The Accidental Honeymoon

by Alice Toby

  For the first time in recent memory, Ryan is choked up. He watches as other members of the board look at his company’s new prototype. The Chairman of the Board, the most skeptical of the bunch, holds the prototype in his hands. “I’m a money guy,” the Chairman tell Ryan, “Not a tech guy, so I don’t know how this thing works. But I do know that this thing will make a lot of damn money.”

  The Chairman of IBS places the prototype at the center of the table. “All in favor of the merger between International Business Systems and Emperor Technologies vote ‘yea.’ All those not in favor vote ‘nay.’”

  “Yea!” the entire board proclaims.

  “All in favor of appointing Ryan Wilde as the Chief Executive Officer of the merged company vote ‘yea.’ All those not in favor vote ‘nay.’”

  “Yea!” the entire board erupts once again.

  “It is passed. The merger of IBS to Emperor is passed by the board with Ryan Wilde as Chief Executive Officer of the combined company. The motion will be put forth for final approval at the next shareholder meeting.”

  Ed Horace stands up from the table and walks over to Ryan. He shakes the young CEO’s hand. “Congratulations. It looks like you’ll be the captain of the ship. And I can finally retire.”

  “Thanks, Ed. I will strive to continue your vision and the vision of Mr. Watson.”

  The board members join Ed Horace in congratulating Ryan Wilde. Karin excitedly jumps out of her chair. Her first instinct is to give Ryan a big hug. Then she stops herself. After all, that would be more than simply awkward in this setting.

  Karin stands there and watches her boss, friend and future husband conquer the room. Within five minutes, every board member voted their allegiance to Ryan, “the Emperor.” The young intern is enrapt with Ryan’s charisma, vision and power. As Karin continues to stare at her boss, Ryan looks back at her. He waves for the young intern to come join him. Karin points at herself wondering if it is indeed her whom Ryan wants by his side. He nods, “yes.” Karin happily joins him.

  “I would like to introduce all of you to a very special person. This is Karin,” Ryan tells the board members.

  Everyone in the room politely shakes the young woman’s hand. Karin can feel Ryan’s right arm around her side. “Is this your exclusive lady friend?” Ed asks.

  “Indeed,” Ryan answers.

  “You must be a very special woman,” Ed tells Karin.

  “Thanks,” Karin responds shyly.

  “So when should we pop the big announcement on the world?” the Chairman of IBS asks Ryan.

  “Today is Friday. Let’s do it Monday morning before the markets open. We can book the Waldorf-Astoria for the event.”

  “Sounds good,” the Chairman answers as he looks towards his CEO and other board members. Everyone appears to be onboard with the Monday morning announcement.

  “Excellent,” the Chairman responds. “Let’s say 8AM.”

  “8 a.m. is good,” Ryan responds. “Now, I can enjoy the weekend in the city.”

  The group begins to break-up. Ryan meets with his President and General Counsel. “Looks like we’re about to create a monster,” Ryan jokes.

  “It’s going to be interesting to see how the papers react to the news,” Michelle Ackerman, Ryan’s President and Second-In-Command responds.

  “I’m sure some people will think I’m not ready for this.”

  “The usual pundits will call to question your maturity,” Author interjects.

  “Well, I’ll have a second bombshell to drop soon after the merger announcement,” Ryan mentions with a sidelong glance at Karin.

  “A second bombshell?!” Michelle asks.

  “Let’s just say I’m staying one step ahead of everyone,” Ryan responds. “Now, I would go out and celebrate but that could cause a little suspicion. So we’ll have to quietly go our separate ways until Monday morning. I hope you two can find a way to have fun in the city this weekend.”

  The three head back downstairs and get into the Mercedes transit van. Michelle and Author and dropped off at their hotel. Ryan looks at Karin and offers with a smile, “Let’s do a little shopping.”

  “Where?”

  “Well, where would you like to get a ring?”

  Karin’s eyes open wide. She knows that she is entering in this arranged marriage with Ryan. But now that he has mentioned the ring, things have gotten immensely real. She is going to do this. A rush of anxiety and exhilaration rushes through the young woman’s body. She looks out of the window and sees the gilded stores of Fifth Avenue before her eyes. The entire city has become her candy store.

