‹ Prequel: mobster mash
love in the time of trash fires
one
Athena was putting the finishing touches on her surprise, hoping Max didn’t get back from the errands she’d sent him on before she was done. She had purposely given him a list that required him to go to several different stores so that it would take him a couple of hours. He had looked like he was about to complain but she reminded him that he was the one who’d gotten Zip addicted to the fancy cat food, so he had to go to the specialty pet store.
Zip was currently winding around her ankles while she frosted the cake she’d made, mewing at her. She’d found him as a stray when he was only a month old, left out in the rain and half starved. Max hadn’t wanted her to bring the raggedy little thing home, but she had done it anyway and now the little gray tabby was a year old and king of the apartment.
“You have kibble in your bowl,” Athena told him. “Let me finish your daddy’s surprise and then I’ll get you some tuna.”
Zip sneezed in indignation and wandered over to climb into his cat tower by the window. Athena and Max had moved into the little apartment together about six months after they started officially dating and Athena had filled the living room with plants and covered the walls with pictures of her and Max and her father. She had some Christmas photos, and one from when they first moved into their apartment. And there was the one Max hated, which showed him standing awkwardly at the clinic in scrubs on his first day of on the job training. He’d decided to try out having a real job and had been going to nursing school at night, and he was almost finished. Which was part of why she was putting together this little secret celebration.
She finished with the cake and glanced at the time. Max would be home soon.
She fixed a can of tuna for Zip and checked on the steaks she was cooking on the stove, then hurried to the bedroom to fix her hair, fluffing her curtain bangs and tying her hair back. She’d recently added bright blue highlights to her hair and she used a bow in a matching shade to secure her ponytail. She changed out of her jeans into a short pink dress and went back into the kitchen. She was just putting the food on plates when Max came in, carrying a bunch of bags. He walked into the kitchen and paused when he saw Athena all dolled up and standing by the dining table and lighting some candles.
“What’s all this?” he asked.
“This is your birthday slash early graduation celebration dinner,” she said proudly.
“So this is why you sent me all over town,” he realized, setting the bags down.
“Well I had to get everything ready,” she laughed, prancing over and wrapping her arms around his waist. “I have presents from my dad and the Hounds, and I made all your favorite sides to go with dinner, and I got a new dress.”
“Yeah, I noticed the dress.”
Athena rolled her eyes, poking him lightly in the stomach.
“Come have dinner,” she said, tugging him toward the table and making him sit down. They had a round breakfast nook for a dining table, and it was easy to create ambience in the little booth.
“You really didn’t have to do all this,” Max said, looking over the small feast she’d made and then glancing over at her in her date night outfit.
“I wanted to do it,” Athena said. “But if you’d prefer, I can always give your dinner to Zip and go change into something else…”
She laughed when Max caught her before she could scoot out of the booth, pulling her back and kissing her.
“That’s what I thought,” she teased, ruffling his hair. “Happy birthday, Maxie.”
Zip was currently winding around her ankles while she frosted the cake she’d made, mewing at her. She’d found him as a stray when he was only a month old, left out in the rain and half starved. Max hadn’t wanted her to bring the raggedy little thing home, but she had done it anyway and now the little gray tabby was a year old and king of the apartment.
“You have kibble in your bowl,” Athena told him. “Let me finish your daddy’s surprise and then I’ll get you some tuna.”
Zip sneezed in indignation and wandered over to climb into his cat tower by the window. Athena and Max had moved into the little apartment together about six months after they started officially dating and Athena had filled the living room with plants and covered the walls with pictures of her and Max and her father. She had some Christmas photos, and one from when they first moved into their apartment. And there was the one Max hated, which showed him standing awkwardly at the clinic in scrubs on his first day of on the job training. He’d decided to try out having a real job and had been going to nursing school at night, and he was almost finished. Which was part of why she was putting together this little secret celebration.
She finished with the cake and glanced at the time. Max would be home soon.
She fixed a can of tuna for Zip and checked on the steaks she was cooking on the stove, then hurried to the bedroom to fix her hair, fluffing her curtain bangs and tying her hair back. She’d recently added bright blue highlights to her hair and she used a bow in a matching shade to secure her ponytail. She changed out of her jeans into a short pink dress and went back into the kitchen. She was just putting the food on plates when Max came in, carrying a bunch of bags. He walked into the kitchen and paused when he saw Athena all dolled up and standing by the dining table and lighting some candles.
“What’s all this?” he asked.
“This is your birthday slash early graduation celebration dinner,” she said proudly.
“So this is why you sent me all over town,” he realized, setting the bags down.
“Well I had to get everything ready,” she laughed, prancing over and wrapping her arms around his waist. “I have presents from my dad and the Hounds, and I made all your favorite sides to go with dinner, and I got a new dress.”
“Yeah, I noticed the dress.”
Athena rolled her eyes, poking him lightly in the stomach.
“Come have dinner,” she said, tugging him toward the table and making him sit down. They had a round breakfast nook for a dining table, and it was easy to create ambience in the little booth.
“You really didn’t have to do all this,” Max said, looking over the small feast she’d made and then glancing over at her in her date night outfit.
“I wanted to do it,” Athena said. “But if you’d prefer, I can always give your dinner to Zip and go change into something else…”
She laughed when Max caught her before she could scoot out of the booth, pulling her back and kissing her.
“That’s what I thought,” she teased, ruffling his hair. “Happy birthday, Maxie.”