"Happy birthday, Rissa! Let's do a pink cheers!" Candice declares as she holds up her beautiful drink, a frothy margarita perfectly accented with a strawberry heart along the rim.

Derek made two big pitchers of drinks. One is strawberry margaritas, and the other is a Valentine's Day twist on his famous lemon drop martini by making it lemon-raspberry so it's also pink. The sugary rim of the martini glasses are decorated with pink sprinkles and a lemon twist on the side. I grabbed a martini of course, and am hoping a little alcohol will ease my nerves.

I should feel confident. My outfit is incredible.  I am wearing a pink corset top with black lace detail that is doing literal miracles for my modest cleavage. With it, I have a short black glittery skirt that twirls around when I move. We paired the dress with shiny pink heels Mel gave me for my birthday. My hair is down and shiny and straight, and my makeup is soft and natural since the dress is so much. 

My friends have spoiled me today. Derek gifted me the outfit and did my hair and makeup. Candice was so sweet to set the house up for us. It's decked out with pink hearts, balloons, and glittery little disco balls hanging from the ceiling. She picked up a bunch of apps from our favorite place in the city, The Red Rabbit, and it all smells amazing. I also spied a cheesecake in the fridge earlier, and I am beyond excited about that.

Conner isn't here yet. I lost contact with him earlier this morning. He was at the airport then and his phone was about to die. It's not like him to forget to charge it before bed. I'm hoping everything is okay.

"Rissa, are you okay? You look so nervous. I've never seen you like this," Candice comments with a worried gaze in my direction.

"Let's not talk about me. I can't get all in my head again," I say, then glance at Mel. "What's up with you? Are you still not dating?"

She tries to hide a smile. "Well..."

"I knew you wouldn't make it the year! Tell me about her," I demand.

"I don't know what's happening. We've been having lunch every day and seem to be clicking, but it's a coworker..."

"So? Tons of workplace romances take off; look at Byron and Candice." I twirl my drink around. Have I mentioned how much I love holding martini glasses up like I'm all fancy?

"And if I remember correctly, you were the one who told me to give Byron a chance," Candice reminds Mel.

"I'm just hesitant to take it further. What if it all goes wrong, and then we work together?"

"What if it all goes right?" Candice asks. "You won't know unless you try."

"She's right," I say to Mel after sipping my drink. "Would you rather deal with some hurt and awkward moments at work or always wonder what if?"

"Good question, Rissa," Derek says, then gives me a pointed look. "For both of you."

I don't argue with that, but it's different for Conner and me. He's not ready to date anyone, either. I won't lose my chance if I don't speak up tonight. I just want him here. I wish he'd hurry. I'm starting to worry he won't even make it. I couldn't handle him not being here for my special day.

When the door opens, and I hear Connor's voice, I'm so relieved that I get up and lunge myself at him.

"Whoa! Uh, Hi, birthday girl." He steadies me as we part, and I nearly trip. "Damn.." he mutters as his eyes scan my outfit, and suddenly little goosebumps are dancing all over my skin. Too bad he pulls his gaze away so fast that I question if I even saw it.

"Happy birthday, Rissa!" I blush furiously when I see that his parents are right behind him. But I don't have time for embarrassment as Nancy pulls me into a warm hug.

"I didn't expect you two to come. Thank you!" I glance over to see Bob plugging in a crock pot. "You didn't have to bring anything."

"You'll thank me later. It's a nice and hearty soup to soak up all the alcohol when you're ready for bed," Nancy says with a sweet smile. "And don't worry, we aren't staying. We brought Conner in from the airport. We'll be leaving in a few."

"You don't have to leave! Stay. I'll pour you some drinks," Derek offers.

"Nah, we're too old to keep up with you all," Bob says. "Besides, Saturday night is our binge-watching night."

"We're going to check out that Suits show that you and Conner like so much," Nancy says.

"You're going to love it!" I gush. "Send me your thoughts as soon as you're done."

"I will," she promises. "But we do have to get going. You kids have fun."

"Thank you, Nancy." I give her and Bob another hug, and then they head out.

"I'll take a drink," Conner says to Derek after they leave. "You must be Derek?"

"The one and only. Good to finally meet you, Conner. You're pretty famous at the bar." Derek says with a grin, ignoring my glare at him. "You want a margarita or a martini?"

