Six weeks. That’s how long it’s been since the night of the gala.

I haven’t heard a single word from Sarabelle or anyone else involved in the events of that evening. I’m not sure what I was expecting. I did everything the way I was supposed to. I played the good guy card exactly the way it needed to be played.

I would have thought I would have heard from the girl since then. I don’t know what she was waiting for. Maybe I had come on too strong when I introduced myself to her.

Even if that was the case, I figured I had proved something to her by not trying to make a move on her after I saved her from the attack. Perhaps I was overthinking things.

I knew where she lived. It would be easy to stroll up to her house and ring her doorbell. We also know plenty of the same people.

If I wanted to, I could make a couple phone calls and have her number within an hour. I had my ways of being able to contact her easily but I wasn’t going to do that. I wasn’t going to make an effort to contact Sarabelle. I knew that when the time was right, she would come to me.

She wasn’t the kind of girl that you could pressure to do what you wanted. I would have to be patient if I wanted to get her into my bed. Much more patient than I would have been willing to be with anyone before her.

Not the type of guy who would ever sit around pining for a woman who I may or may not ever see again, I went back to living my life the only way I knew how. I worked hard during the day and played even harder at night.

My evenings were filled with parties in exclusive VIP rooms, where I talked with envious men and danced with beautiful women, several of which ended up spending the night with me. Something was different, though. Before setting my sites on Sarabelle, taking these women home would leave me feeling like a stud but I wasn’t feeling it any longer.

These conquests that used to leave me feeling so full of life were now leaving me feeling hollow and empty. I didn’t know what was happening. All I knew was that I didn’t like it.

As the holidays approached, I set out to do some Christmas shopping for my mother and sisters. When it came to gifts for them, I never had any clue as to what I should buy them.

Normally, I would have my assistant pick something up for them but I wanted this year’s gift to have a more personal touch. Not wanting to deal with all the people in a busy mall, I decided to shop at Pamela Robbins, a beautiful little boutique store in the Scarsdale shopping district.

I walked into the store with no idea as to what I was even looking for. I didn’t know what my mother or sisters liked or have any clue what they may have needed. I decided the best thing to do would be to walk around the store and watch to see what others were buying for the women in their lives.

If there was something that seemed to be more popular than others, I’d pick it up for them. I was only strolling around the store for about ten minutes when I looked up and saw Sarabelle and her sister standing right in front of me. They were shopping and didn’t notice me so I decided to make my presence known.

“Good afternoon, ladies,” I said in a voice that was much more booming than I had intended it to be. Both girls looked up at the same time, Sarabelle looking as though she had seen a ghost and her sister smiling once she saw me, giving away that Sarabelle must have said something to her about me.

“Hey, I’m Lexi,” the twin said to me. “And I’m pretty sure you already know my sister, Sarabelle.”

Sarabelle started to blush as she looked down at the jewelry in the display case.

“Yes, the two of us have met. So what brings the two of you out here today?”

“We’re just looking around,” Lexi told me. “Trying to kill some time. What about you? Doing some Christmas shopping for a special lady?”

“Yes, several special women actually. I’m shopping for some gifts for my mother and sisters. The problem is, I don’t have any idea what I should be looking for.”

At that point, Lexi looked at me and shot me a wink. “That's a shame,” she said. “I need to run to the restroom real quick but Sarabelle is excellent at picking out presents. I’m sure she can help you choose something they’ll love!”

Sarabelle looked at her as though she was begging Lexi not to leave her but didn’t want to actually say the words out loud. Her sister just smiled and walked away, leaving Sarabelle alone and looking nervous.

“So here we are again,” I said to her in an attempt to break the ice a little bit.

“Here we are,” she replied. It was apparent that she didn’t have much to say to me. She looked like a deer caught in headlights.

“At least this is under much better circumstances than the first time we met.” I joked.

“Which circumstances were those?” she asked. “When you came onto me with one of the worst pickup lines in history or when you helped me in the garden?”

“I was referring to the garden but, wait, the worst pickup line in history? Do you really think it’s that bad?”

“You can tell me what you’d like for breakfast? Really?”

“Okay, so maybe you didn’t like it but I always go for what works.”

“That really works? Women really fall for that?”

“Well, you didn’t so I guess the smart ones must not go for it but yeah, it definitely works.”

Sarabelle rolled her eyes and went back to looking at the items in the display case.

“So, was your sister right? Are you really good when it comes to picking out Christmas gifts for people?” I asked her.

“That depends. I’ve always been able to pick out fantastic presents for my friends and loved ones. Of course, I know them all very well. I don’t know a thing about your mother or sisters so the results may not be as good. Why don’t you tell me about what they like so I can help you narrow things down a bit.”

“That’s a good question. I’m not really sure what they need or what they would want. I want to get them something that they’ll actually use on a daily basis rather than something that’s going to get shoved into a closet or put on a shelf never to be seen again. I love my mother and sisters to death and really want to be able to give them something thoughtful and useful this year.”

“Hmmm, that doesn’t really make things easier. Can you tell me about what types of things they like to do? Is there anything they do on a daily basis?”

“Let me think. Oh, I can tell you that my sisters love going into the city. They don’t go every day but they go as often as they can. They hate driving through the city so they take the bus or subway. That keeps them outside quite a bit during these freezing winter months. They are always buying beautiful coats so they don’t need anything like that.”

“What about a nice pair of gloves and a scarf? Are those some things they might need?”

“You know, I don’t think I’ve ever seen any of them wearing gloves or a scarf.”

Sarabelle nodded and led me away from the jewelry counter and over to the area that held the winter clothing. Never in my life would I have thought about buying them gloves or scarves but they made sense. They would be practical gifts that would get plenty of use.

It would also show that I had been paying attention to them all these years. Sarabelle pulled out a few different pairs of gloves but none of them really fit my sisters styles. I thought she would become frustrated but she was very patient and kept looking.

She must have gone through thirty pairs before coming across a pair of black Diane von Furstenberg gloves that were perfect for my oldest sister. After a little more searching, she also found a purple pair of the same style for my youngest. I realized that she and Sarabelle were about the same size.

“Would you mind trying on the purple glove so I can get an idea of what it might look like on my sister?”

“Sure,” she replied as she took one of the gloves and slid it onto her hand before doing the same with the other glove. I have to admit, the gloves were stylish and looked like something that both of my sisters would wear. I’d still have to find something for my mother but this was an excellent start. “So what do you think?” she asked.

“I think my sister will love them,” I said as I took her hand, still inside the glove, and brought it up to my mouth, kissing it lightly. Sarabelle blushed and looked away from me in embarrassment. “I want you to know that I appreciate your help today. I’d love to thank you by taking you out to dinner tonight. What do you say?”