It felt as if a weight had been lifted from Weston’s shoulders. He did his best to conceal the relief that rolled over him from sight; he didn’t want Ashleigh to know how nervous he had been. “Good. Great even,” he said, mimicking her with affectionate teasing. “I’d be happy to rescue you from a frozen dinner any night.” He was only sorry he hadn’t done so earlier. “I know my just showing up at your job to ask you to dinner is a bit unorthodox,” he said apologetically, “--not to mention last minute--so if you’d like to go home first it can be arranged. Not that you need to.” His eyes held hers and he smiled softly, “You look beautiful.” Of course, he had no doubt that she could roll out of bed looking like perfection. Some would call him biased but those some were nothing more than blind fools.
“Also,” Wes reached into his pocket, “when I’m from it’s traditional to give the girl one is courting gifts.” He pulled out a necklace, a small cameo dangling from a silver chain. Old but neither expensive nor rare, it was a simple gift. Actually, it was rather unlike what he usually gave. “I saw this and thought of you.” Before she could refuse, he gestured for her to turn around, “I insist. Besides,” he grinned, “what would I do with it if I kept it? I certainly can’t wear it. It would look far better on your than it would on me. It’d go to waste.” She didn’t seem convinced.
Wes held the cameo up at eye-level. “Do you know who Persephone is?” It was an unneeded question. Of course an intelligent girl such as herself knew who Persephone was. He continued anyway, “She was a goddess.” His eyes met Ashleigh’s and he smiled, “A beautiful woman who was sought after by many gods and loved dearly by her mother, Demeter. Hades happened to look upon Persephone one day and fell in love the moment he laid eyes upon her. He kidnapped her, taking her away to rule alongside him in the underworld. Now, the story goes that Hades was forced to give up Persephone but tricked her into eating pomegranate seeds should she would have to return for two seasons every year.” He smiled, “But I have it on good authority that there’s another version of the story. It says that Persephone won Hades over with her kind nature and he, a god known for his hard-heartedness, showed mercy and love. He let her go, asking only she spend half the year with him and half on Earth with her mother. She, seeing him as more than the monster the world thought him to be, agreed."