"They're good, but they lose some of their appeal if I'm not mooching them off you," John said, taking a sip. The tea was fragrant and wonderful. He glanced up and saw her blushing.
"This morning I was out running some errands. I stopped by Uwajimaya," he said, naming a store known for its Asian imported food, "and by Barnes and Noble's." He set his cup on the tray and reached down to pick up the bag at his feet. It was pretty, with peonies and roses, the top with fluffy pink crepe paper.
He'd gotten her a wide variety of Japanese candies from Uwajimaya, because he'd often teased her about her sweet tooth, and he'd gotten her a book about medieval clothing and their construction--he'd flipped through it and the pictures were gorgeous. He thought she'd like it, as he remembered she liked medieval history. Maybe with being off work, she'd have a chance to read it.
"My mother told me to never show up at someone's house without a gift," he said. "She's tiny, like your mother, but can still smack the back of my head if she thinks I need it. I'd rather avoid that, because somehow she'd know if I came here without something. Freaky mom psychic powers."