Memoirs Of A Swinger - S01 E27

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Memoirs Of A Swinger - S01 E27

Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 27

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We were all late for breakfast for exactly the same reason. Lesley looked particularly flushed and when I asked her how she was she just sighed then kissed me.

Kate was in a hurry and told us not to have too much to eat now as we didn't want to spoil our appetites. Apparently, we were going to have lunch at the Café Royal at 12.00 and then we were going to see a show in the afternoon, but she wouldn't say which one.

"But first," she said, "I have to go and pick a ring up from the jewellers. It was my grandma's and it's been re-sized. Granny had chunky fingers but it's got sentimental value," she added. "Anyway it's only on Bond Street so just around the corner from the Café Royal."

We all got dressed and re-grouped half an hour later. The taxi was outside and curiously it had the same driver as the night before. As the taxi worked its way through the London streets I said to Kate, "Won't the jewellers be shut on a Sunday?"

"No," she said. "They're open for their regular clients but strictly speaking they can't sell you anything. If however you see something you like and you happen to have an account with them, well who's to say you didn't pay for it on Monday."

When we arrived, the jewellers looked close. Being in Bond Street it looked like a pretty fancy place but the stock had been taken out of the windows. We walked up to the front doors and a security guard peered at us from the other side then let us in. Immediately one of the senior staff came up and said "Mr. and Mrs. Davidson," then acknowledging us added, "Sir, miss. How good to see you all. Please follow me." He led us to a small private viewing room and on the way instructed a young assistant to, "Fetch Mrs. Davidson's ring." He was the model of obsequiousness to his clients and probably a monster to the junior staff.

As we were waiting he said to Daniel, "I have just received an exquisite necklace that I think may interest you and your wife. Would you care to view it?" Kate seemed keen but then he added "I'm afraid however that because it is Sunday we can't remove it from our vault." Then, looking at Lesley and me he continued, "Unfortunately we can only allow two customers into the vault at any one time."

"Are you guys ok waiting here?" Daniel asked and we told him we'd be fine.

I held Lesley's hand as we stood in the viewing room by ourselves. "How the other half live eh!" I said and just as I did the junior assistant walked in and placed a ring sized box on the table. Clearly he wasn't senior enough to talk to customers and he scurried out again.

Lesley and I stared at the box and I said, "Shall we have a quick peek?"

"Go on then," she said.

I opened the box and inside was a single large diamond mounted on a white gold band.

"It's an engagement ring," said Lesley, "it's beautiful."

I picked the box up and, with an extravagant flourish of one hand, I bowed to Lesley then went down on one knee and said, "Fair princess, I am but a scurvy knave but I have admired you from afar and do indeed think that you are a bit of alright. I do not have much in this world but wouldst thou consent to marry me?"

Kate giggled. "Sir it is true that thou are the most scurvy of knaves. Thou hast very little but a knackered old Mini to thy name. How could I possibly marry you?" she said. "Now get up before anyone sees you acting like that with Kate's ring."

I got up and took hold of both of Lesley's hands. "Actually, it's not Kate's ring," I said to her.

"What do you mean?"

"It's your ring. That is, if you'll marry me of course."

"What are you talking about Steven?" said Lesley.

"I'm asking you to marry me, Lesley."

"I don't understand..." said Lesley, "the ring..."

"Forget about the ring for a moment, it's not the important part. The important part is whether you would consent to be the wife of this currently very poor student with nothing but a knackered old Mini to his name, but who loves you and wants to spend the rest of his life with you."

"You know I would Steven. I can't think of a life without you in it."

"So that's a yes then?"

"Yes, of course I will marry you. I would marry you tomorrow. Today if I could, but help me Steven I don't understand what's going on." Tears were beginning to run down Lesley's face. You could see that she wanted to believe what was happening but she couldn't put it into context.

A voice from outside the room called out "Can we come back in now?" It was Daniel's.

"Yes, come on in," I said.

Daniel and Kate walked back into the room. Daniel shook my hand and said, "I'm pretty sure that was a yes."

Kate took Lesley in her arms and kissed her on the forehead. "Congratulations Lesley, I think you two were made for each other," she said.

Lesley was crying in Kate's arms now. "Did you know about this Kate?" she asked.

"I'm afraid that I did."

"That's why you said he should stake his claim to me last night, isn't it?"

