Let Love Win

Chapter 24 - Hadley

I put yet another shirt back on it's hangar. I never really thought about how hard it would be to shop for your boyfriend until I actually got a long term boyfriend that I would have to go shopping for. I mean, what was I supposed to get him, especially for Christmas? And the first occasion that I have to get him a present for, too. Maybe it would have been easier if his birthday had come and gone already because then I would know what he likes.

"Mel, I seriously give up already," I said in frustration as I turned to face her. "I have no idea what to buy."

"You can't give up yet, you've only been looking for a small amount of time," she reasoned. "Of course you wouldn't have been able to find anything yet. And if you did, I would be surprised."

"What are you getting Brad?"

"I don't know yet, I haven't decided."

"Great help, great help."

"Why don't you just go out to Victoria's Secret and buy a bunch of sexy lingerie and take boudoir photos, put it in a fancy little photo album and wrap it up nicely? I'm sure he would do more that enjoy that?"

I stared at her in shock. "Why is it that everything between us has to be sexual to you and Brad?" I asked.

"Because your relationship started out with sex, therefore it only makes sense that the theme carries out, right?"

"Whatever."

"Well, is there anything that's really sticking out in your mind right now?"

"I don't know. I mean, he got my jewelry for my birthday so should I do the same thing?"

"There's an idea. Do you want to go down there now?"

"Sure, are you done here?"

"Yeah, I'll just come back later and get some ugly Christmas sweater to hide my photo album in."

I choked on air. "You're not actually."

"He loves taking pictures of me, so I just thought I would give him something that he didn't have to work for."

"I hope you don't expect me to be the one taking the pictures of you, that's just weird," I said shaking my head at her.

"Hadley, will you help me please? It's really important to me that you do this for me and I will forever be in your debt," she whined. I looked over at her and sighed deeply. She linked arms with me and smiled up at me. "I love you. Come over tomorrow night and we'll do it then."

"I'm hanging out with Zeek tomorrow, smart one."

"So bring him with you, I could use a guy's opinion. Unless you're uncomfortable with your boyfriend getting a hard-on from another girl."

I just rolled my eyes again and we made our way over to the jewelry department. As I looked through all the spinning displays and the counter cases, it became obvious that it was more geared towards guys looking for their girlfriends rather than the other way around. All I could see were diamond rings, charm bracelets and earrings, all different colours, shakes and sizes. I never have and probably never would understand why girls fantasize about this kind of stuff.

I absentmindedly fiddled around with the leather bracelet clipped around my wrist as I continued to walk up and down the aisles of display cases. I always worked to convince myself that a Pandora bracelet for my birthday was a totally different story, but I knew that it was all in the same boat. The fact that Zeek actually went out and bought this for me was still beyond me. And still, almost a month after my birthday, it still made me smile when I looked at it.