Page 96 of Lau Ahi
I wasn’t sure if it was a performance or if it were real but she allowed herself to smile before she sat there and stared at me.That’s when I knew she was being genuine as we sat and had a silent battle to the point where I could almost hear how her mother was screaming internally for her to not fuck this deal up.
But more than that, it was a moment that was shared between the two of us, an intimate moment shared between us despite being in a room surrounded by our closest family.
“Of course I will.”
I let out a chuckle as I slid the ring on her finger, before kissing the back of her hand and retaking my seat. I didn’t release her hand keeping my fingers close around hers, allowing my fingers to brush across her knuckles and her ring. It was silent reassurance that it was there and anyone could see that she was taken.
“Congratulations, Ori. I’m proud of you.” My grandfather patted me on the back before giving it a squeeze. He motioned with his hand for Asha’s and she extended the hand I’d just placed her engagement ring on. Pappy held it out for the table to see the sapphire and the large diamonds around it sparkling even in the elegantly lit room.
Sasha gasped from her spot across the table, and I turned to see what the problem was.
“Is that a Kashmir sapphire? My God I know that thing had to cost a fortune. I can remember when Mother got outbid for one she wanted years ago. Good job, brother-in-law! I like a man who isn’t afraid to go big with my sister.” She was grinning and her joy caused her mother to drop her flatware to her plate in disgust. Or maybe jealousy.
“That’s one thing you’ll never have to worry about with me. She’ll always have the very best I can afford to give her.” And that ring was definitely among the best. Kashmir sapphires weren’t being mined anymore so the ring was an instant heirloom.
“You did a great job, Ori but it means nothing if the bride doesn’t like it.”
“The ring is beautiful. It’s not just the stone but the fact that Ori had one of our closest friends design it for me. That makes it even more special. Thank you.” The sincerity in her voice made me want to speak to her father to see what was up. With the type of money he had, this type of thoughtfulness should be second nature to him. His wife, son and even Sasha were wearing jewelry that I could tell was expensive but the most I’d ever seen her wear was a custom pendant that was the Eritrean flag, a few brooches and her diamond studs. I knew because of her position at the university that she wouldn’t want to flaunt her wealth but I fully expected her to have a full complement of jewelry given her family’s status. The fact that she didn’t, since she had nothing in the vault at home and wasn’t wearing anything different tonight, pissed me off.
Asha’s ring was set in a yellow gold filigree setting with parts of each whirl acting as the prongs to keep the diamond in place. Yellow gold was one of Eritrea’s chief exports and I knew it was how her family got their start. I wouldn’t insult her by giving her a platinum or white gold ring with the center stone topping six carats with another four throughout the filigree; I wanted something that would take her breath away whenever she looked at it. Judging by the way she hadn’t taken her eyes off it, I had accomplished my goal. The octagonal shape made it more interesting than a typical round brilliant stone but still allowed for it to sparkle on her hand.
“I’m glad you like it.”
The servers came in with bottles of champagne and flutes, with our dessert cart following behind. Once everyone had what they’d ordered along with their champagne flute Pappy stood up, hitting his fork against the crystal.
“A toast to Asha and Ori, for joy, peace and success in their marriage. May they be blessed in every endeavor and allow themselves to fill the gaps within one another forming a more perfect union with each passing day.”
“That wasn’t as bad as you thought, right?”
We stepped into the house, and Asha immediately pulled her wrap off her shoulders. I took it from her hand as she took her shoes off and I did the same. She took her wrap from me and I knew she was going straight to the closet to put it away. I grabbed my shoes so that I put them away not wanting to mess up the organization that seemed key to keeping her happy.
We’d settled into a routine since I’d moved in one that was easy for both of us since we had similar cleanliness and organizational habits.
I enjoyed the view as she walked toward the primary bedroom, grunting at the sway of her hips in her high-waisted, wide-legged linen pants. The sound forced her to turn her head around. I looked up uncaring that she’d caught me staring at her ass.
“It was pretty good. Some things were a little off-putting but I hope I showed you that you weren’t alone.”
“Not alone at all. Pappy did a good job of keeping everything running smoothly.”
“Hmm. Pappy?”
“You did too.” She hung the wrap up in its designated spot in the closet and it gave me time to put down my shoes and walk over to her safe.
“Is the rest of your jewelry in here?” I knew it was empty but I wanted her to tell me why. The safe was a paneled wall behind the rack of clothing she’d placed her wrap.
“What do you mean? Is that where you want me to put the ring?” She looked almost offended at the thought of having to take her ring off even shifting it out of my line of sight. It took a few seconds but her eyes narrowed as the dots connected. “How do you know there’s a safe behind that wall?”
“I have a full layout of this place, Asha. It was necessary for safety reasons.”
“Safety reasons.” She didn’t sound convinced but she knew I wasn’t going to elaborate.
“Jewelry, is that where you keep it?” I wasn’t about to argue the necessity of something that had already done.
“This is the extent of my collection.” She pointed to the pieces she was wearing: the brooch on the bustier corset top with sheer sleeves made of diamonds and rubies. I wondered whose jewelry she’d worn when she’d taken the photo over the fireplace but I didn’t ask, knowing the answer would piss me off.
“And why is that?” My arms folded across my chest because when I said she was going to be protected I meant from everyone.
“I used to receive it often but the desire to have it lessened when I came to the United States. I had to move differently and don the guise of being a middle-class immigrant student so there was no need for Van Clef and Harry Winston.”
