"Buy me a ring. Just a plain band will do.” Jamison was direct as ever.

“What? You want me to buy you a ring?” Ivy stared at him, completely baffled. Was he out of his mind? She was supposed to be heading to campus to check in for the semester, and here he was, dragging her into a jewelry store and insisting she buy him a ring?

“You’re already wearing a wedding ring, but my hand is bare. Does that seem fair to you?” Jamison argued, sounding entirely justified. “I’m married, too. Why shouldn’t I have a ring?”

Ivy gave him a look that said she was at a loss for words, but she quickly caught on–he wanted to show off that he was a married man now. Unbelievable. There was honestly nothing she could say.

“Fine, let’s get it over with. Come on, pick out whatever style you like.”

“You pick it for me.”

She stared at him.

“It’s a gift from you, so you should choose.”

Ivy rolled her eyes, biting back a retort only because half the store staff was watching them with interest. How could someone be this… extraordinary?

“Alright, I’ll pick.” She forced herself to stay calm, determined to get this over with. She turned to the sales associate. “I need a men’s ring. Just a plain band, please.”

“Of course, right this way.”

Dressed as they were–stylish, obviously well-off–the sales associate was all smiles as she led them to the counter and laid out several men’s bands. Ivy grabbed Jamison’s left hand and pulled it over, ready to slip a ring on.

The associate quickly interjected, “Ma’am, it’s best to measure his finger first, just to be sure. It can be hard to get off if it’s too tight.”

So much hassle. Ivy grumbled inwardly, but nodded. “Alright, let’s measure.”

The associate fetched a soft measuring tape, but Jamison drew his hand back. She looked at him, confused, until he said, “I want you to do it.”

The associate gave an awkward smile and handed the tape to Ivy. With her first day of school looming, Ivy didn’t bother to argue. Under the associate’s guidance, she wrapped the tape around Jamison’s left ring finger and took his measurement.

Since all the plain bands looked much the same, Ivy picked the cheapest one–a special on sale for $299.

Jamison looked offended. “Am I stingy with you? Didn’t I promise you fifty million when we got married? And now, when it’s your turn to buy me a ring, you go straight for the bargain bin?” Was his hand not good enough or what?

“You’re a surgeon. You can’t wear rings in the OR, right? You’ll have to take it off every time you scrub in. What if you misplace it? Losing an expensive one would be such a waste.”

Ivy dismissed his grumbling as she paid, then turned to him with the box in hand.

“Hand.”

Jamison still looked put out, but obediently lifted his hand. At that moment, Boyd’s old joke about Jamison came to life–this fearless, world-class surgeon, so cool and composed, yet in front of Ivy, he might as well be a superhero humbled by his one weakness.

Jamison’s hand was striking–clean, elegant, with long, defined fingers, like something out of a comic book. As Ivy slid the ring onto his finger, she couldn’t help but recall how those same hands had explored every inch of her the night before, and a blush crept up her cheeks, her heart skipping a beat.

The ring fit perfectly.

“Looks good. Let’s go.” She flashed a perfunctory smile, ready to call this errand done. Jamison frowned a little but let it go.

The sales associate had never seen a transaction happen so quickly. From the moment they walked in to when they left, not even five minutes had passed. And the way they looked–him tall and handsome, her strikingly beautiful–they could have been celebrities. Even after they’d left, the associate found herself staring after them in a daze.

Back in the car, Jamison kept glancing down at his hand on the steering wheel. Finally, he couldn’t hold back any longer. “Cheapskate.”

Ivy was busy texting her best friend but paused, giving him a look of utter exasperation. “If you hate it so much, just give it back.”

“Why would I? You gave it to me; it’s mine now.”

Ivy was silent for a moment, then suddenly said, “When we have the wedding, I’ll get you a real ring.”

In fact, she’d already decided–she would design it herself and make sure he loved it.

“A wedding?” Jamison turned, surprised. “You’ve changed your mind?” He’d brought it up before, and she’d shot the idea down right away. She’d even told their friends she had no plans for a wedding anytime soon.

Caught off guard, Ivy blinked, thinking for a moment before answering. “I’m not against the idea. I just don’t have time for it in the next year or so.” She needed to graduate, deal with the Windsor family, get her career on track–when all that was settled, she’d finally have the energy to plan a proper wedding.

“Alright. I’ll wait for you,” Jamison said, understanding exactly what was on her mind. He didn’t push.

They exchanged a warm, lingering smile, and it was clear that after last night, the two of them were closer than ever.