Heather calculated her chances. Did he have any poison darts handy? Could she reach front door before he opened a gun case? No, she decided. She'd have to tough it out.

“What on earth possessed you to buy this for me?” she blurted.

Ben hesitated but quickly recovered. “It doesn't have to be an engagement ring,” he backpedaled. “Just accept it as a birthday gift. You can always change your mind later.”

“But I can't accept something like this,” Heather explained. “I can't stand wearing jewelry.”

Ben was so caught up in his fantasy that he hadn't noticed blatantly obvious. On both counts.

Heather was relieved to discover that only shooting Ben intended that night was with his camera. But celebratory mood was over and she left shortly afterwards, minus ring. She didn't go out with Ben again.

Have you ever miscalculated with a gift? Perhaps not as blatantly as Ben did but there may have been times when you gave wrong thing to right person or right thing to wrong person. And then wondered why they didn't seem particularly grateful.

Gift giving involves thought and a certain amount of premeditation. If you don't know what to buy, ask. It doesn't have to be person himself (or herself); you can ask their father, mother, sister or best friend. Just make sure it's someone who knows them well and can tell you what they would like. And don't count on someone's response on a previous occasion. Many people won't tell you if they don't appreciate a gift in an effort to spare your feelings.

Putting thought into your gift selection is usually worth effort. And perhaps best thing about receiving a gift you love is feeling that other person knows you so well that they knew exactly what to choose.