  “Well, I’ve never really been inside a fancy jewelry store before.”

  “I don’t go shopping for jewelry much either. How about Tiffany’s. I’m sure that would be a fun place to start.”

  “I think Tiffany’s would be a nice place to start as well,” Karin responds with a nervous giggle.

  The Mercedes transit van pulls up to the flagship Tiffany & Co. store at Fifth Avenue and 57th Street. The driver exits the vehicle and opens the door for Karin. Ryan follows soon thereafter. The couple takes no more than three steps when people on the busy New York street begin to turn their head and call out, “Ryan Wilde! Hey, Ryan!” Karin is caught off-guard by the “rock star” attention the CEO receives from people on the street.

  Ryan opens the door for Karin. The young woman walks into the store. She looks around at the display of wealth and opulence. She feels so out of place. It’s as though Karin had been transported to an alien world. For a moment, she almost wants to flee from the store for fear of being seen as some sort of vagrant. It’s not until Ryan joins her side that she begins to get more comfortable.

  Karin’s eyes wander around the store. She is blinded by the various displays of accessories and jewelry. Ryan looks at Karin’s eyes and enjoys the wonderment on her face. It’s the kind of look Ryan enjoys seeing when people first encounter one of his company’s new products. Ryan has always enjoyed “wowing” people.

  The young woman wanders over to a display of handbag. She is instantly drawn to a bright orange and yellow tote handbag. The bag itself is displayed on a pedestal like a work of art. As a former employee at The North Face, Karin was used to seeing pricey items on display. But the sight of this bag, in this store, transfixes her. She examines the name of the bag, the “Ceila Tote.” She can’t stop staring at it. The bag is bright and cheerful. It seems to have a personality. Karin reaches out as though she would like to grab the bag. However, she feels an apprehension about actually touching the item.

  “You must really like this bag.”

  “Yeah. It’s like a work of art.”

  “You seem a little nervous about holding the bag.”

  “Oh, I don’t think I should.”

  “Go ahead.”

  Karin reaches for the straps of the tote. She runs her fingers along the leather. Then she slowly picks up the bag and runs her right palm against the surface of the tote. Without even examining the price, she knows that this is the most expensive handbag she has ever held in her life.

  As Ryan watches Karin hold the bag, a sharply dressed woman approaches the two of them. “Mr. Wilde. Welcome to Tiffany and Company. My name is Alison Milan. I am the manager of the store and would like to personally assist you with any inquiries you may have.”

  Ryan is used to this. Anytime he enters a high-end store, boutique, exotic dealership or art gallery, he is approached by the most senior salesperson. He is certain that the manager was alerted to his presence the second the security cameras captured him entering the store.

  “Thank you Alison,” Ryan answers politely as he turns his attention back to his future wife. “Karin, did you want to ask Alison any questions about the bag?”

  Karin looks at the manager of the suit in her sharp black suit and then at the bag. Suddenly, the young intern feels like a vagrant. She takes the bag and holds it away from her body. “Oh, I just wanted to hold it for a second.”
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  “This Geranium and Daffodil style Celia Tote is one of our finest casual handbags. The latches are solid brass plated in 24 karat gold. We can also modify your tote with any inscription you wish.”

  A horrified streak runs through her body. “My tote? I was just looking at it.”

  “Allow me to buy this for you,” Ryan tells Karin. “It’ll be a nice memento of our trip to New York.”

  Karin almost begins to cry. Not because some rich guy is buying her a handbag she could not possibly afford. But because of what it would represent. The memento of their trip together. She can always look at this bag and remember this weekend with Ryan. The young woman looks at Ryan and gives him a hug. “Thank you, Ryan.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  As Karin looks at the bag, she begins to peer around its edges as though she were checking for something.

  “Is anything wrong?” Ryan asks.

  Karin leans up and whispers, “I just wanted to check the price. I would feel bad if you paid too much for it.”

