Behind the façade - MV

10

All the guys are back in Monaco, but I haven't seen them due to my back-and-forth shooting schedule. Today, I made sure to clear my schedule because it's Max's birthday, and Lando is determined to make it unforgettable. He rented a club and invited everyone he knows, including some of Max's friends.

Max and I have become quite close in the past few weeks, with frequent calls and texts.

When I woke up today , I immediately FaceTimed him, singing "Happy Birthday" and asking about his plans. He mentioned going out with Lando and some friends for dinner, little did he know the surprise awaiting him.

After a brief chat, we hung up, and I prepared for the evening. I got Max a gift—a gold bracelet with "maxy" engraved, and my initials, M.A., on the back. It might be cliché, but I thought it was a cute touch. Flowers were also part of the surprise.

As the clock hits 9 PM, I'm almost ready to head out. There's a knock on my door—it's Kika. I open the door, and her excitement is palpable. "Hey, girl," she says, and I reciprocate the greeting.

We retreat to my room, where Kika showers me with compliments, hyping me up for the night. Blushing, I thank her, and after 20 minutes, we leave the house to catch our Uber. The anticipation grows as we make our way to the celebration.

As I arrive at the venue with Kika, there's a sense of anticipation in the air. Pierre, Charles, and Alex are the first to greet us, breaking the initial awkwardness with warm smiles and friendly gestures. Lily and Alex A join the group, seamlessly blending into the lively atmosphere.

Pierre, with his charismatic charm, welcomes us both, Alex, always easygoing, offers a friendly nod, contributing to the growing sense of camaraderie.

Inside the venue, the pulsating music and vibrant lights set the stage for an epic celebration. Lando, the orchestrator of Max's surprise, can't contain his excitement upon seeing us. He greets us with infectious energy, pulling us into the heart of the festivities.

With Kika hyping up the moment and the initial awkwardness fading away, I can fully embrace the joyous occasion.

There's a certain someone I'm looking for—Max. After a few minutes of greeting everyone, I finally spot him. "Maxyy!" I exclaim with excitement. He looks at me with a wide smile and says, "Myra, hi." I basically throw myself at him, giving him a hug. "Happy birthday, big 26 now," I laugh. He pulls away, looks at me, and replies, "Thank you so much."

Wondering if I should give him the gift now before I get drunk and lose it, I say, "I got you a gift." Smiling and a bit choked up, he says, "You didn't have to." I insist, "But I wanted to. Here." He looks at the big bag, and I say, "Come on, open it." Laughing, he says, "So impatient." I just laugh in response.

He opens the bag, and first, there are flowers—fake flowers, each petal adorned with a picture of him. He looks at it and bursts into laughter. "You like it?" I say, smiling. Still laughing, he replies, "Love it."  I push the bag against him again "Come on, there's one more thing in there." He reaches for the box inside, almost immediately opens it, takes the bracelet in his hand, and looks at it. "Thank you so much, Myra, this is so cute." I smile and say, "Look at the back." He turns it around and says, "Your initials, huh?" I smile at him and say, "Yup, now you're never gonna forget who this is from, even when you're old." Laughing, he says, "This is actually crazy because I got you something."

Confused, I say, "What do you mean?" He says, "You know, for your birthday." I protest, "Max, this is your day, my birthday was like a week ago." He insists, "I know, but I never got to give you your gift." Smiling at him, I say, "Well, you can give it to me another day; today is all about you." Not listening to me, he pulls out a box from his back pocket and hands it to me. "Open it," he says. Knowing he won't listen, I open it, and oh my God.

It's almost the same bracelet with "Myra" engraved at the top. I look at him in shock. "Turn it around," he instructs. I do as told, and what the actual frick—his initials on the back, M.V. I look at him and smile, saying, "How is this even possible?" He looks at me and shrugs, "Great minds think alike." I smile and hug him again. "Thank you so much, Maxy," I say. He pulls me in closer and says, "Thank you, Myra."

After what felt like an eternity, we break up from the hug, and I say, "Well, now let's have fun, birthday boy." He laughs and nods.

Returning to where everyone is gathered, Kika is chatting with Alex at their booth. As I move towards them, my progress is halted by Pierre's hand on my waist. Turning around, I'm met by Pierre. "Hi, Pierre," I say, and a grin appears on his face. We continue talking, and in the span of 20 minutes, I've already downed 2 drinks and 2 shots.

Spotting Max at the bar looking fresh and stylish, I decide to excuse myself. I make my way towards Max and, for some inexplicable reason, wrap my arms around his torso. He turns around, smiling at me. "Max, how are you liking your night?" I inquire. "I'm having quite fun if I'm gonna be honest," he replies, and I smile, feeling a strange warmth. "Let's dance," I suggest, taking his hand.

We join Alex A, Lily, Max F, George, and other unfamiliar faces on the dance floor. An urge prompts me to place his free hand on my hip, and as I move, he instinctively follows, as if he understands without words. We dance, feeling liberated, and after a few minutes, he puts his drink down, and I turn around now face to face.

Max places both hands on my hips, and our faces are inches apart. The atmosphere heats up, and I find myself enjoying the closeness. We dance for what feels like hours, and Max stays glued to my side, except for the birthday cake celebration.

After what seems like an eternity, we sit down at a random table. Max is devouring his cake, and he notices I didn't take a slice. "Why didn't you take a slice?" he asks, and I just shrug, saying, "I'm not a cake person." Choked, he insists, "Nonsense, here, take a bite,"shoving the spoon to my face. I laugh and take a bite, it doesn't taste great. "Mmh, that's nice," I say, and he smiles in agreement. Feeling tired, I rest my head on his shoulder. He looks down at me, and I look up at him. "You're so pretty," he blurts out. Smiling and blushing, I reply, "Thank you, you too." He laughs, leans down, and kisses my forehead. I close my eyes, savoring the moment. .I want more.

The night is filled with laughter, celebration, and the shared warmth between Max and I. The stage is set for Max's unforgettable birthday celebration in Monaco.

—
I thought I posted this yesterday, but I didn't. So now we are getting somewhere with the double M's :)