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“We paused to look at that map,” I said, pointing. “I was fidgeting with my ring. I must have dropped it there.”
The usher looked around. “I don’t see any ring.”
“It must be here somewhere…” I began to panic while searching. This usher was more of a hard-ass than Granny. The trick wasn’t going to work on her. And the ring wasn’t anywhere in sight, which means someone might have picked it up already.
“I don’t see it,” the usher repeated. “It must have been found. I can escort you down to Lost and Found…”
“There!” Maurice said with genuine relief. He pointed over to the edge of the wall. “I see it. Where the wall meets the floor…”
The usher beat us to it. She lifted the ring, eyes widening at the size of it. She looked at us, then back at the ring in amazement.
“Thank you so much,” I said, reaching for it.
She started to hand it over, then clutched it to her chest. “How do I know this is yours?” she asked. “Maybe you saw someone else drop it and are trying to steal it.”
I smiled and pulled out my phone. “I’m sure I have a photo of it here, let me see… Ah, yes. Here we go.” I turned the phone around to show her the selfie we had taken before. “Doesn’t it lookamazingon me? Maurice insisted six carats was too much, but what do men know?”
While she squinted at the screen, I gave Maurice atold you solook.
The usher’s stern visage was replaced with a warm smile. “Ma’am, I’ll be honest. I thought you were just making all that up to get through. I only indulged you because this is a boring job and I wanted some entertainment. But I can see you were telling the truth. Sorry for giving you the third degree.”
“No apology needed!” I said. “I’m just sohappyto have the ring back.”
“It’s a beauty all right.” She squinted at the band. “What’s the engraving on the inside mean?”
Crap. I didn’t know there was an engraving in the ring. I had worn the prop for different acting skits, but I had never looked closely at it!
“Uh,” I said. “Well, the engraving…”
“It saysverum, which is Latin forbe true,” Maurice said smoothly. “When we are finally joined in marriage, my band will say the same.”
The usher smiled and finally handed me the ring. “That’s real sweet.”
“Thank you…” I glanced at her name tag. “…Lisa. I will be sure to mention how helpful you were the next time we see Jeanie.”
She frowned. “Jeanie?”
“Jeanie Buss,” I said offhand. “The controlling owner of the Lakers, of course.”
She shrugged sheepishly. “Aw, you don’t have to do that. You two enjoy the rest of the game. And make sure to keep your passes on you, next time.” She walked away.
I hugged Maurice. “Oh thank you, sweetie! I just don’tknowwhat I would have done if I lost the ring…”
Maurice muttered, “She’s gone. You can drop the act.”
I giggled and said, “I told you it would work! Let this be a lesson to always trust Heather Hart.”
“It only worked because Iremembered the inscription on the prop ring.”
I looked sideways at him. “Yeah, howdidyou know that?’
He snorted. “You’re not the only one who likes to borrow Mr. Howard’s prop jewelry. Sometimes I like to look pretty, too.”
I took him by the hand and led him down the suite level concourse. “A diamond mine in Sierra Leone, huh?”
“You told me to follow your lead,” he replied. “If we’re going to be wealthy enough to be on the suite level, I wanted an exciting backstory.”
I waggled my diamond-adorned finger. “If your family really owned a diamond mine, you would know this ring is onlyfourcarats. You told the usher it was six.”
