Page 77 of Rebel

“Alright, I’m intrigued,” I told him. “How does this work?”

Resting his hand on top of the boxes of rings, he explained, “These are samples of the rings I’ve designed. If you find something you like, great. If not, you tell me what you want, and I’ll create a custom design.”

“I suppose your rings are pretty expensive, right?” I asked. Truth be told I had no idea how much a custom-designed ring was supposed to be.

He dipped his head. “There are lots of nice rings out there. You can buy a mass produced ring from a jewelry store, but if you want your woman to wear a totally unique one-of-a-kind design, then you’ll need to buy from a custom designer like myself. It’s not cheap, but how does price compare to a lifetime of happiness?”

I grinned at him, “That might just be the best sales pitch I ever heard.”

Storm snorted a laugh but didn’t say anything.

His friend pointed out, “Practice makes perfect, and I’ve been doing this for a long time.”

“Well, I want only the best for my woman. Let’s have a look at what you’ve got.”

After looking over his entire selection of bands, I found one that was elegant and the setting for the stone was good and strong. I held it out to him, “Okay, here’s what I want you to do, I want a round three-carat diamond, but I want you to make this mount look like the bottom of a light bulb.”

The jeweler’s face lit up. “You must be an electrician.”

“I’m a master electrician but my woman’s family owns Livingstone Electrical. She loves running her family business and since that’s what we plan to do with the rest of our lives I think she’d really love to have a ring that reflects her professional passion.”

Storm spoke up, “Are you sure about this, Rebel? Don’t you think leaving your profession out of it might be more romantic.”

Shooting my club president a quick glance, I shook my head. “Trust me on this. It may seem crazy, but this represents us as a couple more fully than any other symbol I can think of.”

“I could design matching wedding bands that look like a cord,” the jeweler offered.

“Hold that thought,” I said. I went to my kitchen and pawed through my junk drawer, coming back with a three-inch section of broken extension cord to show to him. “See how this is flat with a line running down the middle? Can you just make basic bands that look like this in yellow gold. All her jewelry is yellow gold, so I’m pretty sure she’d want her rings to match.”

“Yeah, of course I can do that. If you don’t mind me saying so, I think it will be amazing, and you have the satisfaction of knowing no other woman in the world will own anything similar.”

“Would anyone want anything similar?” Storm muttered.

I fixed my club president with a glare, “That’s what I want. Write me an estimate on the three piece set and tell me how long it will take for you to complete the work.”

“No problem, brother,” he responded happily. I watched with interest as he packed up his gear and pulled out a notepad. Afterscribbling for a few minutes, he tore off a sheet of paper and handed it to me.

After staring at it for probably longer than I should have, I glanced up at him, shocked. “Are you sure this is the right price?”

His expression blanked out. “Yes. I thought you understood it’s custom work.”

Still in disbelief, I asked, “So you’re gonna make me three custom rings for under twenty grand?”

He nodded. “This is my full time job. Trust me to get the work done on time.”

“So how long will it take?” I asked.

He gave a shrug, “I’ve got a few jobs on right now. For something like this I don’t wanna rush unless I have to. Would three months work for you?”

“Goddamn it yes! Let me grab my checkbook before you change your mind,”

Relief flooded his face, but he spoke up quickly. “Nobody uses checks anymore, Rebel. I’ve got a card reader.”

I reached for my wallet, trying to stop acting so surprised and held it out to him. This was the most important gift I would likely ever give Lacey. And this man was going to make it happen for just over fifteen grand. I signed off on the work order and we said our goodbyes.

The second he walked out the door, Storm asked, “Do you mind if I ask what the fuck that was about?”

I couldn’t keep the smile off my face for anything. “That was me getting the fucking deal of a lifetime on the ring my old lady is gonna wear for the rest of her natural life.”

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