Thirty minutes before I work I scrambled to the mall in search of jewelry. Not for my mother, or my sister whom I still owed a b-day gift to, not even for my girlfriend. This necklace was a representation of all the joy and complete and utter fascination that Cee, my bartender lady who for the past two months I have grown adoration for , just because I wanted to make her smile, because it made me feel good inside. I looked at every jewelry store in the Southbay Galleria. Claires? too little girly? Zales? too expensive for a "just a friend gift." Then I happened upon a little boutique called "Little Treasures" and it seemed perfect. Now as far as customer service goes this lady might have just won the award for "best annoying helpful customer service," she was a petite little asian girl wearing a short white dress and some beads.
" shopping for your girlfriend"
"no just a friend"
"Oh...well what does she like, what is her favorite color"
"She is very simple. Something not to fancy"
"How old is she? early twenties like me"
"yeah early twenties"
"you want something long, short, hangs, silver, beads?"
She then went about showing me some off the wall assortment of beads and such before hitting the jackpot with what I was looking for. She leads me to the perfect necklace, a nice small silver necklace that ironically carries the letter "C," it was nice inexpensive gift, I also purchased a blue box to put it in so i had something nice to present it to her in. I then headed off to work where I was met with grievances for buying a girl who wasn't my girlfriend a gift.
"Miles its a really nice gift but I don't want you to get hurt"
"I don't approve return it now"
"So you have moved up from tips to presents"
Eventually that dies down but their cries don't go unnoticed as I begin pondering what i have done. I could still return it or I could give it to my sister as a birthday gift. But then I realized I have gone this far to buy Cee the gift and can't go back so from here on out it, I have to finish what I have started. Work ends and my cousin, the good doctor, tells me he may not want to go out tonight so because I just want to spend some quality personal time with Cee, I encourage him to stay in.
"Ok I am going to stay in...but you go home no stopping by just to say hi to Cee"
"deal"
Yeah I lied but that was because of the heat of the moment since I was already there. I sat down at the bar as she Cee came up and greeted me as usual. My nerves kicked in, I was spending so much time trying to think of some cool way to present your with the gift that my words became fumbled. On top of that, the club was dead, and I was one of five people sitting in there .
"I have a gift for you but its not anything sweet" (referring to the fact I usually bring her ice cream)
"what"
" Since I know you've been having some bad days I went out and got you a small gift"
I set the blue box on the counter as she scanned it trying to make sense of it all.
"Oh baby, what is is this" she said sincerely
She opened up the box and tears of joy and ran down her face, her cheeks flushed red like cherries, her eyes watering up like a flood in the midwest. She then ran around the bar and hugged me and kissed me on the cheek, her sweet lips against my skin was all I needed and I was in heaven, my own private Idaho of sorts.
"Oh baby, you're the greatest FRIEND I've had"
"i wish I didn't have to charge you for the drink"
She put on the necklace to my surprise because I was sure she would wait or would not right there.
"I want to wear it now, you have a problem with that" she said jokingly.
Friend may have not been the word I expected but if that is what I can get right now, that is all I want. We walked back behind the bar crying as the other waitress asked her if anything was the matter. She said nothing and just handed them the box as the waitress and the one stripper there looked at me with a sweet sensation. I had become one of those guys who come here to shower some girls with gifts and I felt no shame because Cee is my Wonderwall. Sitting there, holding her hand and making plans for knotts and hanging out I realized this is all I wanted to be near her, to just have her around and I could look forward to a future of having her around even if all I could afford to get was a few precious hours at a strip club. the night ended she thanked me endlessly for the gift and I walked out happy as The Delfonics in "have you seen her" Happy as a lark.
Unknowingly to me this was the beginning of the end.
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