She let out a giddy laugh. “They’re all so beautiful!” She gazed at them all, mesmerized, unsure how she’d pick just one. Rows upon rows of different cuts and sizes, one more extraordinary than the other, twinkled at her with an inviting wink saying, “Pick me!”
“Do you want to go inside, or do you want to stay out here and stare at the window?”
She took his hand and almost raced inside, but she remembered her decorum. She was a girl about to be engaged to the most sought-after rock star in America. A uniformed doorman welcomed them into the plush showroom. The place sparkled with bright lights and wealthy customers, all ready to add to their riches. Money and fame had never really affected Tessa before, but at this moment, she was part of an elite group where money was no object.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Wilder,”
Mason nodded his head at the salesman. “I need a ring. And a big one.”
“Of course. Right this way.”
“How does he know your name?” Tessa asked, with surprise.
“Where do you think my mom gets her jewels – Walmart?” he laughed. “I was here with my dad for every holiday, every birthday and every anniversary getting my mom a gift.”
Of course, Audra Abelman-Wilder demanded the best of the best, and nothing outshined Cartier in both beauty and reputation. And now one of the world’s most magnificent diamonds would sit on Tessa’s finger.
The salesman stepped behind the counter, unlocked a case and started presenting diamonds in different shapes and sizes, explaining details about cut and clarity and things that Tessa knew nothing about, like fluorescence. She was dazzled by them all and overwhelmed by choices.
“Pick one,” Mason said.
“I can’t. They’re all so beautiful.”
“May I suggest something like this?” The salesman held up a ring. “It’s an emerald cut three-carat stone set in a platinum band. It’s both regal and traditional.”
It was gorgeous, but she wasn’t regal or traditional. “I think I like the round one.”
“Excellent choice. I’ll be right back with some stones to choose from.”
Tessa watched him return the tray of diamond rings to the case and lock it, then walk to the back of the showroom. “Where is he going?
“He’s getting stones from the safe.”
“What’s wrong with these?” She motioned to the gorgeous diamonds in the case below.
Mason looked at her as if she was crazy. “They’re samples. My girl isn’t wearing a ring from a display case.”
The salesman returned carrying a velvet tray with several tiny manila envelopes. He opened them and beauty that she’d never seen before spilled from within each small envelope. She struggled to steady her hand when he asked her to hold it out in front of her. He picked up the stones, one at a time, with large tweezers and compared them to the size of her hand. He chose one and rested it on top of her fingers. She imagined it in a setting and a tiny gasp escaped her. “I love it.”
“Really? Mason asked, unimpressed. “What is that?” he asked the salesman, “Three carats? F color?”
“Three point 25 actually, and yes, F color, VVS quality.” He offered Mason his eye piece to examine it.
Tessa was shocked Mason knew so much about diamonds, and watched Mason put the glass to his eye and inspect the ring.
He handed the eye piece back to the jeweler and shook his head. “Nah. I don’t like it.”
Her brows skyrocketed when the jeweler removed the diamond from her hand and placed it on the velvet mat. The stone was exquisite. “What’s not to like, Mase? It’s gorgeous.”
He ignored her as he read the tiny writing on some of the small envelopes that the jeweler hadn’t yet opened. He tapped the felt in front of one envelope. “Let’s see this one.”
When the diamond fell onto the black mat, Tessa’s eyes shot up to Mason. “You’ve got to be kidding.”
He smiled almost as brightly as the diamond that nearly blinded her. “Put your hand out. Let’s see how it looks.”
Her hand trembled as she extended it over the counter, afraid the stone would fall and be lost somewhere on the floor and she’d have to pay for it, because she wouldn’t let Mason absorb the cost for her blunder.
The salesmen smiled at her. “It’s fine, Miss. Every bride-to-be is nervous.”
She mulled over the term in her head. Bride-to-be. She would become Mason’s wife. She’d be Tessa Blade Garcia-Wilder. Good Lord! She’d have one of those Latina names a mile long! Still smiling at her sound of her new lengthy name, and with her hand steadier, she nodded at the salesman. He laid the stone over her finger, so it rested in the crease between her ring and third fingers. It was stunning. Exquisite. Something a movie star would wear on the red carpet. But it was over-the-top. ”Look at the size of that thing, Mason. It’s too big.”
