6. Cameron
Iloved being in our flagship store. With the clean lines and signature silver and black color scheme, the place managed to walk the line between being the fairy tale bucket list location every bride-to-be wanted to experience and being masculine enough so our male shoppers didn’t feel out of place. Nearly every woman who walked through the double doors mimicked the scene from the 1950s movie that featured our shop, Very Veritique, doing a twirl on the iconic circular mosaic in our lobby.
We were gathered after hours for a meeting with Lucy Dubois, piggybacking our first official meeting with her and the internal reveal of a new line of engagement rings. It was a select group, just Sandrine, Glen, Clara, our lead designer, Dominick from legal, and Felicity.
Of course Felicity. She was the reason for the meeting that I hoped wasn’t a complete waste of time. Lucy had obviously passed our background checks, and now it was a matter of a chemistry test. Could a storied brand like Veritique really connect with an influencer? I was having a hard time imagining it—but every argument I tried to form against it in my head just sounded like my dad and his utter refusal to adapt to anything new or hear anyone out. That wasn’t who I wanted to be.
I needed to at least try to be open to this new direction.
Lucy and Felicity seemed to be hitting it off, chatting away in a distant corner of the shop. It gave me the chance to scrutinize the woman who’d been nothing but a nuisance since her first day with us.
No, that was a lie. Felicity was already doing a phenomenal job; it was more a matter of our oil and water personalities that put me on edge. Everyone else on the team adored her, and the feeling seemed to be mutual. So why was I always on the receiving end of a glare? Like now, I was merely taking note of what she was wearing—a bright blue dress that showed off an hourglass figure—and she shot me a narrowed-eyes stare that made me feel like I’d been caught leering at her.
Of course, the possibility existed that I was leering, because the woman was a fucking goddess. It wasn’t like she dressed to show off her body—everything she wore was more than appropriate for our somewhat buttoned-up office culture—but even the little slits in her skirts that showed off the back of her knees were enough to make me think of what she had going on a little higher up. I laughed at myself. I could bed any gorgeous woman I wanted, yet here I was, getting hard at the thought of a knee thanks to the new hire.
“Why don’t we get started?” I said loudly, my voice echoing around the grand space.
Everyone moved toward the display where our most senior retail associate, Bernard, was waiting with a black velvet pillow. Felicity wound up standing right beside me, but she managed to avoid meeting my eyes. It was as if she couldn’t stand the sight of me.
“Welcome, everyone,” Sandrine said. “We’re so excited to be spending time with Lucy Dubois tonight!”
Everyone clapped and the influencer beamed at us, miming clapping movements back at the group. She had that practiced way of holding herself, like she was poised to be photographed at any moment and was always ready to present her best angle. She was attractive in that Instagram model sort of way, with overdrawn dark eyebrows and lips that had seen their fair share of needles. Standing next to a natural beauty like Felicity, my first thought was that the woman looked slightly alien. But then I berated myself for being too judgmental. For our purposes, her looks were inconsequential. What we needed was her reach—and she had plenty of that. Lucy was a pro at her job, and if everything went according to plan, the partnership was going to be a home run.
“We wanted to start off today’s meeting with an introduction of our latest engagement ring line, so Lucy can get those creative juices flowing,” Sandrine continued, directing a smile at the influencer.
“I am beyond about this opportunity,” Lucy exclaimed. “Like, pinch-me moments galore!”
Okay, the woman’s enthusiasm was charming. I hoped it would translate to positive press for us.
“Clara? Why don’t you step up and begin our tour,” Sandrine said.
Our lead designer was the quintessential creative with a severe black bob, matching wide-rim black glasses, and some sort of black avant-garde dress and cape combination I couldn’t figure out. Nor was I going to ask, because she would tell me—at length. She wasn’t always the easiest personality to handle, but she was the best in the business.
“Of course. Tonight, we begin with the Aeternum,” Clara intoned, her German accent making her sound somber. She plucked the ring from the black velvet pad in front of Bernard and held it in the air. “A pear-cut, five carat diamond with fifty chevron-shaped facets in it, set on a pavé-studded band. This is a statement ring that demands attention.”
“Oh, it’s glorious,” Lucy squealed, clapping. “But I need to see it on someone! Not me, because these paws haven’t had a manicure in a week.” She turned to Felicity. “Look at your perfect hands. Put it on for us!”
Felicity blanched, glancing at me out of the corner of her eye. “Oh, no I couldn’t. Let’s have Sandrine?—”
“What’s your ring size, Felicity?” Bernard asked with a knowing smile. “A six, perhaps?”
“Uh,” she paused, staring at the ring like she was afraid of it. “I have no idea, actually.”
“All of our rings are presented in a size six in store, and I know for a fact that Sandrine is a seven. But I think the Aeternum will fit you.”
