Compared to Tony’s immaculate preparations, Matthias could only soldier on. In order to ask Heather out during Valentine’s Day, he had to prepare a special gift. While hanging around in a shop, he wondered what Heather might like.
Myra would know that best. Bored, Matthias scanned through the array of gifts in front of him. Even though the colorful items were pleasing to the eye, he wasn’t sure if Heather would like them.
The shop owner was a middle-aged woman. Aware of Matthias’ distress, she took it on herself to make an inquiry. “Sir, you must have come in search of a gift for your girlfriend!” The fact that she got it right at first glance was proof of her shrewdness.
Meanwhile, Matthias kept a straight face while nodding stiffly. It was his first time ever doing something like this, so he was uncomfortable with it. All the while, he was all tensed up as if he were dealing with a dire task.
“Here we have all kinds of gifts. What does your girlfriend like?” The lady pressed on, as she didn’t want him to stay glued to the spot forever as time ticked away.
“She’s kinda… special.” Matthias couldn’t come up with a better description. “I have no idea what I should pick.” In fact, his hands were tied.
The lady smiled knowingly. Judging from Matthias’s expression, she deduced he had just established a relationship with his girlfriend. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have given such a vague description of her.
“Something custom-made would be better. Those who are so-called special would prefer unique gifts.” The lady offered him her suggestion. After all, her shop specialized in providing custom-made gifts, which was also a more lucrative business.
“How should I do that when I don’t even know what she wants?” He was on point. It was a bother, as his mind was a complete blank when it came to gifts that Heather would want.
“Can you perhaps describe your girlfriend? I should be able to provide you with some recommendations.” The lady was careful in how she phrased her question. In the face of such a prudent customer, she figured she shouldn’t be bragging.
After some thought, Matthias replied, “She’s a smart woman, having just completed her PhD program in Italy. Ever since she graduated high school, she has been living abroad.” He assumed that Heather’s experiences while living abroad would affect her preferences.
However, his descriptions were not detailed enough, and the aspects he had placed emphasis on were peculiar. It only served to confuse the shop owner. “What about her personality? What kind of person is she?” The shop owner was more keen to know about Heather’s character, not her experience.
“She dislikes gaudy stuff and prefers objects with a light color tone. She’s also someone with high standards.” Having concluded with much difficulty, he was certain those would help in picking out a gift.
“What about a simpler question… Do you know if she needs anything?” The shop owner decided to try another approach. Since she still couldn’t get a grasp on Heather’s character, she decided she should try the simplest method, which might yield results.
Yet, it only led to Matthias gawking at the shop owner, visibly floored by the question. Who knows what she needs? Maybe she needs a corporation? How in the world should I get her one? Besides, she won’t even want it even if I am willing to give it to her.
“Is this your first time buying your girlfriend a gift?” the shop owner questioned tentatively. Upon realizing that Matthias knew nothing whatsoever about said woman’s preferences, she was doubting if he was indeed buying a gift for his girlfriend.
“Yeah.” Matthias looked morose when he admitted that. For goodness’ sake, he didn’t find the question funny at all.
“If that’s the case, I would suggest that you buy her a bunch of lipsticks. I’m sure no woman will be able to resist that.” Bored and giving up on profiting off of Matthias, the shop owner gave a random suggestion.
Matthias, however, wore a frown when he detected a hint of mockery in the woman’s tone. He glowered at her, as she was making him look bad. Therefore, he was determined to buy something from her shop, all the while figuring that a lipstick might be a decent gift for Heather.
“What’s the most expensive item you have in your shop?” Matthias’ abrupt inquiry seemed to have reignited the shop owner’s passion. Therefore, she proceeded to introduce him to various items.
After a long and confusing session, he eventually decided on buying a delicate-looking wooden case. He thought it would be a good idea to fill the ornate case that seemed to be crafted in medieval fashion with lipsticks.
When it came to choosing lipsticks, he had to secure the help of his assistant, Lara Locke, thinking she should have a better idea. When she showed up with a bright smile on her face, he felt as if she was his salvation. He had been hanging around in front of the various shops, but he didn’t even know where to start. In his eyes, all of the lipsticks were a similar shade of red.
“Mr. Locke, why are you suddenly interested in lipsticks?” Lara regarded him with curiosity. After all, she never expected him to skip a day’s work for the sake of picking out lipsticks in a mall.
What happened was mind-blowing, as it sure seemed like Matthias was in love. Having worked under him for a few years, Lara deemed him as someone who was outright dumb when it came to love. No matter how she looked at it, the only person who he might have fallen for would be Heather, who had delicate features, as well as a domineering air about her.
She figured Matthias had good taste in women, and that they were a good match. All of a sudden, a mental image of their interaction popped into her mind, which somehow made her buzz with excitement.
