I get up from the park bench and ride the bus to the downtown clinic. I can feel the ring pulsing occasionally. I close my eyes and see image after image pass before me. Nothing tempting me so far, I think. I get up and head to work.

After cooking a nice steak stir fry for dinner, my fiancée walks in to my apartment. We always meet for dinner and Tuesday is my night to cook. I open a bottle of red wine to breathe and finish setting the table.

"Hello, dear." He kisses me on the cheek. "Dinner smells amazing!"

"Good evening, darling." I reply. "How was you day?"

"Something extremely exciting happened at lunch today. I got engaged!"

"Congratulations! Do I know the girl?"

"Ha ha. Sometimes I wonder if I know the woman to whom I pledged myself to." He sits down at the table.

"I wonder that too," I mutter to myself. I serve our dinner and sit down to join him.

"How are you enjoying your new ring, honey?"

"It is amazing. Everyone at work wanted to know where you got such a unique ring. I told them you custom designed it. As far as I am concerned, I sometimes forget that I am wearing it and other times I can feel it pulsing on my finger. It will definitely take some getting used to."

"That it will. I remember when my father presented it to me on my 21st birthday. He had made it into a class style ring and had written the words 'Nitimur in vetitum'."

"We strive for the forbidden?! What kind of inspirational quote is that?" I have often wondered how his father had convinced him to change his major in college.

"My father was preparing me for life. That ring changed me in so many ways over the years. I was such a young idealist back then..." his voice trails off as his memories wash over him.

He gets up and begins clearing the table. Our deal is one of cooks and one of cleans.

After cleaning up, we snuggle on the couch and watch a movie. I feel myself falling asleep and snuggle deeper into him. He begins kissing me and I push him off.

"I'm tired and going to bed. You can spend the night if you want, but if you leave make sure you lock up."

"Don't you want me?" He looks surprised.

"I'm tired, honey. Maybe tomorrow." I say sleepily.

"But the ring should be increasing your desire..."

"Dear, I am going to sleep. We can discuss your ring theories in the morning."

I head for bed leaving his shocked face behind me. Seems that there is much more to this ring then meets the eye. I am much too tired to think it through though and I collapse into bed and sleep soundly.