CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR

TIMOTHY LEFT LE Rive Gauche and drove to the bank to deposit his check. Louie banked at the same place as Timothy, which he thought a great coincidence. Timothy thought about the last few days and how quickly things had turned around for him. This much change unsettled him, even though it was good change. He discovered even good change could overwhelm. He parked in front of the bank and walked with purpose through the main entrance to the counter to write up a deposit slip and get in line.

“Good morning, sir,” the teller said.

“It is, indeed,” Timothy said. “How long will it take for this check to clear when I deposit it?”

“Since it’s one of our commercial accounts, I will post it today, and it will show on your account in tomorrow’s statement.”

“Great. Just what I wanted to hear. Can I still do a partial cash withdrawal today on the deposit?”

“Sure, that’s no problem.”

He deposited the check and withheld one thousand in cash.

Timothy left the bank and drove to his next stop—Flagler’s Jewelry Store. He and Cheryl visited this place earlier in the year for the most embarrassing window-shopping experience of his life. Cheryl put no pressure on him. Either she had low expectations or didn’t want to add to his load. Today’s excursion was different.

Flagler’s was a small, family-owned jewelry store close to Cheryl’s house. It had been in business for seventy-five years.

“Good morning, sir. How may I help you?” the clerk said.

The clerk had a Monet paint job on her face, the reddest hair Timothy had ever seen, and more jewelry on her hands than most people owned. She obviously spent a lot of time preparing for her workday. She fit the job perfectly. He choked on her perfume and heard Alvin and the Chipmunks singing Christmas music on the local radio station. The irony of his being here was not wasted on Timothy. A week ago he could not have imagined this.

“I’d like to see your engagement rings,” he said.

“Excellent. Who’s the lucky girl?” the clerk asked.

Timothy smiled at the routine question. Who do you think it’s for? My sister? “My girlfriend and, hopefully, soon to be my fiancé.”

“Wonderful. And what is the lucky girl’s name?”

“Cheryl.”

“Do you know what Cheryl likes?” the clerk asked.

“Yes, she’s fond of a marquise setting.”

“Okay, let’s look at some marquises for Cheryl.”

They moved to a display case that housed the engagement rings.

“Do you see anything Cheryl would like?” she asked.

It bothered Timothy that the clerk used Cheryl’s name so casually.

“Yes, that one right there in the third row,” he said, pointing to the ring.

“Oh, that’s a beautiful selection.”

“Yes, it is. We were in here a few months ago, and she liked this one. How do you work the sizing of rings?” Timothy asked.

“We have a few of these in common sizes. Do you have any idea?”

“Yes, I think she wears a six. The man who helped us when we were here took her measurement, as a matter of fact, and I seem to remember that,” Timothy said.

“Yes, that’s a common practice. We do that routinely so the man will know the lady’s ring size. Most men remember it. But not to worry. If you need to have it resized, we can do that adjustment on the spot.”

“How much?”

“The total weight is one carat, and in this setting, the price is nine hundred seventy-five. Do you plan to finance this or pay cash?” The clerk closed like a street vendor.

“I’ll pay cash,” Timothy said.

“In that case, I am prepared to give you a twenty-five-dollar discount if you buy today. It’s our way of making sure the holidays are a little brighter for you and Cheryl.”

“Good. What about a wedding band to go with this?” Timothy asked.

“I would wait on this, and let Cheryl pick out the one she wants. She may not want a band with the marquise setting. Many brides don’t. Besides, you will have to select your band, and the bride customarily pays for that herself,” the clerk said.

“Really?”

“Oh yes, there’s a protocol to engagement rings. Have you talked to her father yet?” the clerk asked.

“Yes, we talked over a couple of beers last summer, and he said I had his blessing whenever I decided to pop the question. No pressure. I’m a student, and he knows my situation.”

“That’s wonderful. Have you picked out a spot to ask her?”

“Yes. I’m not waiting for Christmas. I’m going to take her to dinner tonight to ask her. It’s a special place for us,” Timothy said.

“That’s sweet. Romantic. You know, women love that sort of thing,” the clerk said.

“Yeah, I know. Guys don’t mind it either,” Timothy said.

“I’ll write this up for you.”

Timothy spent the next few minutes pacing the store, anticipating his plans for the evening. He and Cheryl already planned to go out, so she wouldn’t suspect anything. He knew exactly what he wanted to say and where he wanted to say it. He hoped he knew what she would say.

“Okay, I need to get some personal information on you and Cheryl to finish the paperwork,” the clerk said.

They spent the next few minutes filling in the blanks on the sales receipt and reviewing the documentation of authenticity.

“Remember, if Cheryl wants to bring this in for resizing, you guys can come in any time, and please ask for me. I can help with your wedding band, too. My name is Connie, and I would be thrilled to help you, and meet Cheryl.”

Connie—of course.

Timothy smiled at the irony of a woman named Connie helping him buy a ring for Cheryl. He paid for the ring and left the store with a bag full of hope.