I’d opened the door enough so that their voices could filter in, but not enough for them to catch me spying on them like a slightly bloated and short version of Natasha Romanoff.
I’d come running down to the living room a few minutes ago – hair still wet and dripping water down to my t-shirt – when I’d gotten theKnock-knocktext from Myles. But, as I’d made to open the door to usher him and the others inside, I’d heard him asking Taron to keep his mouth shut because he ‘didn’t want me to hear anything about it yet’. That bit had, of course, piquedmy curiosity, and I’d hence decided to investigate the scenario before announcing myself to the guys.
Avôwas at the shop, so I didn’t have to worry about him finding me leaned over the door, and most probably coming to the conclusion that I’ve finally ended up losing every last one of my marbles.
Small mercy, if you ask me.
“It looks really cool, man,” Greg told Myles. “She’s going to love it.”
“Yeah?” Myles shifted again, and this time, I could see a slim rectangular jewelry box in his hands.
“Yeah,” Greg said, and Paul nodded in agreement.
Myles scratched the back of his head and smiled sheepishly. “I’ve never really given anything like this to someone, so I’m a bit worried,” he admitted. “What if she’s not into this kinda stuff? I mean, I’ve never really seen her with one, so I guess getting this for her was a gamble of sorts.”
I needed to know what was in that box,stat.
“Worried that she’ll think you’re trying to keep her roped in by giving her expensive shit?” Taron quipped.
Paul laughed, Greg snorted, and Myles kicked Taron in the shin.
“Can you not be a dipshit?” Myles asked him.
Taron smirked. “I was genuinely happy about it until you all but ordered me to keep my voice down.”
“You’re a humanoid megaphone with grizzly bear similarities; of course I asked you to keep your damn voice down. I don’t want Rina to find out about this,” he waved the box in front of his face, “before I can surprise her with it.”
Okay, now Ireallywanted to know what was in that box.
A watch?
A pen?
A necklace?
No, wait…
A WAND?!
“You two belong in a damn circus,” Greg said to Myles and Taron, pulling me out of my dream fest. “Fucking clowns, both of you.”
“Screw you,” Myles said to him, and Taron flipped him off.
Myles then glanced at his watch, and my eyes landed on the box in his left hand. Whatever was inside of it was clearly for me, and because I was an impatient bitch, my brain automatically began coming up with ways to attain it.
Paul struck up a conversation about some potential client who wanted to signReyes Constructionsto design their new home in Anthon Avenue, and Myles immediately got swept into it.
I knew it was now or never, so I whipped open the door at lightning speed, ran down the stairs, and tapped Myles on the shoulder. When he turned around, I grabbed the box from his hand and practically leaped back into the house. My heart was pounding; my entire body was thrumming with adrenaline.
I heard Myles curse, and it was followed by laughter from Taron and the others, and the former’s hurried footsteps.
“Rina, stop!” he called out. “Stop!”
I grinned and looked back briefly, then shook my head before running further into the living room.
“I was going to surprise you with it, goddamn it!” Myles’s footsteps got closer. “Don’t steal my fucking thunder, Rina!”
I chuckled and swiveled in order to take a U turn of the room, then started running straight ahead.
