"It's gone! The ring is gone", the man said. He was definitely panicked.

"Sir, please calm down", I said.

"No no no. No, I can't. I had one task ONE TASK, and I blew everything up. Everything! The ring is gone, and without it there will be no engagement", he worried even more, and began walking around the bakery like a nervous tiger in a cage.

I went to him, took his hands, and stopped him. I caught his eye and told him in a reassuring tone.

"Please calm down and explain to us what happened so we can try to help you."

He stared into my eyes. His eyebrows were furrowed and anxiety had distorted his otherwise beautiful features. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. I nodded encouragingly.

"Yesterday I came and ordered a box from the special Christmas cookies, and at the bottom you had to put a box with an engagement ring", he explained.

"Oh, yes! I remember!", exclaimed Betty.

We both looked at her.

"That's what I did. What's the problem?", she asked.

"The problem is... I had to do something else, you know, so I left the ring with you and told you I'd be back later to get it all when it's ready - the box with cookies and the ring in it", Betty nodded, "Yes, but there's no ring in the box you gave me."

He was looking at me when he said the last one. Probably he was one of the customers I dealt with while Betty was talking on the phone, yesterday.

"Ah!", Betty gasped, "But how?"

"I don't know, that's why I'm here. There's no engagement without a ring and it's a disaster", he said, and I saw that the anxiety was still trying to prevail. He pulled his hands out of mine, scratched his neck with the right one, then dropped both down, and began to clench and loosen them into fists.

"Sir, calm down. We'll find the ring for your fiancée. Don't worry", I told him reassuringly, though at the moment I had no idea how the ring might have disappeared.

I remember Betty mentioning something to me, but after Holly showed up yesterday, I couldn't concentrate on anything. That's why Betty stayed behind the counter to work with customers, and I hid in the kitchen and mechanically did my duties.

"Oh, it's not for my fiancée", he said, "Umm... I don't have a fiancée."

He said the last one, looking only at me, and he raised the right hand again and scratched his neck, a light blush appeared on his cheeks. He squeezed his neck, massaged it up and down, and released it.

"Okay", I nodded and smiled slightly.

"I personally prepared the box and put it...", Betty thought, "Yes! I put it here next to me to keep it handy when you come."

Betty said, pointing to the low table behind the counter, which we sometimes use while filling more than one boxes for customers at the bakery.

"On that table!?", I asked stupidly, because a thought began to creep into my mind.

Betty nodded, "Yes, on the table next to me", and added, "Oh, yes, and then George called and I asked you to replace me for a while. You should definitely have seen it."

"Oh, I saw it. I certainly saw it!", I said in an anxious voice.

I cleared my throat and turned to the man in front of me.

He looked at me expectantly to tell him where the box was.

"I saw it", I repeated, then looked away from him and stared at my hands, nervously wringing my fingers and fighting internally with myself. How can I admit the great stupidity I did?!

"Well?", he asked.

"I saw it... I thought it was out of place and...", Say it right, that's how you do it, I scolded myself silently, and continued out loud, "and I put it among the others in the kitchen."

I said the last one squeezing my eyes, and biting my lower lip so hard that I almost tasted the blood. But I gathered courage, opened my eyes, looked at the man and added, "I mixed it with the others. I'm sorry!"

Betty gasped. He said nothing.

He didn't look shocked, but seemed to be still processing the information.

"Ashley, what have you done!?", Betty asked anxiously.

"I'm sorry! I'm really sorry", I said and walked over to him.

He just kept looking at me.

"I asked you if the boy came and if you gave him the special box", Betty said, "and you replied "yes."

"That's right. But under a special box, I thought you meant any of the Christmas orders", I said to Betty and turned back my gaze to the man. I was hoping that he'll read in my eyes how much sorry I was about this stupid mistake.

"Yes, when I came you were behind the counter", he said to me.

I nodded, but I didn't really remember. My thoughts were too confused from meeting Holly to pay attention to anything or anyone else.

"But then you just gave me a box with cookies?!", he exclaimed.

I nodded in embarrassment.

"And where is the box with the ring?", he asked.

I shrugged, "I don't know. It must have gone to another customer."

"Yes, but yesterday we sent orders to at least 10 places", I thought, and a wave of panic started rising in me.

"We'll find it", Betty said firmly, and I looked at her.

She darted me with her 'You are in big trouble' look, which she has never used for me before.

"I'll check who bought and ordered boxes yesterday. I'll call whoever have to, and then Ashley will come with you to find the ring", Betty said confidently, picking up her phone and the notebook in which we write all of the orders - made at place and delivered, and got to work, "Oh! Ashley, check the cookies!"

I immediately went to the kitchen. I put the oven mitts and took out the... burnt cookies from the oven. 

Argh! We forgot to set the timer! And now one more batch is unusable!

I sighed in frustration, and put in two batches and set the timer before closing the oven's door.

I leaned back on the kitchen island and wondered, "And now what?"