REM

Ex-ist

"What about these?" She pointed to another expensive set of earrings, a smile spread from ear to ear.

"How much are they?" I hated asking the question, but she knew I was on a budget since I had just been laid off for the winter months.

Moving closer toward the glass display, she replied, "Four-hundred..." I could hear the disappointment in her voice, but I couldn't do much about it. She deserved something nice, however, I had planned on saving up to surprise her instead of letting her choose her own gift as she was now doing.

She pushed a stray strand of brown from her forehead and pulled it behind her ear. Straightening up, she turned to me and pouted slightly in defeat. Her chestnut eyes were innocent, yet I didn't feel guilty about setting a limit on her gift. I thought the surprise I had planned for the future would be worth the wait, but I could see she was becoming frustrated.

"Keep looking," I encouraged in a whisper and peck on the cheek. A crease formed as she forced a smile, then proceeded to scour the display in the small jewelry store.

Several other people were in the store with us: a young couple and an older man, who was probably shopping for his wife.

My girlfriend continued her search in vain until the salesman behind the counter offered to assist.

"Can I help you find something in particular?" he asked, rounding the corner of the display, walking toward us.

"Yes," she answered quickly. "Do you have anything on sale, or something in a lower price range than four-hundred dollars?"

His thinning brown hair and glasses were nothing to be jealous of, but he had a clean-shaven face and perfect, white, straight teeth that showed as he smiled: "Of course."

He directed us over to a display with smaller diamonds and cheaper price tags. I knew they were probably imitation, or accents at best. Even though I didn't buy expensive jewelry, it came in handy that I knew the cheap, fake stuff at first glance.

"Everything in this case is under three-hundred," he explained. "Many are sterling silver with small accents of diamonds, while there are a couple with rather small diamonds: 0.1 carat I believe."

"At least they're still diamonds," my girlfriend answered happily.

Hardly, I kept to myself. 0.1 carat was an insult. Those were the items you bought to impress a girl on a first anniversary, or after a fight. The word "diamond" comes out of your mouth and she immediately forgives all, or is ready to have your child. I wasn't about to let my girlfriend get duped though.

It didn't take her long before she had picked out a set she liked. Unfortunately for me, my answer to her question wasn't the best.

"What about these?" Pointing to probably the cheapest set there, without even a 0.1 carat diamond present.

They're cheap. Tell her no. The whisper of a female voice filling my ear.

"Those are probably the cheapest ones of them all." I tried to sound reasonable, hinting that she could at least ask me to buy her earrings with more than just diamond accents on them.

"Well, I like them," she affirmed. I should have just accepted the fact that she wasn't high maintenance like most women I had dated prior to her.

"They're cheap," I stated.

"And I like them," she retorted, a stern look on her face. "It's not like you're giving me many options."

"I know, but–"

"But nothing, I want them." She placed her hands on her hips, her tone hushed, but still aggressive.

"I am not buying you cheap shit like that," I replied in a very stern whisper so the salesman didn't get offended as I insulted his merchandise.