Twist Of Fate

Birthday Wish

"So, I want to ask you a very personal question, but I like to ask this question from every girl I date." Harry says, leaning toward me across the table.
"I don't think I'm your average girlfriend. There's no one like me." I say, and give a small, nonchalant shrug. Harry chuckles and nods his head in agreement.
"No argument there." Harry holds his hands up, palms toward me, as a sign of defeat. "Bumper, are you a virgin?"
"No," I don't meet Harry's gaze. "It was a...mistake." That's all I can say because that's the truth. My ex and I had this moment where it felt right, where I felt like he was the one and I did it. I slept with him. It's nothing to be ashamed about. However, I do wish that I hadn't given up my virginity to that man.
"A topic to steer clear from, I can see." I smile. God, how can this man always say the right things?
"I would ask you if you're a virgin, but I know you're not." Harry chuckles, and takes a sip of his drink.
"I most definitely am not. Done it many times with many girls." I let out a whistle.
"Sounds like someone's a player." Harry and I both laugh.
"Hey, I'm sure you've done it more than once with many people, too." Harry says, brushing his thumb across the back of my hand.
"More than once, yeah. But with one person."
"Lucky fucker," Harry murmurs.
"I can pretend that I didn't hear that, but I won't because he was a solid piece of shit." From the corner of my eye, I see a group of girls approaching us.
"Excuse me," one of them says. Harry and I both turn our heads in unison to face her. "C-Can I have a picture?"
"Sure." Harry says, getting up. The girls smile at me, and I smile back. However, one of them stares at me with distaste. Harry and the girls pose for a few photos, and then the girl who's taking the photos removes her eyes from her phone and looks at me.
"Come join us. We all want a group photo with Harry and his girlfriend, right?" She says, turning around to look at her girlfriends. They all nod their heads in agreement, except for the one who is still staring at me with a hate filled gaze.
"I don't think I should," I say. "But thanks for asking."
"Oh, come on, Bump." Harry insists, stepping toward me and taking hold of my hand. He tugs me out of my seat, and toward the group of girls.
"You're Mus, right?" The same girl who's holding the phone, asks. I nod my head, as Harry pulls me into him, my back pressed to his front. He wraps his arms around my waist, making my heart rate quicken. "We're so happy that you're the one Harry's dating because it gives us all hope that one day we'll be his girlfriends, too."
"Let's hope that day never comes." Harry says, kissing my cheek.
"It won't," I murmur.
"You both are so romantic." Another girls says, sighing.
"Everyone say cheese!" Girl number one says and takes a picture. Harry and I say goodbye to the girls and settle back down. I take a sip of my drink, as the waiter comes toward us with our dinner. Finally! I feel like I haven't eaten all day.
"Thank you." I say to the waiter, once he's placed both of our plates in front of us. He nods his head politely, and then turns around, leaving us to ourselves again. "Stop scowling, and eat your food." I tell Harry, without even looking at him. I don't need to look at him to know he's scowling and glaring at me.
"Hey, you're the one who's flirting!" Harry exclaims.
"Flirting and being grateful to a person who's serving us, are two very different things." I retort, scoffing. Harry pouts and digs his fork into his food.
********
"September 12th." I announce, loud enough for Gregg and Kate to hear.
"Wow, time really flies, M. You'll be, what? Nineteen two days later," Gregg says. "And in these two days our ears are going to turn sore listening to you talk about your birthday."
"Well, yeah." I nod in agreement. "Guess you'll just have to bear with me, if you want to continue coming to my house and having my world famous lasagna every night." Kate laughs.
"Good one, Mus. Blackmail, I've taught you well." Kate praises me, coming over and patting me on the back.
"Thanks," I mumble. It's been three weeks since I last saw Harry and I miss him every single day. He's been calling and texting quite frequently and he's the only one who seems more excited about my birthday than I do. I'm just sad thinking that we won't be together for my birthday. I'd have loved to spend it with him.
"Mus, aren't you getting ready?" Kate asks, plopping herself down on the couch beside me.
"For what?" I say, furrowing my brows.
"Harry didn't tell you?" Kate looks puzzled, her eyes travelling toward Gregg. He shrugs his shoulders and then looks down at his phone's screen.
"What's up?" Something's fishy. They both pass each other another sneaky glance. Nobody answers me. "What's going on?"
"He forgot!" Gregg exclaims, jumping off the couch. "Hurry! Hurry!" He comes over, and yanks me off my butt. "Kate, get her ready. I'll take her suitcase to the car, and I have the documents. Just, get her ready."
"Let's go, Mus! Hustle!" Kate says, ushering me out of the lounge and up the stairs.
"Can someone please tell me what's going on?" I ask for the third time. Why're they acting so cryptic?
"Harry is flying you to Las Vegas, for your birthday. But apparently, he forgot to tell you. It was supposed to be a surprise, but today he had to tell you that you're catching a 6 pm flight. I don't know why he forgot, but now we need to hustle." Kate explains, slamming my room door shut.
"I can't just get up and leave. What about college?" I say, my brain trying to process the information that I've just received.
"All's taken care of. Just, please cooperate." Hastily, Kate chooses an outfit for me and I, being the highly cooperative person that I am, put it on without a word. Once we're done, we both rush downstairs. Kate gets in shotgun, beside Gregg and I take the backseat.
"Step on it!" Kate orders Gregg, and he obliges. Guess my birthday wish will be coming true.