AFFECTION

THIRTY THREE

33

DAVID WELLINGTON

I had a lot to do today. There was a lunch meeting that I have to attend with Tobias, then I have to pick my recent reports from the hospital and settle some payments, and then I am going to look at the message that Hope sent me. She wanted to go somewhere...but where exactly? For dinner? Or some night out beside the beach or something like that. She generally doesn't ask me, so when she did I won't refuse her. If she had agreed to drop Oliver out of the plan, then it is definitely something serious. I hope she just wants to relax and calm herself down from everything that's been going on.

"Where do you want to go? Like on dinner? Or some place else?"

Her reply came a half an hour later.

"Anywhere you like. We can have dinner though."

Anywhere I like. She wouldn't tell me what she likes, no matter how much I try. And so I decided to call Erica.

As soon as she picked up her phone, I asked her, "Tell me Hope's favourite place in Rome. Anywhere near or far."

She chuckled, "Why so much hurry?"

"Erica! Be quick...she has asked me to go out today, which she barely ever does. I need to make it good. May be to express my gratitude?"

She sighed knowingly, "Do one thing. Go to some beach side restaurant. An open one. She loves the breeze. Whenever we go for concert in some coastal state, she makes sure we visit the beach. Especially at night."

That made me think. And I hang up on her.

Calling Tobias, I instructed him a few things and told him to make reservations accordingly. He took notes and i decided to make some preparations.

I went to a flower shop and brought a bouquet for her. Well, she may have not explicitly said it is a date, but I will bully her into admitting it. The thought alone made me smile to myself.

After a lot of wandering in the shop, i finally settled on carnations. They were something out of the league, but beautiful nonetheless. Somehow, they reminded me of her the instance my eyes fell on them.

My next destination was a jewellery outlet. Ofcourse there's a saying that we men think we can buy women's love using jewellery but we don't. Jewellery signifies permanence. It is something that cannot decay easily, and so whenever the subject of our concern wears them, it gives us a strange sense of satisfaction. As if staking some kind of claim.

The manager, most likely recognising me, took me to the VIP seating area and asked me what I would like to see. With a cup of coffee in my hand, I decided upon a plenty of jewellery pieces kept before me, but nothing made sense. Last time, when I brought her that neck piece, it was purely out of a friendly instinct. Now, things were different. I wanted to tell her I commit to the relationship between us.

"I can't choose. It's messing up my mind.", I told the polite lady who was assisting me choose a piece.

She nodded, understanding, "Sir I can help you if you answer some of my questions. Will you try?"

I agreed, "Yes please! Go ahead.."

"What is the relationship status for whom you are buying this?"

I sat back comfortably, "She's my wife officially, but we are more like best friends."

"What is the occasion?"

I shrugged, "Nothing special. She only expressed her wish of going out. I am just trying to make it special."

She acknowledged my answer and then narrowed down the choice to a box, "Sir, since it is not a specific occasion, you must experiment and get some hand accessories. Bangles are not so much in trend here in Italy, but you can always try. Look at these."