Ex Games

I’ve bought clothing for women but never jewelry. Wear this tonight and show everyone that my girlfriend has me whipped enough to buy precious stones.

Pick you up at 9.

M

I stared. Was he fucking kidding?

I didn’t care to stand around and ponder it. Suddenly, I was like a sugar-crazed kid on Christmas morning, tearing through the bag and wrapping to find myself finally holding a dark navy blue rectangular box. I stared at the name of the jeweler and held my breath, urging myself not to put it past Mason to play some elaborate joke on me. I could very well open the box and find inside a pebble from his shoe or a fucking Ring Pop. Don’t get your hopes up, I breathed as I gently lifted the top of the box. Just take it easy and relax.

But that proved impossible once I saw what lay inside the box.

“Oh my God,” I whispered, instantly floored and nearly blinded by the dazzling rock staring back at me. It was a single circular diamond pendant hanging from a yellow gold chain in the shape of a Y. And it was, in the severest understatement, beautiful. “Oh… my God,” I had to repeat, realizing that the breathy awe I heard from the leading ladies of the most romantic movies was a very real thing. Because I was truly and genuinely speechless, fully convinced that every time that diamond sparkled, it stole another breath of air from my lungs.

Rushing to the bathroom, I went to try it on. But I couldn’t bear to see the pendant sitting atop a stained, blue T-shirt so before I did, I stripped off my top, and since it was equally awful, my bottoms. And suddenly, I was in a pair of black panties with a thread of gold draped over my collarbones. Falling between my cleavage was the stem of the Y-shaped chain, and settling right between my breasts was that diamond I swore I could look at forever. It was so incredibly beautiful and it made me feel just the same.

I needed to text Sofia. It was just my girly instinct.

But the second I held my phone in my hands, I found myself typing instead to Mason. His reply came instantaneously and shocking even myself, I giggled at our conversation.

ME: Mase what the fuck. It’s beautiful.

MASON: Glad you like it

ME: Tell me not to get attached because it’s rented

MASON: It’s yours. I hope it makes you feel better than you felt yesterday

ME: It makes me feel better than I’ve felt in years.

MASON: I’ll be sure to tell Aaron

ME: Ha.

MASON: Send me a picture

ME: Of me in it?

MASON: No of the sky. What else would I be asking for?

ME: I can’t now but later.

MASON: Why?

MASON: Tell me it’s because you tried it on naked.

MASON: In case it’s not clear I’m sexting you now.

MASON: For the love of God let me see you Taylor.

I bit my lip so hard at that last text I could feel my pulse in it when I released. Ignoring Mason’s flirtation, I hit my speed dial to call Sofia, who answered right on the first ring.

“You coming to Noah’s tonight?”

I blinked. “Oh. Noah’s? Maybe. Mason said we’re going somewhere tonight, but he didn’t tell me where.”

“Probably Noah’s. He’s having people over his house tonight and in case you haven’t been, his house is ah-mazing.”

“Oh. Cool,” I said, pausing for a second and trying to think of a transition. But there was none worthy so I went for it. “So… Mason bought me a diamond.”