"All of this was arranged by Daniel and Kate," I said.

"But I still don't understand. Why..."

"Steven helped Kate and me out," said Daniel. "I offered him pretty much anything he wanted in return. But... the only thing he wanted was you."

"So, the ring, It's not your grandma's?" Lesley asked Kate.

"No, it's not, it really is yours," said Kate with a touch of laughter in her voice. "Steven took a plasticine cast of the ring that you wear on your right hand and that gave us a rough idea of your finger size, he told me the style he had in mind and I did the rest with the help of Mr. Perkins who you met earlier. The diamond is a little bit bigger than Steven was expecting but that is our gift to you. Oh and don't worry if the ring doesn't fit. Mr. Perkins is waiting outside with four more rings in different sizes."

"Thank you both so much, I don't deserve this," said Lesley.

"You deserve all this and more," said Kate.

Lesley turned to me and put her arms around my neck, "I love you so much Steven. I can't wait to be your wife. This ring is... well it's amazing, but I would have said yes if all you'd had was a plastic ring from a Christmas cracker." Then she buried her head in my chest and sobbed her heart out.

I looked at Daniel and Kate and mouthed the words, "Thank you," to them. Daniel took Kate in his arms and the two of them kissed.

Mr. Perkins sensed his moment had arrived and walked in carrying a tray of four more identical boxes. "Sir, miss may I be one of the first to offer you congratulations on your engagement. Would you like to try the ring on now miss? There are five rings for you to choose from, each has an identical round cut diamond of one and a quarter carat's weight. All have excellent clarity, cut and colour and are to all intents and purposes flawless."

It had no right to be, but the ring they had originally brought in was the one which fit the best. Once on her finger Kate couldn't take her eyes off it. Nobody was going to believe that I'd bought that ring but we could worry about that another day.

We were late getting to the Café Royal but they had kept the table for Kate. Lesley and Kate went to the bathroom to see if they could make Lesley look a little less like she had been crying her eyes out while Daniel and I sat at the table.

"Well, all told, I think that went pretty well," said Daniel.

"I can't thank you both enough for what you've done," I said.

"You don't need to, it was our pleasure. In fact, once again, I should be thanking you for last night."

"I think we all enjoyed ourselves," I said.

"That's true, but I meant having the opportunity to spend the night with Lesley."

"That was Lesley's suggestion, she wanted to spend the night with you and from what I could tell this morning she enjoyed it. I don't feel like I got a raw deal by the way. You must notice how everybody stops what they are doing when Kate walks into a room?"

"We are both lucky guys."

"What did surprise me a little bit were Kate and Lesley together."

"You're not kidding. That's a picture that will stay with me for a while."

"Me too."

"You know Kate doesn't have many friends her own age. It's my fault. I know Lesley's a bit younger but I think that Kate would like to stay in touch with her." Then he added, "And of course we both hope you'll visit us again. You've set the bar a bit high for everyone else though."

"Will you see David and Ruth?"

"I hope so, but there's nothing in the diary yet." Daniel took a sip of his drink then said, "Changing the subject. What are your plans after university?"

"I don't really have any yet. I'm just focussed on getting my degree at the moment."

"Then what?"

"Careers fairs, graduate recruitment programmes I guess. Electronics graduates are in reasonable demand at the moment so I'm hopeful."

"How about working for me?"

"I don't think I'd be very good in publishing."

He laughed, "No I meant on the venture capital side. You just said it, electronics is booming. I need people who understand that world, the technology. You could come and be an analyst for me. The company will even give you a bursary for your final year."

"Thank you," I said. "It's a generous offer but you hardly know me and the truth is we wouldn't be having this conversation if it wasn't for what's happened over the last couple of weeks."

Daniel smiled and said, "Most people would have bitten my arm off for an offer like that. I admire your principles Steven but life doesn't provide equal opportunities. You have to use the contacts you make and exploit whatever opportunities come your way. As for hardly knowing you, well I think I probably know you better than most of the people who work for me and what I didn't know Mr MacGregor has found out for me. So what do you say?"

"I want to say yes, but can I have a couple of days to think about it?"

"Of course. Look I tell you what why don't you come in to work with me tomorrow morning for an hour or so and I can show you a bit more about what we do."

"I'd love to," I said, "but I don't have a suit with me."

"Don't worry about that," said Daniel.