Best Birthday Ever

                                                                          MARK

She was wearing faded ragged jeans, a pair of brown boots, a leather jacket on top of a gray hanging shirt that slightly shows her flat stomach. 

She has a tattoo? I could see a mark at her left side, it looks tribal. 

Her hair as straight and black as the last time I saw it. She was holding her bike helmet on her right hand. And she was waving at me with her left. She was smiling at me. 

I missed that smile. I missed that face. I missed everything about her.

"Hey," I stood up and asked her to sit on the chair in front of me.

"Hey," she said as she put her helmet on the empty chair. She removed her jacket and placed it on top of her helmet.

"You look....good." I said.

"You, too." She smiled again. 

"What do you want?" I handed her the menu and signaled for the waiter.

"Uhmmm...." she was scanning the list and I was just staring at her. I can't take my eyes away from that beautiful face. "I'll take this," she pointed at the strawberry cake then looked at me, "would you want one, too?"

"Sure." My eyes were just locked at her face.

"Two of this then, and black coffee, please." She handed the menu to the waiter and gave him a smile.

I was still gazing at her.

"You know, some people pay just to see my face up close," she must've noticed my stare.

I didn't care.

"How much?" I rode along with her joke.

"Since I haven't seen you in weeks, I'll let you off." She giggled.

I missed that giggle, too.

"From what I see, you're doing just fine." She eyed me.

"Not until now." Did I just flirt with her?

I could see her cheeks turning red. 

"Anyway, I have something for you." I handed her a gift I rushed to buy while I was waiting for her. "It's nothing grand."

"What is this?"

"Happy Birthday, Kris." 

She smiled at me. She bit her lower lip and excitedly opened the gift. 

It was a bracelet. Just a simple silver charm bracelet with a small guitar charm dangling on one of the chains. Thankfully, there was a silver shop close by.

"Oh My God! I love it."

I helped her put it on her wrist.

"Thanks, Mark." She looked up at me. Are those tears forming in her eyes?

"It's the least I could give you. I actually didn't expect to see you today. So I just ran down the silver shop and bought it before you arrived."

"It's still perfect." She raised her wrist in front of her and examined the bracelet again. 

"Do you really like it?"

"Of course," she pinched my cheeks, "thank you so muuucccchhhh."

"Aaaahhh...ouch, that hurt," I touched my cheeks which are now red.

"I'm sorry," she rubbed my cheeks with both her hands. 

I don't know if it got any redder because I could feel myself blush.

The cake and the coffee came. And as expected...

Pfffttt...Hot.... She started cooling her tongue.

I missed that, too.

I laughed.

"What's so funny?"

"You," I said. I was leaning on the back of the chair with my arms crossed and watching her.

"Laugh all you want, Mark Tuan. My day will come." She said with conviction. But then, she started laughing, too. "I always do that? Don't I? I should start learning from my mistakes."

"That's ok. They're cute." I told her. They are, really. She might look tough at the outside with that biker style of hers, but she has a lot of cuteness inside.

"Stop staring at me, will you? I get conscious and I don't know how to put this cake in my mouth." She caught me staring at her again.

"Let me help you," I took the fork from her, sliced a big piece of the cake and put it in her mouth.

"Yah," she muffled. 

I laughed. She looked at me angrily. 

I leaned forward to wipe off the icing at the side of her lips. She moved her head back but I was still able to reach it. I could see her blushing as I gazed up at her eyes.

What am I doing?

"Mark, I swear I'm gonna get back at yah....ten fold." Her mouth was still full.

"You eat like a pig," I teased her. I leaned back at my chair and studied her. 

"Did you call me out here to insult me?" she said after she swallowed her cake.

I just smiled.

"Yah, say something," she put her fork up in front of my face.

"Stop playing with your fork, birthday girl, and just keep on eating."

"Hmpffffhhh...." she rolled her eyes. "I'm going." 

She was about to grab her jacket but I stopped her. I held her hand, pulled it towards me. I held on to it with both hands. 

Mark, No.

"Stay," I said softly. 

Her face became serious. She looked alarmed. 

I realized what I was doing, so I pouted my lips and gave her puppy eyes. "Please, stay," I said in my cutest voice.

She laughed. "How can you be so rude and cute at the same time." 

I made an even cuter face. 

"Stop it, Mark. Ok, I'll stay. As long as you behave yourself."

I nodded and made another cute face.

She was laughing.

"I see you making cute faces on TV, but I didn't know it was this cute." She giggled.

"So, you watch me on TV?" Actually, I felt happy knowing that.

"Uh...yeah....sometimes." I caught you.

"I watch you, too, but it's better watching you up close." I leaned forward and stared at her. 

She pushed my face back with the palm of her hands. 

"You're making me regret coming here, Mark."

"Okay, sorry. I won't do it again." 

We talked for hours. I didn't even notice it was getting dark outside. 

Her phone buzzed and she answered it.

"Hello? Kuya?"

They must be looking for her. There's a party waiting for her.

"Ok, I'll be there in an hour." She grabbed her jacket and put it on.

"Are you leaving?" Please, don't leave.

"I'm sorry, but, the guys organized a party at my house and..." she looked sorry.

"I understand."

"Would you ....wanna....come?" She was hesitant.

I would love to. But, I know her friends wouldn't want me there.

"I'd love to, but I have to get going myself."

"I'll take you there. I have an extra helmet, you could use it." 

Should I? Why not?

"Sure, thanks."

We rode on her bike. The wind blew her scent towards me. 

I missed this smell.

She dropped me off in front of the apartment. 