Mason threw his head back and laughed heartily. “That’s exactly what every guy wants to hear.”
She nudged him with her elbow, then gasped as she remembered the diamond sitting loosely on top of her hand. The salesman gasped almost as loudly, but the gem remained safely in the nook between her fingers. He retrieved it with the giant tweezers and handed Mason the eye piece to examine it while he rattled off its attributes. “Four carats. D color. IF quality. No fluorescence.” Tessa stopped listening, because she had no idea what he was talking about as he continued to list things like polish, symmetry and girdle. Diamonds had girdles? She would have laughed if she wasn’t so flabbergasted.
Mason put the magnifier down. “Do you like it?”
“It’s beautiful, but . . .” She realized that a price had never been mentioned. Money wasn’t an issue for Mason. She stared at the two diamonds that had sat on the back of her hand, now side by side on the black velvet mat. They were equally beautiful, although Mason clearly preferred the larger one, which is why she was gravitating toward it. Except the expense was still a giant question mark. She didn’t care which ring was on her finger. She just wanted to be engaged so she could tell the world. This decision was too much for her. “You pick it,” she finally said. “Surprise me. I’m going to wait outside.”
“Wait. Tessa!”
She didn’t stop or turn around until she was outside and leaned with her back to the window of Cartier and watched the traffic crawl down Fifth Avenue.
After several very long minutes, the door opened, and Mason stuck his head out. “You can come back inside now.”
Her heart lurched. “Did you pick something?”
His smile stretched all the way up to his eyes as he indicated that she should follow him inside. Back at the counter, the salesman smiled almost as broadly as Mason. A black velvet box sat on top of the display case, and Mason held it up to show her but never opened the lid.
Her heart hammered in her throat. “Is that it? Is that my ring?”
Mason took her hand and kissed her fingertips. Then shocked the hell out of her by dropping to one knee.
A flutter ran up her chest and made her hands tremble. She sucked in a deep breath and held it for several seconds. She knew everyone in the store was probably looking at them, but her eyes were riveted on Mason, a man she’d loved since she was a child. She had waited for this day, fantasized about it a million times, and now it was actually happening. Tears filled her eyes at the joy in her heart and her smile quivered. She almost blurted out the word “Yes!” before he even asked the question. She pressed her lips together and waited.
“I love you, Tessa Blade Garcia. Will you be my wife and love me forever?”
Her entire body trembled as an excited laugh left her mouth. “Yes!”
Mason stood and wrapped his arms around her and lifted her clear off the floor in a powerful hug. “I love you,” he whispered in her ear.
“I love you too! Are you gonna show me my ring now?”
He set her down, turned the little velvet box around to face her, and opened the lid.
It took her breath away, and she stared at it
as if in a trance as she took in its opulence. The larger stone that had been Mason’s choice was set in a platinum band with two smaller diamonds on each side, as if the four-carat stone wasn’t enough for her. It was incomparable, powerful and dramatic. It was her. “It’s gorgeous.” She breathed out the word.
He slipped it on her finger, and the room erupted into a round of applause and cheers. She looked around, for the first time, and noticed the salespeople and customers all standing against the opposite wall watching them, cell phones raised to capture the moment.
Tessa wanted to invite the entire Immortal Angel family over for dinner to share the news. She wanted to prepare a grand meal for everyone, which included both of their immediate families, plus Aunt Kira and Uncle Brett, and of course, Damien and Alyssa, but Mason refused to let her cook. Instead, he made a reservation at Del Frisco’s and told everyone they needed to be there tonight. Tessa was probably the only woman on earth who put up an argument about preferring to cook a full three-course meal for a room full of people instead of sitting in a five-star restaurant.
