The night air was pleasant, in contrast to the hot temperature earlier during the day, and Sally had just arrived at the alley to meet her lover.
Damian was awake; it was as if he was waiting up for her. He was almost done smoking a cigarette when he heard the familiar sound of her footsteps; he quickly eyed her walking towards him. This was the signal for him to look inside the rickety old wooden crate that doubled as a nightstand, from which he produced a black velvet jewelry box; it was long and rectangular in shape.
A few more steps into the walkway and Sally came face to face with her lover. However, instead of being offered his cock as usual, Sally found herself looking at the long black box he held out to her. She wasn't expecting this, so she just stared at the box with a puzzled look, somewhat speechless. Sally had never received a gift from a man before, not so much as a single flower.
"For me?" she asked quizzically, looking up at him.
"For you, baby", Damian confirmed.
Sally slowly took the box from her lover and then proceeded to open it, her eyes brightening instantly. In it was a dainty bracelet adorned with several bright yellow stones. She guessed they were canary diamonds, because a girl from her office was showing off a ring one day that had similar looking gems. The co-worker had pointed out they were canary diamonds, and bragged that the ring had cost her boyfriend a pretty penny.
Sally reached into the velvet box and carefully picked up the delicate bracelet with her thumb and index finger. She admired the exceptionally intricate design on the exquisite piece of jewelry.
"I chose bright yellow because my life was once dark, but you came and brightened it up" Damian said sincerely, meeting her eyes with his.
Sally eyes were already welling up with tears. She was silent for a brief minute, and then suddenly found herself bawling like crazy. With all the fiber in her tiny being, she hugged Damian tight and rained kisses all over his face. He was eating it all up with a big grin.
When she finally regained her composure, Sally managed a simple, "Thank you, honey". She then handed the bracelet to her generous lover and held out her left wrist. Damian obligingly wrapped the band around Sally's delicate wrist and then hooked the clasp.
"There, a pretty bracelet for a pretty girl", Damian declared charmingly.
Sally's face was now soaking wet with tears of joy. Consequently, Damian's face was wet as well, not just from Sally's tears, but also from her kisses.
That night, for the first time since they had initially met, Damian made love to Sally. There were no vulgar words exchanged, and no slaps on Sally's bottom. For the first time in her life, Sally felt treasured.
**********
Where Damian had gotten the money to buy such an expensive piece of jewelry, Sally had no idea, but she wasn't one to look a gift horse in the mouth. All she could tell herself was, "Here's a man who has no job, no home, and no money, and still he managed to give me this beautiful present."
The next morning, Sally wore her pretty new bracelet to work. As usual, she was dressed in a frumpy manner and sported a modest ponytail, but she had an especially bright glow on her face. Even earlier in the morning, when she first walked in to work and saw the new stack of papers on her desk, Sally didn't so much as blink an eye. She was on Cloud Nine.
Of course, Abby noticed Sally's new bracelet, and instantly guessed it was from her "guy". Like Sally, Abby wondered where Damian had gathered the resources to procure such a precious piece of jewelry. But unlike Sally, Abby went further to speculate that Damian had either stolen the money to buy it, or had stolen the bracelet itself. Abby's thoughts reverted back to the police, and like before, she quickly decided against it, because Sally was keeping her promise to continue with her therapy.
**********
In the same area of town, sitting in the comfortable armchair, Sally quietly observed the Hockney painting hanging on the wall of her therapist's office. Dr. Allen had excused himself momentarily from Mildred, his office receptionist, to use the restroom down the hall, so the kindly old lady instructed Sally to wait in the therapist's office before he arrived to start their weekly session.
The bright blue shades the artist, David Hockney, used to convey his rendition of a clear sky and sparkling water did have a somewhat calming effect on Sally. This afternoon, she wasn't as annoyed as she usually was at the beginning of a therapy session. Perhaps it had to do with the pretty little trinket adorning her wrist.
