Free Married Men by Carl Weber

DKNY dress I was lookin’ at and I saw the perfect shoes to match it. Don’t worry, baby, this ain’t gonna take long at all. Matter of fact we probably got time ta get my nails done.” Rose looked more excited than a kid in a candy store.
    I knew this little shopping spree was gonna cost me three, four hundred but it didn’t upset me. I’d saved almost three G’s when Ma gave me Granny’s ring.
    “We ain’t got time ta get your nails done, Rose,” I told her.
    “Okay, baby.” She smiled. “Let’s go.”
    Rose was right. It didn’t take long at all for her to pick out a dress. Especially since she had the dress and shoes on layaway. I don’t know why, but somehow I felt like I was being set up. The whole outfit cost me close to five hundred bucks after Rose insisted on a matching handbag. Despite the money I had dropped on it, I had to admit she looked stunning as we walked out of Macy’s.
    “Allen, can I get a pair of earrings?” She pointed at a small jewelry store by the entrance to Macy’s.
    “Sure, why not?” I smiled, tapping my suit pocket to make sure Granny’s ring was still there. What was another hundred bucks, when I wouldn’t be spending a couple thousand on a ring?
    When we walked into the jewelry store, Rose walked right over to the counter and greeted the jeweler.
    “Hey, Henry. You still got those earrings I was looking at the other day?” she asked sweetly.
    “Sure, Rose,” Henry answered like she was an old friend, or at least a very valued customer. He opened the glass case and handed her a pair of emerald studs.
    While Rose was trying on the earrings, I took a look at a showcase filled with engagement rings. None of them even compared to the size of Granny’s, but I wanted to a get an idea of what they cost.
    “This is what you’re looking for, sir,” Henry said, startling me. He handed me a small box with an engagement ring. He pointed toward Rose, who was now checking out some more earrings in the display case. “She likes this one.”
    “Does she.” I looked at the pear-shaped diamond ring that he’d handed me.
    “Yes, sir. It’s three-quarters of a carat, with a good color and quality,” he assured me in his best salesman’s voice.
    “How much?”
    “Rose is a good customer. For you, eighteen hundred, regularly twenty-three.”
    If I didn’t already have a ring, I would have brought that one on the spot. The price was right, and more importantly, I already knew Rose would like it. I was surprised, though, at the ring’s size. I had no idea she would settle for anything less than a carat. The ring I had originally planned on buying her was a carat and a half and almost three grand. Granny’s ring was at least two carats, so I figured Rose would be thrilled by the rock when I gave it to her.
    “Oh, Allen, isn’t it beautiful?” Rose approached from behind.
    I looked over my shoulder and smiled. “Yeah, it’s real nice.”
    “I’m gonna take these earrings, Henry.” Rose handed him the empty earring box. The gems were still in her ears.
    “Well, sir, what about that ring?” Henry smiled at me, then at Rose. He was trying to put me on the spot for the sale, and I sure didn’t appreciate it too much.
    “I’ll be back to talk to you real soon. When I’m alone, okay?” Both Henry and Rose smiled as I slapped down my MasterCard to pay for the earrings.
    Dinner was fantastic, and the atmosphere at Louie’s set the perfect romantic mood. We shared our gourmet dinners, feeding each other across the candlelit table between sips of champagne. Every once in a while I would rest my hand over my jacket to feel the box that held Granny’s ring. I was full of anticipation. The night was young and would only get better when I got down on my knees in front of the woman I loved.
    After dinner we strolled over to the town dock and boarded the Sound of Music, a three-story cruise ship that was going to take us around the island of Manhattan. The cruise was great,