Jim held her hand tightly and noticed that it felt clammy. He turned to face the assistant. “Could you just give us a moment please?”
The assistant smiled, nodding. “I’ll get some refreshments.”
Jim pulled Tasha to face him where she found a very serious expression fixed to his face. “What’s wrong, Tasha? It’s a ring, an engagement ring. It’s supposed to be a happy occasion, for us both, but I’m the only one smiling right now.”
“Sorry,” she almost whispered, clinging to his hand as if her life depended on it. “This is big for me, James, but I am happy. I was just wondering about something.”
“What?” He gently linked his fingers with hers.
“Have you bought engagement rings from here before? I feel really uncomfortable thinking of the staff here looking at me like the latest in a long line—”
He cut her off abruptly. “Of course not. I wouldn’t do that. I have shopped here before, but not for engagement or wedding rings and not with a girlfriend. I bought my sisters some earrings from here at Christmas,” he said, reassuring her.
“Okay, sorry.” She felt relieved, but guilty for accusing him, but how was she to know what his track record with this jeweller was.
“Maybe I should have pre-empted it, but it’s fine. Now, let’s find you a ring.”
The assistant returned with champagne and orange juice, complimentary refreshments, but Tasha cynically thought that one way or another Jim would be paying. Rebekah, the assistant started sprouting about mounts, stones, shapes, clarity, white gold, yellow gold, cuts and weights and Tasha was lost. She hadn’t expected the woman to get a mail order catalogue out, but she imagined trays of rings where she would see one she liked and try it on, but it was far more complicated than that. She needed to establish what they were looking for, unfortunately, Tasha hadn’t got a clue. She was simply hoping that something would catch her eye.
“What do you think, Tasha? It’s your choice,” Jim said.
“Rubies are nice and sapphires.”
“With diamonds, of course,” said Rebekah and almost magically produced several monstrous things. Huge, garish ruby or sapphire rings surrounded by diamonds.
Rebekah thrust one of them on Tasha’s finger who immediately removed it. “No, too big.”
“We would size it to you,” frowned Rebekah, “but it looked a good fit.” She smiled reassuringly.
“No, the stones, they’re huge,” cried Tasha.
“Too big?” asked Rebekah, stunned at the concept.
Tasha nodded.
“What about a diamond solitaire?” asked Jim, smiling at Tasha. “If the clusters are too big, honey.”
She nodded as Rebekah disappeared briefly before returning with a selection of diamond solitaires.
She offered the first to Tasha who grimaced as she looked down at it. “This is so vulgar, what sort of person wears something this big?” She immediately answered her own question. “Someone with more money than sense who thinks the size of the diamond in their ring reflects how superior and important they are.” She passed it back to Rebekah and as she looked behind she was being glared at by another couple. She noticed the woman’s hand was adorned with a ring similar to the one Tasha had rejected.
“Sorry,” said Tasha. “I have quite small hands, slim fingers,” she explained then panicked so tried to smooth the comment over. “Not that I’m saying you have big hands, they’re not manly or anything.” She was just digging an ever deepening hole for herself.
Jim frowned and turned to the couple. “Sorry, my fiancée is English.”
They nodded, as if that somehow explained everything and then turned away.
“How rude,” whispered Tasha with a very disapproving expression.
Jim laughed. “But what you said wasn’t?” He laughed again and kissed her gently on the lips. “You really are a rare find, baby, a woman who considers any gem too big. Can we carry on with diamond solitaires, Rebekah, please?”
“Can I see what else you have first?” Tasha knew that a custom designed ring was likely to increase the price tag and as none of the rings she’d seen so far carried a price tag she was already dreading the cost.
After what seemed like an eternity Rebekah appeared with more rings. She seemed to check them over and either discarded them or presented them to Tasha.
“Sorry, can we look at that one, the first one you put over there?” asked Jim.
“Of course,” said Rebekah and passed them the ring. “If there is nothing suitable as a complete ring we can of course make one to your specifications, so please consider the stones and mounts you prefer,” she added, as if sensing that Tasha’s requirements may be quite specific.