"Are they both pink?" Conner asks as he wrinkles his nose up.

"Yes, and that makes them taste better. Don't be rude to my pink theme!" I fake-scold Conner, hoping the drinks are so pretty that he misses the context of what Derek said. 

 "Have a martini. Isn't it beautiful?" I hold mine up to show him, letting the light catch it just right. 

"Yeah, it is..." His eyes fall on the glass for a moment and then drift towards me, and now I know he's checking me out.

Conner takes a sip of his drink and makes a surprised face that he likes it. "Not bad."

"How was New York?" I ask and then tilt my head curiously. 

"It went really well, actually. I thought I'd have to fight for my changes, but they liked them."

"Are you going to tell me about them?" I ask as I raise an eyebrow.

"Not yet," he says with a slight smirk.

"Why not?" I whine.

"I'm not ready to show anyone. I hate that I have to give it to them. Just be patient, Riss."

"Not one of my strong suits," I say, and he lets out a short laugh.

"You're more patient than then my team is. They want my next few chapters like yesterday. I probably missed a ton of calls today. The plane was delayed forever." He fishes his phone out of his pocket and plugs it into the charger we keep on the island.

"I can't believe you forgot to plug your phone in," I comment.

"I know. I got caught up at the hotel bar last night and was so wiped when I got to my room. I didn't even think of it."

"You were up at the bar drinking?" I asked, but he said they liked the changes, so why?

"I ran into someone ... and we talked."

"What? Who?" A prickly feeling starts coming over me even before he says it.

"Serena."

"You talked to Semeana?" I gasp as I clasp a hand over my heart. "At the hotel bar?"

"She happened to be staying there, too, and we had a conversation. It was a good talk." He shifts his gaze towards my friends, who are pretending not to sit and listen in on all this. "I'll tell you more about it tomorrow. Tonight is your night."

"Okay." 

"Let's move into the living room. We brought games!" Derek chirps, leading the way.

"Be right there," I stand to refill my drink. As I watch them all leave, a frown etches itself into my face.

Went well? What does that even mean? 

He is over her, he told you he's over her, I tell myself... but suddenly all that 'time' I had seems to be slipping away. 

Nerves or not, I have to make my move tonight.

***

"The parent trap!" Byron yells, and Candice cheers.

"How did you even get that?" Mel asks with a puzzled expression. "It looks like the creepy twins from The Shining."

"We just watched it," Byron confesses.

Mel and I both giggle at that.

"For Hailey!" He adds.

"Sure," I tease and then pop up. "Our turn, ready Conner?"

"Ready." He nods with an oh-too-serious expression that is so cute on him. He kicked all our butts at trivial pursuit, which was no surprise to anyone.

We've since moved on to Pictionary. It's Conner and me, Byron and Candice, Mel, and Derek as teams. We're not doing as well at this game but now that I'm up to draw, I'm hoping to turn it around.

I draw Cinderella and grin. "Oh, we got this one."

I start by drawing the one glass slipper and then point to it.

"Shoe.... What movie has the word shoe on it?" Conner mumbles. "Oh, isn't there a... Christmas movie... The Shoes for Christmas or something like that?"

"No, the shoe isn't in the title," I say, and Derek makes a tsk noise.

"What?" I turn to glare at him.

"That's cheating. You can't talk about what the clues mean," Mel says.

"Okay, okay," I grumble. I look at the blank page for a long moment and then start drawing the carriage as best as I can anyway.

"What's that supposed to be? A car?" Conner asks. "A shoe and a car... The fast and the furious!"

"What?" I giggle at the guess. "Not even close."

I draw a pumpkin next and the magic wand with a line towards the carriage. "See...?"

"Now I'm even more confused," Conner says. "Is that a fishing pole next to a watermelon?"

Derek starts laughing, and I make a face at him.

"Does this help?" I ask as I draw a mouse and circle it.

"What's that supposed to be a rodent? What in the?... Is it ratatouille?"

"No, but close," I say.

"That's not close," Derek says, to which Mel shushes him.

 "Candice and Byron might not know it," she whispers. 

I do my best to draw Cinderella in the gown, but it looks like a stick figure with a triangle where the legs would go.

"Times up." Candice declares.

"Cinderella!" Derek yells out.

"Yup," I flip the card over.

