The Meaning Games

4. You Shop At Tiffany's Too?

How could the smartest girl in Chevy Chase find the time away from her studies to go to Tiffany's? 

Jordan Cahill aimlessly looked around the Tiffany story on Wisconsin Avenue without a clue as to what to get her mother for her birthday. Karen Cahill was a woman of style and class, but her life revolved around her cell phone, dinner with her colleagues, and looking presentable at all times. What did you for someone you had nothing in common with? 

"Can I help you at all?"

Jordan looked up from the diamond rings – expensive ­diamond rings – to the woman who had spoken, surprised that she looked so young. On the other side of the store was a man with navy jeans, Nike pumps and a black sweater. He was talking to another woman, with his back turned. Jordan offered her a small smile and noticed the woman was wearing a suit, and some white gold hoops. Her job was to promote jewellery, and yet she only had the earrings. She didn't have a necklace, or any rings. Jordan twirled some of her honey-blonde hair around her finger – a habit she'd never gotten out of as a kid – and licked her lips. Her eyes quickly trailed back to the rings in front of her. There were so many different ones. Silvers and different varieties of gold – white, rose and regular. Not to mention the diamonds, and the stones were all sapphires, emeralds, rubies and many, many more. "I'm looking for something." Her voice sounded awkward, and she looked a little out of place. Why did she feel so uncomfortable? She wore jewellery from Tiffany's, why couldn't she come in and buy it? If her mother could come in and pick out jewellery for Jordan, then Jordan would do the same for her mother. 

"Is it for you?"

"No," Jordan rushed. "It's for my mother." She felt her face heat up and wanted to run out of there, go home, and study for a test coming up. She knew how rings were made and she knew where the diamonds formed, but she didn't know which one was the best to buy. "It's her birthday."

"That's lovely," the assistant said, moving around to unlock the cabinet Jordan was standing in front. "You were looking at these, weren't you?" She pointed to a series of rings all packed neatly into boxes, sparkling against the artificial lights of the store. She sifted through colour-coded keys until she found the one that slotted into the cabinet and clicked to unlock. "Do you have similar hands to your mom?"

Self consciously, Jordan looked around the room to see if anyone was watching her make a fool out of herself. She knew the different between a platinum ring and a gold one, but she had no idea which one was in style. "We're the same size," she said, watching as a woman appeared. Judging by her appearance, she must have had a lot of surgery. She slid up beside Jordan, smiled pleasantly, and began looking at the display too. 

"Perfect."

Jordan's stomach growled. She'd come straight from the library, she hadn't eaten yet today, and she knew this was a slow process, trying to find a ring for someone. How did men ever choose engagement rings? How did they know which one to get? Did they just close their eyes, point at a ring and agree to buy it? Jordan wondered why she hadn't brought Avarie along, this afternoon; they would have been finished by now. Avarie would have found the perfect ring within seconds, Jordan would have handed over her father's credit card, and they would have been out of there again. Karen would love whatever it was. Why didn't Jordan just do that – pick the first one she thinks really stands out and buy it on an impulse. 

"So, what kind of ring were you thinking of?"

Jordan narrowed her eyes, tried to concentrate, and looked at the selection. There were so many, Jordan was trying to count the cost of them, their overall value, but it racked up to so much, and she was getting distracted again. Jordan was here for a ring, and she was going to get one and be out of here in five minutes. She was just wasting time now. "That one."