Felicity picked up the ring like it was a bomb about to go off. She glanced at me, then slid it on her finger.
“Wow, it’s stunning,” she sighed, turning her hand back and forth and then holding it up next to her face.
“Perfect fit,” Bernard said proudly. “Like you’re Cinderella.”
Lucy already had her phone out, recording the casual try-on. “You should see how it sparkles on video, I don’t even need a filter,” she exclaimed. “Oh, my followers are going to love this content!”
I glanced at Dominick and gave him a pointed look.
“Um, Lucy,” Dominic adjusted his glasses. “You can’t post anything yet, since we still need to work out the contracts.”
“And this is just an internal reveal—we’re not ready to go public with this line yet,” Sandrine added.
“Right, right, right,” Lucy said, still recording. “Of course, I won’t post a thing yet. But it’ll help me with my brainstorming later.”
Felicity was staring at the ring on her finger. It looked beautiful—I’d approved the design, after all—but it wasn’t right for her. The Aeternum was a big, flashy piece, better suited for a woman who felt like she had something to say to the world—at top volume. A status-seeker. I didn’t know Felicity well, but that didn’t seem like her.
“What do you think of it?” I asked her.
She was close enough to me that I got a hint of peach in the air around her. Of course she smelled sweet.
“It’s something else,” she replied, still fixated on the ring. “I think it’s a couple years’ worth of rent on my finger. And it’s heavy!” She shook her hand back and forth gently. “I feel like I’m wearing a kettle bell.”
“Are you telling me you’re too weak to carry eight carats?” I chuckled at her. “You’re in trouble. Just wait until you see the Brilliant. You won’t be able to pick your arm up off the counter!”
I took her hand in mine because I wanted a closer look at the ring’s facets, not realizing I was taking her hand in mine in front of a room full of people until I heard Lucy “aww” about it. At that point, letting go and backing away would have been more awkward than continuing, so I brazened through.
Felicity jumped like I’d electrocuted her but relaxed when she realized I was giving the ring professional scrutiny and nothing more.
“What do you think, Romeo?” She asked in a lighter tone than I’d heard her use with me. “Am I a worthy Juliet?”
She did a little curtsy.
“No. I don’t know if it works on you,” I said honestly.
She snatched her hand back, looking wounded. “And why not?”
“It’s not a good match…somehow the ring looks like costume jewelry on you.”
“Excuse me?” her eyebrows shot up. “You’re saying I make it look cheap?”
“That’s not at all what I’m saying,” I grumbled at her, taking her hand in mine again.
I studied the ring on her finger even though she was trying to squirm out of my grip. Pale skin, almost translucent, and silky soft. The ring was a giant, shiny speed bump on her delicate finger.
I looked into her eyes. “There’s no question the Aeternum is an outstanding piece of jewelry, but it’s not your ring. The right ring complements a woman, it doesn’t try to upstage her. The ring best suited for you will be a reflection of pure, natural beauty. The truth is, someone like you could wear a piece of twine around their finger and still make it look like a million bucks.”
They were statements of fact that I’d say to any shopper, but saying them to Felicity while holding her hand had a different vibe in a way I couldn’t quite explain.
Her mouth went into that pretty little O shape, and I swore I heard a literal squee come from Lucy. I glanced over and saw that she was filming us.
“Remember, you can’t—” I began.
“I know, I know,” Lucy laughed at me. “No posting. I just want to capture these moments because it’s a total swoon-fest!”
As soon as I realized what she meant, I let go of Felicity’s hand abruptly.
Sure, it might look like there was something brewing between us, because we were two attractive, red-blooded humans with needs. But how could Lucy miss the undercurrent of wary tension between us? It radiated off of Felicity. Although her hand had relaxed into mine in a way that felt almost familiar.
No, there was no way. I had to have imagined it. I was about to stress to Lucy that Felicity and I were nothing more than colleagues, but Clara tapped the glass display case with her giant emerald ring, reorienting everyone back to her.
“If I may continue,” she said in a serious voice.
Clara didn’t like foolishness, but it wasn’t like I did either.
Bernard placed another ring on the black velvet pad in front of him, and Clara picked it up and held it in front of her.
“The Novo,” she said solemnly. “Featuring two round, brilliant diamonds precisely set to frame a third round center stone. At just three carats total, it’s smaller than the rest of our new collection, but our Novo stones have an unparalleled clarity that sets them apart.”
Clara held it out to Felicity, and she gamely tried it on.
“Me likey!” Lucy sang out when Felicity held up her hand.
Everyone ooh-ed and ahh-ed over the ring, but there was only one I wanted to see, because I knew it would be perfect for someone like Felicity.
“Bernard, please get me the Eternity,” I said in a low voice.
He pulled out the ring and slid it to me on the pad right as Felicity was taking off the Novo. I held up the Eternity and cleared my throat, so everyone turned to me.
