Chapter 23

Darwin walked around the mall for almost an hour looking for something. From knick knacks shops to branded goods stores he entered. Trying so hard to find something that fits him to buy and make a gift.

What Darwin did this time was not without cause or reason. It all started with fun and an attitude of 'kepo squared' which in the end made him curious himself.

Two days ago, Darwin, who at that time had a meeting with a client at a Japanese restaurant, deliberately bought Velove sushi to eat as a lunch menu.

Somehow at first, after handing food to Velove directly in the woman's room, he could think of eavesdropping on the conversation between his wife and Deasy who was visiting the Khiel Group building.

Because the leaders' room is on a special floor and even at the end, you can be sure that not a single employee will be passing there. This makes Darwin free to do anything.

That's why, after giving the food, instead of going straight back, Darwin thought about eavesdropping. From behind the door, he could hear clearly how Velove was provoked and bombarded by Deasy's many questions.

From this chat he overheard, Darwin knew that Velove still had feelings for Nathan, his ex-boyfriend. From there he also finally found out that Velove would have a birthday in the near future. He even heard clearly that Deasy asked his wife to go out for dinner with him and Nathan too.

"You want to go to dinner with your ex with the help of your best friend? It's delicious! I won't let you cheat."

Knowing about Velove's birthday, Darwin couldn't deny that a feeling or desire suddenly appeared in his mind to give his wife a birthday present. He argued that the gift could be a memory he gave when he was still the husband of Velove. Because next year, he may not be able to give gifts. Especially when they are no longer together.

Because of this, for the past few days Darwin has always been thinking about what kind of gift he wants to give. Besides not really knowing Velove's personality, he also doesn't have any acquaintances or someone he can ask for help to extract information about what Velove likes or dislikes.

Ask Deasy? Nathan? It seems impossible. Where do you want to put his pride if he does that. After all, Darwin was too proud to ask the two important people in his wife's life.

As a result, today Darwin decided during lunch time to go to one of the big malls. Going around trying to find out for yourself what is good and appropriate to give to his wife.

However, it feels free. He also did not find anything that suits the heart. Until finally the last option appears. Darwin inevitably contacted his two cousins for help.

"Actually, what did you ask the two of us to come here for?" asked Samuel when she and Randy approached Darwin in a restaurant.

Previously, after attending a meeting, Darwin suddenly called. From his voice, the man looked like he was in a panic. He even requested that he and Randy follow immediately.

Worried that bad things will happen to Darwin, Samuel rushes to catch up. Arriving at the mall, he and Randy were directed to go to a restaurant and found that Darwin really looked like he was having a headache.

"Just watch out until it's not important. That's the deadline for work, I'm left because Samuel just forced me to come here," Randy complained in response to Samuel's previous words.

Darwin in his seat let out a long breath. Lifting his face, then looked alternately at the cousin. He was actually hesitant also tell what he was experiencing.

"Win? You're all right, right?" asked Samuel again. Seeing that Darwin never answered, he became worried too.

"Actually I'm fine, Ken," Darwin finally answered. "I'm just confused now."

Samuel's eyebrows knit together. He was increasingly wondering what actually happened to his cousin.

"Why are you confused? If you tell a story, just go straight to the point. Don't be half-hearted, Win."

"Yes, here. It's like an unstable ABG just breaking up with love. It's exaggerated," Randy teased, not caring.

Once again Darwin let out a long breath. Searching for the right words, he convinced himself to tell his two cousins. Darwin is sure that after Samuel and Randy find out what happened, he will definitely become the object of ridicule.

"I'm actually confused to find a present for Velove. It's his birthday tomorrow."

Laughter immediately fell from Randy's lips. Darwin's guess was right. His cousins must have laughed at what he was telling.

"So, your face is wrinkled, it's creased until it's many folds because you're dizzy thinking about what gift to buy for Velove?" asked Randy to make sure and was immediately answered with a nod by Darwin. "Oh my gosh, Darwin. That's so much. Don't tell me you're starting to like Velove. It's just about the birthday present that you think about it."

Darwin looked up. The man chuckled. Mana accepts being accused of this by Randy.

"Reckless! There's no correlation with liking. I'll tell you. Before this, I overheard Velove's conversation with his best friend, Deasy. They wanted to celebrate their birthday with dinner together."

"So, what's wrong about dinner?" inquired Randy. "What if he had dinner to celebrate his birthday with his best friend?"

"So listen to it until it's finished," Darwin protested angrily. Randy has a habit of always interrupting people's conversations even though she hasn't finished telling her story.

"Ok, sorry. Go ahead."

"So, Deasy gave advice to Velove to celebrate his birthday with dinner. Yes, I don't mind if the two of them want to have dinner, me time, go to the salon, go shopping together or whatever. The problem is, Deasy invites Nathan , Velove's ex. So, he sort of arranged a meeting so Velove could celebrate a birthday with his ex."

Randi nodded. Then soon laughed. After hearing Darwin's explanation, he got points from his cousin's anxiety.

"Are you jealous that Velove will have dinner with Nathan?"

"Don't be jealous!"

"So what?"

"Velove himself made an agreement not to have anything to do with exes. Why can't I meet Vicky, but instead he has dinner with a guy who is actually his ex-boyfriend. In fact, I also just found out that until this moment Velove still loves his name. That Nathan."

"Obviously different cases between you and Velove, Win," said Randy then. "Velove had dinner with his best friend too, which in the sense that it's not pure meeting together and doing nothing. It's so different from you, when you meet Vicky, it's normal to be alone together."

Samuel laughed. But he agreed with the long rambling that Randy had conveyed to Darwin just now.

"I like to be surprised at you two. Even though it's my cousin, but there is absolutely no pity or support for me in this matter," complained Darwin with a disgusted face.