"I had a feeling that was it," Byron says.

"What? How?" Conner asks as he looks at the poster board.

"How did you not get it?" I question instead. "See, here is the glass slipper that fell off, and here is the carriage."

"It looked like a car," Conner defends. "The fishing pole threw me off, though."

"That was a magic wand!" I say and then make a motion. "Bippity boppity boo!"

"Now I want to see a fast-and-furious version of Cinderella," Byron chuckles.

"Yes!" Derek laughs. 

"Whose Cinderella in this remake, Vin Diesel?" Mel asks.

"He can't be Cinderella. He's bald," I argue.

"That would bring the watermelon you drew into the picture," Conner points out.

"A pumpkin!" I make a face at him and then plop back down next to him. "Pictionary sucks. Let's play something else."

"Only because you're losing," Derek says.

"I'm the birthday girl. I get to choose." They can't argue with that.

"Alright, Riss, what are we playing?" Conner asks.

"Be right back, my drinks dry," Derek says, and Mel gets up to join him. 

"Never have I ever," I declare, earning a groan from Byron. 

"What's wrong?" I ask Byron.

"Not that fun of a game for the sober driver," he says with a slight shrug. "Don't worry about it, though. You all have fun."

"I'm not sure we can stay much longer, actually," Candice says with a glance at the clock. "It's getting late."

"Can you all drop Mel and me off in the city when you leave?" Derek asks as he and Mel walk back in with fresh drinks and one for me, which I greedily grab from him.

"Sure," Candice agrees.

"Are you two leaving, too? I bought a few air mattresses if you want to stay over," I say, glancing from Derek to Mel.

"Mel's soon-to-be is at Lush. She just posted a pic with some friends, so we're going to ... stop in." Derek explains with a little smirk at Mel.

They are bonding fast and I'm happy to see it. Mel can be far too serious at times. Derek will be good for her.

"She's not my soon-to-be," Mel mutters, but she's blushing hard. "I don't think I should bring you with me, Derek. I don't trust you."

"You have to! Lush is my legit favorite club, and I never get Saturday nights off," he whines. "I swear I won't say anything to her."

"You better not," Mel warns him.

"I can be good—look at tonight," he says, and then winces at the dark look I give him for that comment.

The room goes momentarily silent, and I wish the floor would swallow me up. 

"Rissa, if you want to go with them, you can. I can stay and chill here." Conner offers, filling the silence and calming me down. He must not have picked up on what Derek meant by that, thankfully.

But time is slipping by so fast, and I haven't even flirted with him yet. I bet they planned this, the rascals, maybe it'll be easier when everyone is gone...

"No I like it here I don't want to leave," I say. 

"Maybe...we shouldn't leave either. It's her birthday," Mel says even as Candice and Byron start to rise and Derek gulps down his drink in a hurry.

"You all have been with me all day," I say as I stand and lead them all into the kitchen "Go! Get your club on, and tell me all the tea tomorrow morning."

"You sure?" Mel asks.

"I promise," I assure her with a soft smile that she returns. We've been closer than ever since we had that talk at the bar. It was long overdue and made me realize I need to speak up more. 

After everyone finishes their drinks and goodbyes, the door closes, and it's so quiet you could hear a pin drop. I turn to look at Conner, who is refilling his martini glass.

"I guess we can't play, never have I ever then." 

"Why not? Two can play, right?"

"It's supposed to be a party game." I shrug.

"So let's give it a twist then," Conner says, motioning for me to follow him back into the living room.

I glance curiously at his back as I follow closely behind him. "Twist it how?"

"Instead of never have I never, it'll just be I've never. We'll take turns, and one of us will say something like, "I've never dated two people at once," then you'd have to guess if that's true or a lie. If you're right, I drink. If you're wrong, you drink."

"Okay..." I say slowly as I grow excited over the idea, then widen my eyes. "Wait, was that the first guess? That's true, I hope!"

He takes a big gulp from his glass as he winks. "Of course it's true, that was the example."

"Still counts," I giggle. "Let's go play!"

We each plop down on either end of the couch but angle our bodies toward each other. It is probably the alcohol, but the nerves I was feeling earlier are fading away as I sink into the moment.

