The Perfect Ring: A Short Story

By Rachel Elizabeth Cole

"Cleverly written and an enjoyable, super quick read, can't be faulted for a bit of light entertainment." - KBR

"Had me hooked from the first few lines" - Razberry Juice

Alistair Deacon is on the hunt for the perfect engagement ring for his girlfriend, Emma. When he and his workmate, Dee, find it in a tiny shop in Covent Garden, the old shop woman there makes a startling prediction. Now Alistair may have got more than he bargained for.

The Perfect Ring is a short story of 3700 words or about 18 pages which should appeal to fans of contemporary romance and romantic comedy.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tangled Oak Press
• Release date: Jan 3, 2013
• ISBN: 9781498992749

Rachel Elizabeth Cole

Rachel Elizabeth Cole is a novelist and short story writer whose work has appeared, among other places, in Cahoots, Literary Mama, Gator Springs Gazette, and Flashquake. Even though she hates the rain, she lives just outside Vancouver, British Columbia, with her husband, their two sons, and two very spoiled house rabbits.

Book preview

We find the perfect ring at the last shop Dee drags me into, a quaint little place in Covent Garden. We’ve found others I’ve liked as well at Harrods and Selfridges, but none of them, she says, are perfect for Emma. Too big. Too small. Too cheap. Too expensive. Too posh. Too tacky. I can’t tell the difference. A half-carat solitaire is a half-carat solitaire.

But this one, she assures me, is perfect.

If it’s the one, then it’s the one, I say, watching the facets flash like a sparkler on her left hand.

Dee casts me a wicked smile. Well, we could carry on to a few more shops if you like. But I don’t think we’ll find anything more perfect than this.

I think I’d rather not, actually. I turn to the old shop-woman who’s been hovering over us with an expectant smile pasted on her fuchsia lips ever since we walked in. We’ll take this one.

Lovely choice, the woman purrs, taking the ring from Dee and popping it into a box. She pauses for a moment, admiring it, then squares it on the counter in front of us. You know. She leans forward as if to impart a great secret. "My husband and I have owned this