Agitated, she began blabbering before Matthias could say another word. “I get it, Mr. Locke! You must be choosing a Valentine’s Day present for your girlfriend!” She was chuckling so hard that Matthias was gawking at her in puzzlement. Then, she threw him the most practical question. “Mr. Locke, what brand and what color does Miss Langston normally use?”
Matthias stared at her in confusion, obviously not understanding a word that she said. In fact, he had no clue about it. “I don’t know. I plan on buying three of each brand,” he declared proudly.
Thrilled by his declaration, Lara gazed at him with a bubbly look. All of a sudden, his figure appeared all the more sturdy and dependable. “Do you know what color Miss Langston normally uses?” After some thought, she went with the easiest question, as she figured he might have no idea about brands and color codes.
“Don’t lipsticks only come in red?” Matthias blinked in perplexity. It can’t be that they also come in rainbow colors? Although models apply lipsticks with dazzling colors during fashion shows from time to time, nobody uses them in their daily lives! Shouldn’t red be the default?
“Even the color red comes in different shades, such as crimson, fuchsia, rose, peach, cherry pink, and loads more!” Lara lamented. How can he be this dumb even though he has such good looks?
“I suppose every brand has a few best sellers, so let’s get one of each!” After a lightbulb moment, Matthias came up with an idea. He thought it would work, as products that sold well were generally appreciated.
“Mr. Locke, I think Miss Langston might prefer something less mainstream.” Lara arched her brows at him. She was quite certain that Heather wouldn’t actually like what the masses appreciated.
“Then pick out a few that you think might suit her.” Matthias guessed it would be better to let Lara do that, as he couldn’t possibly choose a suitable one. They spent the remainder of that afternoon in the mall, shopping for lipsticks. Lara went from one shop to another tirelessly, until Matthias was feeling a little impatient.
During work, Lara had always been a bit impatient. On the contrary, Nikolai had more patience, so they worked well together by balancing Lara’s gusto out with Nikolai’s attentiveness.
It wasn’t until Lara started meticulously picking out the lipsticks that Matthias finally got to witness her patience. The catch being, she was enjoying herself without her usual impatience.
Women really find lipsticks irresistible, huh. Seeing that Lara seemed to be enjoying herself, Matthias decided to get some rest in a corner. After patting on her shoulder, he encouraged, “Keep up with the hard work until you pick out eighty of them. You don’t need to worry about money. I’ll go get some rest.”
It was true that women never felt tired while shopping for stuff. If Lara were doing anything else, she would most probably have started complaining about it. As soon as Matthias left, the sales assistant said in admiration, “Miss Locke, your boyfriend is so nice to you. It’s such a romantic gesture to allow you to choose eighty lipsticks.”
When Lara glanced at Matthias, who was standing some distance away from her, she put on a wistful smile. “Haha, I have to work harder! I still have forty more to go!” She was obviously faking it. It’s a good thing that the dumbass finally fell in love, but why can’t I help but feel bitter about it?
Pouting, she was suddenly overwhelmed by the urge to cry. She assumed that Matthias would notice her if she continued to stay by his side. Alas, he only ever paid attention to someone else. Whenever he looks at me, he’s in fact looking at someone else.
Although she wished for him to actually notice her, it seemed impossible. Lara laughed in a self-deprecating manner before carrying on with the task at hand. Since she couldn’t have him, she decided she would end her unrequited love then and there.
Now that he found someone he loved, she would give him her blessing, as well as make minor contributions to his relationship. This is enough. She told herself repeatedly in an attempt to hypnotize herself. You won’t be able to remain by Matthias’ side if you get too greedy.
When evening came, she finally completed her mission brilliantly. Matthias gave her a satisfied smile. On the other hand, she was still wearing a careless smile while blinking at him. “How are you going to pack them?” She was curious about it. He wouldn’t just offer them up in a pile, would he?
Matthias shook the wooden case at her, supposing he should be able to tuck all of the lipsticks into the case. “Let’s give it a try,” he suggested. He believed that actually trying it out would give him the answers.
Indeed, there was still some space after he put all of the lipsticks into the case. While he thought he would be able to gain Heather’s approval, he didn’t notice the anguished look on Lara’s face when he turned to face the other way.
“I’m sorry that this dragged on for so long. It’s already way past the usual time to clock off work.” With that, he picked out three lipsticks from the case. “Happy Valentine’s Day. These three are a gift for you. Since you were the one who picked them, I suppose you will like them.”
Matthias was smiling warmly as he spoke. I’m not a cruel boss who would exploit my employees. On the contrary, I’m rather compassionate toward them. Since it’s Valentine’s Day, it’s appropriate that I give Heather seventy-seven lipsticks. It’s such a meaningful present! This will be the perfect gift when coupled with a bouquet of flowers!
