The Voyeur 5
Author's Note: I love this story but keep getting side-tracked. I hope you like this chapter—let me know your thoughts.
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Donald Ressler walked in and out of a few stores looking for the perfect gift for Liz and having no luck whatsoever. He wanted to get her something special, but that something special wasn't making itself known in anything he saw. What he really wanted to do was get her the engagement ring he hadn't yet got her, even though they had technically been engaged for a week and a half.
He was standing inside an environmentally friendly store looking at some bamboo pajamas when he heard his name called. He turned to see Dembe standing at the back of the store gesturing for him to come. Ressler walked away from the bamboo pajamas and followed him into the back room of the store.
"What are you doing here?" Ressler asked him.
"Raymond wants you to come with me," Dembe said as he started to walk out the back exit of the store.
Ressler followed him and they descended down a set of exterior stairs once outside, walked through an underground parking garage, and then emerged in an alleyway. Dembe held a door open for Ressler and he walked inside. Things like this had become 'normal' over the years they had worked with Reddington and Ressler learned to not question most things and just go with them. When he walked inside he was directed up a set of stairs, a man opened a security door for him, and he stepped inside to the private viewing room of a jewellery store.
He looked around and saw Reddington looking at something with a jeweller's eyepiece.
"Reddington," Ressler said as he walked toward the man.
"Donald," Reddington greeted him. "We saw you were experiencing some difficulties."
"I am, am I?" Ressler asked, annoyed.
"Can't find anything for Elizabeth?" Reddington said, handing over the piece of jewellery he was examining.
"Who says I haven't bought her something already?" Ressler asked, looking around at the cases and thinking, without Reddington, this would be the perfect circumstance to buy Liz a ring.
"Terra Environmental Shoppe? The Quill Bookstore? The snow globe store? That one was a little desperate…"
Ressler sighed. "Fine, I am having some trouble."
"Christoff will help you," Reddington said as he put on his hat. "There are some lovely necklaces, earrings…you can never go wrong with jewellery for a woman, Donald."
Donald sighed.
"You know Lizzie best," Reddington said as he started for the door. "But Christoff has some lovely vintage pieces she may like."
Ressler watched him and Dembe head out the door.
"Don't take long Donald," Reddington said. "If he's watching you, he's not going to believe you will spend that much time in an environmental shop."
Reddington and Dembe left, and Ressler looked at the smiling man standing behind the cases.
"I'd like to look at your vintage pieces," Ressler said as he approached the case and the man.
"Necklace? Bracelet? Earrings?" Christoff asked.
Ressler looked over his shoulder and seeing the place empty except for Christoff and himself looked back at the man. "Uh, engagement rings."
Christoff smiled and walked toward a cabinet behind him and pulled out a tray of rings.
"There is only a small selection of vintage rings, but they are all beautiful," Christoff said with a smile.
Ressler looked down at the rings and the second his eye landed on a particular ring he knew that was the one for Liz.
"Can I see that one?" He asked as he pointed at the ring and swallowed hard, hoping it was not going to drain his savings account.
"The halo? Very good choice," Christoff said as he carefully plucked the ring from the case. "This one is art deco design, with a .85 carat centre stone and the stones that surround are .55 carats which make it over a carat in total diamonds."
Ressler took the ring from the man and examined it. A smile spread across his face; it was Liz.
"See the design detail and etchings down the side, an homage to architectural design features and geometric symmetry, as is the bed in which the stone rests…if you look at it from below…"
"I'll take it," Ressler said, handing the ring back to the man. "I'm scared to ask the price…"
Christoff referred to his price list, then looked up at the young man. He thought about Raymond saying he would pay half of whatever Donald purchased but the young man could not know.
"Two thousand four hundred dollars," Christoff said with a smile.
Ressler seemed surprised.
"The vintage ones…this one has been with me for a while," Christoff assured him.
Ressler nodded and reached for his credit card. As he did so, he spotted a delicate bracelet with a moon dangling from it.
"Can I get that too?" He asked as he gestured toward the bracelet.
Christoff nodded and took out the bracelet as well. Ressler paced around the store while the ring and bracelet were boxed and the payment was processed. He smiled at the man who wished him many happy years with his special someone, and took the route back to the environmental shop to find Reddington and Dembe there.
"You'll need this," Reddington said as he handed Donald a bag.
"Thanks," Ressler said as he placed the jewelley bag inside it. "What did I buy?"
"You bought everyone at the Post Office an organic pair of bamboo slippers for Christmas," Reddington said with a smile.
"Thanks, how much do I owe…?" Ressler started.
Reddington waved his hand in dismissal of the offer.
"Well, thanks," Ressler said.
"You found something for Lizzie?" Reddington asked, interested.
"A bracelet," Ressler offered. "Thanks for helping."
Reddington nodded.
"You better go," he said as he gestured toward the door. "You've been in here too long already."
"I mean it Red, thanks for the help," Ressler smiled at him before he left.
Reddington nodded for Dembe and him to leave through the back. They went back to the jeweller and settled the bill. Reddington was quite pleased to learn of Donald's other purchase.
Ressler got back to his place at dinner time and was just changing into some sweats when Liz knocked on his door.
"I didn't know you'd be coming over," he said with a smile.
"I didn't know I would be either," Liz said as she leaned in and kissed him on the lips before walking past him into his place.
"You know," he said jokingly as he shut the door behind her. "We really should only be paying rent on one place considering how much time we spend together."
She dropped the take-out on his counter and turned to him smiling.
"I was thinking about January," Liz said as she crossed her arms over her chest.
"January, what?" Ressler asked.
"If I give notice by the 15th I could be out by January," Liz said as she watched his reaction.
"Living here?" He asked with raised eyebrows as he approached her.
"I was hoping," Liz smirked at him.
"I'm not hoping," Ressler said. "I'm knowing."
Her smile grew and she wrapped her arms around his neck. "You won't get sick of me?"
"Never," he said as he kissed down her jaw.
"It's not too soon?" Liz asked as she craned her neck to give him better access.
"We should have moved in together months ago," he hummed against the skin on her neck.
"You're sure?" Liz asked.
He pulled back.
"Didn't I ask you to marry me, and didn't you say yes?" Ressler asked her.
She nodded.
"Then I think getting married has the perk of living together," Ressler chuckled.
"It usually does," Liz chuckled softly.
He thought about his purchase for a split second. He'd already asked, she'd already answered, why was he not giving it to her?
"Hang on," he said as he walked away from her and into his bedroom, scooping the box off his dresser and walking back to the living room with it. "I bought this today and…I wasn't sure when to give it to you, but now feels right."
She smiled and reached for the box. She undid the ribbon an carefully lifted off the lid to see the most beautifully perfect ring she'd ever seen in her life.
"Oh my god," she gasped.
"You like it?" Ressler asked her.
She looked at him with watery eyes and nodded.
"Can I?" Ressler asked.
Liz nodded again.
He took the ring from the box and held it in front of her hand.
"I know I've already asked, and you've already said yes," he said as he looked into her eyes. "But Liz, I love you. You'll marry me?"
She leaned forward and whispered 'yes' against his lips before she softly kissed them, and he slipped the ring on her finger as they kissed.
To be continued…