"It's been said many times, Win. Me and Randy only support who is right," Samuel said diplomatically. "If in the future it is Velove who makes a mistake, we will not justify his actions."

Randi nodded in agreement. Exasperated, the man babbled back.

"Besides, what's so hard about admitting you're jealous. Just from your gestures and style, you're jealous, Win. You just have to be proud of yourself. Besides, it's not a sin to be jealous of your own wife."

Darwin sighed in annoyance. Too lazy to actually prolong this problem. What's more, Randy's mouth is very sharp when conveying arguments.

"Okay, let's stop talking about jealousy and the like. Let's go back to the initial topic of discussion. I called you guys here to help give advice, about what gift would be right for me to give to Velove."

Randy held back a laugh. Though, he was prepared to give a joke. But, since Samuel gave the code to hold back, she couldn't help but turn serious now.

"You don't know what Velove likes at all?"

Darwin immediately shook his head.

"Boro-boro, Ran. You think all this time I want to know what he likes or what he likes?"

"Then why do you think about giving gifts if you don't have basic knowledge about your wife? Pretend to be cool?"

"It's not like that. You know that the marriage between me and Velove was only six months. That means, next year I may not be able to give him a gift. So, as long as you are still married and as a wife, consider this gift as a keepsake. "

"Yes, if next year you want to give another gift, you can keep up the marriage. You weird cousin!" said Randy as usual.

"Okay, no need to spread it everywhere," complained Darwin once again. "Please, I really need your advice."

Randi nodded. The man rolled his eyes for a moment. Think about what kind of gifts are appropriate to give to Velove.

"Just give me a bucket of flowers, Win. To make it romantic. Usually girls like flowers. Randy has a lot of florist shop acquaintances who recommend her. Just ask her to buy them."

Samuel was heard giving advice. It makes sense too actually. But somehow, according to Darwin, it just doesn't fit.

"It's a shame, flowers. It's very ordinary. Later, after they wither, they will be thrown away immediately. Besides, I don't want to tell Randy to order either. Later, it won't be the flower bucket that she bought. But instead, the condolence flowers that she ordered. It's dangerous."

Samuel laughed. While Randy was getting ready to give a rebuttal.

"I'm not that bad, Win. But, instead of giving him gifts, why don't you just invite him to stay at a hotel?"

"Inviting Velove to stay at the hotel? Why, Ran."

"What are you using to ask again. Yes, to be invited to have fun. OK, it's better to just give a gift of making love. Never before, right?"

Darwin glared. It's never right to ask Randy for advice. There are always strange answers that men give. "You just think, if you give money or luxury things, it seems really normal. Besides, Velove is richer than you, Win. He doesn't need your money either. It's better what I said earlier. Invited to make love, surely he won't live his whole life I'll never forget. Who knows, after that I'll even be addicted."

"I agree." Samuel joined in on the stove.

Darwin let out a long sigh. It was useless to ask these two cousins to come. After all, after the lunch they ordered ran out, he didn't get a single gift idea or reference to give to his wife.

***

The birthday has arrived. Luckily, Darwin already had a present that he could give to Velove. It's just that, until this moment he has not found a way, how to prevent Velove from going out for dinner with Deasy and Nathan, tonight.

Darwin can't ban without reason. It was also impossible to suddenly say that he didn't like it when Velove went out especially with Nathan. His wife might call him jealous. Or even worse, he even suspected that he had eavesdropped on Velove's conversation the other day.

That's why, since morning he kept thinking. Trying to find a way or reason that makes sense for him to convey so that Velove doesn't go outside. However, it felt like Darwin's brain was stuck.

"You are very neat," said Darwin when he ran into Velove who had just left the room. From her appearance alone, she looks neat and elegant. Darwin couldn't help it, Velove was indeed dressed up beautifully tonight.

"Yeah, I'm going out for a while," said the woman then went back into the room.

Darwin simply nodded. Choose to go down to the first floor and then sit in the television room. For a moment, Darwin kept thinking, thinking to himself, should he now give Velove the gifts he had prepared?

"If I give you a present right now, what will you say? Surely Velove will ask how I know when it's his birthday. Meanwhile, Velove hasn't told me at all these days that he really has a birthday."

While muttering to himself, Darwin massaged his temples. Wrestling inside while thinking so much that he didn't realize that Velove had come down from the second floor and was now standing in front of him.

"Win, I'm allowed to go out first."

Darwin snapped out of his daydream. Looking up, he stared intently at Velove's face, who was so beautiful in a mocca-colored midi dress combined with matching colored heels.

"Where are you going?" asked Darwin feigning ignorance.

"Wanna go have dinner with Deasy."

Darwin nodded. Waiting for a moment whether Velove will tell the truth that he will also go to dinner with Nathan.

"Just the two of Deasy?"

Velvet nodded confidently.

"Yeah, just Deasy. We both want to go out for dinner."

"Are you sure? Not the same as the others too?"

Handsome Velove pulled up one eyebrow high. Seconds later the woman nodded repeatedly.

"Yeah, just with Deasy. What's wrong? Do you want to come?"

Darwin shook his head then answered.

"No. I'll just ask. Who knows you might go with the others too. Then just be careful on the street. Don't come home too late."

Velove nodded back, a moment later walked away. Leaving Darwin who was still sitting motionless on the sofa in the television room.

There was a real feeling of disappointment in Darwin's middle. He didn't expect that Velove was dishonest about plans to have dinner with Nathan as well.

Taking a deep breath, Darwin took his cell phone from his trouser pocket. Looking for someone's contact to then contact him immediately.

"Where are you? Can we meet in an hour? I want to invite you to have fun."

As soon as the phone call was cut off, Darwin rushed to the room. Change clothes and then go somewhere.