Spirits in the Material World Pt. 15

"So, where do we start, Miss Alice?" Alan inquired.

"With the base rings. Do you have any preferences?"

"I don't, but SHE does. I'm instructed to find something in white gold."

"Our white gold selection is somewhat limited, but please step over here and I'll pull out what we do have." They made their way down the counter to the back of the store where Alice unlocked the display case and extracted six wedding sets in white gold.

Then, from the back room came, "Alice, I'm back. You may go to lunch now." Jack Johnson had returned from his lunch to give his salesperson her lunch break. He stepped through the door and curtain and broke into a huge, ear-to-ear smile at the sight of Alan. Jack rushed forward and grabbed Alan in a warm hug and asked, "Are you here for what we hope you are here for?"

Teasing, Alan responded, "Jack, you know us older folks. Always focused on the hereafter. As in, 'what am I here after?'" He paused for a couple of seconds then continued, "Yes, I'm here for a wedding set so that I may propose to Rose properly." Another squeal of delight came from Alice who clapped her hands quickly.

"Ok, very good. I see that Alice has extracted the white gold sets. Is this what Rose wants?" Jack asked.

"I suggested gold and platinum, but she said she wanted white gold."

"Well, this is what we have in stock here. Let me call the other store and get their selection brought down here for consideration."

Jack made the call, then had to go fetch the other store's stock himself, leaving Alan with Alice, who then persisted with some 'customer education'.

"There are several factors to consider in the stone, Mr. Harrison. The advertising folks have gotten it down to 'the four C's.' Cut, Clarity, Color, and Carat weight. Has your intended specified how she would like the stone to look?"

"She said her first one was a square cut, but she had to sell it a long time ago. Can you please show me examples of the different cuts?" Alan asked.

Alice showed him the round, the princess, the cushion, the emerald, the oval, and the marquise cuts.

"I have to assume she meant the princess cut when she said square cut. I happen to prefer the round cut," Alan noted. Alice smiled at his words.

"Now, there are the Clarity and Color to consider. Both have grades. The rarest are the FL and IF meaning Flawless and Internal Flawless. We don't have any of those in any of our stores. The best we have is the VVS1, which has a blemish that can only be seen under magnification."

Alan snorted slightly and stated, "I only want the best I can get for my Rose. So, let's limit ourselves to the VVS1 ratings."

"We can do that, sir. Did you know that diamonds come in different colors, from colorless which has a letter rating of 'D' to a light yellow tint which is 'L'?"

"I'd prefer as close to 'perfect' as possible, please," Alan declared.

"Then I'd suggest we stick to D, E, or F colors," Alice suggested. "But the usual limiting factor is the cost. This is the primary determinant for the carat weight of the diamond. The diamond marketers in Antwerp devised a guideline of two months' salary years ago, and that's what people have grown up hearing. There is another factor to consider: natural stones vs. lab 'grown' stones. The 'lab grown' ones are less costly."

Jack returned to the store from the other one and had a huge smile on his face. He walked over to Alan and Alice and brought out the white gold settings from the other store, then brought out one more. The design was a throwback to a bygone era, and the metal had a slight pink hue. Alan's eyes bugged out at that one.

"What's that one, Jack?"

"Pure gold is too soft for everyday jewelry. White gold has silver and nickel and palladium blended for strength. This pinkish one is going to blow your mind, though. It's called Rose gold, and it's 75% pure gold mixed with 22.25% copper and 2.75% silver."

"Stop right there, please. Oh, this is perfect!" Tears welled up and quickly flowed down Alan's cheeks, but he could still talk intelligibly. "Can I get all three bands in this same rose gold?"

"Of course, my friend. Have you decided on a stone yet?" Jack inquired, handing Alan his handkerchief.

Wiping his eyes and cheeks then handing back the handkerchief, Alan nodded, saying that he wanted a D or E color natural stone, round cut, VVS1 clarity, and 1.5-carat weight. Evidently, Alan had done some research before coming into the store. Then he realized something crucial.

Pulling out his phone, he texted Rose, asking if she knew her ring size. It was no secret why he was asking, and she was totally on board with it all. While waiting for her response, Alice measured Alan's ring finger and knuckle to get his size. Rose responded within five minutes, and that information was passed along to Jack and Alice.

"When do you need this by, Alan?" Jack asked.

"Christmas Eve at the latest, please, Jack."

