And Then She Was Gone

Pick One

"We're not going to the pack house." he said back in further irritation.

"I'm not going back to your home either." she said with a small headshake.

"We're not going to our home either." his agitation with her lackadaisical attitude growing. Also finding a nerve being struck, by her continuously failing to recognize that it was not his home, it was their home. "Let's go Elizabeth." his words spoken in absolute brevity.

"Where are you trying to take me? I literally told you, your mother and I planned on spending the day together." she said back as if she was exasperated at her repetitive words.

"Seeing how you two have no set plans, you seem perfectly free to come with me. Let's go." his tone further dripping with the bubbling swirl of irritation.

"Hallmark has a movie marathon today." she said back as if she would be devastated to miss it.

That was the last straw, he walked across the kitchen and grabbed her by the hand pulling her from the comfort of her stool perched at the kitchen bar. "We're going to be late, let's go." he said as he pulled her from the kitchen and out the front door, his mother not acting in protest knowing his feathers were thoroughly ruffled, but she was none the less safe.

"Where are you taking me?" she said as he dragged her to the car with ease.

"To get your fucking ring." he replied in a deep tone, showing he was slightly aware of the game she was playing with him, but also showing he was not at all certain just how well she played it.

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After a forty five minute silent car ride leading her off of pack territory in a direction she had not previously seen, she was met with a booming and bustling city. It being filled with immensely large structures and packed streets that slowed traffic to a crawling speed, and an abundance of people of ever sort, frantically walking as if knowing clearly their ending destination. Twenty more minutes passed until he pulled into a lot, taking a ticket from the robotic timing meter and then proceeding to drive all the way to the top of the high open top of the parking lot, parking the SUV in a far back corner.

"It's a five minute walk from here." he said gruffly, those being the first words he had spoken since they got in the car.

It actually turned out to be a eight minute walk, if you combined the time spent travelling down the parking structures elevator, and the following of the pedestrian lights guidance. Eventually they found a niche jewelry store where he knocked at the glass door of the darkened store front.

"It looks like it's closed." she said, her fingers wriggling in the tight grip he adopted as soon as they had been met with the crowds of busy people walking on the cities side walks.

"It is." he said back his voice still firm, obviously still finding her efforts against him annoying.

Only a minute later she saw lights flicker on illuminating the store behind the locked door and all the various cabinets within it following in suite, a gentle older man appearing behind the windowed door and unlocking it permitting them entrance. "Mr. Stone, we're so happy to see you in person." he said with an appreciative nod in his direction, showing that Jason had been a generous patron in the past, but from afar.

"Thank you for having us on such short notice." Jason said returning his nod, as he led Elizabeth in to the immaculate glistening store.

"Not at all, you should drop in more frequently." the man said in mild jest, but hoping the notion would plant and take root. Jason was a very fond costumer of his. Elizabeth taking note that the door once again was locked behind them as soon as they cleared its path. The jeweler taking a quick measurement of her finger with a jingling key ring holding various circular sizes, before she was to walk about the showroom filled with extravagant jewelry in which she was surrounded.