Page 11 of Say You Will
May 21, 2018
Dare
With only a month until Ace’s birthday, the one major item left on my list was “the ring.” I’d been to a slew of jewelers in an ever-expanding circle, trying to find the perfect engagement slash wedding band. Each store had plenty of gold bands, platinum bands, bands that combined both, bands with designs, bands without. But not a single one appealed to me as being “Ace.”
Growing desperate, I drove into Atlantic City. Every casino housed a high-end jewelry store. Surely, one of them would have the perfect ring.
My mind was still reeling from an evening meet-up with Ace’s best friends while he was at work. I hadn’t been able to keep the secret to myself, finally spilling to them, and then making them all promise to not tell anyone else. When I’d complained about not finding the one, they didn’t hesitate to give me their opinions, after making a few Lord of the Rings jokes. Funny they were not.
Terry suggested Ace would love a simple plain band—had I considered platinum?
Jake said while a plain platinum band was nice, what about adding a medieval decoration, some historic symbology?
Finn, on the other side, offered his opinion that while a platinum band with medieval symbology would be good, wouldn’t it be better if it had a few diamond chips or gemstones?
It all made my head spin and didn’t seem to make the decision any clearer. Hence the road trip.
I decided to try Tropicana first. They’d been the first casino in the city to embrace and promote LGBTQ acceptance, and besides, I liked the friendly atmosphere of The Quarter.
As I drove along the White Horse Pike towards Atlantic City, I took in the clear, blue skies punctuated here and there with white puffy clouds. The huge windmills of the county authority’s windfarm turned lazily in the near-constant breeze blowing inland. This was the route I took several days a week to reach my job. I zipped along, pleasantly rejoicing in the lack of traffic, something I didn’t have when I traveled in during the morning rush hour.
The Pike turned me from south to east and brought those tall turbines closer. I hadn’t been here when they’d been built, and I couldn’t foresee the day they’d stop rotating. Persistence in energy-making idolized. Thoughts about energy zapped me to thinking about Ace and his quiet continuity, and sometimes not so quiet stubbornness. Daily, he made me crazy with his silly puns and ridiculous stories, the way he showed how much he loved me in his kiss good morning or his acceptance of me into his body and heart. Daily, his love amazed me.
Martin Luther King Boulevard brought me right into downtown Atlantic City. I hung a right and carefully drove along Atlantic Ave. A left would have taken me to work, but I refused to think about my job today. I passed The Walk shopping district, keeping an eye out for jaywalkers and crazy drivers, and found street parking right outside the Public Safety building. With the car locked and the meter fed, I headed across the street, passing the famous Tony’s Pizza, which I’d not yet had a chance to try. Up the ramp and onto the boardwalk, right to the rails and gazing out at the ocean.
I’d grown up and always lived fairly close to the shore. Summers often included several trips to the beach, lugging chairs, coolers, and sand toys. My sister and I would build huge castles and create moats to both capture and drain the rising tide. Ace and I had taken many trips to walk these boards and swim in the sea, by ourselves and with friends. Sometimes we’d go to Margate or Brigantine, where we’d stroll along the wet sands, dipping our toes as we talked, his hand in mine.
For now, I breathed in the warm, salty air and felt my shoulders relax. I turned, leaned against the railing, and watched the swarm of people walking the boardwalk. Pushcarts rolled by, couples tucked inside, and children pulled on their parents’ hands, eager to get wherever they were going. A beautiful day always brought people out in droves, especially if we’d had a cruel and unusual winter when Mother Nature kept her fists around the sun a bit too long for everyone’s tastes.
I peered to the left, then to the right, sure the Rainforest Café was near, but it appeared I’d overshot it. I made a mental note to hit it on the way out, wanting to pick up some animal plushies for Bunny, JJ, and my niece and nephew.
Entering the air-conditioned cool interior of The Marketplace inside Tropicana, I was pleasantly assaulted by the sound of country music and the scents of brewed coffee, freshly roasted nuts, and grilled sandwiches from the quick fast food booths. I ogled some pastries, especially the huge cinnamon rolls and baklava, but passed on their four-dollar price tag. I had to walk through parts of the casino to reach The Quarter, the shopping area of Tropicana, wrinkling my nose at the acrid odor of cigarette smoke. The casinos were the only indoor place you could still smoke, and though they had designated areas, it didn’t keep the smoke from drifting and polluting the air. Yeah, yeah. Sue me. If I didn’t push the stop-smoking agenda, I wouldn’t be a very good pharmacist.
I had to pass Hooters and got a glimpse of the young waitresses in skimpy tees and even skimpier shorts, waiting for customers to enter their establishment. I returned their smiles but kept walking and hitched a ride up the escalator. Another few turns and I found the stone fountain which marked the start of The Quarter. Above me, twisting fans reminiscent of southern charm spun in rows. In front of me stretched a long hallway broken by storefronts. I shot a quick prayer upwards that here I’d find exactly what I was looking for.
I peeked into a couple of stores, wandered through one filled with whimsical metal animals and lovely stained glass. I spent considerable time in the sweet store, laughing over their T-shirts: Lick it… Lick it Real Good. Please Lick Responsibly, and my favorite: It ain’t gonna Lick itself. I couldn’t help myself. That one I bought. Ace was sure to be surprised when I came to bed wearing it later that night.
At last, I found the jewelers, and after taking a moment to look over the rings showcased in the window displays for those passing by, I entered. Glass and chrome, gold, silver, and platinum. Gemstones sparkled and diamonds shined. Prisms of light danced across the floor from twists of glass hung from rotating bases.
The titter of women in low-cut, high-hemmed dresses drew my attention. They were bent over looking at some bracelets. One spun to lean against the case and caught me in her gaze. Her eyes widened as she looked me up and down, tongue snaking out to lick her lipstick wet. I nodded but turned away. I had a quest to complete that did not include princesses. Only one particular prince would do.
“Darren?”
I turned to the attendant behind the row of jewelry cases. Tall, blond, and Nordic… I bit back a sigh. I was in love with Ace, but one could not not notice Theo’s good looks. Maybe I harbored a tiny bit of lust for him. Theo equaled a walking piece of heaven, and I knew even Ace wasn’t immune. We’d met Theo at our temple where he occasionally showed for services. Not that Ace and I attended regularly either, but we tried to get there for the major holidays and whenever they held a special event.
“Theo! How nice to see you.” I held out my hand as I stepped towards him. He waved me off and came around the counter, encircling me in his arms and hugging me. I heard some heartfelt sighs and giggles from the peanut gallery.
He pushed me away and held me at arm’s length. “So… What brings you in today?”
“I need— Wait a second. I thought you worked as a bartender at Haven?”
“I do, usually, but they needed coverage here, and I’ve got the experience.”
“You do?” Eyes wide, I didn’t bother to mask my confusion. Working retail at a high-end jewelry store was vastly different from mixing cocktails and pulling on the taps.
“I do. I’ve been around; worked a lot of jobs. Construction, bodyguard, doorman, bouncer. I’ve cut trees and checks. I can handle a baby and a gun.” He shrugged. “I go where I’m needed.”
“I guess so.” The gun comment startled me, but I really didn’t have time to question him further. “Well, I’m here for a ring. I haven’t had any luck finding the perfect one anywhere else.”