Silver and gold shone against the backdrop of blue velvet. Dean gazed steadily at them, though the soft focus of his eyes made it apparent he was seeing none of them.
"It's a lost cause, then?" the jeweler behind the counter asked sadly.
Dean exhaled in a single bitter laugh. "Yeah. Me. I'm the lost cause." He swallowed. "She needs someone who isn't me. Let's leave it at that."
The jeweler sighed. "I hadn't started on it yet. I can refund most of your deposit."
Dean looked up. "I thought the deposit was non-refundable."
Shrugging, the jeweler pinned Dean with a knowing look. "You've just suffered a deep disappointment. Be cruel of me to add insult to injury." His eyes grew distant. "Would have been a beautiful ring, though."
The corner of Dean's mouth tugged in a forlorn smile. "She's a beautiful girl."
Cash changed hands; Dean did not even bother to count the bills that he shoved in his wallet, fingers trembling slightly. As he pulled the hood of his sweatshirt forward to ward against the chill autumn drizzle outside, the jeweler cleared his throat.
"Call me nosy, but – what happened that's so impossible to make better?"
At first it didn't look like Dean was going to answer. Then,
"I'm not straight."
The bell above the door jingled as Dean pushed against it. The jeweler watched him slide into his car and roll away from the curb, face still set into that deadened serious expression.
"That'd do it, I suppose," he said to himself. He let his eyes wander about his shop for a few moments, at a loss for what to do, and found himself hoping that the young man would find someone else to make him smile one day.