“I can imagine that it must have been tough. I hear that Brooklyn’s mostly an agrarian society...”
I snorted with laughter as we came to a stop in the middle of the gowns.
There were so many shapes and sizes. So many colors, and cuts, and fabrics—I had no idea where I’d even start to look.
But Nick seemed to have a very good idea. In fact, from the way he made a beeline for a specific one, I was willing to bet he’d had his eye on it from the moment we came in.
I couldn’t help but watch as his fingers slid the zipper down the mannequin’s back. The expert way he eased the sleeves off its shoulders before pulling the whole thing over its head.
Talk about a specific skill set.
There was a soft gasp, as behind me, the saleswomen were doing the exact same thing.
By now, the alcohol had taken firm effect and I was curious. Unlike the rest of his selections, Nick didn’t hold this one up for approval. Instead, he’d slipped it discreetly into the purse—shielding it from view.
“Well?” I asked with a little grin. “Can I see it?”
He shook his head firmly.
“Nope. It’s a surprise.”
I must admit, I was a bit crestfallen.
“What?” I took a step forward. “Why? Just let me—”
“Not a chance.” He held the purse out of reach, looking down with a smile. “You’re going to have to wait.”
I surrendered easily enough and followed him to the counter.
“Wait for what?”
He glanced over his shoulder, grinning at my petulant tone.
“For the rest of the apology.”
That was enough to shake me from my intoxicated stupor.
“The rest of the apology?” I stopped dead in my tracks. “Nick, this is so much more than enough. Surely even you can see that.”
“Actually...” he came to a stop in front of the jewels, “it needs one more thin
g.”
By now, I didn’t even try to fight it. I just stood there quietly as he pursed his lips and looked over each piece in their collection with a slight frown. Occasionally, he would hold something up to me, but each time, he put it back down without a word.
...until he got to the necklace.
“This.” His eyes glowed as he picked it up. “This is the one.”
My lips opened, then closed. No words could come.
It was, without a doubt, the most beautiful necklace I’d ever seen. It was long. Overly-long, in the style of 1920’s flappers. But instead of a string of pearls, this was a chain of diamonds. The thing sparkled like you wouldn’t believe. Dropping almost down to my navel, before ending in a teardrop-shaped pendant that was as big as my thumb.
“Mr. Hunter,” Ruby gasped. “It’s absolutely stunning. The finest piece in the store.”
Nick ignored her and turned to me instead.
“What do you think?” he asked softly. “Do you like it?”