"I have never been on two dates in one night," I say as I cross one leg over the other. Doing so raises my skirt, revealing a lot of my upper thigh, and this time, I don't miss it when Conner's eyes follow the movement. My confidence grows, as does my sinister smile, as I watch him try to work this out in his head.

"I'm going to say that's the truth," he says as a slow smirk tugs at his plump lips. "And you sort of stole the example question."

"Did not!" I say with a playful swat at him, which causes some of my drink to splash onto my chest. I giggle as I wipe it up, and heat floods my face when I look up and catch him. His emerald eyes have a definite flicker as he darts his gaze away. "But you're right. I was thinking of those old sitcoms where the main character tries to balance two dates in one night, which always blows up on them."

I go ahead and drink since I didn't fool him. Conner's deep laugh fills the room, making it even cozier. "We can do that with a solo date for fun."

"Lets!" I agree. "I'll bring two dresses and switch back and forth until I accidentally mess it up and bust myself."

"The servers will be so confused," he says with that soft laugh as his handsome face lights up. "I love this. It's perfect for the new direction I'm taking."

"Which is?" I prod, wiggling my eyebrows suggestively.

"Nice try, Rissa," he shoots me a wink.

I stick my tongue out at him. "Your turn, go."

"Okay." He pauses to sip his drink and then shocks me with, "I have never made out in my parent's bed."

"That has to be true," I guess.

"Drink," he says.

"No way! You? Mr. Rule Follower?" I am wide-eyed and stunned as I try and envision it.

"Well, to be fair, it was my first girlfriend, and I didn't expect her to come over when I told her I was watching Cami for the night. Later, when things got a little heavy, I didn't want her to see my Spiderman sheets, so..."

"Awe, but I bet the Spiderman sheets were cute," I gush before taking my drink.

"In hindsight, they would have been much better than my mom's porcelain doll collection staring at us."

"Oh god! Creepy!" I am laughing so hard that tears are filling my eyes. I quickly dab at them before they can destroy my makeup.

"It's your turn. Please do an embarrassing one and put me out of my misery," he begs.

"Okay," I ponder for a moment and then have to stifle a laugh as I think of one. "I have never accidentally taken off my top in front of an entire river full of people."

"I am going to guess this is a lie, and I need this story," Conner says, forcing me to drink again, not that I mind.

"So we were tubing down the Apple River, and I had this pretty strapless bikini on, but I had a knit coverup dress over it. As we floated down, this group behind us kept tossing us beers. I took my coverup off and somehow pulled my bikini top up with it. I flashed everyone behind us."

My cheeks are burning red from the memory, but I can laugh at it now. "You should drink, too, because you told me to tell you a true one."

"I'm going to need a drink after that story," he says, gulping back half his glass.

"You told me to do an embarrassing one," I remind him.

"That was not as embarrassing as Spiderman sheets and porcelain dolls."

"Was too," I argue. "The river was packed with people that day."

"Lucky people," he mutters, and my heart skips a beat. That was a sign. He's flirting... I want to jump up and squeal but maintain my composure as I say, "Your turn."

"I have never been intentionally naked in public," he says, and my jaw legit drops.

"Really?" My voice is all squeaky and high-pitched now; I can't help it.

"You have to guess, truth or lie," he reminds me with a little arch of his eyebrow.

"Hmmm, I think ...." I move in closer so I can stare into his eyes.

"Rissa!" He laughs at the sudden intrusion but doesn't back away.

"A lie?" The telling little grin as he takes a drink makes me shriek in his face, but that only makes him laugh again.

"You were naked in public? When?" I demand answers as I back up into my seat again. 

"Technically, there wasn't anyone else around, but it was a public beach," he explains. "We were drunk and decided to go skinny dipping."

We, as in him and.... Ugh. Don't go there, I tell myself, focus on the game and... "Wait! You, Conner Fields, took your clothes off at a public beach? Were you freaking out the whole time?"

"I can let loose once in a while," he says with a tiny shrug. "Being impulsive can be good... I need that more."

"For some reason, I always pictured Semeana to be all stiff." The stupid words come tumbling out, sounding as bitter as they feel. Conner's eyes widen in surprise and I know he caught the tone.

"It wasn't with her," he says hastily. "This was in college. It was one of those rare nights when I decided to let my roommate convince me to go out and had too much to drink at a beach party. Someone yelled it out, and everyone ran into the lake, dropping clothes as we ran."