She purposely kept her left hand in her pocket or under the table, while she waited for everyone to arrive before making the announcement. Mason was surprised no one caught on, because she looked like she was about to explode. When the last of this intimate party of 13 arrived and everyone was seated, Tessa jumped to her feet. Everyone stopped talking, which was a feat in itself and looked at Tessa expectantly. Mason slowly stood from his chair and Tessa pulled him close to her, as if she forgot that he was part of the announcement. She was so damn adorable sometimes.
“What’s going on, baby?” Jessi asked, with an inquisitive smile. “You look like you’re about to scream.”
“We’re engaged!” Tessa shouted, holding out her left hand to display the amazing ring, which sparkled brilliantly under the ceiling lights.
The room erupted with cheers, and not just their table. Since Tessa made the announcement loud enough for the entire restaurant to hear, the place resonated with a hearty round of applause, as if the moment had been scripted. The women at the table practically rushed to Tessa’s side all at the same time to shower her with good wishes and inspect the ring, and she soaked up the attention. Mason loved watching her this happy.
Jessi hugged Tessa and picked up her hand to examine the huge diamond on her finger. “Holy cow.” Her mouth fell open into a giant oval. “That’s . . . that’s . . . bigger than mine!”
“I need to see this ring. Let me through!” Angel broke through the wives to see his daughter’s engagement ring. His hand went to his chest and he took in a gust of air as he examined it. “It’s ravishing, sweetheart.” He embraced her with a hug that exuded so much happiness it looked as if he was the one getting engaged. Then he took Mason by the shoulders. “You did good, Mason. You’ve done right by my daughter. And I don’t just mean with that rock. Over the years, you’ve always been there for her. You’ve been her friend and mentor. You helped shaped her into the amazing musician she is today.”
Mason couldn’t help the laugh that escaped him. “I think she’s the one who made me a better musician.” Tessa was the driving force behind Prodigy, even way back when they were only playing in the basement studio of the Blade-Garcia mansion, Tessa acted as if they were rehearsing for a world tour.
Without warning, Angel suffocated Mason with a hug, possibly tighter than the one he gave Tessa.
“Try not to kill my kid.” Mason’s dad clapped his hand on the back of Angel’s shoulder and gave him a friendly shake.
“How amazing is this?” Angel asked, beaming with joy. “Our kids are getting married.”
“Pretty fucking amazing.” Mason’s dad flashed a smile that Mason returned twofold. The two of them stared at one another for a few moments without saying anything. Their combined dazzling pearly whites probably gave Tessa’s diamond serious competition. They both opened their arms at the same time and embraced in a hug that conveyed the closeness of father and son.
“Congrats, buddy. It’s about damn time.” Mason’s dad pulled back but kept his hands on Mason’s shoulders. Although the smile remained plastered across his father’s face, his eyes reflected a hint of worry. “You all right, kiddo?”
Mason nodded. “I’m fuckin’ great, Dad. Never been better. I mean that.” He knew the question was in relation to the mess with Kendall. Although they spoke at length this morning, this was the first time they’d seen each other, and the fatherly concern was clearly prevalent. Mason refused to let any of it dampen this day or any days to follow. He was moving forward with the girl of his dreams by his side.
They hadn’t discussed where they’d live yet, but he’d been thinking about it and decided that he was moving into Tessa’s place. He’d still keep his apartment in case they wanted to spend time in the City, but Lido Beach was her home. The idea of purchasing the penthouse directly above her apartment and connecting the two, converting it into a duplex, kept creeping into his mind and sounded better each minute. She’d love that. Maybe it could be his wedding gift to her.
He glanced at Tessa. Damien and Alyssa were fawning over her at the moment. Well, Alyssa was fawning. Damien wore a rare smile that proved the guy actually had a set of teeth. As if she felt his gaze upon her, Tessa’s eyes met Mason’s. She continued with her conversation, but she kept her attention focused on Mason. Her smile widened and her eyes sparkled at him, making his chest balloon.
“I can’t believe it. You’re marrying my sister.” Lucas stepped in front of Mason, shaking his head with disbelief and grinning like the Cheshire cat. “I’ve known you my whole life. I always felt like you were my brother, and, now, it’s gonna be real. We’re gonna be officially related, bro, and that makes me ecstatic.”
