Oliver returned with two bottles of water. He handed me one and I took it with gratitude and impatience. I unscrewed the cap and drank most of the bottle at once.

"You were pretty thirsty, huh? Here," he said, pushing his bottle toward me, "if you want more, take it."

"Thank you. That's enough for now. But I didn't realize how thirsty I was before the water touched my tongue," I said, a little embarrassed.

"Well..." he began, but suddenly Mrs. Laurent appeared beside us and we were both startled.

"Quick! You need to find something to replace the engagement ring. I have a great idea!" She said and quickly withdrew before we could react. But her enthusiasm scared me a lot.

"She's obviously going to announce to everyone that we're engaged. Thanks to her", Oliver said, and smiled anxiously.

I unscrewed the cap on my bottle and finished it. And then I reached for his, "May I!?"

"Of course," he replied, and slid the bottle toward me. His anxiety evaporated and a ... peculiar flame flashed in his eyes. His gaze was so warm and pleasant that it allayed my need to wash my own anxiety away from Melissa Laurent's words with water.

Oliver looked at me confused as I pushed the bottle back at him.

"I'm fine. Let's keep it for later," I said, smiling at him.

He nodded.

"So what are we going to do? What can we use instead of an engagement ring?" I asked playfully.

My composure returned, thanks to the warmth in Oliver's eyes, and with it the adventurous spirit awoke in me.

He smiled and blushed slightly. Oliver started rummaging in the pockets of his jeans and then his jacket. He pulled out keys, a phone, rolled-up headphones, a wallet, a half-empty packet of gum.

I followed his example and emptied my pockets - I put on the table my phone and wallet, the addresses note, and from the inside pocket of my coat I took out a small notebook with a small pen to it and a packet of twentyish mini rubber bands.

"I think that's all", I said more to myself than to Oliver, and looked up at him.

He looked at me curiously, a slight smile played on his lips.

"What are these for?" He asked.

"Because sometimes I come up with a combination or recipe that I want to try and I write it down so that I don't forget it. Other times I come across something interesting and I write it down again to try it later. For example," I thought. "About three months ago, I decided to walk around the city and surprisingly I found a very nice Italian restaurant. It must've been new. And I went in for lunch and discovered the most delicious cannoli I've ever tasted. Well, it's not like I've tried that many of them, but... I'm absolutely sure they were the most palatable ones. I requested to talk to the chef and asked him for the recipe. He didn't want to tell me the whole thing, but he was helpful enough to give me the basic recipe he uses. I wrote it down and...", I felt the excitement rising in me and leaned over the table to Oliver, "be sure that sooner or later I will make cannoli like the ones I tried."

I grinned widely. I wouldn't give up trying until I found the right combination of flavours I had tasted on that warm autumn day at that Italian restaurant.

"I'm sure you'll succeed," Oliver said, and I felt he really believed that, "But I asked about these," he continued, reaching out to me and picking up the packet of rubber bands. "I think your hair is too thick for such tiny rubber bands", he smiled.

"Oh! Um... I use them as a reminder. When something important comes to my mind, I not only write it down, but I put an rubber band on my right index finger, which when I look at it reminds me of the idea I've got", I explained, slightly embarrassed.

"Hmm," Oliver replied thoughtfully. He looked at mine, then at his things on the table, and seconds later a huge smile stretched his lips and brightened up his face.

"I think I know how to make you an engagement ring," he said.

And I watched him create, incredibly fast and skillfully, from scratch an improvised engagement ring. For me.