Pearls

Bodhi pulled his lip through his teeth and bit roughly as he entered the jewelry store. Shopping for Lily always made him nervous since she was a professional stylist. There were other men wandering around and looking at various items for their partners and the thought comforted Bodhi. He wasn’t the only clueless one here. He walked over to one of the glass cases and peered inside. Diamonds sparkled and different metals were shining, but they didn’t fit the image in Bodhi’s mind. Everything was too gaudy for the delicate features of his girlfriend, so he left the large diamonds alone.

Next, he came to the rubies. Lily’s favorite stone was a ruby, but he remembered her mentioning how most ruby necklaces looked like too over-the-top. Deflating slightly, Bodhi moved on to the sapphires, Lily’s birthstone. Blue was her favorite color, and her sapphire ring was one of her most treasured possessions. He stared at the deep blue stones, but couldn’t find a piece that fit his dark haired girlfriend.

Things were beginning to look bleak for him. All Bodhi wanted was something to surprise Lily with. She had been working so hard to get her name out there and he had become quite busy with his own work that they’d barely had time for each other. He moved on to opals, topazes, emeralds, and garnets, but nothing struck him.

Finally, he saw them: a delicate pearl earring and necklace set. The earrings were simple posts and the necklace was just a single strand of pearls. Lily had been complaining about never getting her grandmother’s pearl collection, so this might be what he needs.

“Did you find something you like?” A saleswoman asked as she stood in front of him.

“I’ll take those,” Bodhi responded, pointing at the timeless pieces before him.

The woman smiled brightly and took the pieces out of the glass case before ringing him up. He paid her and she handed him the bag that held Lily’s jewelry.

Bodhi quickly walked to his sleek black car and drove back to the apartment he shared with his brunette girlfriend. She had to work today, so he should have time to get everything ready for their romantic night.

Rushing into the house, he was greeted by the woman who took care of him as a child, Gran. Bodhi greeted her briefly before running to hide the bag that held Lily’s gifts. As he strolled into the kitchen, he sniffed the air. Lemon-pepper chicken drifted through the air and he leaned against the counter.

“This smells great, Gran,” he spoke to the elderly woman.

She smiled at him and kissed his cheek as she passed, “I’m going to turn the oven off, but leave it in here so it’ll stay warm for her.”

Bodhi grinned at her. She was the only maternal figure he had ever known. “I really appreciate you doing this.”

Gran waved her hand, “don’t worry about it, Bodhi. Just make sure you two get married and have children before I’m dead.”

“Gran!” The blonde man exclaimed.

She laughed as she fingered her necklace, “I’ve seen the way you two look at each other. Is she good with kids?”

“She’s great,” Bodhi answered, “always said that if her plans for fashion didn’t work, she would have been a teacher.”

Gran smiled and lightly touched his strong face, “I can see it now. A little boy with your blue eyes and Lily’s dark hair, and a little girl with your blonde hair and Lily’s grey eyes. Oh goodness, you two would have the most adorable children!”

“Gran,” Bodhi spoke with a laugh, “let’s not get ahead of ourselves. We don’t want to rush things.”

“Wait too long and I will be dead,” the old woman retorted before placing a kiss on Bodhi’s cheek, “have a good night, Buddha.”

He smiled at the familiar nickname and bid her goodbye. As Gran left, Bodhi tapped his fingers on the counter while he waited for Lily. Soon, he heard her entering the apartment and he walked out to greet her.

“Hey, babe,” he spoke.

Lily smiled at him before sniffing the air, “did you cook?”

Bodhi snorted, “of course not. Gran did.”

She laughed, grey eyes sparkling as she sat down her purse and slipped off her heels, “I should have known better. You’re not quite domesticated yet.”

He laughed and walked into the kitchen with his girlfriend. They grabbed plates and loaded food on before he poured them both white wine. They carried their food to the table and sat down.

“What brought this on? You hardly ever break out the wine.”

Bodhi shrugged, “just wanted to surprise you. How was your day?”

Lily shrugged, “I dealt with rich housewives and spoiled celebrities. Monique is pregnant, but God forbid you say the word pregnant. She’s such a bitch.”

He let out a laugh and Lily continued to complain about her clients. He knew how much she loved her job, but being raised middle class she held a slightly different set of ideals than some in Los Angeles.

That was actually why he had been so interested. Lily didn’t treat him like Bodhi Cutway, heir to Cutway hotels and casinos, she wasn’t afraid of who he was or his money; she treated him like any other person, putting him in his place when he got a little too cocky or entitled. She reminded him about the people out there who were suffering while he lived in luxury.

The only slight difficulty had been that she is an INTJ personality. Quite introverted and detached, he thought she was a sociopath when they first met each other. Her need to be right and insensitive attitude caused some bumps, they both learned how to adapt and deal with their vastly different personalities. Romantic relationships initially confused her- as anything that didn’t deal with logical reasoning did- and he had to find out things that would make her send him that brilliant smile that was too often hidden behind a bored expression.

It was ‘Can’t Help Falling In Love With You’ by Elvis, that brought the smile to her face.

After finishing dinner, Bodhi slipped away to grab the bag that held her gifts. Nervousness welled in his stomach. Lily was so picky when it came to things like this that he was afraid she wouldn’t like it.

‘It’s not like you’re proposing,’ he thought as he exited their bedroom.

He entered the living room with the bag held in front of his body. Lily turned her gaze and saw the bag with the name of the jeweler on it. Taking slow steps forward, she grasped it gently and pulled out the two boxes. Opening them both quickly, Lily let out a gasp at the pearls. She looked up at him and sat them on the couch before pulling them into a hug.

“Thank you, Bodhi,” she mumbled against his chest.

He leaned down and pressed his lips gently against hers for a moment before pulling away, “you like them?”

Lily nodded, “They look just like some in my grandmother’s collection. I love them. I love you!”

He felt himself relax. She liked what he bought her and he was happy to hear the words fall from her lips even though they were said daily.

“I love you too,” Bodhi responded with a smile.