Short stories: The ring

by Donald Hancock

THE "CIGAR WRAPPER"
"I can not believe that you did this, Darling!" said Michelle. She was enveloped in a fur that had to have cost at least $5000.

Rob was duly humble. "It was nothing compared to how important you are to me, Michelle. I have waited all my life for the girl of my dreams to come along. You are exactly that - the girl I have always wanted!"

Michelle knew that he was not just saying that to impress her. When they first met, she had asked some mutual friends about him and they said that, even though he was very handsome and popular, he seldom dated the same girl more than once.

Now, after knowing Michelle only three months, he had given her a beautiful engagement ring and had hidden it in the pocket of this fabulous coat. But she did not know that it was there...yet.

"But we have only known each other three months. Are you sure you want to give a present like this? I am not sure that it is even proper for me to accept such an expensive gift!"

"You are probably right, Dear," responded Rob in a very serious and thoughtful voice. "Perhaps we should consider your concern at this point."

Michelle bit her tongue. Perhaps she had said too much. This was the kind of coat that every girl dreams of. She waited as Rob continued.

"After all, we have only known each other for three months, as you said. However, if we were an old married couple, I suppose it would be quite proper for sure."

"Yes, of course," injected Michelle.."but..."

"Also, even if it were a present for our first anniversary?"

"Yes," relented Michelle, "I'll give you that also." She began to smile at his thorough logic, and her mind raced ahead, trying to guess where that logic was headed.

"Now, given the first two examples of the propriety of gifts, try this for size. Suppose we were not married but were already engaged. Would the sable coat be acceptable as a gift from the engagee to the engaged?" Michelle could tell, now, that he was just being playful.

"Well, it might be pushing things a bit, but I think I would have to say that such a situation sounds proper to me." She was engaging in the play now.

For the first time it dawned on Michelle that this whole gift business might actually be more than it appeared to be at first glance.

As she tried to clear her head, Rob came closer and quietly said, "Close your eyes." She complied. "Now, reach your hand into the right coat pocket."

Michelle did so and felt a small, square box. She knew immediately what it was. As she pulled the box from her pocket, she found herself slipping into the spirit of the perfect joke that Rob had just played on her. "Oh Rob! If this is what I think it is, I am not going to be required to give the coat back after all! We did agree that it would be quite proper for me to accept a fine coat if were already engaged. So, since engagement is sealed with having an engagement ring, unless what I have in this box is a set of earrings, I have been technically engaged for at least the last ten minutes. Therefore, you big teddy bear, I accept the coat, I accept the ring - even if it is just the ring off of a cigar, I accept you, I accept living the rest of my life as Mrs. Rob Cochran! That IS what you had in mind, I hope!"

"You read my mind perfectly, My Dear! Now let's take a look at this 'cigar wrapper'!"

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