ask the saleswoman to see whatever pieces they had in the range of eighty grand, but then immediately ignore all the pieces she’d laid out for me the instant I happened to notice this particular ruby necklace, worth over two hundred grand, sitting in a display case on the opposite side of the store?
Obviously, when I bought the necklace, instead of one of the options in the range of eighty grand, I wasn’t thinking about the loan any longer. I wasn’t thinking about my brilliant plan. All that mattered to me in that delirious, impulsive moment was seeing Georgina open the box that held that particular necklace. All that mattered to me was seeing that particular necklace on Georgie’s slender neck, if only for one night, and having the pleasure of fucking her in my bed while she wore it. I knew Georgie wouldn’t keep the ruby necklace for long, exactly according to plan. But, in that moment, I knew seeing Georgina wearing the perfect necklace in my bed was worth far more to me than my two hundred twenty grand.
“I’m sorry,” she whispers. “I feel terrible admitting I’d sell it. Please forgive me.”
I’m quiet for a long moment. Partly, because I’m pretending to process Georgina’s “shocking” confession. But also because I’m genuinely shocked. Not by the content of Georgina’s confession, but by the fact that she’s making it to me at all. Yes, I knew she’d sell the necklace. That was the point of me giving it to her in the first place. But I thought Georgina would take the necklace from me and then sell it behind my back.
I clear my throat. “I didn’t realize things were so dire for your father.”
Her shoulders droop. “He just got a third notice from the bank. I don’t know what that means, exactly. But I know it can’t be good.”
“How much does your father owe, if you don’t mind me asking? Because, whether you like it or not, this necklace is yours, to do with as you please, even if that means you’re going to return it to the store for cash.”
“Oh, gosh, no, Reed. I couldn’t possibly—”
“Yes, you could. Unfortunately, the necklace probably won’t cover your dad’s full debt. It only cost me eighty grand. But it might help.”
She’s flabbergasted. “Reed. Oh my God! You’re not going to believe this, but... my father owes exactly eighty grand!”
I palm my forehead. “No.”
“Yes!”
“Holy shit.” I shake my head in disbelief. “Well, that settles it, then. You have to return it and use it to pay off the mortgage. Now, I really won’t take no for an answer. Me seeing this necklace in the window was fate!”
She chokes back a sob, and then another, but then loses her battle. She bursts into big, soggy, beautiful tears and throws her arms around my neck. “Thank you, thank you,” she murmurs into my shoulder, her body wracking as she weeps.
“You’re welcome.” I pull back from our embrace, apparently struck by an idea. “Actually, you know what? I should return it for you. I have another meeting in Beverly Hills tomorrow. I’ll return it and immediately wire the money straight to his bank. The loan will get paid off more quickly this way. And it sounds like time might be of the essence here.”
It’s a pack of lies, of course. I don’t have a meeting in Beverly Hills tomorrow, any more than I had one there today. My meeting today was actually in Century City, and I left midway through to head to Tiffany’s in Beverly Hills, the minute I got my brilliant idea. But I can’t let Georgie walk into that store with a ruby necklace worth over two hundred grand, when she thinks it’s only worth eighty, and find out the truth.
Georgina pulls back from me, her face contorted with anxiety. “I just realized my dad is going to ask me how the heck I got eighty grand. And what will I say? ‘Oh, um, the CEO of River Records gave it to me as a gift, Dad!’” She scoffs. “He’ll immediately know I’m sleeping with you, Reed. And that’s not something I’m eager for him to know. I wouldn’t want him to think, even for a second, that you’ve somehow taken advantage of his precious little girl. No offense, but you’re not only rich and powerful. You’re also, you know...” She grimaces. “Thirty-four.”
“What happened to ‘Age is just a number’?”
She pulls an adorable face. “Yeah, well, that may be my philosophy, but my