“I think I like this version of you so much better.”
“What was wrong with the old version of me?” Lacie had designed a few pieces for me, specifically the one I got after we won the Super Bowl for the third year in a row. The Sharks logo, with three footballs above my iced out number. It was more so for the memory because I had only worn it twice, but it was nice as hell and cost me a grip.
I had dinner with Lacie a few times while designing it. Her opinion of me was defined by the night she delivered the finished piece. She had been privy to how I got down in real time. I might have had an extended bathroom break for some head after a woman approached us at the table with the offer.
“Do you want the short list or the long list?”
I chuckled and leaned back, brushing a hand over my head. “Neither, I’m good on those memories.”
“I’m sure you are.” Her eyes rolled as she shook her head. “But how soon do you need this?”
I cringed, then flashed a smile.
“Ah, shit, here comes the upcharge.”
“Damn, it’s like that?” Her brow lifted and my smile expanded.
“Aight, her birthday’s in three days. So if you can get it to me in two, that would be perfect. I’m trying to catch a flight the morning of her birthday.”
“I have a few pieces that Rochelle commissioned, but I think I can work around them to get this done. It’s simple enough.”
The heart Rylee drew would be broken into three pieces and crusted with chipped diamonds. When they were placed together, they would fit perfectly to form the heart.
“I want hers to be the center. Can you add a floating diamond.”
Lacie tugged the corner of her lip between her teeth and glanced at the drawing with her head angled to the side.
While she studied her work, I leaned toward Rylee who kept tapping on the screen. I watched her for a minute and every bouquet she liked was added to the cart.
“That’s a lot of flowers.”
She placed the phone on her legs before her hands were moving.“They’re pretty and you have a lot of money.”
I was about to tell her the reason I had a lot of money was because I didn’t waste it but that was a pointless conversation for a six-year-old. Also, if she wanted to buy out the entire shop, she could get that. My thoughts were interrupted by a question that had me looking sideways at Lacie.
“Do you plan on having kids?”
Where the hell had that come from?
“One day, yeah.”
She read the confusion in my expression because she grinned and picked up the pencil she used to sketch the design and began making an adjustment. After she was done, she pushed it across the table into my view and leaned forward, tapping the center of the heart.
“You wanted a floating diamond, I was thinking several. We’ll start with one for your sister, and if and when you have kids, you can add a stone for each one. This piece is going to be sentimental. I’m sure she’s not going to want to start all overwith something else if you guys have kids. So this way, you can add to it.”
My eyes lowered to the center of the heart where she’d sketched what one stone would look like and an alternate version with multiple. I nodded, seeing the vision.
“That’s what’s up. I fuck with it. Yeah, we can do that.”
“Perfect, I’ll make a mold and send pictures of the mock up before I make it.”
“’Preciate that. Put it on my account.”
She grinned. “Don’t you want to know how much?”
“Nah, because I know you’re about to tax me like crazy, but it’s cool. She’s worth it.”
“Oh I definitely like this version of you much better and I’m absolutely about to tax you.”
