"Oh my goodness, Robert, it's beautiful," Mary exclaimed, pulling the figurine from the small ornately wrapped box. She held the pair of clear glass birds in her palm.
"Oh and it's heavy too," she said as her arm dropped slightly.
"They're turtledoves," Robert explained with a smile, scooting closer to Mary on the couch and putting his arm around her shoulders.
"They're a symbol of love and now these two glass birds will be the perfect symbol of our love."
Mary smiled down at the birds as happy tears filled her eyes.
"You are too sweet to me," she squealed, leaning over and planting a gentle kiss on Robert's lips.
"Well you deserve every second of it," he insisted.
"And I feel terrible because your present hasn't gotten here yet," Mary told him. She leaned across his lap and set the turtledoves on her end table. As soon as they left her hand, Robert pushed her down against his legs and smacked her butt.
"I know a present you can give me that doesn't need to be delivered."
Mary threw back her head and laughed.
"You're lucky I love you so much cause that was the worst line ever."
"But did it work?" Robert asked.
Mary wriggled off his lap and grabbed his hand pulling him toward the bedroom.
"Let's find out."
"He gave you a turtledove figurine?" Jennifer asked, raising an eyebrow as she looked at the picture on Mary's phone.
"Don't say it like that," Mary chided, shoving her co-worker's arm gently. "It's pretty. He said they represent love."
"So does giving you money for a designer handbag," Jennifer said.
"Not all of us are as materialistic as you. I would rather receive a gift that means something."
"To each their own I guess," Jennifer shrugged, giving Mary her phone back.
"Come get coffee with me," she suggested, brightly.
"You know I can't stand that stuff," Mary contested, sticking out her tongue and faking a gag.
"The place I usually go is serving a special peppermint hot cocoa for the holidays. You can get that. I just don't wanna go by myself."
Jennifer sat on the edge of Mary's desk and stared down at her with a pouty face.
"Oh alright," Mary agreed finally. "But it better not be too cold outside."
"Can I have a medium peppermint hot chocolate please?" Mary said to the girl behind the counter. The cafe Jennifer had brought her to was small but homey. Christmas music played gently in the background and each table had a red or green tea candle in the center.
"Yes ma'am. Is that all?" the girl asked with a polite smile.
"Yes that's all, thank you."
"That will be $4.25 Cash or card?"
"Card," Mary answered, holding it out. The girl reached for it and Mary caught sight of the silver bracelet on her arm. The chain was bare except for two small birds whose beaks were touching exactly like the figurine she had received the night before.
"That's such a pretty bracelet," Mary commented, as the girl swiped her card.
"Oh thank you," she said, her face lighting up at the compliment. "My boyfriend Robert gave it to me yesterday. He said it was a symbol of our love."
Mary felt all the blood drain from her face.
"Your boyfriend gave it to you?" she repeated, as the girl handed her credit card back.
"Yes. He is so sweet to me and the best part is he works right across the street in that building so sometimes I get to see him during lunch.
Mary turned to look at the building the girl indicated. Her stomach dropped. She had been to that building several times to bring Robert lunch and sometimes they would eat together at the fountain out front.
The girl continued to talk but Mary could not focus on what she was saying. She saw the image in her head of Robert handing her that figurine and saying he loved her. She felt the warmth of his hand in hers and the soft touch of his lips against her cheek. It had all been so perfect and now it was all a lie.
"Ma'am, do you want your drink? I'm sorry to rush you but there are others in line," the barista's voice broke into her reverie.
"You can keep the drink, I just want this," Mary said, and before she knew what she was doing, she had slipped the bracelet from the girl's wrist and was pushing past the customers behind her to get to the exit.
"Ma'am what are you doing? That's mine! Someone stop that lady!"
Mary heard the girl yelling as she flung the door open and ran out onto the sidewalk. Looking over her shoulder she saw Jennifer dash out after her looking angry and confused.
"Mary come back! They're gonna call the cops," she shouted. But Mary ignored her. Robert would be home from work in a couple hours and she was going to be there to greet him.
"Hey, baby. Did you get off work early today?" Robert said, walking into the apartment exactly at six. He hung his grey pea coat on the hook next to the door and turned to Mary who sat smiling on the couch.
"Yes. I wasn't feeling well so I decided to come home and rest."
"Oh I'm sorry to hear that," Robert said with concern in his voice. He sat down to next to Mary and put a hand on her arm.
"I see that you're wearing the bracelet I...gave you? Wait how did you..."
Robert let his sentence trail off looking first at Mary and then around the apartment in confusion.
"Are you looking for this?" Mary snapped, pulling the turtledove figurine out from behind her back and shoving it in Robert's face.
"Yes. If I gave you that then how did you get the bracelet?" Robert looked at Mary and his face flushed bright red as he realized he had given himself away.
"How did I get the bracelet you gave to your other girlfriend? That's a great question, Robert. It turns out you and Jennifer go to the same coffee shop and your side piece works there. Or am I the the side piece? Sorry, I didn't stop to ask her all the details of her relationship with my boyfriend while I was stealing her bracelet."
Mary glared at Robert gripping the figurine so tightly her fingers turned white around its smooth glass edges.
"No of course you're my number one," Robert insisted, scooting away slightly from Mary who was looking more angry every second.
"You got the bigger gift, baby. I thought you liked it," Robert said, assuming a pouting expression in an attempt to make himself the victim.
"I liked it when I thought it meant something," Mary yelled, tears springing to her eyes as she stood up from the couch and towered over Robert.
"Now it's just a stupid hunk of glass I don't want anymore. So here. You can have it back."
Mary punctuated this last word with a quick and powerful swing of her hand. The figurine smacked hard against the side of Robert's head and he sank back against the couch cushions.
"Why aren't you taking it? Don't you want it back? It's a symbol of our love," Mary cried out, swinging it at him again. This time she hit his forehead and it made a sickening crunch. Blood trickled down from his hairline and his eyes were wide open in shock. Mary stared at them for a minute that seemed like eternity. They did not close.
Shakily, she stood up and looked around. The room was still and silent. The clock on the wall read 6:15 and it was dark outside.
"Probably a good time to go to bed," Mary thought. "I do have work tomorrow after all."
She set the figurine down on the end table and stepped over Robert's legs on the way to her bedroom.
"What a nice day today was," she told herself as she undressed completely and slipped into bed. "It was so nice of Jennifer to take me to that coffee shop. Robert loves coffee. I will have to take him there sometime."
