Chapter Nineteen: Rings

Sometimes I play the what if game, and I wonder what would have happened if I had listened to Barry, and decided to be practical.

Victor sat at his desk, staring at his calender, and wondering how it was possible that it had only been a month since he had begun dating Patty. If felt like they had been together a lifetime.

The truth was, he was so in love that he seemed to be drowning in the emotion. It was insane; he barely knew Patty. Then again, the rest of his life was for getting to know her. He had finally decided, after discussing it several times with Barry, and in the euphoria left over from seeing Patty two days ago, to propose.

Barry, of course, thought he was crazy, which he might well have been. In all the years they had known one another, Barry had never agreed with Victor's tendency to rush head on into any situation, and he simply couldn't comprehend Victor's grand romantic notions about life. "Why are you tying yourself down at the age of twenty?" he kept asking. "And Patty," he insisted, "is much too practical to accept a proposal at this point in her life."

But Victor knew something Barry didn't: love wasn't practical.

He glanced at his watch and grinned. It was a quarter past twelve, a time perfectly acceptable for lunch. And even better, Barry would just be getting up. Victor picked up the phone, dialed his friend's number, and waited patiently through four rings before Barry picked up.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Barry," said Victor, trying to ignore the disgruntled tone in Barry's voice. Maybe he hadn't been up and about yet.

"Victor?" said Barry. "What's up? It better be important, I'm entertaining a guest. One of the female persuasion. Hint, hint."

"Jeez, Barry, it's only noon."

"Yeah, well..."

Victor rolled his eyes and decided to get down to business.

"Look, Bar, I was wondering if you could meet me for lunch."

"Victor..."

"It's important, Barry. I need your help with something."

"Shit," said Barry. "Hold on." Victor sighed and began to tap his foot, waiting nearly five minutes before Barry came back to the phone.

"This better be fucking life or death, man," said Barry. "I swear-"

"It is," said Victor, figuring there was only a fifty-fifty chance Barry would kill him when he found out what he really wanted. "Meet me at the dealership as soon as possible?"

"Yeah, yeah." And the phone clicked off.

Twenty minutes later, he and Barry were in Victor's car, and on their way to one of the only two jewelry stores Victor knew was in the general vicinity.

"So what's going on?" asked Barry, pulling on a pair of sunglasses. "Are you terminally ill?"

"I've decided to propose to Patty, and I need help picking out a ring."

Barry shook his head, disgusted. "You are the biggest asshole-"

"Oh, come on, Barry. I need help with this. It's important."

"Yeah? What the hell do I know about engagement rings? Why didn't you ask your mom or something?"

"Be serious. I haven't even talked to my mom since I moved out." He pulled up to a red light and stopped, turning to look at Barry, who was sitting perfectly still and staring straight ahead.

"Are you really going to do this?" Barry finally asked.

"Yes."

"Do you really need my help to do this?"

"Yes."

"Do you want me to hold your hand while you propose?"

Victor shot him a look just as the light turned, and Barry grinned for the first time since getting in the car. "Just offering moral support."

"Well don't," said Victor.

They pulled up to Zaphron's ten minutes later, and managed to secure a parking space right in front of the store, much to Victor's glee. "A good sign," he told Barry.

Unfortunately, the good signs ended with that.

Inside, they approached the glass case in which sat a dazzling array of diamond rings, and Victor got right down to business, peering through the glass to try to see what he liked.

"Can I help you?" asked a saleswoman, approaching them and smiling broadly.

"Yes," said Barry, smiling right back. He pulled off the sunglasses and stuffed them in his back pocket. "My friend here is in need of an engagement ring. And a cheap one if I'm not mistaken."

The saleswoman giggled annoyingly and glanced over at Victor.

"I don't have much money," Victor said defensively.

"Well," she said, pulling out a key and unlocking the case, "this group right here," she pulled out a padded cushion holding the rings, "ranges from two hundred to five hundred dollars, and is our cheapest selection in the store."

"Two hundred dollars?" said Victor, disbelief coursing throughout his body. "You don't have anything less expensive than that?"

"Well, unless you don't want a traditional diamond engagement ring."

"Shit," said Barry. "Those are some expensive rings."

Victor shook his head. "I can't afford that," he said. "Aren't there any other diamond rings, say for fifty to seventy-five dollars?"

The woman, who apparently hadn't appreciated either Barry's swearing or Victor's price range, looked very frosty, and answered with a crisp, "No," before putting the rings back in the case.

They left the store, Victor feeling completely dejected.

"What am I going to do?" he asked Barry. "I don't have that kind of money to spend on a ring."

"You could go for something other than a diamond," said Barry.

"No way," said Victor. He sighed. "Maybe Antonio's will have something."

