Chapter 11

“I could sex you up on some cyber shit for realz.” I offered a weak smile, well aware of the fail.

Ah, shortcomings. Some come up short, while others quickly cum.

Ardor shifted away from me, eyeing me suspiciously. “Uhm...that is quite alright... maybe I should... go?”

I covered my face with my hand and spoke, “Not exactly what I meant to say. Look, I think I'll just go. I'll call you or something.”

“Okay, then I guess I'll see you later,” she spoke, giving me a quick kiss on the cheek before we parted ways.

The next morning I woke up to chaos. Choking on ice water, I thrashed about my bed in a sort of panic as my sheets were wetted and a chill drove down my spine. Suddenly, I felt a hand sharply imprint itself on my behind and a voice shout, “Happy birthday!”

“Are you fucking kidding me?” I said, wanting to slap the moron who thought little brothers should ever exist.

“Nope. Wake up. Unc’s making you a cake and you’re having a party.”

He acted like it was such a devious plan. Imagine, a birthday party…on my birthday.

“Did you invite your girlfriend over?” He asked, handing me a towel. Stupid sour patch kid brother.

I hadn’t. In fact, it never crossed my mind. Girlfriends should be invited to birthday parties, yeah? Seemed so. “Not really…”

“Dude, don’t fuck this up. Hot girl into you. Not something that’s ever gonna happen to you again.”

I rolled my eyes, and went to out into the living room, leaving Eric behind. Dressed in a Hawaiian tee and some shorts, my uncle had slung himself over the couch with a beer in hand. I went to the phone and retrieved Ardor’s number and called her up.

“Hello?” She answered.

“Hey, what are your plans for the day?” I blurted out.

“Well...some cleaning and stuff, that is about it...” She trailed off, continuing with, “Why?”

“Wanna come to my birthday party instead?” Nervous laughter.

“IT'S YOUR BIRTHDAY?! WHY THE HELL DIDN'T YOU TELL ME BEFORE? Give me an hour I'll be at your house, I gotta make a stop on the way.” Click. Dial tone. Success.

I returned the phone to its place and looked up to notice a frumpy looking redhead across the kitchen table, nursing a coffee mug and likely a hangover. “Hi champ. Heard it’s your birthday.”

I had met this one before. I remembered her from the stench of cigarette smoke that wafted over from her, and her nasally, shattering voice. “Yeah, sure is.” I diverted the attention to my uncle, “How long has he been out for?”

“Oh, I’d say ‘bout half an hour. Poor thing is just worn out. I’ll be waking him shortly,” She said, winking.

Later that afternoon, the festivities began. Guest list including myself, my brother, my friend Jeremy, my uncle and his trophy girl of the week. At last, Ardor arrived, still a bit distant when she entered the house, greeting me with a smile, an awkward one-armed hug, and “Happy birthday”.

Semantics, semantics. Birthdays are always the same story. Pizza, cake, gifts, leave, etcetera, etcetera. I had expected nothing less.  I got something sort of different. After the gifts were unwrapped and guests left, I was alone with my brother. My uncle had left with his girl, leaving the two of us to fend for ourselves on cleanup duty. Which basically meant us equally avoiding the kitchen and living room areas.

I was sitting outside the door on the steps, cooling off when somebody approached. Her round face glowed with recognition as she greeted me with a smile. I waved.

“It’s nice to see you.” Her voice was soft, sincere. She wrapped her arms around my neck and held me closely. “I missed you.”

Certain situations, certain faces remind a person all too well, how some things never get the closure truly deserved. As I wrapped my arms around the waist of my sweet and former girlfriend, I realized that the wound was still open.

“Fiona.”

Saying her name, letting it sink to the floor and melt at our matching soles once more.

She released her hold on me, allowing her fingers to fall at her sides. “You look good. Older.”

I let out a small laugh. “Figures. So what have you been doing?”

She flicked a few strands of strawberry hair from her face and replied, “Working and school. Getting my nursing degree, actually.”

I nodded. It made sense. Fiona was stern, stoic and strong, with the gentlest soul. For a long time we had been very close friends turned into a relationship but it just never worked out and I shortly discovered her involved with a mutual friend of ours so we ended things. It left me unsettled and uprooted and I hadn’t been involved in a relationship ever since. Not until Ardor, that is. “I have a girlfriend now.”

There was a silence that fell about the room. “I see.”

She regained her closeness with me, and with her arms around my neck once more, she pressed her lips to mine. “Happy birthday, Gene.”

Chapter 12