Chapter 14
14
ROWENA
Sam pulls up in front of Tiffany’s flagship store on Fifth Avenue, and I can’t say I’m surprised Adrian would choose the iconic jewelers to buy me an engagement ring.
As the driver opens the car door for me, the famed Tiffany may I show you a few options?”
Adrian flashes her a dazzling smile. “We would love you to.”
“Of course! Right this way, please.” Danielle turns and starts across the wide foyer, her heels clicking on the hardwood floor.
Adrian extends an arm and, after a moment’s hesitation, I slip my hand into the crook of his elbow, allowing him to escort me further into the glittering wonderland of Tiffany’s .
The shop assistant guides us over to a plush velvet seating area. “Let me first explain some of our most popular styles.” From a locked drawer she takes out a black case whose interior is divided into tiny squares, each occupied by a loose gemstone.
As I sink into the seat, I try to project self-confidence as if I regularly get shown to private booths to buy diamond rings.
Danielle launches into her pitch, rattling off a dizzying array of diamond cuts. “The Round Brilliant is our most classic style, with its fifty-seven facets to optimize sparkle. Then we have our patented Tiffany True cut, as well as cushion, princess, emerald, pear shape…”
My eyes glaze over as she points to each glittering stone. They’re all so huge. How much would Adrian have to shell out for one of these rocks?
“…of course, clarity and color are important factors as well,” Danielle continues eagerly. “We only sell diamonds graded VS1 or higher, and D through G on the color scale for that icy white appearance that Tiffany’s is known for.”
Icy is exactly what these stones feel to me. Beautiful but cold. Like Adrian’s penthouse.
Danielle turns to me expectantly. “So, do you have any particular preferences in terms of style? Would you prefer a solitaire or halo or trilogy?”
“Err…” My mind goes blank. I have no freaking clue. I glance helplessly at Adrian, silently begging him to take the lead on this.
He gives me a reassuring smile before addressing Danielle. “Why don’t you show us a range, in your most popular cuts?”
“Of course!” Danielle gushes. “And in terms of size, are you thinking…” She trails off delicately, her gaze flicking to Adrian .
“Go big or go home, right?” He looks at me.
I force a smile, my cheeks aching with the effort.
Danielle seems much more heartened by the declaration and scurries off to pull out some rings, leaving Adrian and me alone in the boudoir.
He stares at me concerned. “You okay? You seem tense.”
I furrow my brows and look away. “I’m fine! Just a bit… overwhelmed, I guess. This is all so…” I wave a hand vaguely at the opulent surroundings.
“Hey, we got this,” he whispers, his deep brown eyes earnest and reassuring. “It’s only a little bling, okay?”
I nod. It’s just a ring. A stupidly expensive, blindingly sparkly ring…
Danielle returns bearing a black velvet tray lined with rings that would probably pay off my student loans. Twice over. She handpicks a monstrosity with an emerald-cut center gem flanked by triangle side baguettes, the band encrusted with more diamonds.
“This is one of our most popular styles this season,” she enthuses, holding it out to me. “Three and a half carats, VVS1 clarity, E color. Quite spectacular, isn’t it?”
I pluck the ring from the tray gingerly, afraid I’ll drop it. It’s ice cold and heavier than I expect. I slide it onto my finger and hold my hand out, blinking as the center stone catches the light and fractures it into a thousand rainbow shards.
It’s positively gorgeous… and completely wrong for me. The ring wears me, not the other way around.
I glance up to catch Adrian watching me intently, trying to gauge my reaction. He wants me to make a quick decision, check a box and move on. He probably has to return to work or something. But I can’t pretend to love a ring that makes me feel like even more of an impostor in my own life .
I slide the ring off my finger and place it carefully back on the tray. “It’s beautiful,” I say diplomatically. “But a bit too much for everyday wear?”
Danielle’s smile falters, but she quickly replaces it with another colossus, a huge round solitaire. “Perhaps something more classic, then?”
I dutifully try on ring after blinding ring, each one more soulless and ostentatious than the last. None of them feel right for me. I’m getting a tension headache from the stress of playacting this role.
After what feels like hours, Adrian leans forward. “Do any of these look good?”
