Between Marriage And Merger - Karen Booth

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on piles of money. “There’s no cache of rings. There is one family ring in the mix, and that’s all I know of. It was my mother’s. The sapphire engagement ring my father gave her. He gave it to me when I turned eighteen.”

      “It sounds pretty.”

      “It’s beautiful. A big oval surrounded by diamonds.” Noah almost choked on the words. More than twenty years later and he still missed his mom. Plus, all he could think about was what his dad had said when he’d given him the ring. If you ever manage to find the right woman, you should give this to her when you ask her to marry you. I’m just not sure you have it in you to be like me. “I didn’t really think that was appropriate for today.”

      The expression on Lily’s face fell. “Oh. Of course. I’m so sorry. I wasn’t thinking.”

      Noah understood how bad it sounded, but Mr. Russell was only a few feet away. “Wait. I didn’t mean it that way.”

      She waved him off, not looking at him. “No. It’s fine. I get it, Noah. Really.”

      “Right, then,” Mr. Russell started. “Have we had a chance to have the ‘size matters’ discussion?” He winked at Lily and she laughed quietly. Thank God for Mr. Russell.

      “Yes. We have.” She leaned down, her thumb resting on her lower lip. “I think I’d like to try that one.”

      Mr. Russell picked up the ring and placed it gently on Lily’s left ring finger. She slid it into place and held out her hand so Noah could see. “What do you think?”

      The ring was stunning. And it looked lovely on Lily’s hand.

      “It’s a square solitaire, just under two and a half carats. Platinum setting, of course, and approximately another two carats of small diamonds in the band.” Mr. Russell watched Lily closely. “I’ll get you the exact carat weight if this is the one you decide to take.”

      “It’s a gorgeous ring. No question about that,” Noah said. This was Lily’s decision. Not his.

      “Okay, then. We’ll take this one.”

      “Are you sure? You don’t want to try any others?” Mr. Russell asked. “How does the size of the band feel?”

      Lily shrugged. “No. I’m good. I like this one. It seems like it fits fine.”

      “Okay, then. You have to appreciate a woman who knows what she wants.” He smiled wide at Lily. “Truly. Some couples are here for hours.”

      “I bet.” At least we’re efficient.

      “I’ll get the paperwork together.” Mr. Russell didn’t leave, though. He seemed to be waiting, perhaps for the moment he’d undoubtedly witnessed many times with countless other couples.

      Lily leaned into Noah and showed him the ring again. “I love it, darling. Truly.”

      Noah then remembered the show they were supposed to be putting on. He gazed into her eyes, but it wasn’t the same as things had been when they were in the car together. Alone. This version of Lily was all business. “Good. I’m so glad.” He leaned closer and they kissed. It was sweet and soft, but only an echo of the passion they’d shared mere minutes ago.

      Mr. Russell smiled, seeming satisfied. He left for a moment, and returned with a packet of paperwork certifying the diamonds, along with a blue Tiffany box for Lily to keep the ring in, and the final bill. Noah pulled out his credit card, hoping that at some point, this might all start to seem at least a little more normal. Mr. Russell presented him with the receipt, Noah signed on the dotted line.

      And just like that, it was done.

      They bid their farewell and walked out of the store, hand in hand. As soon as they were in the car, he had to say something. “I’m sorry about what I said about my mom’s ring. It didn’t come out in a particularly kind way.”

      “No. It’s fine, Noah. I get it. Our arrangement isn’t real. We both knew that going into it.” She held out her hand and wiggled her fingers. The chunky diamond sparkled. “And now I have the ring to prove it.”

       Four

      It didn’t take long for the photos of the Tiffany & Co. engagement ring kiss to end up online. In fact, it took less than an hour.

      Noah’s phone beeped with a text soon after they ordered their lunch at a restaurant he’d suggested. “It’s Sawyer. Kendall just sent him a link to the photo of us picking out your ring. I’m not sure whether I should be happy or not, but we are now officially tabloid fodder.”

      Lily scooted closer to him in the half-round booth. It would be so easy to become accustomed to being near him, breathing in his citrusy cologne and putting her hands on him anytime. He showed her the evidence of their dubious newfound fame. There they were on a gossip website, locking lips in the most famous jewelry store in the world. It was so surreal. That was Lily Foster from an average family in Philadelphia, doing something distinctly not run-of-the-mill. “Yikes.”

      “Are you not happy with this?”

      “It just...” Lily’s stomach was filled with all sorts of uncomfortable feelings. She did not like the loss of control. She disliked the scrutiny of her private life. She hated feeling as though other people’s opinions of her could boil down to this. For the first time, she understood how deeply upsetting it must have been to Noah when the tabloid video was released.

      “Just what?”

      “It’s strange. Why would anyone care about this?” She winced at how unworldly her words might make her seem. She didn’t want to be naive, but she couldn’t escape the feeling that a person’s love life should not be entertainment for perfect strangers.

      “Now you know how I felt when that video ran. At least we knew this was going to happen. That’s a big improvement over the way things happened for me.”

      Lily sighed and looked at the pixelated photograph again. This was the new cost of doing business, the price she’d be paying for securing her future with her small piece of Locke and Locke. This was the new normal. “Do you think this will be the extent of being in the tabloids? We won’t have to keep doing this, will we?”

      Noah took a sizable gulp of the Old-Fashioned he’d ordered to go alongside his steak sandwich and fries. “This should be enough to do the trick. We just needed Hannafort to buy the idea of us as an engaged couple before we show up at his daughter’s wedding.”

      She smiled thinly and nodded. His words pointed to one truth—the notion of Lily and Noah as a couple was indeed something that needed to be sold. It needed the help of smoke and mirrors. “Okay.”

      The expression on Noah’s face softened. “Are you just saying okay? I have the feeling this is really bothering you.”

      She didn’t want to make a stink. She wasn’t someone to complain, but it did bother her. At least Noah was being thoughtful about it. That she appreciated. “I don’t want to sound like a hopeless romantic, but it’s a big deal to get engaged. It feels like we’re tempting fate by doing it for show.”

      Worry crossed his face, a look she disliked. Noah was too perfect to stress. “Think of it this way, it’s helping you build a nest egg, right?”

      “Yes. That’s important.”

      “And, hopefully, there are worse people you could be fake engaged to.”

      I’m not sure there’s anyone better to be fake engaged to. “Of course. Don’t be silly.”

      “More than anything, do you have any idea how many people get stuck with super unflattering pictures of themselves in the tabloids? This photo of us is pretty hot. We look good together.” He smiled, seeming like he was desperate to reassure her everything would be okay. It was so endearing.

      “True.”

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