Page 59 of Cursed
Seth looked to Evan, who shook his head. “We’re open to ideas,” Evan replied. “But we both work with our hands, so the rings should be durable and not easily damaged.”
Edie nodded. “Okay, that helps. Do you like a shiny finish or matte?”
“Probably matte,” Seth replied and Evan nodded. Seth figured they were both thinking that if they didn’t want to remove their rings before every encounter, they should avoid anything with enough gleam to give them away.
“Can we start with silver?” Seth asked, thinking about the metal’s protective qualities against the supernatural.
“Sure. That’s a traditional favorite,” Edie said, and led them to a section of the display case filled with rings.
“See anything you like? Even with silver, you’ve got a range of widths, finishes, and designs,” she noted. “You can get a classic band with no decoration, although it’s always possible to have a short message engraved inside. Some of them have a raised rim around the edge or a texture etched into the metal. There’s also matte and shiny, and ones with diamonds.”
“Want to look more closely at any of them?” Seth nudged Evan to make the first move. Seth’s taste and practicality leaned toward a simple design, but he wanted Evan to get something he really liked. Their consulting jobs paid well enough to cover expenses and put a buffer in their checking account more than sufficient to cover most of the rings.
“I’m leaning toward silver, no extra ornamentation, maybe engraved inside,” Evan said. “I don’t wear many rings, so I don’t know what width would look good.”
“Well, let’s give you a chance to see them up close and try them on.” Edie sounded excited for them, and Seth’s heart did a little flip as the reality of the situation sank in.
We’re really looking at wedding bands. Holy shit.
Evan tried the first ring on and held his hand out, fingers splayed, to see how it looked.
“I think it’s a little too narrow,” Seth ventured, and Edie nodded.
“And if that ring looks too small on him, it’ll really look small on you,” she pointed out, glancing at Seth’s much-larger hands.
She put that ring away and brought out another, but both Seth and Evan agreed it was too wide. “Okay, let’s try something in the middle.” She found a ring that was wider than the first selection and thinner than the second.
“I like that,” Evan said, and Seth nodded.
“Try it,” Edie urged Seth. Evan removed the ring and slid it onto Seth’s finger, keeping eye contact the whole time. Seth realized he wasn’t breathing and felt his face flush.
“Aren’t you two the cutest!” Edie exclaimed. She looked at the ring on Seth’s hand, which Evan was still holding.
“That’s a good size on both of you. And we can arrange for engraving the inside for a small fee. Our jeweler is very good and turns pieces around quickly,” she told them.
Seth handed the ring back to her. “You’re the first shop we’ve stopped at. Let us walk around a little today, and we might be back.”
“Sure thing,” Edie said with a smile, and handed Seth a business card. “I’ll be working again tomorrow. We love helping happy couples make their dreams come true, so please call if you decide what you want.”
They thanked her and headed back to the street. Seth felt a giddy mixture of being happy and a bit freaked out, while Evan looked a little floored.
“Talk to me,” Seth said. “How did you think that went? Are you ready for rings? Did you like those?”
Evan was silent for a moment, which had Seth holding his breath, afraid that he might have pushed things too far, too fast.
As if he guessed the direction of Seth’s thoughts, Evan grabbed his arm. “That was…really exciting. I thought it went well. Yes, I’m ready for rings. I’ve been thinking about that for a while and wondering how to bring it up or what you thought, so it’s all good. And I likedthoserings, but I think we should see what the other choices are before we decide.”
Nash had texted them a short list of recommended jewelers, including one starred with an asterisk, whom he said catered to Wiccans and other customers with abilities. They had already stopped at one of the four shops on the list, so hitting the others as they walked around town added a treasure hunt vibe to the afternoon.
Their self-guided tours added spice to their walk around the city. They recognized iconic locations fromForrest GumpandMidnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, but had never seen some of the other movies referenced by the tour.
“It’s a beautiful city,” Seth mused. “I can see why it’s popular for location shoots.”
“Hey, that’s one of the other jewelry stores on Nash’s list. Let’s see what they’ve got.” Evan plucked at Seth’s sleeve.
Like the first store, this shop also wasn’t part of a national chain. Their salesperson pointed them toward the wedding rings and told them to let him know if they wanted to see something more closely, then left them on their own.
“I’m not sure whether he’s giving us elbow room or just isn’t into the job,” Evan murmured as they bent over the cases.
