Crazy Beginnings and Happy Endings
seventy-seven
"Surprise!"
"What the hell?"
"Happy birthday, Max," I walked up to him and gave him a hug and kiss.
"Yea, man, happy birthday," Jordan said, walking up beside us. "What are you now? Like thirty-eight?"
"Haha, Staalsy," Max smiled, punching Jordan in the arm. "Thanks guys."
"Only for you, Talbot, only for you," Marc-Andre laughed.
"Seriously, Max, you're getting old," Kris said, giving Max a pat on the shoulder.
"Thanks, Tanger," Max shook his head. "It's good to know my team loves me."
"Always," Kris smirked.
"Brylyn, don't you think it's time to get rid of this guy and start dating someone younger and a little more fit?" Jordan asked, running his hands down his chest. "You know, someone who will satisfy your every wish?"
"You guys realize that I'm only twenty-nine, right?" Max asked.
"No way," Geno piped up.
"I thought you were at least thirty-four," Jordan said, cocking his head. "You look thirty-four."
"I told you guys," I said, shaking my head. "They didn't believe me when I said you were twenty-nine."
"You know, now that Max says it, it makes sense," Sidney said. He had a thoughtful expression on his face.
"Why is that?" I asked, looking at him.
"You're twenty-two, right?" Sidney asked. I nodded. "And Max is, you said, six years older?" I nodded again. "So, I guess, twenty-nine is about right."
"You don't look thirty-four, Max," Vero shook her head. "You look at least thirty. So, I guess that's pretty close."
"Aww, thanks Vero," Max smiled, pulling the girl into a hug. "At least some people are nice on my birthday." He glared at his teammates.
"Vero's always nice," Jordan complained.
"Not always," Vero said, looking at me.
"But most of the time," I told her. "Anyways, I made cake, if you guys want to eat it."
"Uh, was that a question?" Kris looked at me. "Of course we want to eat it. It's cake, plus you, Miss Chef, made it."
"I doubt it's anything special," I shrugged.
"You are way too modest," Max said, pulling me into his side and kissing my temple.
"I don't know. I was trying out a new recipe when I made it, so I don't know how good it is," I explained.
"You tried a new recipe for your boyfriend's birthday cake?" Sidney chuckled.
"Shut up, Sid the Kid," I muttered.
This caused him to glare at me. In return, I glared back. We glared at each other until Max threw me over his shoulder and carried me into the kitchen.
"I was going to win, you know," I told him.
"I don't care," Max said. "I don't want to spend any part of my birthday with anyone else but you."
"Aww, you're so sweet," I smiled. I was about to give him a kiss, when his phone started ringing.
"Hello?" Max said into his phone. "Oh, hey Mom." He paused. "Thanks." Another pause. "The guys are over and Brylyn baked a cake. We were just about to dig in." Max looked at us and motioned for us to cut the cake. "You remember Brylyn, Mom. She's my girlfriend. I brought her home for Christmas last year."
I glanced at Max and raised an eyebrow. He shook his head and rolled his eyes.
"No, Mom, I didn't stay in Pittsburgh because of Brylyn. I stayed because I didn't have time to come home." Max shot me an apologetic look. "Look, Mom, I have to go. Thanks for calling. Bye." He hung up the phone and looked at me. "I'm really sorry."
"Max, it's fine," I smiled, handing him a piece of cake. "Forget about it and enjoy your birthday."
"With you here, there is no way I couldn't," Max smiled.
"What the hell?"
"Happy birthday, Max," I walked up to him and gave him a hug and kiss.
"Yea, man, happy birthday," Jordan said, walking up beside us. "What are you now? Like thirty-eight?"
"Haha, Staalsy," Max smiled, punching Jordan in the arm. "Thanks guys."
"Only for you, Talbot, only for you," Marc-Andre laughed.
"Seriously, Max, you're getting old," Kris said, giving Max a pat on the shoulder.
"Thanks, Tanger," Max shook his head. "It's good to know my team loves me."
"Always," Kris smirked.
"Brylyn, don't you think it's time to get rid of this guy and start dating someone younger and a little more fit?" Jordan asked, running his hands down his chest. "You know, someone who will satisfy your every wish?"
"You guys realize that I'm only twenty-nine, right?" Max asked.
"No way," Geno piped up.
"I thought you were at least thirty-four," Jordan said, cocking his head. "You look thirty-four."
"I told you guys," I said, shaking my head. "They didn't believe me when I said you were twenty-nine."
"You know, now that Max says it, it makes sense," Sidney said. He had a thoughtful expression on his face.
"Why is that?" I asked, looking at him.
"You're twenty-two, right?" Sidney asked. I nodded. "And Max is, you said, six years older?" I nodded again. "So, I guess, twenty-nine is about right."
"You don't look thirty-four, Max," Vero shook her head. "You look at least thirty. So, I guess that's pretty close."
"Aww, thanks Vero," Max smiled, pulling the girl into a hug. "At least some people are nice on my birthday." He glared at his teammates.
"Vero's always nice," Jordan complained.
"Not always," Vero said, looking at me.
"But most of the time," I told her. "Anyways, I made cake, if you guys want to eat it."
"Uh, was that a question?" Kris looked at me. "Of course we want to eat it. It's cake, plus you, Miss Chef, made it."
"I doubt it's anything special," I shrugged.
"You are way too modest," Max said, pulling me into his side and kissing my temple.
"I don't know. I was trying out a new recipe when I made it, so I don't know how good it is," I explained.
"You tried a new recipe for your boyfriend's birthday cake?" Sidney chuckled.
"Shut up, Sid the Kid," I muttered.
This caused him to glare at me. In return, I glared back. We glared at each other until Max threw me over his shoulder and carried me into the kitchen.
"I was going to win, you know," I told him.
"I don't care," Max said. "I don't want to spend any part of my birthday with anyone else but you."
"Aww, you're so sweet," I smiled. I was about to give him a kiss, when his phone started ringing.
"Hello?" Max said into his phone. "Oh, hey Mom." He paused. "Thanks." Another pause. "The guys are over and Brylyn baked a cake. We were just about to dig in." Max looked at us and motioned for us to cut the cake. "You remember Brylyn, Mom. She's my girlfriend. I brought her home for Christmas last year."
I glanced at Max and raised an eyebrow. He shook his head and rolled his eyes.
"No, Mom, I didn't stay in Pittsburgh because of Brylyn. I stayed because I didn't have time to come home." Max shot me an apologetic look. "Look, Mom, I have to go. Thanks for calling. Bye." He hung up the phone and looked at me. "I'm really sorry."
"Max, it's fine," I smiled, handing him a piece of cake. "Forget about it and enjoy your birthday."
"With you here, there is no way I couldn't," Max smiled.