Page 22 of Finesse
As Cameron and I walk into a very high-flaunting jewelry store, I’m quickly reminded about his money and what he has. Three security guards are at different posts and several cameras follow our every move.
There’s a big difference between old money and new money.
New money is often loud and boastful. It shows up in the forms of new whips, new fits, and tons of bling. Old money, however, is quiet and often deep in the cut. It shows up in the form of property and owning the big boy toys – private jets, yachts, islands, and estates.
The sales associates look like they eat caviar for breakfast followed by filet mignon and lobster for lunch. The women are pulled back as far as their faces could go and the men are equally fans of Botox.
I’m completely underdressed in my jeans, T-shirt, and J’s while Cameron looks like he just came out of Prep School. We couldn’t have looked any more different from each other.
Nervousness creeps up my spine as I say polite hellos and smiles to everyone. I don’t want to seem like a threat. And I damn sure don’t want to make some white woman “Karen famous” because she decided to mess with the wrong one.
Cameron makes the polite smiles and hellos to the sales associates and I stay as close to him as possible. I don’t want to be alone walking around and next thing I know, a security guard is my new shadow.
“See anything you like, beautiful?”
I glance around at all of the blinding bling and chew my lips. This isn’t the five-dollar jewelry I rock from the mall or street vendors. This is someone’s life savings on a wrist. “Um…” How can I say I want all of it without sounding like a gold-digging bitch? “…I want to look around some if that’s okay?”
“That’s more than okay. I need to go in the back to handle some business but take a look around. They’ll take care of you.” He kisses my temple and quickly disappears in the back.
I watch Cameron leave and wonder if stopping by this particular jewelry store was intentional. Honestly, I’m wondering about the entire Harlem trip, but I need to play my cards right. I’m still not sure, but I don’t want to blow a good thing.
Before I can do any gawking, a sales associate immediately appears by my side. “Do you need any assistance, Ms. Gray?”
They already knew my name. This is more unnerving than I thought. We didn’t even introduce ourselves, but they already knew who we were. “Um, yes. I like to take a look at some pieces over there.”
The lady smiles at me with a sparkle in her eyes. “Sure, right this way.”
I spent the better part of the next hour playing dress-up with expensive pieces of jewelry as me and the associates made small talk. We talked about our favorite binge-worthy shows, how I liked New York so far, and what my plans were for when I finally graduated college.
Each piece of jewelry I try on is more beautiful and more expensive than the last one. It’s almost impossible to not want to take them all. Cameron suddenly reappeared and I felt his presence before I turned around. He wrapped his arms around me and kissed my cheek, causing me to lowly moan in response. “You see anything you like, beautiful?”
Cameron smells clean, like fresh soap with a hint of musk. He’s also significantly calmer than he was earlier. Whatever happened in the impromptu meeting made him more at ease. “Everything?” I chuckled.
He laughs in my ear and desire courses through my body. “What were your favorites?”
“Um, the expensive ones, of course!” Why is that everything I like is always the most expensive?
“Show me.” He dares me. I turn to face him with wide eyes and a gaped mouth, only for Cameron to double-down. “Show me.”
I walk him over to the bracelets and point to a diamond tennis cutie. It’s a pink sapphire and diamond bracelet. It’s also the cost of a brand-new souped-up Benz. “That’s beautiful,” Cameron purrs as the associate takes it out of the glass. Cameron picks it up and puts on my wrist before he kisses it. “It’s perfect for you.” He turns to the associate. “We’ll take it.”
~~~~~
“Why did you choose that particular jewelry store?” I ask over dinner at Per Se.
Cameron swirls his wine glass as he watches the liquid slosh around. After our jewelry adventure, we went out to dinner at one of the most famous and exclusive restaurants in New York. We’ve dressed accordingly; Cameron is wearing a suit with an open collar. I’m wearing a bodycon dress with high heels.
We’re in a private room and it’s just the two of us. We have a private server that tends to us every ten minutes or so as we eat under dimmed light. It’s cozy and romantic. There’s no interruption of clinking glasses, chattering from other patrons, or rushed servers.
I can solely focus my attention on Cameron and study his reaction as I politely grill him about today’s events. After the jewelry store, we stopped by Sweet Nectar boutique where he laced me in tonight’s outfit, plus a few more for the weekend. I even got to meet the owner and creator, Soul Ellison.
Cameron takes a bite of his dinner and slowly chews it before he has a sip of wine. He meets eyes with me and I see small question marks appear within them as if he’s wondering how much he should reveal.
“I liked the jewelry and I was familiar with the store.” His voice is strangely calm and articulate as if he were giving a lecture. “Do you not like your bracelet?”
“No, I love it.” I quickly touch the jewelry I’m wearing. “It’s just…you were gone for a while in the back as I looked around the store.”
“I had some business I needed to take care of.” His voice is still calm and understated.