"Oh, it was a group skinny dip!" As I giggle, relief washes over me, creating a euphoric little bubble around me or maybe us. 

"We all looked so stupid, scrambling for our sand-covered clothes afterward."

"You have to try again without a bunch of people. It's so nice- feels so free," I say, closing my eyes with a soft sigh as I recall the last time I went.

Conner coughs, and I giggle at his flushed cheeks as I open my eyes.

"What?" I ask innocently. "Mel's aunt has a private cabin and invited us a few times. I snuck out for a midnight swim."

"All by yourself?"

"Mhm," I say softly as I twirl a lock of hair around my fingers. "The moonlight made it so pretty out there at night. I'd swim behind their big boat so no one could see me, and then after I'd slip my nightgown back on, lie on the dock, and look at the stars."

The dreamy look on Conner's face tells me he's envisioning it, and so am I, only with him lying next to me.

"We need refills." He swallows the rest of his drink and then reaches for mine. I take my last sip and hand it to him.

While he's gone, I consider my next question. Do I push this?

I can almost hear Derek scream, yes.

I move slightly towards the center of the couch, but still far enough away that if he sits on the farther end, we won't be touching. But– if he sits even slightly in from the edge like I am, our knees will brush against each other, which will be my sign.

"This was the last of the martini pitcher," he says as he hands me my glass.

"Oops, where did it all go?"

"It's a mystery," he says with a teasing grin as he sits down, and just like I hoped, he moves in closer to the center, too. His knees brush against mine, causing little goosebumps of delight to light up all my nerves with hope. "Like earlier, what was Derek talking about when he said he was good tonight?"

Oh damn... he did catch that. I play it cool and say. "Who knows?" But I let my gaze flicker down his face to the bit of his chest peeking out from his shirt. The first two buttons are undone, which, coupled with his unruly curls, make him look so hot tonight that I can hardly stop looking at him. 

"I think you do," Conner prods.

"Is it my turn?" I ignore his correct assumption and instead tilt my head coyly.

"It is," he says, his voice low as he inches closer. "Go ahead." 

"I have never been attracted to a friend," I nearly whisper the lie. He sets his drink down and rests his arm on the back of the couch, boxing me in under his steely gaze.

"Is that a lie, Rissa?" His voice is low and husky, and my entire body grows warm in reaction to it.

I answer him by sipping from the martini glass while keeping my eyes locked on his. He takes it from me and sets it down next to his the moment I finish. Our faces are not even inches apart when he looks back up.

"Your turn," I say in a breathy voice. I feel like time stands still in the thirty seconds I sit transfixed under this spell we've found ourselves in.

"I have never thought a friend was the most beautiful thing I have ever been lucky enough to know."

His words bring tears to my eyes that I don't bother to wipe away. "I've never wanted a friend to kiss me," I say boldly as my heart begins to thump against my ribcage. 

"Never?" he asks in a playful but low voice as he dips his head down, causing his forehead to lightly brush against mine.

"Never." I look up, my lashes brushing against his cheeks as his hands cup my cheeks, holding my face so gently in contradiction to the stormy desire filling his eyes. 

"I think you're lying," he whispers, his breath tickling my face. 

"Oh yeah?" I rest my hand against his neck, letting my fingernails lightly dance across his skin. 

"Yeah," he mumbles as one of his arms hooks around the small of my back, pulling my body closer to his. 

 "Prove it then," I demand. 

 His lips crash against mine with a dominance I never expected. There is no hesitancy as our lips move against each other in a desperate frenzy. The flirty little bubble we've been dancing around in seems to have exploded around us, and we can't get enough. 

I am not even sure who deepens the kiss first. All I know is that when our tongues begin to dance together, it's simply magic. Like nothing I have ever felt. I am swept up by it—by him. Conner. He's all I can smell and sense, taste, feel. All I want to feel.

 We part long enough to catch a shaky breath or two, our heady gazes locked on each other. His hand entangles itself in my hair, pulling my face closer to his, and I find myself climbing into his lap, earning a soft groan from him that makes me giggle.

"I love that sound," he whispers against my lips as he claims them again.

The kiss is slower this time, as if he wants to savor it. I close my eyes and wish time could stop so I could drown in the waves we're making and never come up again.