late or that he had left her alone with the two sappiest couples in the world.
Either way, her boyfriend was going to have some serious explaining to do when he did arrive. As Mimi continued the attack on her noodles, she listened to Belle drone on about how happy she and Shawn were about buying their first house.
Sadly, Mimi wondered if it would ever be she and Jason discussing their marriage and plans for a home and family. She was beginning to doubt if her beloved boyfriend would ever be ready to commit himself to that sacred union.
Noticing that Philip, Chloe, and Belle were all softly laughing at something Shawn had apparently said, Mimi forced herself to put a smile on her face. Mimi wasn't even sure she cared what Shawn had said. She was willing to bet that it was somehow related to marriage - it seemed everyone around her but Jason was concerned with a lifetime of joy, love, and companionship.
Just when Mimi felt as though she was about to scream, the front door of the Brady Pub flung open and her dashing boyfriend made his entrance. Had she not been so angry because of his tardiness, Mimi might have cared more about the nervous smile on his face. However, with the way she was feeling, Mimi knew Jason had cause to be nervous.
After distractedly greeting his friends, Jason softly kissed Mimi's cheek and sat down in the chair beside her. Though he tried to keep a cheerful expression on his face, Jason was far from ignorant of Mimi's unhappy glare. He silently cursed himself for wasting so much time at the jewelry store and leaving Mimi to fend for herself against Salem's most sickeningly sweet couples.
"So," began Jason as he sent his irritated girlfriend another smile. "What did I miss?"
"Lunch," curtly replied Mimi with an obviously fake smile.
While the rest of the table tried to find some meaningful object to stare at while not looking at the displeased couple, Jason replied, "Listen, honey, I'm sorry . . . I, well, I know that I was late and . . . um, but . . ."
"But, what, Jason?"
"Did I say I was sorry? Because, I am so sorry that I didn't get here on time."
As Mimi rolled her eyes and shook her head with frustration, Philip received a light jab in the ribs from Chloe after he had nearly laughing at his friends. Quickly stealing a glance to his right, Philip saw that Shawn was also having a hard time concealing his amusement. Both men wondered when Jason would finally put Mimi out of her misery by doing the inevitable and proposing.
"Jase, it might not bother you to keep people waiting, but it does me. So, I'm leaving. I have a meeting with Mr. Black in forty minutes and I want to make sure that I'm there on time. After all, it's more than a little disrespectful to be late. Of course, you haven't learned that yet, have you? In fact, you never seem to learn anything from your mistakes. You just keep making them."
Without another word, Mimi stood up and stormed out of the restaurant. Glancing at his friends, Jason redundantly asked, "I'm sleeping on the couch tonight, aren't I?"
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Driving to the offices of Basic Black, Mimi tried to force the tears to not spill down her cheeks. She wasn't even sure why she was so upset. Maybe, she was just angry that Jason didn't seem genuinely sorry for inconveniencing everyone. Or, the more likely scenario, Mimi was simply tired of being the one left out.
Shawn and Belle had their perfect life together and would no doubt soon have a perfect family. And, despite the unusual circumstances concerning their nuptials, Philip and Chloe had returned to being Salem's fabled Romeo and Juliet. Then, Jason had his enjoyable life as a bachelor. It had taken Mimi six months to just convince him that he wouldn't die if she moved some of her belongings into his apartment and vice-versa.
And, what did Mimi have? Nothing, she was yet again left in the cold. Though she had never been as good of a student as Belle and Chloe, Mimi had worked hard and become moderately successful while working for Basic Black. However, Mimi knew that there was really no room for advancement at the Salem location of the international industry. That resulted in Mimi lacking the fulfillment of not only a serious mate to share her life with, but the challenge of an interesting career. She felt as though she was back in high school and stuck in that perpetual state of limbo.
The only thing that Mimi knew for certain was that she was tired of the way her life was going. There had to be a change, something to spark the fire that had burned inside her during the more exciting times of her life - like when she and Jason had first begun to see one another in a romantic way.
