An Unexpected Present
written by: Margit Horsky
In the end, he had succeeded in conquering Dora, though it hadn’t been easy. He had courted her for weeks, and the more she had resisted him, the more intrigued he had become by her beauty and freshness. Finally, he had been rewarded: they had become lovers.
Now he almost felt grateful for the sense of fulfilment and youth he was experiencing. He felt he had to reciprocate that unexpected gift. He would buy her a piece of jewellery; don’t women love jewels?
It had to be something expensive, something that would surprise her. He was conscious of the age difference; he didn’t delude himself into thinking he could compete physically with younger, dashing men. But he could surpass them thanks to his prestige and money.
He chose a jeweller where he had never been before; he didn’t want Rita, his wife, to find out about the purchase.
He told the shop assistant he wanted something for his wife’s birthday, but had no idea what to buy.
The kind, professional young woman enquired about the lady’s tastes and appearance. She showed no surprise on hearing that his wife was young, beautiful, and had gorgeous green eyes. He felt relieved, fearing that his protruding belly and thinning hair would contrast too sharply with the fresh image of Dora he had described.
She showed him a pair of emerald earrings and then some pendants with precious stones, explaining that they were very fashionable and particularly popular with younger customers.
That was when, to his great disappointment, he heard the voice of Clelia, Rita’s best friend and a real busybody.
She was surprised to find him there and didn’t try to hide it. She immediately asked what he was buying, and he had no choice but to lie, saying that it was something for Rita. Clelia seemed even more surprised. She couldn’t remember any anniversary or birthday around that time. He replied that he had closed a very good contract and wanted to celebrate. Meanwhile, he glanced at the shop assistant to make sure she wouldn’t betray him by contradicting this new version. The woman didn’t bat an eyelid.
In the meantime, Clelia had noticed the earrings on the black velvet tray and declared that they were absolutely out of the question for Rita; she would never wear them. She knew exactly what he should buy instead: a pair of pearl earrings with diamonds. Rita herself had mentioned more than once that she longed for them.
At that point, he had no choice but to buy them, because Clelia waited there until the shop assistant had packed them.
And that was how Rita, to her great surprise, received a jewel she had desired for a long time.
Once in bed, she decided that for once she would not complain of headaches. On the contrary, gently stroking his shoulder, she told her husband she hadn’t had one for quite a while.
Whether he was happy, we do not know. The darkness, and the light kept strictly off, hid his expression.
- An Unexpected Present - June 10, 2026
- Pretending - March 13, 2026
- Doubt - November 5, 2025