Mason stared into the eyes of a little boy he watched grow into a man. “We don’t need a piece of paper to say we’re related, Lucas. You’ve always been my brother.” He and Lucas shared a hug that knocked the wind out of both of them.
When Lucas pulled back, water covered his sky blue eyes, and it left Mason choked up. He’d had an emotional 24 hours. Seeing Lucas tear up was too much for him. “Don’t do this to me, man.” Mason smiled at the floor and rubbed the back of his neck while he tried to keep his emotions in check. He glanced up at Lucas, who was wiping his eyes. “C’mere.” He wrapped his arms around Lucas. “You know you’re gonna be my best man, right?”
Lucas hugged him tighter, and his voice cracked when he spoke. “You bet your ass I am.”
They stayed locked in a brotherly embrace until Tessa tapped Mason on the shoulder.
“Excuse me. I need my fiancé to make a toast.”
Mason and Lucas stepped back, both wiping their eyes.
“You guys!” Her shoulders dropped. “Don’t make me start crying now.”
Mason had no intention of letting Tessa do anything except laugh and smile for the rest of her life, so he put on his signature smile and beamed at the girl he loved. “No one’s crying today.”
Without warning, Lucas wrapped his arms around his sister. “Love you, Tess. I’m really happy for you. Congrats.”
She hugged him tighter. “Thank you. Love you back, big brother.” She wiped the corners of her eyes and blinked rapidly a few times. “You guys are killing me today.”
Mason put his arm around her shoulder and moved to their spots at the table. Waiters had filled glasses with champagne, and he picked up his glass and faced the large group of people who were all family. He wasn’t the kind of guy who made speeches or told anecdotes and stories. That was Tessa’s forte, but she was leaving this to him, so he said what was in his heart. “Tessa.” He gazed at her, pouring all the love in his heart into his voice. “I love you more than you’ll ever know. You deserve the world and I plan on giving it to you. I wish I would have realized how much I loved you years ago. We could have been married and on our third kid by now.”
She laughed, leaned back with a wild look on her face and held up her hands. “S
low down.”
Everyone at the table laughed with her, including Mason. Unable to contain himself and the love he had for her, he grabbed her and kissed her.
The rooftop deck at the top of Lucas’ apartment building had been transformed into an amazing concert venue. The stage was seven feet in the air with a huge bandshell behind it that bore Prodigy’s logo and would turn into a video monitor once the show started. Tessa stood back, in awe at the set up. It was everything she imagined and more. They’d spent a lot of money on the elaborate display, but it was all for charity, and two that were near to her heart. Proceeds would be split between God’s Love We Deliver, a nonprofit that provided healthy nutritious meals to those with HIV, AIDS, and other life-threatening illnesses, and the Bowery Mission, a nonprofit soup kitchen for the homeless.
“It came out so much better than I expected. I wish more people could see the show from up here,” she told Mason, who was standing next to her tapping a drumstick on his thigh. Due to capacity restrictions, there were only a limited number of tickets sold for the rooftop, but still enough to afford 200 fans an up close and personal view of Prodigy. The rest of them could watch on giant screens from the parking lot for a donation.
Mason flashed her a smile that filled her with life, clearly not paying attention to what she was saying, so she poked him in the ribs. His smiled never waned, but his laugh floated in the air around them.
“Sorry. I was too busy admiring my beautiful fiancé,” he said. “What did you say?”
She gave him a “yeah, right” roll of her eyes. “I was commenting on how awesome the rooftop stage looks.”
“You did an amazing job with production, Tess. And you did it all by yourself, without the team’s input. Your creativity constantly astounds me.”
“I wanted to cut costs. The production crew carries a hefty price tag. This is for charity and we’re not making a dime. I got their input, though. Just to make sure everything was doable.” She had a clear vision of what she wanted. A rooftop show demanded an artistic visualization from the ground. There were giant screens in the parking lot, but most people wanted to watch with the naked eye. Due to the position of the heightened stage, they were visible from the ground, but probably would look like pinpoints. The larger-than-life theatrics would do the trick.
MASON WILDER: Radical Rock Stars Next Generation Duet Book 2 Page 26