Thinking back to the beginning of her relationship with Jason, Mimi felt a smile appear on her face. During their first few months together, Mimi had been almost afraid to expect anything from him. She was so scared that the sweet way Jason treated her would soon end - but, it didn't.
Okay, so maybe she and Jason had not begun their relationship in the most traditional way, but love was love no matter its origin. Somehow, Jason and Mimi had managed to go from sharing a few carefree times together, to sharing nearly every aspect of their lives.
Turning onto the street where Basic Black's offices were located, Mimi tried to recall the very moment she had realized that Jason was "the one." She wished she could say that it was when she accidently backed into Jason's car while attempting to drive out of Salem University's parking lot during their freshman year of college, but that was merely the beginning of their camaraderie - not their intense love.
And, Mimi hadn't even realized the true depth of her feelings when Jason had unexpectedly showed up at her dorm room one night with a bouquet of flowers and an uncharacteristically sweet smile just to celebrate the A she had scored on a research paper.
No, the moment that Miriam Lockhart realized that her heart had been stolen by Jason Masters was far from being an exciting event. It had been May, and Jason and Mimi were watching the sun set over the pond at his grandparents' home. Both had spent the day taking their final exams and were exhausted from the lack of sleep they had been getting due to the hours they spent studying.
Casually laying on a blanket with one of Jason's arms draped over her body as he propped his head up on his hand, Mimi had simply been watching the ducks swim meaninglessly around the pond as the last rays of sun cast a warm light over the water. Then, out of seemingly nowhere, Mimi understood what her heart had known for months. Never did she want to watch the sun set with anyone else. Never would she find another man who completed her. Mimi was in love with Jason.
Parking her car, Mimi took a moment to simply sit there and think. She loved Jason, but she wasn't sure how much longer she would be able to smile and nod as he ran away from a serious commitment. Love alone could only take them so far.
Lightly tapping the floor with the heel of his shoe, Jason carefully peered through the glass display case at the stunning objects just out of his grasp. And, part of him was glad that they were out of his grasp. He wasn't quite sure how he would handle having the engagement rings close enough to touch.
As Jason released a frustrated breath, the store's manager approached him. "Excuse me, sir. Is there perhaps something that I could help you with?" Dean withheld a chuckle as Jason nearly jumped out of his own skin when so suddenly brought back to reality.
"Uh, no. I mean, yes. God, I don't what I mean."
Motioning toward the rings, Dean asked, "Dare I assume that you're searching for the perfect ring for the perfect lady?"
His eyes wondering back to the display case, Jason answered, "Well, I definitely have the perfect lady, but I'm not so sure about wanting a ring. I think I want a ring for her. But, you know, rings are pretty serious, right?"
"Of course, sir," agreed Dean in hopes of calming Jason. He'd seen them a million times. Those poor guys who were head over heels but terrified that they would only mess things up if they took that extra step. No matter how much they loved the woman in their life, they had to face the fear before they could really commit.
"But, I can be serious - I think. Yeah, I could be serious for Meems. I could do that."
Dean smiled at the younger man's pep talk. He had to admit that most guys wouldn't stand in the center of a jewelry store and verbally try to convince themselves that they wanted to buy a ring. Having seen all types, Dean had a feeling that the guy standing in front of him was one of the ones who only planned to tie the knot once. And, considering the man's obvious nervousness, Dean assumed that it would be the hardest knot he ever tied.
Jason tried to force himself to focus his attention on the store employee, but his gaze continued to drift back to the enclosed jewelry. More specifically, his eyes wondered back to the fourth ring on the second row. Try as he may, Jason just couldn't keep himself from staring at it and imagining how beautiful it would look on Mimi's hand.
Paying no attention as the employee walked behind the counter, Jason kept his eyes focused on the ring. He could honestly see it on Mimi's finger. And, it would look perfect. Jason's thoughts were suddenly ripped from the ring when Dean opened the case and pulled out several of the rings - including the one that Jason had been gawking at so intently.
