Page 54 of The Temporary Fiancée
“You must be Ms. Quinn,” she says. “Welcome.”
“Hi,” I say nervously in reply.
Riley claps me on the shoulder. “We’re looking for an engagement ring!”
The attendant inclines her head, then gestures to the display case before us. “These are some of the finest we have in stock. Pure platinum and white gold. Each of these diamonds is at least three carats.”
I glance down to inspect the case, and immediately, my eye catches on the ring in the center. The stone is a perfectly-cut, crystal-clear diamond, cut into a stunning, beveled square shape. It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen, the band of the ring lined with smaller, glittering gemstones.
It seems to glow in comparison to the others. I can’t stop staring at it, and it twinkles back at me, like it knows exactly how much I love it.
I point at it, looking up at the jeweler. “How much is this one?”
“That one is white gold, and the gem is four carats,” the jeweler replies. “It’s priced at one hundred and twenty-five.”
“One hundred and twenty-five dollars?” I blink, surprised. “That’s such a steal.”
The jeweler frowns at me, and before she even says anything, I realize my mistake. “One hundred and twenty-fivethousanddollars,” she corrects gently.
“Oh,” I say. “Of course.” And then I laugh quickly, to cover up my embarrassment. How many times am I going to make a fool of myself in one day?
“It’s so pretty, Olivia,” says Riley next to me. “Do you want us to send a picture of it to Reed?”
“Are you kidding me?” I shake my head. “I love it, but holy shit. That’s way too much. I’m not asking him for a ring worth over a hundred grand.”
Riley and Sophie exchange a swift glance, then the former shrugs. “Whatever you say.”
“I’ll find a cheaper one.” I pace away from Riley and Sophie, who linger by the case of way-too-expensive rings. To the jeweler, I say, “I’m looking for something a little more reasonable.”
“I can show you a few options. Come right this way.”
She leads me to a new case on the opposite side of the store. This one is full of less jaw-dropping rings—still beautiful, but somehow less noticeably so than the one that caught my eye. I stare at the assortment for a few minutes, trying to make myself feel something about any of the new options.
I can’t bring myself to, so after a long moment, I point at a teardrop-cut diamond in one of the corners.
Riley and Sophie join me at the new case. “Is that the one?” Riley asks, following my gaze.
I shrug. “It’ll work.”
“You don’t sound particularly excited about it,” she ventures.
“It’s fine for this situation.” After all, there’s no point forgetting what this is: a fake engagement. Why spend so much money on a priceless, genuine diamond, only to celebrate something that isn’t even real?
Chapter 14
Olivia
A few days later,Reed’s driver drops me off next to the sidewalk awning of Off-Fifth, an upscale, exclusive restaurant.
I know this place by reputation only. It’s a popular hangout spot for celebrities and paparazzi alike. I’d never dream of coming here, though—it would take years of calling just to get a reservation.
For Reed, though, this is a nice, regular lunch spot. His assistant called to make the reservation two days ago. It was enough to make me wonder if Off-Fifth has a hotline in the back office, for when Reed Eastwood wants to go on a spur-of-the-moment afternoon outing.
Well, not exactly spur-of-the-moment. This lunch date was conceived by the PR team, all part of the overarching strategy. Since it’s almost a guarantee that Reed will be spotted by paparazzi here, Eastwood’s PR team can control the reveal of our relationship.
The paparazzi will see us together, and rumors will circulate prior to the company’s official announcement of our engagement. All according to plan.
I straighten my dress—the knee-length one I picked up at the boutique the other day, a little dark for this sunny weather—and head inside. The host looks up and smiles as I enter.