"Thanks for the gift, Mark. I love it." She waved the bracelet up.

"Thanks for the fun time, Kris. I love it." 

She looked at me and I could see her smiling.

I watched her until the bike disappeared in sight. 

I ran to the nearest pizza store and grabbed three boxes of cheesy pizza.

I wanted to make it up to the boys for how I've been behaving lately.

"Anybody care for a pizza?" I shouted as soon as I entered the dorm.

"Wow, hyung." Yugyeom was the first to meet me. He took the boxes from me and called out for the others. 

"Somebody's in a good mood tonight," Junior looked at me suspiciously.

"Thanks, hyung."

Everybody ate the slices heartily. I watched them as they enjoyed each bite. 

"Guys, I wanna say sorry for how I've been acting lately. I know it's been hard for all of you." My heart felt a thousand tons lighter.

"That's ok, hyung. As long as you buy us pizza every night." Jackson joked.

"So, are you back to your old self now?" JB asked.

"I think so."

"I hope so," Junior added.

He was looking at me with a big grin on his face. He looked satisfied and happy. He gave me a thumbs up.

"Thank you for being so patient with me." I have a lot to be thankful for.

"Oh...huhuhu..." Jackson pretended to cry. "Are we getting emotional now?"

Everybody laughed.

My feelings just took a 180 degree turn from this morning. I even forgot all my troubles. How simple was that?

_______________________________________________________________________________

I was riding on my bike on my way home and I couldn't stop smiling. 

I recalled what just happened today at the cafe. He looked fine. He looked like he has recovered. 

It was nice seeing him again. I was glad I messaged him. 

I looked down at the charm bracelet he gave me and smiled again.

Did he just flirt with me?

I felt my face blush again recalling how he stared at me, how he touched my lips. 

Aaarrrr.....

I have the right to feel this way. Anyway, it's my birthday.

I can hear the noise of people gathered inside my house as I parked my motorcycle.

"How many people did they invite?" I asked myself. It sounded like hundreds were talking all at the same time.

I stood on the front door. Took a deep breath and braced myself for whatever is going on inside.

"Happy Birthday, Kris," everybody shouted in unison. 

I think they've invited everybody from the company. I see the whole band, Jun, Hongki, Juniel, some girls from AOA, Kwang-jin, even some staff from the office. 

Sarah came up to me and gave me a hug and a kiss on the cheek. 

"Happy birthday, my friend." 

"Thanks."

"So, what do you think?" Jun and Yonghwa came up beside me and put their arms around me in a group hug. 

"Happy birthday, baby girl."

"Thanks, kuya." I looked around. "But, you'll help me clean up afterwards, right?"

"Yonghwa, that's your job." Jun joked.

"No....it's yours." He pointed at Jun.

"Whatever you two."

There were tons of food and cases of drinks. It's gonna be a wild night.

"Kris?" Yonghwa sat beside me.

"Yes?"

"I invited a girl,...uh...."

"You invited her?" I was excited. "Where is she?"

"She's on her way."

"I can't wait to finally officially meet her." 

"Behave yourself, okay?" He gritted his teeth.

"I promise." I put my right hand over my heart.

"Hey, Kris," John was holding a glass of some sort of drinks and he was walking a little wobbly.

"John, be careful. You might hit the..." too late.

He bumped into another person and stumbled backwards hitting the lamp behind him.

Crash!!!

"Ugh...that must've hurt." I said.

"I'm okay, I'm okay." He staggered pulling himself up with the help of Hongki.

"Ugh....Kids this days." Hongki shook his head.

"Hi, Kuya Hongki," I went up to him and gave him a hug.

"So, our little girl is now a lady, ha?" He measured my height.

"Oh yeah," I nodded, "and grown taller, too." I stood up straighter beside him. 

"Sit down," he said, pushing me away.

I laughed. 

I looked through the crowd and found Sarah talking to a guy. I walked over to them.

"Sarah," I tapped her on the shoulder.

"Kris," she was blushing. 

No wonder. In front of her was none other than Minhyuk. 

"This is Minhyuk," obviously.

I bowed to him, "sunbae".

"Happy birthday," he raised his glass.

"Thanks, I'll just leave you two lovebirds alone." I made a face at Sarah and left them.

The doorbell sounded. Could it be her?

I ran towards the door but Yonghwa beat me to it.

He pushed me aside and opened it.

"Hey, Ailee, come in."

I poked my head from the side and smiled at her.

"Kris, right? Happy birthday." She handed me her gift.

"Thanks, come in. Don't mind the chaos." I stepped aside so she could step in.

I eyed them both as Yonghwa lead her to where the food is. He looked back and signaled me to behave. I stuck my tongue out at him.

They look so good together.

"What's that on your wrist?" Jun pulled up my hand and was looking at the bracelet. "Is this new?"

How observant can he be?

"Ah...yeah...a friend gave it to me....as a present." I quickly pulled my hand away.

"Friend? Do you have a friend I don't know of?" 

"Kuya, you have lots of friends I haven't even met."

I couldn't tell him about Mark. Not yet. He and Yonghwa would kill me.

He looked at me suspiciously. 

"What?" I tilted my head and made my eyes bigger.

"You, if you are hiding something from me,...I'd..."

"You'd what?" I challenged him.

"I'd....tell your Dad."

"What?" Is that all he's got?

I just laughed at him.

The party was fun. All the guests left after midnight, half drunk if not drunk.

I went to bed exhausted. I didn't even have the energy to wash up. 

Today was fun, all my friends came. They had fun, too. But the best thing that happened today happened before the party.