Page 42 of First Date: Divorce
“Okay,” she said.
The man behind the counter watched them leave, clearly puzzled.
He’d been right, Eric was the softer touch.But instead of talking her into the purchase, with very few words he’d talked her out of buying these rings at any price.
“There’s one more pawn shop possibility and we can look for smaller jewelry stores.We have an hour and a half before closing time,” she said.
As they returned to his car, she spotted a sign around the corner for watch repair.“Let’s try there as long as we’re here.”
He shrugged.“Might as well.”
The sliver of a shop was dim after coming in from outside.
“May I help you?”
K.D.turned toward the voice and saw a woman with a smile nearly as big as she was.
“We’re looking for wedding rings.”
“Oh!”The woman turned toward the back of the store where a white-haired man bent over a strong light.“Jacob.Wedding rings.These lovely young people.”
The man looked up, opening his eyes wide to drop an old-fashioned jeweler’s loop into his hand with a practiced air.
“We don’t have many rings, but let me show you…” The man began to rise, slowed by stiffness.
K.D.didn’t know if it was the man’s willingness despite the stiffness or the woman’s smile, but she couldn’t mislead them.“They’re not for us.I mean, they are for us, but not for real.It’s a … a play.A kind of a play.”
“Oh.”The woman’s smile disappeared.
She looked from K.D.to Eric.Once, twice, then at her husband.
The elderly couple exchanged about an hour’s worth of conversation in that one look.
“Yes?”he asked his wife.
“Yes.”She turned her beam back on them.“I will show you a couple things here, while Mr.Schmidt gets a few special ones from the back.”
His wizened face shifted into a smile as he shuffled away.
“But what—?”K.D.’s question was interrupted by Eric’s hand on her arm and the woman — presumably Mrs.Schmidt — taking a small tray from the display and setting it on the counter in front of her.
Two sets of rings were nice, the prices reasonable, and not inscribed.They would do, especially since it didn’t matter what the rings looked like as long as they fit.
“These will work.”She pointed to the less expensive set, as Mr.Schmidt arrived from the back.
“Not so fast, missy,” he said with a smile.He swept back velvet cloth from a tiny box.“Look at these before you make any decisions.”
“Oh.”
She would take back that small sound if she could.
Especially when Eric darted a glance at her.
There were two bride’s rings, both with gold bands.The wedding band, simple and elegant, had a sweeping curve cut into its width.The engagement ring’s band had a complementary curve.Together, they created one whole band.The wide section of the engagement ring held an oval diamond with groupings of emeralds along its side, so the stones nestled against the wedding band.
The groom’s ring was solid gold, with a line etched along the surface that echoed the curve where the bride’s two rings joined.
“We’ll take them.”
