The Birthday Present

2. Martin

Martin had arrived at the hotel 10 minutes earlier than he'd needed to be there and is making every effort to walk slowly to the hotel room he'd been given the key card to. He didn't want to seem too excited, didn't want to scare his date away.

All Martin knows about her is her name, Roxanne, the fact that she's his cousin Jam's best friend, she just turned 40, and looked amazing in her Facebook profile photo. Jam had called him with an unusual request over a week ago and despite his misgivings, had agreed because well, he hadn't gone on a date in ages and she looked interesting. The fact that Jam told him sex was definitely on the menu surprised but didn't faze him. We'll see, he thought. Let's not assume things. Despite this, he'd done the responsible thing and bought some condoms just in case.

At five minutes to 7 Martin thought he'd walked the corridor way too many times and pressed the door bell even though he had the card key in his hand.

He heard a muffled "Coming!" before the door was pulled open, revealing Roxanne. Her lips were parted slightly as she looked up at him, at first shyly, and then she seemed to draw hersef taller and regarded him with the shadow of a smile on her face.

"Hello. Martin?"

Martin gulped. The way she just said his name made his throat dry. Christ, man, you haven't even said hello.

"Hi, Roxanne. Happy to meet you at last." He handed her the bouquet of chocolate bars he had been holding. Jam had told him Roxanne was allergic to flowers but loved chocolates and when he saw the small kiosk in the mall that was selling the sweet bouquets he immediately ordered one for her.

She quirked one eyebrow at him and moved away from the door so he could come in.

"Thank you for this, these are my favorites! Please make yourself at home." Roxanne took a seat on the small sofa and gestured for Martin to join her.

"Glad you liked them. Jam told me you were allergic to flowers so..." he let the words trail off because he realized he'd much rather hear her voice.

"You really didn't have to, you know."

"Oh, but I wanted to, and it's your birthday!"

Roxanne laughed, and Martin thought she looked even more beautiful when her eyes were sparkling like that.

"I already have more than enough presents for my birthday—this fancy room, the food, you." Her voice dropped slightly at the last word and Martin's breath hitched in his throat.

He let out a nervous laugh. "Yeah. Me." He looked her in the eyes, "Yours to unwrap. Or not. Up to you." Martin tried to read the expression on her face and was disappointed that he didn't know her well enough to do so.

She drew in breath and nodded slowly. "We'll see," she said just as the door bell pinged. "Food's here!" She started to rise from the sofa but Martin held up his hand and stood up to make for the door.

"Please, allow me."

Roxanne nodded again and watched as the waiter brought in their dinner. With each dish the waiter uncovered, her eyes grew larger and she tried to keep her laughter in. She looked up at Martin, and met his eyes. He had been watching her, a smile growing on his face. She gave in.

They were still laughing when the waiter left, leaving behind a table filled to the brim with traditional children's birthday party fare—hotdogs skewered with marshmallows at the end arranged on a whole pineapple, Filipino spaghetti complete with even more hotdogs and plenty of grated cheese, fried chicken, a perfectly shaped and smooth oblong leche flan, and even some pork lumpia arranged on a bed of lettuce. In the middle was a small chocolate cake, the number 40 on top of it.0

"Your friends did this?" Martin asked as he pulled out a chair for Roxanne.

"Yeah. They know me so well. Growing up, I never had this kind of food for my birthday."

Martin took his seat across from her. "No?"

"We own a restaurant. All my birthdays until I was 13 were held there. We served tapas and paella and callos—all my favorite dishes in the menu."

"That sounds very sophisticated for a child's birthday party?" he said, laughing. "Delicious, but very fancy."

"I know, right? I loved going to my friends' parties because they'd have these types of food! But I loved my parties too, of course. I have been drinking sangria mocktails since I was six."

Martin chuckled and reached into his pocket for a lighter to light the candle on her cake. "Make a wish before we eat?"

Roxanne's eyes sparkled in the candlelight as she looked back at him, a wide smile on her lovely face. "Part of it's already come true, I think." She then closed her eyes briefly, opened them and blew out her candle. "Let's eat! I'm starving." 

Martin couldn't take his eyes off her. He was starving too, but not for dinner.