"Of course. That is very easily accomplished for us," Jack assured him.

Alan took Alice's hands in his and gently kissed them, thanking her for her excellent customer service. Alice blushed prettily at the compliment and wished Alan the very best of fortunes. She then ducked into the back room to leave and enjoy her lunch.

"Alice, take an extra 15 minutes for lunch, if you like," Jack called after her. A started "Thank you, Mr. Johnson!" came from the back room, then a door was heard closing.

"When I saw the rose gold setting in the other store, I just knew it would be perfect for you two. I know she said she wanted white gold, but this will nearly make her heart stop and if possible, love you even more," Jack related. "Now, shall we settle up the bill?"

Alan could not help but keep grinning like a total fool while Jack tallied up the costs and applied a very generous discount to the total. Wincing slightly, Alan pulled out his phone and called the credit card company to advise them of a very large and authorized transaction soon to be coming through. He then handed the card to Jack, who ran the charges through and Alan was soon signing a very hefty jewelry bill.

"I'm going to be needing Maggie's employee discount very soon, I fear," Alan quipped. Jack just smiled and nodded, knowingly.

"I will call you when the rings are ready, Alan. May I tell Maeve about this, assuming she promises to keep it to herself?"

"Yes, go ahead, Jack. It's not fair to keep a secret of this magnitude from your wife. But please ask her to tell no one else. We'll unveil the surprise at the Christmas Eve 11 pm service to the rest of the church."

"Thank you so much for your business, Alan. You are quite welcome for the discount. We, Maeve and I, feel very close to you and your boys and now Rose and her girls. She and I had already discussed the discount we would give you when you came to us."

"Thank you again, Jack! I'll see you on Sunday morning." And Alan returned to his car with plenty of time left on the parking meter.

From downtown Middleburg, Alan drove out to the mall. Early afternoon parking wasn't horrible, but he still had to park a good hike away from the doors. He had not been in the mall in quite some time, and there were some different stores than he remembered. An awful lot of shoe stores, he noted, as well as clothing stores. He meandered around both levels of the mall, taking in everything there was to see. And smell, once he got closer to the Food Court. He succumbed to the Siren's call of an Auntie Anne's cinnamon sugar pretzel and sat at a table, considering his options. He wished he had a notepad with him. Aside from the engagement set, nobody really needed anything. Gift cards, while flexible and effective, did not convey much in the way of sentiment or caring. The best thing Alan could give them was time with him and the whole family. He really couldn't make any good decisions right then; he needed more information from home. So, he disposed of his napkin and returned home to find David's Jeep on one side of the driveway.

= = =

Rose returned home from work to find Maggie creating playlists on her Spotify account in anticipation of nightly dancing with David once they all got moved in together.

"Hi, Mom. Good day at work?" Maggie inquired.

"Yeah, a decent day, I suppose. Have you heard from your sister? Is she coming home tonight?"

"I have not heard anything from her. I think she would have said something if she were on her way home, though."

"No news is good news, I guess. Let me get changed out of my work clothes and we'll head out to look for a dress for you for Friday." Rose quickly changed into a pullover sweater and jeans and they headed out into the world of commerce that was Centreville.

They started at the mall and looked in several stores but nothing seemed to satisfy Maggie. They did stop in the Food Court for supper, then left the mall for a department store, but still to no joy in finding Maggie the new dress she wished to wear to the dance on Friday.

Returning home, they noticed it was almost 9 pm, and Maggie dashed off to her room to talk with David. Rose, more sedately, made sure everything was buttoned up and set up for the morning, then she strode purposefully to her room and closed her door so she could speak with Alan.

= = =

David encountered his father as Alan was walking in the door from the garage.

"Hey, Dad! Where've you been?"

"Dropping a sizable chunk of wealth into Mr. Johnson's hands," Alan said somewhat cryptically, but David got the gist.

"Oh, you bought the rings, did you? Do you have them? Can I see them?"

"They're being resized to fit my and Rose's fingers. It should not take too long, though. I'd rather not say too much about them right now. Everyone will see them at the appropriate time."

"And you're just now getting back from that?" David asked.

"Well, I went out to the mall and wandered around, hoping for Christmas gift inspiration. Alas, none was forthcoming. I'm kind of burnt out on 'things' right now, son. I'm more into sharing time and experiences, but I'm also between employment as will be Rose by this time next week. But that started me thinking about scheduling a Family Game Night so we spend time together. And I did not want to buy any games we already had."

