Opal hooked the necklace, her favourite dog collar style, and held it up to the light, the brilliant cut diamonds refracting the light. "Wow, Rubes, you just get better and better."
"Would be better if I had a pre-order for it," she muttered, making a mental note to return the twelve phone messages Opal had left on her desk earlier.
It had been a long time since she'd received five phone calls a day, let alone twelve. She assumed it might be the gossipmongers from last night wanting the low-down on her marriage, but what if they were orders?
Unfortunately, she knew those calls wouldn't be from the event planner she'd met with this afternoon to organise the auction, the same one who had turned up his nose at her proposal.
"Damn, I almost forgot." Opal replaced the necklace on the velvet and snapped her fingers. "You've been commissioned fora pink diamond engagement ring. White gold, fantasy cut, three carat."
Ruby whistled. "Did you quote a price?"
Opal nodded, her grin superior. "Yep, and they didn't baulk or quibble. Placed the order on the spot."
"Wow."
Ironic, if she had to choose an engagement ring, she'd go for the same thing. She loved the fantasy cut, faceting stones using freeform angles. It freed her creativity in a way nothing else did, and to work on a pink diamond of that size with the option to do whatever she wanted…
She could see the design in her imagination, utilising a brilliant cut to maximise the stone's natural fire. A stone of exceptional clarity, minimal inclusions. Maybe a claw setting, white gold prongs gripping the stone without metal underneath to highlight the stone itself. Or perhaps a Tiffany setting, high six-pronged?
Opal laughed and tapped her on the shoulder. "I can see you're already imagining what this ring looks like, so I'll leave you to it."
"When do they need the ring by?"
Opal's smiled faded. "Uh… a pretty short timeline. I agreed to it because I know we need the work."
"How long?"
"Two weeks?"
"That's ridiculous—"
"Will it help if I burn the midnight oil alongside you? I'll bring you coffee and muffins and those white-choc brownies you love."
Ruby shouldn't be complaining. The sale of this ring would takeSeabornone step further out of the red and heading towards the black.
"Fine. Arrange a fitting."
Opal shook her head. "No can do. The guy said it had to be a surprise. He gave me the lucky girl's sizing, and said that would have to do."
Ruby frowned. "You know I don't like working on mega pieces like this without ensuring the sizing is right from the start."
"I told him, but the surprise was a deal-breaker…"
Stupid romantics. As long as this guy didn't come whining to her when his bride-to-be didn't like the design or the ring didn't fit.
"No worries, I'll just have to make this the best ring ever," she said, giving Opal a gentle shove in the direction of the door. "Now scoot, I've got work to do."
Opal left, but though Ruby tried to concentrate on putting the final touches on the dog collar, ensuring the short, multi-strand choker sat flat, she couldn't help but think about the pink diamond engagement ring and how she wished she had a guy who loved her enough to surprise her with something similar.
Chapter 25
Jax stayed away from Ruby for two days.
Their wedding reception might’ve been a stepping stone to launch his business career in this city, but it had been his downfall in every other way.
Namely, his susceptibility to his bewitching wife.
He'd let her into his heart a little that night and he hadn't recovered since.
