Coffee Shop

• 15 •

"You can't come?" Pouting, I slipped on my shoes as I finished getting dressed for Brian's party. My phone was leaning upright on my dresser. Jun's sad face was on the screen. When I looked at him, he frowned and shook his head. I frowned, too. "I thought this would be perfect for you guys to meet," I said to him.

I wasn't sure where my brother was. It was dark. I knew it was night, and there was a thunderstorm outside, but that storm was in my area, not his. On the video call, he looked like he was in a closet or something.

"I want to be there," Jun said, sighing. "It'd be cool to finally hang out with you without drama, you know."

Jun had a point. The last time we'd seen each other was the day he picked me up and drove me into the city. There wasn't much fun then. And it'd been raining, too... just darkness, clouds, and stress.

Thunder roared outside, and I told myself tonight would be different. It was Brian's birthday. It'd be a fun night.

I took in a deep breath. "Well, you'll have to come and visit soon then, okay?" I said to Jun, forcing a smile on my face.

Jun nodded. The look in his eyes was apologetic. "I will, sis," he said. "Text me tomorrow, let me know how tonight went."

"I will." Grabbing my phone, I also reached for my umbrella and purse. I took the slowest steps to the door. "Tell the missus I said hi."

Jun laughed and waved. "I will. Tell Brian I said hi."

"I will." I couldn't wave back, so I shook my head from side to side and laughed. "Bye, Jun."

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When I hung up the phone with my brother, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't riddled with disappointment. I wanted him to meet Brian; I wanted them to be friends. But I also knew there'd be plenty of time for that. It would happen before I knew it. So, I forced my way out of my apartment, called a taxi, and made sure I was on time for my boyfriend's party.

Rianne had done a fabulous job decorating the coffee shop. Red and black streamers went around some of the tables and hung from parts of the walls. Shawn had picked up last-minute balloons and scattered them around the front of the shop. Brian had a thing for the 90s and early 2000s music, so I took it upon myself to properly thumb up and down on his favorite bands until I had a nearly perfect radio station, and that's what I streamed from the speakers.

While the music played, we all chatted away with drinks and small sandwiches. Brian, dressed perfectly in a black button-up and dark jeans, introduced me to a few friends of his who could make it.

There was Wilma, Luis, and Joe, three of his old co-workers when he'd worked at a bar. A cousin of his, Kyle, came. And with a big birthday bag, too. He was tall, like Brian, but a bit wider and rougher. So, after Brian introduced me as his girlfriend, I almost screamed when he grabbed me in a really tight hug. He apologized right after.

"Hey." Shawn came up to me while I talked to Wilma and pulled me to the side. Excitedly, he rubbed his hands together. "Rianne's in the back. I think she's finished the cake."

I covered my mouth to hide my squeal. "The cupcake cake? With my recipe?"

He nodded, looking over his shoulder to make sure Brian couldn't hear. "Yeah, think so. Look—" Shawn turned me towards the back door and pushed me towards the counter. "—we'll keep him distracted out here. Just have Rianne shoot me a text when I should turn off the lights, and we'll surprise him."

"Good plan, good plan." I hurried past the counter and through the back door, just in time to see Rianne place the cupcakes in a neat circle around a tray. In the center was a small cake she picked up from a local bakery. On that, she placed twenty-one candles, and the ten cupcakes around it each had one.