Clearing his throat, Dean asked, "Do any of these rings happen to suit your fancy?"
Jason hesitantly pointed to the only ring that he had even considered for Mimi. Like her, it was both beautiful and unique.
Smiling, Dean lifted the ring and offered it to Jason for inspection. Jason was pleasantly surprised when the velvet box holding the ring didn't scorch his skin. For some reason, he had expected some type of instant pain when he touched the box containing the symbol of a lifetime commitment.
As Jason carefully looked at the ring, Dean said, "I must say you have a fine eye for bargains, Mr. . . ."
"Masters, Jason Masters," he answered without lifting his gaze from the object in his hand.
"As I was saying, Mr. Masters, that ring is truly a steal. The intricate gold band is guaranteed to please your lady. And, I feel certain that no woman wouldn't love the heart shaped diamond."
"Yeah, it's beautiful."
Feeling confident that he had already sold the ring to Jason, Dean asked, "Now, what will be your method of payment?"
For the first time since he had been handed the ring, Jason looked away from it. Glancing at Dean with a confused expression, he questioned, "What?"
"The ring, how will you be paying for it?"
Jason could almost feel his body being torn in half by the opposing forces working within him. The part of him that knew there would never be anyone but Mimi was telling him that he would be a fool to not buy the ring. However, the confirmed bachelor was screaming for him to keep his independence as long as he possibly could.
Groaning, Jason laid the velvet box back on the counter. He frowned just slightly as he told Dean, "Sorry, I don't think that I want to purchase it. At least, not yet."
As Jason turned and left the store, Dean placed all the rings back in their places - except the one that had captured Jason's attention. Hoping that Jason just might change his mind, Dean moved the ring to the bottom corner of the display case with some of the costume jewelry.
If the young man was truly in love, he would return.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Mimi violently stabbed at her plate of fettuccine alfredo as she was forced to watch not only Shawn and Belle lose themselves in their marital bliss, but Philip and Chloe as well. A quick glance at her watch showed Mimi that Jason was almost half an hour late. She wasn't sure if she was more angry that he was late or that he had left her alone with the two sappiest couples in the world.
Either way, her boyfriend was going to have some serious explaining to do when he did arrive. As Mimi continued the attack on her noodles, she listened to Belle drone on about how happy she and Shawn were about buying their first house.
Sadly, Mimi wondered if it would ever be she and Jason discussing their marriage and plans for a home and family. She was beginning to doubt if her beloved boyfriend would ever be ready to commit himself to that sacred union.
Noticing that Philip, Chloe, and Belle were all softly laughing at something Shawn had apparently said, Mimi forced herself to put a smile on her face. Mimi wasn't even sure she cared what Shawn had said. She was willing to bet that it was somehow related to marriage - it seemed everyone around her but Jason was concerned with a lifetime of joy, love, and companionship.
Just when Mimi felt as though she was about to scream, the front door of the Brady Pub flung open and her dashing boyfriend made his entrance. Had she not been so angry because of his tardiness, Mimi might have cared more about the nervous smile on his face. However, with the way she was feeling, Mimi knew Jason had cause to be nervous.
After distractedly greeting his friends, Jason softly kissed Mimi's cheek and sat down in the chair beside her. Though he tried to keep a cheerful expression on his face, Jason was far from ignorant of Mimi's unhappy glare. He silently cursed himself for wasting so much time at the jewelry store and leaving Mimi to fend for herself against Salem's most sickeningly sweet couples.
"So," began Jason as he sent his irritated girlfriend another smile. "What did I miss?"
"Lunch," curtly replied Mimi with an obviously fake smile.
While the rest of the table tried to find some meaningful object to stare at while not looking at the displeased couple, Jason replied, "Listen, honey, I'm sorry . . . I, well, I know that I was late and . . . um, but . . ."
"But, what, Jason?"
"Did I say I was sorry? Because, I am so sorry that I didn't get here on time."
