“Maybe bringing her here was not the best idea?” Eli grumbles to me.
“I can hear you, asshole!” Kendra snaps. “And of course it was a good idea. Lainey ismybest friend, and I know what she likes. Why areyouhere? What the heck do you know about diamonds and picking engagement rings, Mr. ‘I am never gonna be locked down.’” Kendra gives Eli a smug look over one of the glass cases housing a variety of necklaces.
“I’m here becausemybest friend and brother asked me to be here. You don’t have a monopoly on the future LeBlancs, Kenny.” He gives her a wicked grin.
“Ugh, donotcall me that stupid nickname.” She stomps over to another section of the store.
“What the fuck, man? Why are you poking the tinybeehive?” I glance between him and Kendra. They usually don’t go at each other like this, well at least notthishard.
“I don’t know. It’s just too easy sometimes, I can’t help myself.” He shrugs his massive shoulders like a scorned child.
“Well, drop it and help me. Pick up your playground shit later.”
“Fine,” Eli relents.
I walk over to the main sales counter where Mr. Angelo is patiently waiting. He is the owner of our local jewelry store, Fox Gem and Jewel, located right on Main Street. His daughter, Michelle, graduated the same year as Sutton, and he had a son a few grades below us.
“Rem, what can I help you with today?” he asks me with a bright smile that matches the gleam of the diamond in the ring on his pinky finger.
“I would love your expertise to help me pick an engagement ring, Mr. Angelo,” I tell him, a sudden wave of nerves roiling my stomach. I’m not nervous about my decision to ask Lainey to marry me, that I couldn’t be more excited for. No, I just want to be sure I am picking exactly the perfect ring. She deserves it, plus it’s going to live on the ring finger of her left hand for the rest of our lives. It needs to be perfect.
“Excellent! Congratulations, son. This is a big, big day. Is this the lovely lady?” He gestures to Kendra.
Eli, Kendra, and I all let out a collective laugh, and I vehemently protest. “No, no, no. This is Kendra, my girlfriend Lainey’s best friend. I brought her and Eli to help me out today.”
“Geez, Rem. No need to be so offended.” Kendra pokes me in the ribs, smiling up at me.
“Sorry, Kenny.” Eli puts an arm around Kendra’s tiny shoulders, tugging her to his side as she tries to push away from him. “He is twitterpated and everyone knows it.”
“Shut up, you two and focus.” I turn to the huge selection of rings in the case, feeling overwhelmed again.
“Definitely not yellow gold, right?” I ask Kendra as she finally shoves Eli’s big frame off of her tiny one.
“Correct, loverboy. Platinum or white gold. So this whole section is out.” She waves her blue-manicured hand over the left side of the display case.
“We could always custom make something as well if you don’t see the right thing here today, Rem,” Mr. Angelo explains.
Nodding, I take my time to look at the other rings.
“We also have these setting options over here. And then a wide variety of stones to pick from that are not already set in place.” He walks to a different display area, and we all trail him.
That’s when I see the perfect setting. I point to it. “Can you please tell me more about that one?”
“Oh, yes, lovely choice.” Mr. Angelo unlocks the case, pulls it out, and gently lays it on blue display velvet. “This is a band of 14-karat white gold. Obviously, no stone in the center yet, you get to pick that. But alternating on the sides here and on the band, we have pear and round-cut diamonds that will hug whichever center stone you select. It’s a very romantic piece.”
Kendra and Eli stand next to me, examining the ring as I pick it up. The lights in the store reflecting off of the side stones are already stunning. I can’t imagine how much better it will look with a diamond in the middle.
“It kind of reminds me of a flower,” Kendra states.
“Yeah, it kind of does,” I breathe out, looking over to Eli who gives me a raised, knowing brow. A silent conversation between us, the meaning of her words deeper than she realizes.
“This is the one, Mr. Angelo,” I tell the man, unable to contain my relieved smile.
“Excellent!” He claps. “Now, on to center diamond selection.”
44
Lainey
