“Efficiency is important.”
“For a business lunch, maybe. Not for romance.” She shakes her head, but she’s smiling. “Come on. Let’s go pick out a ring before I lose my nerve.”
The jewelry store has soft lighting that makes everything sparkle. A well-dressed sales associate approaches us immediately, his smile professional but warm.
“Good afternoon. How can I help you today?”
“We’re looking for an engagement ring,” I state, and the words feel strange in my mouth.
“Congratulations!” His smile becomes genuine. “How exciting. Is this your first time ring shopping together?”
Freya slides her hand into mine, and I try not to react to the way her touch sends electricity up my arm. “We’ve been talking about it for a while,” she responds smoothly, “but Ben wanted to surprise me with the actual shopping trip.”
“How romantic. And do we have any preferences for style? Traditional, modern, vintage?”
I look at Freya, expecting her to take the lead here.
“I’d love to see some options,” she declares diplomatically.
The next hour passes in a blur of diamonds and settings and terminology I’ve never heard before. The sales associate, David, is patient and knowledgeable, explaining the differences between cut and clarity while Freya tries on ring after ring.
And I watch her face for every reaction.
She’s polite about the larger, more traditional rings, but I can see they don’t speak to her. Her eyes light up when David shows her a more unique piece. An oval diamond with a delicate twisted band that catches the light beautifully.
“This one is from our artisan collection,” David explains. “Each ring is individually crafted, so no two are exactly alike.”
Freya turns her hand, watching the diamond sparkle. “It’s gorgeous.”
“Try it on,” I encourage.
She slips it onto her finger, and something in my chest clenches. It fits perfectly, like it was made for her. The diamond catches the light in a way that makes her eyes seem to glow.
“What do you think?” David asks.
“I think it’s beautiful,” Freya murmurs softly, and for a moment she stares at it, completely transfixed.
“We’ll take it,” I declare without hesitation.
Both Freya and David look at me in surprise, but then Freya quickly shakes her head and starts pulling the ring off.
“Actually, no,” she responds, handing it back to David. “Could we see some others? Maybe something more… classic?”
I frown. “But you loved that one.”
“It’s fine,” she states, not meeting my eyes. “Let’s look at some other options.”
David, ever the professional, shows us several more rings. Freya eventually settles on a classic round solitaire. Beautiful, but completely generic. Nothing like the unique piece that made her face light up.
“This one,” she declares with forced enthusiasm. “It’s perfect.”
But I can tell she doesn’t mean it. There’s no spark in her voice, no wonder in her expression. She’s going through the motions.
“Are you sure?” I ask. “We can keep looking?—”
“I’m sure. This is exactly what we need.”
David processes the transaction for the ring that Freya clearly doesn’t love, and I sign the paperwork, feeling like I’ve made some terrible mistake. But I can’t figure out what went wrong.