  Ryan smiles and whispers back to her, “If it’s too much, I’ll just sell one of my planes.” Karin begins to laugh. She quickly realizes that any handbag in the world would not be out of Ryan’s price range.

  Karin smiles and looks at her new gift. Then she asks Ryan, “What should I inscribe on the tote?”

  The CEO looks at the tote bag. He examines it closely. “This looks like the kind of bag you can take to the South of France and then to Italy and Singapore. Followed by a jaunt in Tahiti. I would just write the word Jetset on it.”

  “That’s so cool!” Karin exclaims. She turns to the manager and asks, “Can you do that? Can you inscribe the word Jetset on the tote.”

  “We can do anything for you.”

  “Oh great. I would like the word inscribed right here on the strap so I could see it all the time.”

  “Excellent,” the manager responds as she calls over several of her assistants. She gives clear instructions as to what Karin has requested. The assistants take the tote and send it to their in-house inscriber.

  “How else may I assist you?” the manager asks Ryan.

  “Can we please see your selection of engagement rings?”

  The unflappable manager does a double-take. She looks over at Karin as though she had just hit the lottery. “Of course, Mr. Wilde. If you will follow me.” The couple begins to walk. As they make their way through the legendary jeweling house, heads turn. Everyone seems to know where they are going. A small group of gawkers begin to follow the couple at a distance. Karin and Ryan are led to the most opulent space inside the Tiffany & Co. flagship store. Waiting for them is a staff of three of best jewelers in the city. Whispers could be heard all around them. “I think he’s getting her a ring!” A couple of camera phones are subtlety raised to capture the image and video of Ryan and Karin entering Tiffany’s “ring parlour.”

  Karin walks up to the display where millions of dollars worth of the finest rings in the world are on display. She just stares at the treasure of diamonds in front of her eyes. One by one, the jewelers remove the rings from their displays and place it right on the table. They invite her to grab and inspect any ring on display.

  “Of course, we can create any setting you wish,” the store manager tells Karin.

  “I’m so overwhelmed,” the young woman gushes softly. She stares at the collection of rings with stones no smaller than four karats. While Karin does not understand the names of diamond cuts or the other specifics of ring setting, she knows what catches her eyes.

  The gold bands are all pretty to Karin. But it’s the platinum bands that catch her fancy. She loves the way subtle colors of the metal play off each diamonds luster. At the extreme end of one of the displays is a particular diamond that catches her eye. It appears somewhat different from the other diamonds. Not because of its size, but because of the rock’s unusual shape. “Oh, what’s that one?” Karin asks.

  “This ring is a five carat Princess cut with a diamond band. This piece was personally crafted by Jean Schlumberger.”

  “It looks extraordinary.”

  “This piece has been in our ‘display only’ collection. We were going to consign this to Sotherby’s for auction.”

  “You mean it has not been for sale?” Ryan asks.

  “Correct, Mr. Wilde. Tiffany only has a handful of Moussieur Schlumberger’s personal works.”

  “Who is this guy and why is he so important?” Ryan asks.

  “Oh, Moussieur Schlumberger was Tiffany’s most renowned jeweler from 1952 to 1987. His personal client base included the Duchess of Windsor, Greta Garbo, Gloria Vanderbelt, Jacqueline Kennedy and Audrey Hepburn. Every piece of his is considered a masterpiece.”

  “Like a Picasso.”

  “Exactly.”

  Karin stares at the ring. “May I hold it?”

  “Of course,” the manager answers. The young intern is handed the Schlumberger ring. She looks at the piece as though it was a priceless work of art. She admires it as though it were the most beautiful thing she has ever seen in her life.

  “I’m afraid to ask what this is worth,” Karin blurts out.

  “It’s the one ring you love more than any other ring?” Ryan asks.

  “It’s the most beautiful ring. And I am certain it is the most expensive piece in this room and perhaps the entire store.”

  “True beauty is priceless,” Ryan tells her. “If someone is offering you something priceless for a given price, then that amount is never too high.”

  Karin looks at her future husband. She looks at the ring. She keeps staring at the ring. “It’s so beautiful.”