"Sensible thoughts, Dad. Let's go to the game closet in the Man Cave and see what we have on hand."

Monopoly, Risk, Stratego, and Apples to Apples were the located games, plus a few decks of cards and about a half-dozen dice. They made note of what they had, then sat down in the comfortable Man Cave.

"So, David, what are your plans between now and Christmas?"

"Well, I have the dance with Maggie on Friday night, and I had thought to contact the Parks and Recreation Department to see if they needed any Lifeguard help during the break."

"But you haven't called them yet, right?"

"That is correct, Dad. Why?"

"I think that we're going to have to move the Lawsons out of their apartment, at least the furniture and clothing. I have a hard stop as of the 28^th because I'm starting the new position with Mr. Larsen on the 29^th. I don't know what items either here or in Centreville will be desired and reusable in Tom and Julie's place. There are a lot of logistics that will have to be addressed, and we're just now getting bandwidth in our lives to consider them. I acknowledge your need for the money that lifeguarding can provide, however, as well as the interaction with others outside the family."

"Have you heard from Tom today? I kind of expected him home by now."

"No, I haven't. Let's call and find out."

Alan pressed speed # 2 and put the phone on speaker mode.

"Hi, Dad."

"Hello, Tom. David's here with me and you're on speaker. What are your status and plans, please?"

"Julie's exam for today got pushed to tomorrow. I'm staying here tonight with her, and we'll both head out tomorrow."

"You're all packed up though, right?"

"Yeah, everything's in the car, ready to roll," Tom assured them.

"Ok, be careful and text me when you leave, please," Alan admonished.

"H.U.A., Dad. Sorry I didn't call earlier."

"Be safe. And if you can't be safe, be careful. And if you can't be careful, name it after me." Alan recited something his father used to tell him.

"Dad!" Tom laughed. "We'll be safe. See you tomorrow. Bye."

"Goodbye, son."

Alan ended the call on his end and turned to David.

"Well, David, what would you like to do for supper?"

"Los Tres Amigos? You know I can't get good Mexican at school."

"Very well. While we are out, should we arrange for a tuxedo for you as well?"

"Good idea, Dad. Sure."

= = =

At 8:30, Maggie's phone rang with a call from her friend Joy.

"Maggie, are you planning to bring your boyfriend to the dance on Friday?" Joy asked.

"Yeah, I was going to show him off and make you and Donna and the others all jealous."

"Well, there might be a problem. I'm on the planning committee, you know, and we've just had a couple of teacher chaperones bow out as they are heading on vacation Friday morning. Could your mom come along and be a chaperone?" Joy inquired.

Maggie laughed and asked Joy to hang on. Maggie found Rose and asked if she and Alan could be fill-in chaperones for the dance on Friday.

"I'll have to check with him, but I'm sure I can use my feminine powers of persuasion to get him here and I can commit that I'll be one for you. I'll have to check with Alan when he calls to confirm him, though."

"Joy," Maggie returned to that call, "my mom will be an adult chaperone and she's going to try to convince her boyfriend to come up and be one with her. Does that help?"

"Oh, yes, Mags, it helps so very much! Thank you!! See me first thing tomorrow, please with names and phone numbers for them, please. Oh, and I need one slow dance with your boyfriend, please."

"Sure thing, Joy. I'll find you before first hour. Bye."

= = =

At 9:01 pm, Rose's phone rang with Alan's assigned ringtone, 'Happy Together' by the Turtles. She was so pleased when Maggie presented her with the ringtone. She did not know if Maggie had found it or used a ringtone maker, and she honestly didn't care. But she swiftly adopted that song to be for her and Alan, and it brought a smile to her face every time she heard it.

"Alan!!" she squealed.

"Hi, love. How was your day?" Alan queried.

"Uneventful at work, just the kind we like to have. I took Maggie shopping for a dress for her dance, but we could not find one suitable. There's still tomorrow and several other shops to hit."

"Uneventful days in the bank are good. Have you heard from Julie?"

"No, and I'm starting to get concerned. Is she there with you?"

"No, according to Tom her final exam for today got pushed to tomorrow. I believe they are together in her room tonight."

"That is a relief! I'll call her once we are done. Are you coming up with David on Friday?"

"I had not planned on it. Why?"

