onions, garlic, thyme, basil and a splash of that,” Hilda pointed to a bottle of white wine on the counter.
“ It does look tasty. Let’s hope it’s better than the dinner you made me last night,” I raised my eyebrows.
Hilda winced, “But ma’am, you did tell me to add three tablespoons of salt, even though I said that was a lot…”
I waved at Hilda dismissively. “I suppose I did. Anyway, this looks good.”
“ I just need to coat the angel hair pasta in this sauce and toss it with the shrimp. The cucumber salad is chilling in the fridge,” Hilda said as she stirred the vegetables and seasoning.
“ Good. Make sure you are ready when I call for it.”
Despite sounding as cheerful as I could, I had a lump in my throat. I was going to have to ask Bob about the ring. I knew he would say he’d been cheated when he bought it and hadn’t known it was a fake, but I really wanted to hear the words come out of his mouth. It was pretty damn rude of Susie to say she thought he knew it wasn’t a real diamond. Ok, maybe she didn’t actually say that, but I could tell what she was thinking from the look on her face. Plus, it was nervy of Anne to suggest that I tell Bob I was taking the ring to Courtland’s Gems for an appraisal to see his reaction. She, too, had made it very clear that it was possible Bob had purchased a fake deliberately. At first I had balked at the idea, but I’d decided to do it just to show them both. I knew that Bob would say he’d been duped and that would be that. So—why did I feel kind of nervous?
I walked out of the kitchen and double-checked the dining room table. Though there would only be two of us for lunch, I’d had Hilda set the table with antique lace linens and my heirloom silver.
As I lit the cream colored taper on the table, a flash of my ring caught my eye. I twisted it on my finger, holding it up to the light. Somehow a lot of the sparkle seemed to be missing. Ever since I’d found out it was a fake…well, I just didn’t enjoy it anymore.
I couldn’t wait to hear Bob confirm that he’d been cheated. I toyed with the crystal salt and peppershakers on the table. I had just rearranged them for the fifth time when the doorbell rang, and I rushed to answer it.
“ Janet, baby!” Bob grinned at me. “How’s my beautiful woman?”
Just seeing Bob made me feel better. I knew we would get this misunderstanding straightened out.
I gave him a peck on the cheek. “Come in, darling. Hilda’s made us shrimp provincial along with a vinegar cucumber salad. I picked up a loaf of crusty French bread at the market and I have a bottle of Chardonnay to wash it all down with.”
“ You’re the best, Janet. You look delicious and the food sounds delicious, too.”
“ Come, darling,” I led Bob to the table. We sat down and Hilda served our salads. I was a little nervous as we talked. I wasn’t quite ready to bring up the fake ring yet. After we’d munched on our appetizers, Hilda set the main course in front of us.
“ Did you finish cleaning the kitchen, Hilda?”
“Yes ma’am,” my housekeeper responded.
“You may go for the day, then.”
Hilda turned to leave.
“Oh…and I will need you to work late several nights next week.”
Hilda nodded her head, “Of course, ma’am.”
As Hilda left, Bob and I dug into the entrée. Bob was hungrily forking a piece of shrimp and I debated if I should even bring up the ring at all. I decided it was now or never, and took a deep breath.
“ Bob?”
“ Yes, honey?”
“ I’ve been thinking that I’d take my diamond in and get it cleaned and appraised at Courtland’s.”
“T here’s no need to do that. I have an appraisal from where I bought it from.”
“ I know, darling, but it’s always good to get a second opinion.”
“ Of course you can do that, honey,” Bob said.
Whew. There, I knew it. Bob didn’t care if I got the ring appraised or not because he truly believed it was real.
“ Great, I’ll
“ It does look tasty. Let’s hope it’s better than the dinner you made me last night,” I raised my eyebrows.
Hilda winced, “But ma’am, you did tell me to add three tablespoons of salt, even though I said that was a lot…”
I waved at Hilda dismissively. “I suppose I did. Anyway, this looks good.”
“ I just need to coat the angel hair pasta in this sauce and toss it with the shrimp. The cucumber salad is chilling in the fridge,” Hilda said as she stirred the vegetables and seasoning.
“ Good. Make sure you are ready when I call for it.”
Despite sounding as cheerful as I could, I had a lump in my throat. I was going to have to ask Bob about the ring. I knew he would say he’d been cheated when he bought it and hadn’t known it was a fake, but I really wanted to hear the words come out of his mouth. It was pretty damn rude of Susie to say she thought he knew it wasn’t a real diamond. Ok, maybe she didn’t actually say that, but I could tell what she was thinking from the look on her face. Plus, it was nervy of Anne to suggest that I tell Bob I was taking the ring to Courtland’s Gems for an appraisal to see his reaction. She, too, had made it very clear that it was possible Bob had purchased a fake deliberately. At first I had balked at the idea, but I’d decided to do it just to show them both. I knew that Bob would say he’d been duped and that would be that. So—why did I feel kind of nervous?
I walked out of the kitchen and double-checked the dining room table. Though there would only be two of us for lunch, I’d had Hilda set the table with antique lace linens and my heirloom silver.
As I lit the cream colored taper on the table, a flash of my ring caught my eye. I twisted it on my finger, holding it up to the light. Somehow a lot of the sparkle seemed to be missing. Ever since I’d found out it was a fake…well, I just didn’t enjoy it anymore.
I couldn’t wait to hear Bob confirm that he’d been cheated. I toyed with the crystal salt and peppershakers on the table. I had just rearranged them for the fifth time when the doorbell rang, and I rushed to answer it.
“ Janet, baby!” Bob grinned at me. “How’s my beautiful woman?”
Just seeing Bob made me feel better. I knew we would get this misunderstanding straightened out.
I gave him a peck on the cheek. “Come in, darling. Hilda’s made us shrimp provincial along with a vinegar cucumber salad. I picked up a loaf of crusty French bread at the market and I have a bottle of Chardonnay to wash it all down with.”
“ You’re the best, Janet. You look delicious and the food sounds delicious, too.”
“ Come, darling,” I led Bob to the table. We sat down and Hilda served our salads. I was a little nervous as we talked. I wasn’t quite ready to bring up the fake ring yet. After we’d munched on our appetizers, Hilda set the main course in front of us.
“ Did you finish cleaning the kitchen, Hilda?”
“Yes ma’am,” my housekeeper responded.
“You may go for the day, then.”
Hilda turned to leave.
“Oh…and I will need you to work late several nights next week.”
Hilda nodded her head, “Of course, ma’am.”
As Hilda left, Bob and I dug into the entrée. Bob was hungrily forking a piece of shrimp and I debated if I should even bring up the ring at all. I decided it was now or never, and took a deep breath.
“ Bob?”
“ Yes, honey?”
“ I’ve been thinking that I’d take my diamond in and get it cleaned and appraised at Courtland’s.”
“T here’s no need to do that. I have an appraisal from where I bought it from.”
“ I know, darling, but it’s always good to get a second opinion.”
“ Of course you can do that, honey,” Bob said.
Whew. There, I knew it. Bob didn’t care if I got the ring appraised or not because he truly believed it was real.
“ Great, I’ll
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