Mason snorted.
“Baby you’re engaged to me. Any fiancée of mine deserves a full wardrobe, plus all the accessories,” he said.
Derek nodded his agreement.
“That’s right,” he growled. “And speaking of which, we still need to shop for your most important accessory.”
My breath caught because I knew what they were talking about. After a month together, I still didn’t have that traditional symbol of belonging – a diamond ring. But for some reason, it didn’t feel totally right.
“Oh, no need,” I waved my hand airily. “Diamonds are traditional, and we know this isn’t exactly a traditional thing. I mean, there’s three of us, right?” I joked. “And you two love each other, but I don’t see you exchanging diamonds with one another.”
Derek and Mason exchanged a long look. What did that mean? Sometimes I hated it. Sometimes I hated how they knew each other so well, they’ve been buddies for twenty years before I joined the picture. But I pushed on ahead.
“What? What is it? Are you guys going to exchange rings?” I asked, dumfounded. “This is all a fake marriage, remember, there’s not going to be an actual wedding down the line.”
I thought that Mason was going to say something, but Derek spoke first.
“No, of course there isn’t going to be a ceremony,” he rumbled. “But we need you to have a ring anyways,” he said. “It wouldn’t look right, tradition or not,” he said with a warning look, and my mouth snapped shut. Fine. I could live with a diamond on my finger, I’d just give it back after this farce came out.
But when the jeweler stepped into the dressing room, that took me by shock.
“I thought we had to go to a jewelry store,” I stammered, looking on in confusion as he pulled out some velvet lined boxes. “What’s going on? Don’t we go to Zales or something?”
Mason chuckled low in his chest.
“Naw honey, haven’t you learned? When you’re a corporate titan, the professionals come to you. No need to go to an office, they’ll call on you, making life easier that way.”
I paused, thinking back. That was true. Now that I thought of it, Major Enterprises’s attorney had dropped by the apartment the other day to discuss some business with Mason and Derek. And when they’d put me on the pill, their personal doctor had visited us at home, taking all sorts of samples in the privacy of my room. Of course I wasn’t actually swallowing the pill, I was privately flushing the small capsules down the toilet each day, making it look like I was on the regimen. But still, my lovers didn’t have to know, it was my secret.
So taking a deep breath, I nodded a greeting to the jeweler.
“Hello,” I said bravely, sticking my hand out. “I’m Katie, nice to meet you.”
The kindly middle-aged man nodded but declined to shake.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you ma’am, but I’ve got gloves on to handle the goods. And I know who you are already,” he said with a wink. “You’re Mr. Major’s fiancée, the one who snagged the most eligible bachelor in New York City.”
I colored because that wasn’t right. I was an imposter, a girl brought in to do a job, but it was all fake. I was here to make them think that we were going to have a baby, that Mason was going to be a family man, ready for responsibilities, but in fact, it was all a lie. Swallowing tears, I smiled brightly, eyes a little glassy.
“Right, that’s me,” I chirped, trying to look normal. “That’s me.”
The jeweler was too busy looking through his wares to notice.
“Wonderful,” he murmured before pulling something out. “Here it is!” he exclaimed. “Here’s the canary yellow diamond I was telling you about, sirs.”
Mason and Derek pulled up chairs on either side of me. It was strangely sexy, their big forms looming on each side, male walls of energy as they stared at the jewels.
“Looks okay,” offered Derek.
“Naw, I don’t like yellow,” grunted Mason. “Something bigger would be better.”
I looked at them both with astonishment. The diamond was huge, at least five carats, glimmering under the light.
“No, this is too big already,” I said, shaking my head. Suddenly, I didn’t want to be here. I didn’t want to wear another fake symbol of our impending union, the pretend was getting to me. “No,” I said again, turning my head away.
The jeweler frowned.
“Sirs, Madame, I can see that one wasn’t to your taste. How about this one?” he asked, pulling another ring out like a magician pulling a rabbit out of a hat. “Just as beautiful, seven carats, a pink diamond just like Jennifer Lopez,” he persuaded.
This one seemed to go over better.
“Yeah, this one looks nice against Katie’s skin,” murmured Mason appreciatively.
“Try it on,” encouraged Derek, taking my hand. “Let her try it on.”