"About half an hour ago I was contacted to be a fill-in adult chaperone and I kinda promised I'd bring you with me," she said, somewhat sheepishly. "It'll be fine, Alan, and this way we can keep an eye on Maggie and David. They're going to be all hopped up and impatient for later, and I miss you so much! Please??" she pleaded.

"Very well, Rose. But I'm going to put a small condition on this. We need to inventory and plan what to do with all of your things. Tom and Julie may need some of it, but surely not all. And we need to know what we're dealing with. We can make our lists starting on Saturday. Are you up to coming down here for church on Sunday?"

"Yes, Alan, if it means I get to spend Saturday night with you."

"Well, you know how much I like to spoon into your backside, my cock nice and hard, wedging its way to a comfortable home, my arms wrapping around you, my hands fondling your tits, and my fingers playing with your nipples," Alan tormented Rose. And her body reacted almost immediately to his words.

"Oh, Alan, yes, yes, YES!"

Rose's call to Julie was postponed for a bit while Alan talked Rose through a very happy ending.

= = =

Thursday, December 17

Alan woke to the DJs playing Katrina and the Waves' "Walking on Sunshine". That reflected his mood perfectly. 'These guys must be psychically in tune with me,' Alan thought. 'Or they just want people starting their day off right.'

Taking care of his morning hygiene routine and descending to the kitchen, he realized that he was not alone in the house. And that he did not need to be getting up at 6 am. Smiling, he put a tray of bacon in the oven, knowing the odors would bring David to the kitchen, eventually. Making a full pot of coffee, Alan sat at the kitchen table and tried to consider the upheaval in his life since... well, since Tom brought Julie home at Thanksgiving. Admittedly, the Lawsons had nothing to do with the fiasco with Maria Villamonte. Keeping his focus on the Lawsons, aside from a couple of hiccups, it was nothing but delightful. His boys all had very nice girlfriends, and he would soon have a fiancée. And now he was considering selling this house and buying a larger one to accommodate his expanding family.

The smells of the cooked bacon did their intended job, and David appeared in the doorway rubbing his eyes and sniffing deeply. With a grin, he got out a coffee mug and poured it full. Sipping gingerly of the very hot liquid, he closed his eyes in delight to be able to focus his senses on the flavor of the brew.

"Scrambled, as usual?" Alan asked his son. "How many eggs?"

"Three, please, and yes, scrambled."

The two ate their breakfast in silence just enjoying the presence of the other. David was grateful to be home for a month, and Alan was happy not to be alone. David got up and rinsed off the breakfast dishes and placed them in the dishwasher which had a couple of days' worth of other dishes. So, he ran the dishwasher even though it was not completely full.

"So, David, what are your plans for today and tomorrow, aside from the dance at Maggie's school?" Alan inquired.

"Nothing much, Dad. Do I still need to pack up my studio in the basement?"

"Probably, but not for the reasons you are likely thinking of. We're not going to build out a bedroom and bathroom," and David nodded in acknowledgment, "but we are going to need some storage space for things like microwaves and refrigerators, plus probably stuff from the Lawsons' place until we can get things sorted out and reused or donated."

"We'll be needing some shelving then, right?" David questioned.

"Very likely, son. Let's just take things one day at a time. When your brother gets here, we'll move his extra stuff to the basement and see where that leads us. For now, I'd say just take it easy. Oh, and Rose and I will be serving as adult chaperones at the dance. It seems some commitments have been made on my part, so I'll need to ride up with you on Friday. Rose and I will ride back here on Saturday for church on Sunday. You and Maggie will be expected to come with us, FYI."

"Thanks for the heads-up, Dad."

= = =

Julie awoke before her alarm sounded and luxuriated in the embrace of her boyfriend. His morning wood pressing against her ass was also a very nice waking-up feeling. She wiggled her hips and felt his hips gently pumping. 'God, is this what it's going to be like every morning in the apartment?' she wondered to herself. She hoped so. Then her alarm sounded, rousing Tom to reach over and silence it.

"Tommy, let's get our teeth brushed and come right back here. I've got an hour and a half before my exam and I want to get my day started the right way!" Julie got up and went to the shared bath with the other dorm room and locked the door. She brushed her teeth and did a quick mouthwash gargle. Tom came in behind her, his boxers tenting ominously, and he rubbed his cock against the crack of her ass through her panties. He used his toothbrush and toothpaste and quickly rejoined Julie on the combined beds, after unlocking the other side's bathroom door.