Buy Diane a gift in the antique shop.

Antique Shop

Diane is probably too angry to talk to you right now, but you do feel bad about eschewing her company last night. Perhaps a you might talk with her later and apologize, with a small token of your penitence in tow. The local antique shop-- just a stone's throw away-- is one place to start.

A bell hung over the door dingles as you step inside the little shop. The walls and the shelves indicate the age of the place. It's almost as if the owners decided that old antiques had to be sold in old antique buildings. In the very back of the store, an old antique of a woman waves hello.

"Hello there, hello!" she greets you enthusiastically. God, her white hair is all over the place. Unlike most women of her age, she has decided to keep most of her hair, although its evident that her scalp may not have agreed with that executive order.

"Hi there," you say, "how are you?"
"I'm very well, thank you. Can I help you find something?"
"Oh, I don't know... I'm just looking for something nice, I guess."
"Oh, is it for a girlfriend, hmm?" the old lady raises her eyebrows and gives you a sly smile.

You hem and haw your answer. She looks at you and understands. "I know what you mean. You young men are all alike, you don't know what you want or how to say what you want. Well just have a look around see if there's anything you like or anything your 'friend' might like and let me know if you have questions, okay?" She flashes a tender smile and sends you on your way.

The store is filled with boxes and boxes of trinkets, rings, and necklaces, some of them so hideous you're sure that Diane would slap you if you were to present any of these items to her. You spend about twenty minutes rooting through the garbage and are about ready to give up when something especially sparkly catches your eye, in the bottom of a wooden crate. What is it?

Pulling it up out of the depths by its gold lace, you marvel at one remarkable ruby. It shimmers and sparkles fantastically like a fine-cut diamond, yet it illicits a captivating pinkish/redish hue that you have never seen before. You turn it from side to side, observing it from every face of its acute angular shape. The gem is shining its luster upon you, even as you note your own pristine reflection within its glowing surfaces. This... this is the thing to buy for Diane.

"How much for this?" You present the astounding necklace to the shopkeeper. When she sees its glistening form lying in the palm of your hand she seems to jump. "Oh my..." she gasps. You couldn't expect any less of a response for such a captivating artifact.

But to your surprise, she tells you, "I'm afraid that it's not for sale." Why not?

"That is...um... a priceless heirloom of my family's. I'd thought that it was lost all these years but now I see that we've actually had it with us all this time. I'll thank you for returning it to us." She extends her open palm to you. You freeze, not sure what to do. Something about this gem calls to you. You MUST buy it. You must HAVE IT somehow. Perhaps she might take an offer? Or perhaps you need to do something a little more ILLEGAL to get what you want...