“Not many people. The four of us, my great aunt, two of Emma’s friends from college, one of my coworkers, and probably my mom.”
“Probably?” Grant questioned.
“She usually shows up for my birthday when I have a dinner,” I explained. “Last year, I went on a trip, so I didn’t see her. However, she never tells me if she’s coming or not; she shows up unannounced. I haven’t seen her in a while, so I’m assuming she’ll be there tonight.”
“Should we have a signal in case you need an escape plan?” Grant suggested.
“We should,” Emma said as she met us in the living room. Gio seemed captivated by her. We could tell by how his eyes widened when she entered the room.
“How about if you scratch your chin?” Grant suggested. The three of us all said, ‘deal’ at the same time.
“Shall we head out?” I stood up from the couch, and Grant and Gio followed suit.
When we arrived at Grant’s truck, Grant opened the back door for Emma and then the passenger door for me. I needed a little extra assistance getting in on account of my short dress.
“I have a song for you.” Grant scrolled on his phone before he found what he was looking for. “Birthday” by All Time Lowfiltered through the speakers, and I fell into an abrupt fit of laughter.
“This isn’t a birthday song,” I voiced between my laughter. “This song is definitely about sex.”
Grant side-eyed me. “The song is literally called Birthday, so you might just be wrong on this one.” He smiled and winked. He knew exactly what he was doing.
“Is this All Time Low?” Emma asked from the back seat.
I slightly turned in my seat to face her. “Yes!” I exclaimed. “Don’t you remember listening to them in middle and high school?”
“Only because you were obsessed,” she responded. “You know rock and metal have my heart.”
“Me too,” Grant said. “But Serenity and I have been listening to a lot of the music she liked growing up. I had to pick her a song for her birthday by one of her favorite bands.” He reached over and slightly squeezed my thigh before turning his attention back to the road.
I stared at him. I couldn't get over how handsome he was. All the expressions he gave me calmed yet excited me. His smirks when he made jokes, the slow wink when he made an innuendo, how his soft smile and timid eyes brightened when he gazed at me, and even his meditative expression when he had a panic attack at the fair. I knew I’d be okay with him by my side tonight.
We soon pulled into the restaurant parking lot and parked close to the entrance. Grant put the car in park and turned off the ignition before immediately jumping out of the truck to jog around to the side where Emma and I were seated. He opened both doors in one quick motion, reaching his hand out to help me exit.
“Can you go check us in?” I asked Emma. I needed a moment before I went in.
“Of course, chica.” Emma turned to Gio and gave him a nod to follow her. They ventured toward the restaurant, leaving Grant and me alone by his truck.
I turned toward Grant, and he extended both of his hands for me to take. He squeezed them tight and looked into my eyes. “No matter what happens in there with your family and friends, you’ll be ending the night with me, who cares about your happiness more than words can express. So, let’s take some deep breaths and go do this thing.” I released my hands from him and wrapped my arms around his waist. He hugged me back over my shoulders and pulled my body as close to his as he could.
I stood back a step and looked into his eyes while his arms were still around me. “You make everything a little bit easier, you know that?” I took a deep breath in.
He leaned down and kissed my forehead. “When I first met you, I remember thinking how your singsong voice could brighten up any room, and you had the whole look of innocence I now know was all for show based on some of the books you’ve read.” We both laughed. “I’ll never tire of you, my love; you possess everything good in a human.”
My heart filled with hope. “Can we ditch the dinner and go sit under the stars somewhere?” I borderline whined like a child.
“There’s no place I’d rather be than stargazing with you, but I also want to meet some more of your people.”
I ducked my head in defeat. “Okay, let’s go. We’re probably still the only people here, so I want to get seated before I’m stuck sitting next to one of Emma’s mean friends.”
Grant’s brow furrowed. “Are they not friends of yours?”
I grabbed Grant’s arm. “They were more of Emma’s friends in college. They always made it seem like I didn’t belong in their little group. They always tell me I’m ‘so sweet’ in the most condescending way. But any friend of Emma’s is a friend of mine since I don’t really have any others of my own.” I surprisedmyself with the admission, but Grant provided comfort during moments of distress.
He squeezed my hand a little tighter as we entered the dining room in the back of the restaurant where parties were hosted. “Now, you have me. I’ll be your bestie for the night.”
“How should we tell Emma that you’re trying to replace her?”
“Not replace,” he said, “add.” He brought my hand to his mouth, kissing it lightly.
