Deceit

12 - Birthday

Yamaris:

After my lunch date with Harlem I was on cloud nine. Being wanted was an amazing feeling and even more so when it was illicit. Our relationship staying a secret relied heavily on Harlem since I was already keeping the biggest secret of my life from everyone. Figuring out how to balance two men was still a mystery to me but I was going to get it together soon, just not tonight.

Logan texted me to pick up a birthday cake on my way home because it wanted it to be a surprise. The date was September 9th, and Biyanca was now 23. With all of the stress she'd been going through, tonight was going to lift her spirits and get her back to being the fun Biyanca she was when I met her last week. Yesterday really threw me for a loop and I was hopeful that she'd work everything out with the right support. If picking up her cake and having some much needed fun was going to help then I was all in.

There was a cute bakery named Sprinkles close to my job that always had really good desserts and they were vegan. Thankfully they had some pre-made cakes that just needed to be decorated and I picked out a chocolate cake with peanut butter whipped frosting. Knowing that it was a healthier option would take away dieting concerns she had too.

I pulled up to the house and texted Harlem help me with the cake and bags. Logan was going to keep Bee upstairs while we decorated the rest of the house for her surprise party. I went above and beyond with decorations and got silver and purple balloons for her, along with party hats and a little card to show her how much I cared.

Harlem helped me place the balloons at the foot of the stairwell and in the hallway leading to the kitchen area where we set up her cake. Rich and Julio laid out all of the silver plates and began to bring food into the dining room. Everything was pulled together quickly to give me a little time to shower and wash the feeling of work away.

Normally, I didn't stress about work but my body was a little tense tonight. I'd been given a take home assignment to draft a digital advertisement for the slew of children's books set to be published early next year. There had been times when I'd helped others in the office during the creative process but never had to create my own ad. After all, I was just an assistant.

This type of assignment was usually given to those who'd shown interest in climbing the ladder while I on the other hand just wanted to work until my own business was set up. Being an employee of Fox Publishing, Inc. was always a stepping stone for me. I didn't want to become too invested in someone else's dream that I'd lose my own. Regardless of my own unsettledness, I would need to create something that was eye catching and would make my mark on the company.

The hot water felt good on my tight muscles as I stepped into my shower and let the day's stress leave me. I lived for this moment, to relax after a long day. Even though my job wasn't was physically laborious, it was mentally exhausting. My work would pay off as soon as I took my licensing exam and could step into my own plan.

My eyes rolled into the back of my head as I leaned back to wash my product heavy hair. Sometimes it felt like he weight of my thick locks were the cause of my troubles but I was too chicken to cut it all off. What will people think of such a big change? Will my forehead be too big? I liked to think I was a pretty confident woman but we all felt insecure at times. It was natural to want others to think highly of you, just as you do yourself. My insecurities were the exact reason I didn't want to do the advertisement in the first place.