Page 52 of Say You Remember Me
He began arranging everything he’d brought in his briefcase, opening it to reveal a couple dozen rings that sparkled under the lights.
As he continued to put everything in its place, I stepped out onto the balcony where Maddie was still finishing her breakfast.
“Hey,” I said. “Could you come inside for a minute?”
Curiosity flickered in her eyes as she followed me back in. I introduced her to Mr. Calvin, and she gave a polite nod. For some reason, I felt a strange flutter in my chest, a mix of nerves and anticipation, even though this wasn’t anything as serious as a real engagement.
“If you’d like to sit down,” I said, motioning to the sofa, “you can take a look and see if there’s anything you like.”
Maddie’s eyes went wide as she took in the collection spread before her. “Wow,” she whispered. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen real diamonds that big up close before.”
“They’re something, aren’t they?” I chuckled. “I asked Mr. Calvin to bring some similar to the size of the ring my brother Carter got his fiancée last year, so…here we are.”
She bit her lip, eyes sweeping over the rings, each one a masterpiece. “They’re all so beautiful. I don’t even know where to start.”
Mr. Calvin stepped in, asking her about her ring size and preferences. They went back and forth, narrowing it down until she finally settled on a few options with gold bands, ones that kept the design simple yet elegant, just like her style.
“Would you like to try these on?” I suggested, nodding toward her hand. “Just to see how they look on your ring finger.”
Maddie hesitated, as if trying on an actual ring was crossing some invisible line.
Deciding she might need some help, I reached for the nearest ring, one with a thin gold band and a massive, oval-cut diamond. I paused as I offered it to her, silently asking if it was okay. She gave me a shy nod.
My heart thumped unexpectedly as I went through the motion of placing the ring onto her ring finger, and I braced myself for that old, familiar dread—the PTSD of my previous failed engagement.
But the hot flashes and panic I was waiting for didn’t come. Instead, there was something entirely different: a strange, poignant longing.
As if, for the first time in nine years, I wanted to actually settle down and get engaged.
Like maybe what I’d told Margot was truer than I thought and I actually did want to find someone to share the day-to-day moments with more than I’d let myself admit.
Maddie turned her hand, watching the diamond catch the light. And after a brief moment, she said, “I really like it.”
When her gaze met mine, just inches between us, I couldn’t stop my heart from pounding. She was so…breathtaking. And there was just something about an engagement ring on her finger that seemed right.
I swallowed, my voice dropping as I murmured, “I like that one, too.”
For a beat, we held each other’s gaze. Her lips parted, cheeks flushed in a way that made me want to touch her, to reach out and brush my thumb across her cheek. But before I could get too lost, Mr. Calvin broke the silence, asking, “Do you think this is the one?”
Maddie blinked, looking back at the other rings. “Maybe…” But after looking back and forth between the ring she wore and the other remaining options, she pointed to one with a diamond-encrusted band and asked, “Could we actually try that one, too?”
“Of course.” Mr. Calvin nodded, lifting a radiant-cut diamond ring from its place. “This one’s new—a four-carat piece I made earlier this month.” He handed it to me, and I carefully slipped it onto her finger, my chest tightening as the diamond settled in place.
Maddie stared at it, breath catching, and whispered, “I—” She bit her lip, glancing at Mr. Calvin, then back at me. “I think this is the one.”
I swallowed, meeting her gaze, and said softly, “I think it is, too.”
“Congratulations again, Ian.” Mr. Calvin smiled, shaking my hand after we’d settled up. “She’s a beautiful woman. And I know it’s probably not my place to say, but…I think she’ll suit you better than any of the others I’ve seen you with over the years.”
“Thank you, Mr. Calvin. I…” I blinked, momentarily caught off guard by his words and their meaning. But then, managinga confident smile, I finished with, “I’m just so thankful to have found her.”
Mr. Calvin nodded approvingly, then left with a small wink, promising his discretion with our secret engagement. Saying that until Maddie and I made our formal announcement, he wouldn’t mention this meeting to my family.
Which would definitely be good because I did not have the slightest idea how I was going to explain getting engaged to my assistant a mere three weeks after meeting her.
Well, meeting her again, I supposed. I was more sure than ever that we’d met for the first time long ago.
I closed the door behind Mr. Calvin and when I turned back, Maddie was waiting in the living room, looking slightly curious about the exchange I just had.
