Page 201 of The Parkers' Handsome Holiday
“How did it go in there?” Tim asked. I was sure that he knew about me and Tiffany, but I was glad that he didn’t really talk about it. I know that he said he didn’t have a problem with it, but I knew that if we got caught, we would be in really big trouble with Robin.
“It was great,” I responded. “You came up with a great idea. I think the women are really learning a lot from Tiffany. You’ll see the morale boost in this office in no time.”
Tim smiled, obviously pleased with himself.
“Good,” he said. “Are we still on for our ten o’clock meeting?”
I nodded.
“We are,” I said. “I have a couple of things to wrap up, but I’ll be there.”
We said our goodbyes and walked in opposite directions. I walked back to my office to check my email before I ran my errand. Thankfully, there was nothing important. I wanted to sneak out of the office before Tiffany saw me.
As I grabbed my wallet from my desk, Tiffany appeared in my doorway.
“Hey,” she greeted me. She was absolutely glowing. I would have liked to attribute it to the sex last night, but I knew she was on a high from public speaking.
“Great job in there,” I said, sliding my wallet into my pocket.
“Are you leaving?” she asked. Busted. I didn’t want her to know that I was leaving the office, and I really didn’t want her to know where I was going.
“I just have to run an errand,” I said. “Nothing exciting.”
She nodded.
“I have to get to work on my first assignment,” she said. “Tim gave me this fun, heartwarming holiday story to do. I’m working on some of it today and interviewing my subject tomorrow.”
“That sounds great,” I said. “If you need any help, you know where to find me.”
“Thanks,” she said. She headed to her office and I left mine.
I walked out of the office and checked behind me. She didn’t follow me. I didn’t think she would have, but it was important that she didn’t see where I was going. I was heading to the jewelry store down the street. I wanted to get her something for Christmas.
“Good morning, sir,” the store clerk greeted me as I walked in.
“Good morning,” I returned the greeting. I wasn’t sure what I was looking for, but I figured that I would know it when I saw it. I thought about earrings, but nothing really jumped out at me.
“Where are your necklaces?” I asked.
“Over here, sir,” the store clerk pointed to a glass case near the corner. I walked over and was surprised to see a wide variety of necklaces. As I bent down to look at them, the bell on the door dinged. Another man walked in, but he looked very out of place.
He was glistening with sweat and his cheeks were flushed. Based on his attire, I concluded that he had just gotten done working out at the gym. He was a big guy with huge arms. Most guys don’t intimidate me, but this one did. The gruff look on his face did him no favors, either.
“Good morning, sir,” the store clerk greeted him. Mr. Muscles looked at the store clerk but did not return the greeting. He began to look around the store aimlessly. I ignored him and went back to looking at the necklaces.
“I need something good for my girl,” Mr. Muscles spoke. His voice was as rough as his looks.
“What does she like, sir?” the store clerk asked. “We have many unique items available. We have rings, earrings, tennis bracelets…”
Mr. Muscles laughed.
“Nothing to do with tennis,” he said. “She doesn’t work out. Can you believe it? A guy like me trying to win back a girl who doesn’t work out? I know. You probably think it’s crazy. So do I. But, my other girlfriend broke up with me and I realized that my ex may have some flaws, but she’ll be easy to get back. It will be even easier once I find the right piece of jewelry.”
“Hmm, if you could tell me a bit about her, I may be able to recommend something,” the store clerk said. I admired him for being so polite when this guy was obviously a jerk.
“She’s pretty thick,” Mr. Muscles said. “She likes food and TV. She likes wine. I guess that’s about it. She doesn’t really have any hobbies. I thought a nice piece of jewelry might make her look better. Take the focus off her body, you know what I mean? Sometimes I wonder why I’m trying to win her back. Maybe I need to find a skinnier girl. Decisions, decisions.”
Mr. Muscles laughed at himself. He walked toward me, making me feel uneasy. He sounded cocky. I didn’t like the way that he talked about women, as if they were pawns in his game of life. I didn’t want to make eye contact, so I continued to look at the necklaces. I hoped that he would stay away from that section.