“Clara, if you don’t mind, I’ll describe this one.” Clara bowed her head to me like I was her king, and I was reminded of her flair for the dramatic. “The Eternity is a six-carat cushion-cut center diamond with perfectly aligned internal facets, set on an inlaid platinum with four high prongs. The slender band of micro-pavé-set diamonds gives this ring a sparkle quite unlike anything we’ve ever offered. It’s a stunning ring that unites modern sensibilities with the soul of a romantic.”
I turned to Felicity. Every eye was on us, including Lucy’s unblinking phone.
“May I?” I asked, holding the ring toward her.
It was at that moment Dominick, glued to his phone as usual, opted to take a step toward me but tripped instead, careening against my back. The jostle sent the ring flying from my hands, and I immediately dropped to the floor to snag it.
I wound up on my knees in front of Felicity as I grabbed it. She had her hands clutched over her mouth because she knew tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of diamonds had just clattered across the marble.
“Ohmygosh, please don’t move you two! This is gold.” Lucy’s desperate voice rang out. “I’m taking a gazillion photos! Now put it on her!”
Felicity giggled at the influencer’s insistence, which got a smile out of me in spite of myself. How ridiculous was it that we looked like I was doing a real proposal?
“What Lucy wants, Lucy gets,” Felicity said. She flipped her hand out to me, and I slipped the ring on her finger as quickly as I could, then stood up. I was about to make a joke about what had happened, but I glanced at Felicity and discovered her staring at the ring with round eyes.
“Oh,” she breathed as she examined it. “It’s absolutely perfect.”
“It’s my favorite,” I admitted.
I gently grasped her fingertips to pull her hand closer, so I could examine how the ring looked on her. It was no surprise that it was perfectly at home on her finger, like it was made for her.
“Okay you guys, call me crazy but I have the best idea,” Lucy said as she skittered over to us. “Celebrity couples are totally my thing, but what if for this campaign we brought things a little closer to home?”
Sandrine drifted over to listen.
“And how would you do that?” I asked, a sinking feeling settling in my stomach as her gaze danced from me to Felicity over and over.
“I’m so freaking brilliant for coming up with this,” she squealed. “You two are ridiculously adorable together, so we could follow your love story, from the design table, to the ring selection, to the proposal, to the wedding rings…your romance could be so perfectly integrated into what I normally do! You’re obviously not celebrities, but given what you do for a living, you guys would totally get a pass. And you’re both gorgeous, so…” she scrolled through her phone and showed the photo of me on my knees in front of Felicity. “You look incredible in pictures.”
Felicity and I leaned closer to look at the image, and in that moment we did indeed look like two people utterly besotted with one another—which just went to prove that photos lie. Felicity wasn’t caught up in a romance, she was smiling at me because I had to crawl around on the floor to find the ring.
“We’re not a couple,” Felicity said quickly. “We barely tolerate one another.”
I tried to hide my frown. I was now tolerating her just fine. Did she not feel the same? Whatever—I didn’t need her to like me. I just needed her to do her job. “Exactly. It’s a working relationship, nothing more.”
“What?” Lucy shrieked. “No way, that’s unbelievable, you two have crazy chemistry! You totally fooled me.” She paused for a moment, and a smile cracked her face. “And maybe that’s what we could do! If you could make me believe you’re the real deal without even trying, then I’m sure you could fool the world!”
“Oh, now hold on,” Felicity said quickly. “That was for like three minutes. There’s no way we could do that long term.”
Did the woman actually shudder at the thought of it?
“It’s not a bad idea,” Sandrine offered hesitantly. “There are so many ways to commodify a fake relationship. We could totally control the arc of your love story.”
“And I’d make it seamless for you,” Lucy added. “You’d leave all the planning to me and just show up looking gorgeous.”
I didn’t like where things were headed. I could barely handle a real relationship, so trying to muster up emotions for a fake one was off the table. Sandrine and Lucy were already discussing churn metrics and watch times while Felicity listened with a shocked expression.
She kept touching her thumb to the diamond on her hand, like she was checking that the precious ring was still there.
“Excuse me, can I get a word in here?” I finally interrupted. “This brainstorming session is supposed to focus on the rings, remember? Then we need to determine whether a partnership between Dubois Enterprises and Veritique is even in the cards.”
I felt like an asshole for dangling the contract over Lucy’s head, but I needed her to know that I steered the ship. I didn’t like it when things spiraled out of my control. I turned to Felicity.
“Ring, please,” I said, holding my hand out in front of her.
Her mouth turned pouty for an instant, then she wrenched the thing off and slapped it into my palm.
“Clara? Let’s move on to the Soleste, please.”
I needed to focus on something other than the way Felicity’s hand had felt in mine.