Try Not to Laugh.

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The hospital was exhausting but lives were being saved and I got to do the job I loved. It didn't help that I was on the busiest floor but someone had to be and that appeared to be me. Eventually, though the time ticked on and my next in line walked in. She was a kind girl but took no crap. Her shift would be hell though as people all seemed to be doing the exact something that you didn't want them to do but they also kept doing it.

"Good luck Stacey. Bed 8 needs extra support and Señor Grabs-a-Lot is back." She rolled her eyes and I got back to my car. The only disadvantage was that Shayne couldn't meet me. Only because he thought I was still working. When in the car I stripped into the clothes below as I wore a dress that was grey and white but they were beachy tones and I threw on a pair of sandals rather than my hospital shoes. Better. I still smelt like work though.

The car began and no quicker had the music started then my phone began to ring. Courtney. "Hey, Aphrodite. I was just wondering if you had left yet. Shayne has no idea. When you turn up Matt Raub will meet you at reception and he will be your shield when you walk in." The roads were pretty empty considering where I was and the cool breeze of the day was kicking in. My curly hair was free to fall around me and the hospital rang in my ears as the beeps were expected.

"Yeah. I am like 20 minutes away and the roads seem clear so maybe less. That is great and Matt is the tall dude with the beard? Brunette?" She grumbled in agreement and went strangely quiet. Something was up at her end and I knew that something was up as she spoke so smoothly about the plan until suddenly that smoothness stopped.

"Right, mum. I will call you back later but we have to film something. Love you, I will. Bye, bye." The phone went down and I assumed he was in the room so I just waited for her to hang up and then I was driving along to music again. It was going to be a good day. The ring on my hand caught my attention and a yearning filled me but it didn't matter. It was Shayne's birthday and it was disgustingly hot for September. The bow at the back of the dress had to be tightened and I managed to do it at a red light and my makeup was touched up at another red light as the systems seemed to be against me getting to the set.

Once I had parked up and walked into reception a cuddly guy walked up to me and I smiled at him as he gestured for me to follow him. As I did Rhett and Link saw us and we hugged but I had to be quick to wait outside the door. The pair of them followed and seemed to be in on it as they covered me.

"How come you are in today?" I smiled and couldn't believe they didn't know and yet acted so calmly about the secrecy Matt had. He was playing it up a bit but I enjoyed that as I felt like times like that could be dramatised.

"Shayne's birthday surprise. He can't know I am here yet." Both smiled and acted as a barrier around me until loud shouting was heard and Matt walked in and I could hear them talking loudly. Laughs about what was about to happen and the team were all walking behind a divider that had the costumes in. I had been watching the other videos just to see how it all worked so I knew where to go and what to do. All I could do was wait for my turn.

"Can I just say something? Matt walked in and then the Mythical pair did so it looks like an intervention or something like 'stop eating all the spiders. It is weird and not okay'. Haha." His laugh made me feel total glee and as Matt got close to being behind the screen I lept out and hoped he didn't see me. His talking told me that he didn't so I hid. I could see all of them getting dressed up and doing weird things but I just watched. I had a plan in my head and all I needed was to borrow two people and then walk out for myself.

Others went up and I watched on the screen but if I laughed and my giggle was heard then he would just know so I had to keep it controlled. Then I was up and just as Shayne looked ready to wrap it all up there came a female voice.

"Shayne, hey Shayne. It is your birthday today so we got you a surprise guest but you have to look to the front. No turning until you laugh, um, because you will and just wait. Put the water in your mouth Shayne." Courtney walked back and I smiled with a thumbs up before I beckoned Keith and Noah.

"Can you two pretend to hit on each other? Like, go full-on flirting mode." They nodded and headed out and I could see the timer start. I was going out on a total guess that he would find it funny.

"Hey, uh, you're pretty attractive..." The two spoke and I slowly walked up behind Shayne and began to get really close before remembering the smell of the hospital but shrugged the thought off and got so close I could lick his ear. Only, I didn't.

"Oh, stop thinking with your clitoris." I exhaled down at them and Shayne sprung the water out of his mouth before turning to me and hugging me. It was so tight that I struggled to breathe and I was laughing as well. Slowly, the rest of them walked out and we began to round it up.

"Right, that needs some explanation. You want to go? I mean, explain it." I nodded at him and wrapped my arms around him from behind before speaking.

"So, a couple of weeks after I first met Shayne we were facetiming and I was doing something but I was led to believe he had hung up so I mumble that phrase to myself thinking he wouldn't hear. He asks me to repeat it and I jumped then hung up. Months later, I have moved to America and all that jazz when I do some provocative thing and he just straight face goes 'stop thinking...' so that is the story of how we both now act when something sexual occurs around us." He was always so happy and I loved that about him so much.

"Can I say that she told me she was working all day and it was my birthday, I felt gutted and was upset that we couldn't do anything together then suddenly she is here. With work and everything, life has been so crazy that we haven't heard each other's voices in a good month." He was exhaling laughter as he spoke.

"Yeah, she was behind Matt, Rhett and Link and she was so nervous. You mentioned them and I could see her and the fear on her face." They were all laughing and recreating the face for me.

"I also smell like hospital and old man because I literally ended my shift, got here and while I was on the ward some man thought I was his wife who had died so he kept looking for me and hugging me but I was on the emergency ward so I would be like doing chest compressions and he would hug me so when I stood behind you I was sure you would, smell it or you would hear my giggle back there and be like. 'oh, that is Aphrodite' but luckily, you don't recognise my smell." Courtney suddenly grabbed my hand and I could hear the others talking but it faded away.

"You're engaged?" I nodded and looked at the ring. It was beautiful in every way.

"Yeah. It's been a while now. All I knew was that one of my only rings was gone. I had lost my Grandmother's ring that she wore for like 65 years. It was her wedding ring and I was freaking out. How would I tell my four sisters? And then suddenly he proposes and a night or so later the ring is back. I nearly died. Honestly. That is all I have left of my Gran and it was gone so I cried and felt awful." The team all looked at the ring and then sly eyes crept to Shayne. Clearly, they all saw that he liked me.

"Did Shayne know?" Keith asked and I nodded with great speed.

"He knew before me. Picked it out actually." I was keeping close to the truth but with all the eyes that stuck to me, I couldn't send him 'the' eyes. The eyes that told him he had to tell them soon.

"Anyway, the game?" I offered and people seemed to take the bait before walking back and it was decided that Ian would go next but I moved to be behind the scenes and sat with the camera crew.

"I think that you should join in Aphrodite. I mean, we have a good few rounds and you are funny." I agreed a little hesitantly before being ushered behind the divider again. They clearly wanted us to be together and if he pulled his thumb out of his arse they could know. Damien was kind and polite as he spoke with me, he was definitely acting differently as he turned to Shayne a lot. It couldn't have been that bad, right?

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