Hanging On (Jessica Brodie Diaries #2)(100)

“Go ahead, you know where you’re going.” Lump gestured him on.

“Same place you—outside. Go on,” Adam said with his hand on the door.

“Um… okay.”

“Ladies don’t say ‘um’,” I remarked, mimicking Gladis as I followed her out.

“Gladis is a little old fashioned.” Lump sighed.

“I’m telling her you said that!”

“Please don’t. She threw a garden shovel at me the other day when I tried to give her some money. The thing almost hit me and you know what her response was?”

“What?”

“I’ll get ya one of these days!”

Adam and William chuckled. I didn’t. Gladis wasn’t kidding. Her goal was seriously to hit one of us with a hard object. She was just waiting until we weren’t paying attention!

“Willie, you can get doors,” Adam said, crossing the driveway to the Mercedes.

A put-upon expression crossed Lump's face. "Adam, can we take the truck? I am sick of money and luxury and all these shenanigans. It'd be nice to have some normal once in a while."

“Said the girl with the million dollar house.” I grinned.

Lump turned around with a dangerous look. “Jessica, I will go through your boyfriend and bitch slap you if you keep it up.”

“No need to go through me, she has it coming,” William said with a smile. He got a kick out of Lump threatening me, it seemed.

We all noticed that Adam was staring at Lump as if she were a stranger. In response, her eyes widened slightly by his focus, but the moment passed immediately as Adam went back to his keychain and headed toward the truck.

We arrived at the diamond wholesaler—William’s connection—before Candace so Lump and I dashed to different counters. Lump went for necklaces, I headed to the earring section. All the sparkles and glitter and whoop-la made me happy inside. Jewelry, shoes and handbags—the big three.

Well, what I really needed was a car of my own, actually, but jewelry was so much more fun!

"Jess, come check this out!" Lump yelled from across the room.

A woman had just come to help me so I gave her an apologetic smile as I turned and hurried to Lump. She was holding a sparkly diamond necklace. It was elegant and classy without shoving the worth in your face. She knew her tastes.

Lump pulled her hair back and I put it around her neck.

"Ohhhh, Betz, that is pretty!" I said, not realizing until after that I used her new nickname. Adam and William strolled closer to see what we were looking at.

William slid his arm around my waste and nodded in agreement. "It suits you."

Lump smiled in elation as she fake modeled it for us all. She admired herself in the mirror. "It is so sparkly! I look like a model."

"Are you going to giggle next?" I asked sarcastically.

"You're just jealous because suddenly I am the prettiest girl in here."

"Fat chance, loser," I spat back, eyeing what I could put on to look better.

Candace came in at that moment and exclaimed how pretty Lump looked. Lump gave me a triumphant smile. She lit up the room. It made me realize how sad she had been lately. I had to remember to ask her about it.

Adam cleared his throat. When I looked at him in question he was looking out the door rubbing his neck. William was looking at him askew, too. Apparently Adam wasn't a big fan of watching girls play dress-up. But then, which boys were? He needed to work on his patience, though.

Lump regretfully gave back the necklace with a pout that nearly broke my heart. I could tell she looked at the price tag and realized how long it would take her to save up for it. Too long. She had found a job but it didn't pay her much. She was continuing to look, but people weren't hiring this close to Christmas. William offered to find her something but she declined. She was a person that didn't take help well.

Candace, full of excitement, lead us to the rings. We started talking about sizes, cuts, prices and budget. Candace was immediately overwhelmed and asked what we thought. It was William that stepped in.

"Why don't you girls take it in steps? First, maybe pick out the cut," He helped, being an excellent, and apparently experienced, ring leader. Ha! Pun intended.

"Okay," Candace said smiling. "Um... I kind of like the round one. What do you girls think?"

"Round is nice." I nodded, looking everything over. "It's standard. It gives you more bang for your buck."

Candace blinked at me.

"Meaning, it looks bigger than other cuts. It is more brilliant to the eye—refracts light better, you know?"

"A girl who knows her diamonds," the saleslady said with a smile and a wink at William.

"I have been ring shopping before—I mean, not for me--" I said hastily, "—but I have gone a few times with friends because I love to look. Anyway..."

"Well..." Candace was still just looking at the myriad of options. "Which do you like? The round?"

"I actually like the Princess cut the best. I just like the look. But you have to have a good sized diamond to make it worthwhile, and who has the money?" Oh wait. I turned to the boys. "This isn't a conversation for the limitless, okay? So pay no attention. And don't get any ideas." I pointed at William.