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Bain snorts and just before he closes the door, I hear him say, “I’m googling that shit first before I commit to an agreement.”
CHAPTER 23
Bain
The February chillstings my cheeks as I step out of the downtown Pittsburgh jeweler. The weight of the $132,000 engagement ring for Drake feels heavier than I anticipated. I’m in a safe area, but on the walk through the parking garage to my car, I’m alert to my surroundings. I have the small bag with the ring in an inside coat pocket for added safety.
Once inside my car, though, I can’t help the grin that splits my face. I open up my glove box and pull out a black velvet box containing the gaudiest faux diamond ring I could find on short notice. Thank God for Amazon Prime delivery.
I snicker as I examine my purchase. It’s like someone slapped a huge, ribboned bow on the top of the ring with fake diamonds crusted over it and the knot is a round gemstone that’s not all that big. It’s the oversized bow that takes up a lot of real estate on the band and it’s tacky as shit.
Without hesitation or thought for my personal safety, I close the box and trade it out, putting the fake ring in the jeweler’s bag and sliding the real one back into my coat pocket.
Drake directed me to meet him at a gas station not far from his house. The proposal is set for tonight.
He’s waiting parked off to the side, away from the pumps. He doesn’t bother getting out of his car so I do, patting my pocket for about the tenth time since I put the real ring in there, and head to the driver’s door.
Drake rolls down the window, a gush of warm air from the interior bathing my face.
“Got your rock.” I hand him the jeweler’s bag. It’s made of thick card stock, black with gold-foil lettering with the store’s logo. I tuck my hands into my pockets to ward off the cold.
“Thanks,” he says, and as I’d imagined he’d do, he pulls the box out to inspect his merchandise. I mean… you drop six figures on a ring, you should make sure it’s what you bought.
My hands are admittedly sweating as Drake opens the box and my eyes nearly water as I try to hold a straight face.
The ring looks even gaudier now that it’s an integral part of what’s probably a very bad prank. But fuck… the guy has given me far too much shit about his sister and it’s time for a little payback.
Drake explodes as he takes in the huge bow with a dinky little diamond at the knot. Sheer horror coats his expression. “What in the actual fuck is this?”
“I don’t know. That’s what they handed me,” I say, afraid a laugh will scrape its way out of my throat. “You paid $132,000 for that?”
“This isn’t… this can’t be…” he splutters, holding up the ostentatious knockoff that glints almost maliciously in the winter sunlight. “They fucking gave me someone else’s ring.”
Who would ever buy a ring like that for that type of money?
Drake’s eyes meet mine, brimming with raw panic.
I can’t help it. I double over with laughter, clutching my stomach as I start to wheeze.
“You fucking asshole,” Drake growls as he tosses the ring at me. It bounces off my shoulder and tumbles under his car.
I straighten up, still laughing. “Hey… that ring cost me forty-nine bucks. How dare you treat it so callously.”
Drake merely holds his arm out the window, palm up in silent demand to hand over the real goods.
I reach into my coat pocket and pull out the box. I open it and show it to him with a flourish of my hand. The jeweler showed it to me in the store and it’s admittedly stunning. Drake’s shoulders relax and one corner of his mouth curves in pride over such a beauty.
“You should see your face!”
Drake throws me a sour glance as he takes the ring, though he looks ready to throttle me. I expect him to rail at me or at the very least call me an asshole again. Instead, he blows out a huff of air and scrubs his hand through his hair. He sets the box on the passenger seat and reaches for the gearshift. “I’ve got to get going.”
My hand lands on the car door before he can roll up the window. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah… fine.”
Guilt pricks at me that I did a switcheroo on the ring, but I’m not sure that’s the cause of his angst. “What’s up?”
“I’m fine,” he growls, but he looks completely rattled.