  “I agree,” Ryan tells her. “You look good holding it. I think it will look even nicer on your finger.” Karin’s future husband looks at the manager and tells her, “I assume you still have the box.”

  The manager is caught off guard at the fact that Ryan didn’t even ask for the price of the piece. She motions for Ryan to lean in over the glass display. Then he whispers into his ear, “Mr. Wilde, I have to let you know that this piece cost one point four million dollars.”

  Ryan casually hands her his Amex black card. “Put a pretty bow on the box if you could.”

  The manager smiles and takes the card.

  Ryan holds out his hand. “I know you don’t want to part with it but the manager will need the ring.” Karin hands over the ring to her future husband who, in turn, hands it to the manager. Even though Karin heard that Ryan is buying the ring for her, she still doesn’t believe it. The young woman is in a sort of daze.

  “Shopping is fun. I should do it more often,” Ryan mentions.

  “Are you really getting the ring?” Karin asks.

  “Well, you’ll just have to wait and see,” he teases. Ryan looks up and notices that an entire group of people is staring at the couple. He notices that more than a few of them have their camera phones pointed at him. While Ryan is usually adverse to the attention, he is glad to see that word will soon get out that he is shopping for an engagement ring.

  Minutes later, Ryan is handed two bags. The large bag contains Karin’s tote with the inscription, “jet set.” He holds onto the smaller bag containing the engagement ring. “Here you go,” Ryan tells Karin as he hands her the large bag.

  She looks inside and discovers the tote. She pulls it out and reads the “jet set” inscription. The young intern is so joyful, she gives her boss a big hug. “Thank you. I will cherish this,” Karin tells him.

  The couple makes their way back to the Bentley and spends the rest of the afternoon shopping up and down Fifth Avenue. Ryan invites Karin to have fun and get any clothing or shoes she wishes. The CEO himself makes several personal purchases for himself. Ryan snaps up several pair of Prada casual shoes and a vintage leather jacket once owned by Steve McQueen.

  By late in the afternoon, Karin is beat from the constant shopping. “Why don’t we relax at the park?” Ryan asks.

  “That would be great.”

/>   Ryan directs his driver to send them to Central Park. The Bentley drives up Madison Avenue and cuts over on Central Park South. Ryan instructs the drive to drop them off. “Send the bags back to the residence. And come pick us up in about an hour.”

  “Yes, sir,” the driver responds.

  The Bentley Mulsanne speeds away. The couple walks up to The Pond just off Central Park South. For the first time today, Ryan and Karin finds a relaxed pace in the big city. The young intern is almost relieved that she can calm down and get back to nature. Or at least as close to nature as Manhattan allows.

  The couple walks on the grass. Without really knowing it, they begin to hold hands. It isn’t until Karin looks down that she realizes that she is in the midst of a romantic walk with Ryan in Central Park. This time, she does not feel awkward. For the first time, both Ryan and Karin feel comfortable with their closeness. “I like the Park. That’s why I keep a place nearby. It reminds me of Northern California - the trees, the peacefulness,” Ryan laments.

  “I like the park as well. Everything slows down here.”

  The couple sits on the grass near the pond. They don’t really say much to each other. The couple simply relaxes after a long day of meeting with IBS and shopping to their hearts’ content. Karin leans her head against Ryan’s chest and watches the sun set over the tall trees of the park. Ryan watches the rays of the sun begin to slip through the trees, creating a golden glow around the park. “Hey, let’s talk a walk to the bridge,” Ryan suggest. The couple walks over to the small cobblestone bridge sitting over the pond. The CEO stops at the top of the pond and looks at Karin. “I wanted to really make this official,” Ryan tells Karin.

  “Make what official?” Karin asks.

  Ryan gets down on one knee and pulls the Tiffany & Co. box from his pocket. As instructed, the box is wrapped in a white bow. Karin is in a state of shock. Ryan slowly undoes the bow and opens the powder blue box. Inside is a black velvet ring box. He pulls it out and opens it. “I can’t think of a better way to end this day than to ask for your hand in marriage.”