It turned out, though, that Antonio's was not much better, and Victor ended his lunch hour on an empty stomach, ring-less, and thoroughly annoyed.

"Maybe Patty wouldn't mind something a little less traditional," Barry said when Victor dropped him off. "Talk to her mom and find out."

Victor rolled his eyes and pulled away, speeding a little to get back to the car dealership.

That night, though, Barry's words came back to him, and Victor suddenly had an idea.

Patty's mom would be the last person he would ever talk to about proposing to Patty, that he knew for certain. He was fairly sure she despised him, and the last thing he needed was for her to interfere before the proposal even got underway. Patty's grandmother, on the other hand, seemed nice, and odd enough, to offer the perfect solution.

Without hesitation or much more thought, he went to the phone and called Patty, who rather reluctantly gave him her grandmother's phone number. Victor didn't blame her for being curious as to why he wanted it though; he'd wonder too, if it was his grandmother.

The phone picked up on the third ring, and Victor thought it must have been Gordie who answered, but he didn't initiate any form of conversation. Instead he simply asked for Patience, and jiggled his leg nervously while he waited for Gordie to get her.

"Hello?"

Victor sat up straight, startled by the sudden voice coming through the phone. "Hi," he said, clearing his throat. "Mrs. Johnson, it's...uh...Victor Bennett."

"Victor?" Patience said. "Patty's boy? Phoebe," he heard her hiss, "it's Patty's boy."

"What does he want?" he heard Phoebe ask.

"I don't know. What do you want, Victor?" she asked.

Victor stifled a laugh, but it only momentarily muffled his nervousness. "Oh, I was just wondering if I could ask you a question. About Patty."

"Oh." She sounded startled. "Sure. Go right ahead."

"Well, I...I'm...You see, I've decided to...propose..."

Patience drew in a sharp breath and squealed, "Phoebe, the boy's going to propose!"

"What?" said Phoebe. "Is he crazy?"

"Oh hush. That's wonderful, Victor," Patience said. "And so exciting. Does Patty know yet?"

Victor raised an eyebrow. "Uh, no. You and my friend are the only two I've told. But, listen, I was wondering if you could tell me whether or not Patty would be open to a less traditional engagement ring. My funds are a little limited and-"

"Oh, my," said Patience. "That's quite a question. What do you mean by 'untraditional?'"

"Well, a ring that doesn't have a dia-"

"Oh!" said Patience. "Oh! Oh! Oh! I've got the perfect solution! You can use my ring!"

"Excuse me?"

"My engagement ring," said Patience. "You can propose to Patty with it."

"That's very nice of you, Mrs. Johnson, but I'm not sure-"

"Oh, please," she said, "I insist. Patricia will love it."

Victor tugged on his earlobe, feeling hesitant. It would be a solution though.

"Well," he said, "yeah, I guess that would work."

"Fabulous!" said Patience. "Would you like me to bring it to you?"

The idea of Patience Johnson in his workplace made Victor nearly chortle with mirth, but he decided to be nice. "Oh, no, I'll come pick it up. What's your address?"

She gave him the address and implicit instructions not to come after five, because Gordon would be home, and then they parted ways.

Please, thought Victor, let it be the perfect ring.

The next day he pulled up to the Johnsons', taking another extended lunch break, and hopped out of the car, eager to get the ring. He knocked on the door, and Patience answered, looking as starry eyed and dreamy as Victor remembered.

"Come in!" she said enthusiastically. "I've got the ring all ready. It's in a box and everything."

She led Victor into the living room and pulled a ring box off of the mantle, holding it out and handing it to Victor.

"Go ahead," she said. "Open it."

He did, and the sight of the ring nearly took the breath straight out of him. A simple white gold band with a diamond and sapphire setting. It looked like an antique. And it was perfect.

"Oh, Mrs. Johnson," he said. "It's perfect." He looked up at her and saw she had tears in her eyes.

"Yes," she whispered. "It is."

"How can I ever thank you?"

Patience smiled, and patted him on the arm. "Just marry my granddaughter," she said. "You'll make me the happiest grandmother in the world."

Victor swallowed hard. "Thank you," he said. He bent and gave her a quick hug. "Thank you so much."

She nodded.

"I'm sorry to rush out," said Victor, "but I have to get back to work."

"Oh, of course," said Patience. "Let me show you to the door."

She took him by the arm and led him back toward the door, smiling all the way. "Phoebe's sorry she couldn't say hello, by the way," she said. "She's feeling poorly again, I'm afraid."

"I'm sorry to hear that," said Victor. "Tell her hello from me."

Patience nodded. "Yes, I will. Well, it was very good to see you again, Victor."

He smiled. "You too," he said. He reached out and squeezed her hand, backing out the door. And it was just as she was closing the door that he noticed another diamond engagement ring, sparkling on her ring finger.