As Mimi rolled her eyes and shook her head with frustration, Philip received a light jab in the ribs from Chloe after he had nearly laughing at his friends. Quickly stealing a glance to his right, Philip saw that Shawn was also having a hard time concealing his amusement. Both men wondered when Jason would finally put Mimi out of her misery by doing the inevitable and proposing.
"Jase, it might not bother you to keep people waiting, but it does me. So, I'm leaving. I have a meeting with Mr. Black in forty minutes and I want to make sure that I'm there on time. After all, it's more than a little disrespectful to be late. Of course, you haven't learned that yet, have you? In fact, you never seem to learn anything from your mistakes. You just keep making them."
Without another word, Mimi stood up and stormed out of the restaurant. Glancing at his friends, Jason redundantly asked, "I'm sleeping on the couch tonight, aren't I?"
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Driving to the offices of Basic Black, Mimi tried to force the tears to not spill down her cheeks. She wasn't even sure why she was so upset. Maybe, she was just angry that Jason didn't seem genuinely sorry for inconveniencing everyone. Or, the more likely scenario, Mimi was simply tired of being the one left out.
Shawn and Belle had their perfect life together and would no doubt soon have a perfect family. And, despite the unusual circumstances concerning their nuptials, Philip and Chloe had returned to being Salem's fabled Romeo and Juliet. Then, Jason had his enjoyable life as a bachelor. It had taken Mimi six months to just convince him that he wouldn't die if she moved some of her belongings into his apartment and vice-versa.
And, what did Mimi have? Nothing, she was yet again left in the cold. Though she had never been as good of a student as Belle and Chloe, Mimi had worked hard and become moderately successful while working for Basic Black. However, Mimi knew that there was really no room for advancement at the Salem location of the international industry. That resulted in Mimi lacking the fulfillment of not only a serious mate to share her life with, but the challenge of an interesting career. She felt as though she was back in high school and stuck in that perpetual state of limbo.
The only thing that Mimi knew for certain was that she was tired of the way her life was going. There had to be a change, something to spark the fire that had burned inside her during the more exciting times of her life - like when she and Jason had first begun to see one another in a romantic way.
Thinking back to the beginning of her relationship with Jason, Mimi felt a smile appear on her face. During their first few months together, Mimi had been almost afraid to expect anything from him. She was so scared that the sweet way Jason treated her would soon end - but, it didn't.
Okay, so maybe she and Jason had not begun their relationship in the most traditional way, but love was love no matter its origin. Somehow, Jason and Mimi had managed to go from sharing a few carefree times together, to sharing nearly every aspect of their lives.
Turning onto the street where Basic Black's offices were located, Mimi tried to recall the very moment she had realized that Jason was "the one." She wished she could say that it was when she accidently backed into Jason's car while attempting to drive out of Salem University's parking lot during their freshman year of college, but that was merely the beginning of their camaraderie - not their intense love.
And, Mimi hadn't even realized the true depth of her feelings when Jason had unexpectedly showed up at her dorm room one night with a bouquet of flowers and an uncharacteristically sweet smile just to celebrate the A she had scored on a research paper.
No, the moment that Miriam Lockhart realized that her heart had been stolen by Jason Masters was far from being an exciting event. It had been May, and Jason and Mimi were watching the sun set over the pond at his grandparents' home. Both had spent the day taking their final exams and were exhausted from the lack of sleep they had been getting due to the hours they spent studying.
Casually laying on a blanket with one of Jason's arms draped over her body as he propped his head up on his hand, Mimi had simply been watching the ducks swim meaninglessly around the pond as the last rays of sun cast a warm light over the water. Then, out of seemingly nowhere, Mimi understood what her heart had known for months. Never did she want to watch the sun set with anyone else. Never would she find another man who completed her. Mimi was in love with Jason.
Parking her car, Mimi took a moment to simply sit there and think. She loved Jason, but she wasn't sure how much longer she would be able to smile and nod as he ran away from a serious commitment. Love alone could only take them so far.