Inked Creations

CHAPTER ELEVEN: "Birthday Bash"

Agmos and I finish eating, and the waiter comes to clear away the plates. He refills my sparkling cider, and leaves the bottle on the table for us. Across the room, Kaylee stands, raising her glass to the room.

"I propose a toast, to Hawthorn." She says loudly. "30 has never looked so dang good."

"Thank, Kay." I smile as the occupants of the restaurant all toast to me. My face flushing red.

After everyone drinks Agmos waves his hand, and upbeat dance music starts playing overhead. "Everyone, please enjoy yourselves. Kaylee will be handling the cake cutting in about half an hour."

He holds out his hand to me. "Join me for a smoke?"

"Sure." I take his hand, and he leads me through the tables to the front door. Not one person notices us, as they are all enthralled by the fancy shmancy food that most of them can't typically afford.

I sit down on the sidewalk bench, pull my vape out of my purse, and take a puff. The warm Spring air is soothing. I notice a second cloud next to me, and find Agmos is...what the actual fuck...

"Are you fuckin' vaping?!" I nearly choke. Sure enough, he's got the same mod in his hand as I do, a Voopoo Drag. While mine is the mini, his appears to be the full sized mod. He takes another hit off the red and black mod.

"While smoking cigarettes won't kill me," He says smoothly "I overheard you tell Ink that you think kissing someone who smokes is like making out with an ashtray."

I feel the heat creeping into my cheeks again and clear my throat. "I mean, it really is." I shrug and take another puff.

Without missing a beat, he responds with that wicked grin of his. He playfully raises his eyebrows at me. "I don't particularly want you to taste an ashtray when you kiss me." 

This time, I choke on the vapor. I cough and clear my throat. My face beet red. My eyes go wide, and stare at Agmos. He stares back, head cocked to the side. His mouth a half smirk.

"And what makes you think I'll be kissing you, Agmos?" I drop smoothly before I can stop myself, my eyebrows raised and a smirk tugging my lips.

Agmos takes a step closer to me, our bodies mere inches apart. He leans his face down close to mine, making my heart race. The urge to grab him by the shirt and pull him down to close the distance is intoxicating, but I simply stand there like a statue. I swallow hard at his close proximity as he leans around to my left ear.

"Confidence." He whispers before standing back up. He takes my hand in his, and pulls me back towards the doors. "Let's get yah back inside before Kaylee has my ass for holding up the cake cutting."

As we walk back through the doors of Wagyu's, I find everyone gathered in the middle of the room around a truly magnificent cake. The creation is a beautiful work of art, four tiers tall. The icing is a pale orange. Black swirls and frosting roses scattered about. It's simply stunning. Sophie, whose side hustle is baking extravagant cakes, really out did herself. 

Agmos leads me over to the cake, moving his hand from mine to the small of my back. He positions me directly next to the cake, then steps back. Kaylee lights the big 30 candle on the top. I smile as everyone starts the traditionally obnoxious round of Happy Birthday. Kaylee and Ink shaking their booties like a couple of lunatics causes me to erupt into roaring laughter.

As the song finishes, Agmos lifts my short ass up so I can reach the candle. I close my eyes like I'm making a wish. Such a silly thing, to wish on a little flame, expecting anything to happen. But, it's tradition. Agmos, Kaylee, Sophie....they all worked so hard to put this together for me. The least I can do is humor them with a silly little wish. I blow out the flame and the room erupts in cheers.