Page 132 of Nuts

“More than any other bar out there. Everyone thinks apes are uncomfortable, but they’re not. Try a set, you’ll love ‘em.”

“I’ll do that,” he said. “Now, in response to your earlier statement, we do specialize in making a bold statement at an affordable price. We’re a specialty shop, but we’re family owned, and we’re small. We don’t have to feed a corporate machine, we only have to feed ourselves.”

“I like the sound of that.”

“What are you looking for, specifically?”

“Not sure.”

“Engagement?” he asked.

I shook my head. “Not exactly. I want her to know I’m committed to her. I don’t want to scare her off with an engagement ring. Just something that’ll make sure she knows I’m in it for the long haul.”

He nodded. “Very well. Have you got a price point you’d like to be under?”

“Let’s just say I’ve got a lot of money, and you don’t know what the definition of a lot is. I want quality, and it needs to be unique. And, don’t get any wise ideas about snatching my backpack, either. I’m quite a bit meaner than I look.”

He coughed out a laugh. “If you’d like to follow me into the back, we can lock that in the safe while you’re shopping. Regardless of your definition of a lot, I’d hate for someone to attempt to relieve you of it while you’re here.”

I considered his offer. After a moment of weighing the possibilities of what if, I agreed. After securing the money in the safe, we returned to the front of the store.

“Do you have a preference on the shape of the stone?”

“Round.”

“Not a conventional solitaire?”

I shook my head. “Looks too much like an engagement ring.”

“Give me a few minutes, will you?”

“Sure.”

He returned in no time. “I’ve got a few I think you might like.”

He spread a cloth on top of the case, and then placed six rings on top of it. The differences in the eye appeal was immeasurable, but the difference in the sizes of the diamonds was drastic. He was obviously offering rings in several price points.

One stood out as being exactly what I had in mind.

“The one on the left. What do you call it?”

“That style is called a halo. It’s a round center stone that is surrounded by stones. It’s a custom piece, built by the one and only Master Jeweler Thomas. There’s not another like it.”

I nodded toward it. “May I?”

“Absolutely.”

I picked it up and held it under the light. It sparkled from what seemed like thousands of facets at the same time. “Damn, this thing sparkles.”

“It’s a Round Brilliant stone, and an Ideal cut. All Ideals are Round Brilliants, but only the best Round Brilliants are Ideals. It’s a remarkable stone.”

“Is it the best you’ve got?”

“It’s the best money can buy. There’s no finer cut. It’s also a colorless stone, and the clarity is VVS-1.”

The ring had a large center stone, and it was surrounded by two rows of smaller stones. The stones that surrounded it tapered toward the center of each side of the ring.

“Cost?”