They all look great; I don’t know how to tell him I wouldn’t want to wear any of them.
Abruptly, I slip out of the booth. “I… we need to reschedule,” I stammer, backing away from the diamond-encrusted madness.
Adrian frowns, looking both confused and irritated. “Reschedule? Rowena, we have to go to my boss’s house on Friday. There’s no time.”
I wave off the protest, already moving toward the door. “I’m sorry, I just… can’t do this right now.”
“Rowena, wait!” Adrian calls after me, but I keep pushing through the glass doors, desperate for air that doesn’t smell like wealth and expectations.
Outside on the sidewalk, I gulp down breaths, trying to calm my racing heart. What am I doing? I can’t just leave Adrian hanging out to dry. He needs this, and he’s been nothing but kind and understanding with me. But the thought of going back inside, of staring at more ridiculous diamonds and pretending to be enthusiastic about it?—
“Hey!” Adrian’s voice behind me makes me startle. He sounds more concerned than angry, and that gives me pause. If I’d pulled a scene like that with Liam, he’d already be all red-faced, yelling up my nose.
“What’s wrong?” Adrian asks instead.
I turn to him, steeling myself. “I’m sorry, Adrian. But those rings are not me, and you don’t want me to let you buy one. Trust me.”
He tilts his head with an amused grin. “I’m pretty sure I need to buy you one. My boss has to understand we’re serious, and nothing says long-term more than a big rock on your finger.”
I roll my eyes. “You know what those rings say?”
He crosses his arms over his chest. “Enlighten me.”
“Dude with no clue who just went to the brand-name store to buy the biggest, most expensive rock he could find.” His nostrils flare, so I attempt to sound less of a know-it-all. “You want to impress your boss, right? Make him think we’re genuine?”
He drops his arms. “Yes.”
“Then the ring needs to have a soul, a story.” I point at my chest. “Look at me and think of a color.”
“Yellow,” he says without hesitation.
“Why yellow?”
“Like the Belle figurine on your pen.” My jaw drops slightly. That’s how he sees me? I almost want to laugh; I’m not exactly princess material. But before I can break into my usual self-deprecating routine, Adrian continues, his voice lowering, “You’re the color of sunshine and of the flakes of gold in your eyes.”
Okay.
I stare at him, even more stunned. My gaping must make him self-conscious because he scratches behind his neck. “At least that’s how I’d describe you as a color.”
I’d describe him as black. Like the depth of the night when it wraps around you, warm and protective. Not the cold, distant black of space, but something rich and enveloping. A beautiful nocturnal sky—vast, mysterious, impossible to ignore. With sparks of stars scattered across.
Sunshine and nightfall. Where there’s one, the other can’t be. Just another reminder that we’re pretty much opposites.
But I don’t say any of this. Instead, I smile. “Yellow is a beautiful color, and I know where we need to go to find a ring.”
“Where?” Adrian asks puzzled.
“To shop vintage.”
I grab his hand and drag him down the curb.
Ten minutes later we reach the corner of 47th Street and 6th Avenue—the edge of the Diamond District.
The street is lined with discreet, high-end shops, each boasting thick glass windows that house elegantly displayed jewelry. The air is heavy with the aroma of street food and the sound of chatter mixed with the occasional honk of taxis.
We weave through the rush-hour crowd, a tangle of professionals and tourists, inspecting every window we pass until we both stop dead in our tracks.
Sitting slightly apart under a spotlight is the perfect ring: a stunning cushion-cut yellow diamond that catches the light just right. The vibrant colored stone is securely clasped by four sleek, elegantly arching prongs and nestled between two tapered baguette colorless diamonds. The gemstones are set in platinum or white gold, the metal’s gleam almost as captivating as the stones themselves.
I turn to Adrian. “It’s perfect. ”
He smiles. “Sunshine in a stone.” He stares down at the price tag next and frowns.
I follow his gaze to the hefty label, sitting just shy of fifteen thousand dollars.
“If it’s too expensive, we can find a different one.”
“Too expensive? It should have an extra zero. My boss is going to think I’m cheap.”
I pat his chest. “Your boss will think you have a heart.”