Aubrey's Playground

:75:

Janet made her usual midday short-lived walk towards Lori's office that had become less occupied since involving herself with Aubrey, working from his home, or even from another country had become a bit of a norm. Janet pushed the door open with one hand as she carried a large box she had tucked under her arm due to its weight and a fragile warning taped to the front and sides.

Lori looked up from her computer screen."What's that?" She asked pushing herself along the large L-shaped desk.

"I don't know, but it's heavy so it's important, so open it because I wanna see," Janet said while placing the box down in front of her then sat down in the chair behind her, she crossed one leg over the other and rested her elbow to her knee as she watched Lori run the sharp edge of her scissors over the heavily packed tape and flipped the cardboard flaps open. A large navy blue box snugly sat inside, gold lettering had been branded into the hard textured surface letting the lucky recipient know exactly where it came from, her initials branded under its label.

"Can you pull the sides?" Lori asked shoving her fingers down the side, Janet stood up and grabbed the cardboard box, both women tugged until they set the gift free then sat back down. Lori pulled the front flaps open revealing three small drawers stacked on top of one another a small gold ball glued to the center of each drawer allowing for it to easily be opened. Janet stood up for a better view, Lori frowned out of curiosity knowing who it was from, she cracked open the top drawer and peeked inside, Janet leaned forward. "Shit!" She mumbled as she quickly pulled it open. A thin diamond-encrusted gold necklace laid flat against a navy blue crushed velvet in a perfect circle.

"No, this man did not!" Janet mumbled as she pressed her lips together and placed her hand to her hip and leaned forward. Lori remained silent and pulled the second drawer open another gold diamond-encrusted chain in short length than the first one laid flat in a perfect circle, Lori sighed and shook her head as she pulled the final drawer open, three pairs of diamond earrings set in gold arranged in order by size laid in a row. "Bitch." Janet mumbled. She shook her head as she reached for one of the pieces of jewelry to examine it. Lori reached for the small card that in itself had become Aubrey's signature, they were never any bigger than a business card, no long message confessing his love or emotions, no sweet poems or I love you, he was always straight forward in his message and never shied away from whatever intentions he had, she opened the envelope flap and pulled the card out.

Because I can.
🖤

Aubrey D. Graham

Lori shook her head as she smirked. "He showed me around Toronto and we ended up in a jewelry store, I maybe looked at this set for no longer than two minutes..."

"But you looked at it," Janet said cutting her off.

"But I looked at it." Lori agreed tirelessly while shaking her head, she mentally read the words in his voice and chuckled, she handed Janet the card then reached for the necklace. It was impossible for Lori to not grow so accustomed to the traveling but one thing Aubrey stayed true to was his word and when he told Lori he could show her what gifts were he didn't shy from it and they came consistently for absolutely no rhyme or reason. All she had to do was show the slightest of interest in something and it was hers whether she truly wanted it or not.

"That's an arrogant mutha fucka! Look at this shit!" Janet held up the bracelet and the card in each hand. Lori looked amused but didn't smile, Janet frowned as she shook her head. "Just send a bitch some shit because you feel like it!" She scrunched her face.