Standing Before Love (Myra and Sean) novel Chapter 442

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.