“Hey, how ya doin’?” he asked, closing the refrigerator door.
“Pretty good. How are you? How was work?” I asked, dropping the bag with the mouthwash by the door.
“It was good. It was work,” he answered. He was still wearing his navy work outfit so he must’ve just gotten home. I took off my coat and hung it on a hook by the front door. He opened the freezer door and looked inside. “Did you eat yet?”
“No, not yet. I’ll make something for us,” I answered, stepping into the kitchen.
“I thought you went out for dinner with that girl from work,” he said, closing the freezer door.
I smiled in spite of myself, pushing the silver ball against the top of my mouth. “No, we did something else,” I answered broadly.
“Like what? Anything I should be worried about?” he asked with a grin. He knew he could joke about cheating because I’d never do it—and because I was with a girl.
“Nope, just got your birthday present,” I said.
Wesley’s face lit up and he approached me with an excited smile. “What is it?”
“I can’t tell you yet. Except if you try to kiss me,” I said. The numbness in my tongue and jaw were gone and the pain was negligent unless I swallowed hard.
“Well, then, come here.”
“No, you can’t,” I said, blocking his lips with my hands.
“What? I can’t kiss you?”
“No, ’cause it’ll hurt.”
Wesley looked at me with a confused expression and I smiled. “Why will it hurt?”
“Because,” I said, smiling shyly, “I got something for you.” I blushed, sticking my tongue out. Wesley stared with wide eyes at the metal stud poked through my tongue. I pulled my tongue back in and giggled.
“Show me again,” he said, stepping closer to me.
I stuck my tongue out again and quickly pulled it back in. My cheeks were red, and I couldn’t stop giggling playfully.
“You got that… for me?” Wesley asked, still with a look of confusion.
I widened my eyes at him. Could I actually be the more perverted one here? I smiled and bit my lip. “Think about it,” I said, looking in Wesley’s eyes and then dropping my gaze. “Just think about it lower.”
Wesley’s eyes rounded and a great smiled dawned on his face. “Are you serious?” I laughed at his elated outburst; this was the reaction I was expecting. “I can’t believe it!” I giggled again as I blocked Wesley’s lips. “What, I really can’t kiss you?”
“No, it’ll hurt. It takes about a week to heal, so that’s why I had to get it today,” I explained. Wesley gave me a mock pout and he looked so cute. “Well, maybe just a light kiss,” I conceded. Wesley’s lips touched mine gently and I closed my eyes. “Happy early birthday.”
IT WAS November 9, Wesley’s birthday, and I was on my way to Mom and Alycia’s. I had thought about taking the day off work, but Wesley insisted on going in, so I decided not to request the day off. If I couldn’t be with Wesley on his birthday, it was better to earn money.
I left work at four and got to Mom’s place around four thirty. She wanted to help celebrate Wesley’s birthday and bought all the ingredients for a delicious dinner that I was going to make. Alycia said she would take care of the cake.
I knocked and let myself in. Alycia greeted me at the door and Mom followed her. We said hello and hugged, then got down to business. Wesley got off work at five, and if he didn’t stop at home, he would arrive at around five fifteen.
Mom bought chicken, pasta, Parmesan cheese, tomato sauce, salad stuff, and a French baguette. I was making from scratch an Italian meal that I found on the internet and modified to Wesley’s tastes. I was excited about it because I had never made it and Wesley ordered something like it in a restaurant once and really enjoyed it. From the pantry I got the apron, which I suspected hadn’t been used since I left, and got to work.
Alycia was eager to show me the cake she and Mom made for Wesley. It was a two-layer yellow cake with chocolate frosting. In the middle, written in white icing, was “Happy Birthday Wesley!” It also had the sugar-pressed decorations sold in stores that come packaged against stiff cardboard. Mom apologized for the yellow flowers around the side of the cake and the larger pink and yellow bouquet on top, below the writing. It was kinda girly, but it strangely suited Wesley, as Alycia pointed out.
Wesley arrived twenty minutes after five, and we all jumped and shouted “Happy Birthday!” when he opened the door, even though it wasn’t a surprise party. He smiled indulgently, expecting nothing less from my family, and we paraded him in with smiles and shouts. Alycia and Mom got to him first and he hugged them, but smiled at me over their shoulders. He was still wearing his navy work clothes and I smiled with a naughty idea floating through my head.
“Man, what are you making? It smells so good in here!” Wesley said, after giving me a tight hug.
“Just wait and see. I hope you’re gonna like it,” I said, turning back to the kitchen. “It’s just about ready.”
Alycia set the table for four while Mom got drinks for us. Wesley went to the bathroom to wash up and then we sat down to eat. And it was a great meal, even with the risk of sounding arrogant. When Wesley went for his third helping, I knew it was a success. We took a long time eating, telling stories and making jokes. Then Alycia reminded us that we still had cake and ice cream to get to. Wesley smiled, blushed just a tinge, and I could tell he was really happy.
We decided to open gifts and allow our stomachs to settle before delving into cake and ice cream. Wesley and I sat on
