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He shakes his head, his attention wholly focused on his bowl of dessert. I can’t remember the name of it, but just like our main courses, it’s delicious—a sort of alcohol soaked, chocolaty crème caramel. “I’m not telling you.”

“He’s shy,” Masters teases from where he’s sitting sprawled on a single seat sofa, his ankle resting on his knee like he’s lord of the manor.

Joy reaches next to her and squeezes Aldo’s knee. “Just ignore them.”

“Oh, I plan to.” He gives me a pointed look over Joy’s head and I just grin. I’ll get it out of him one way or another.

Placing my empty bowl down on the coffee table, I drape an arm along the back of the sofa behind Joy. “So, why do you hate celebrating birthdays so much? What’s the story?”

“There is no story,” she says, licking the last of her dessert from her spoon. “It always fell during peak swim season, so I was at meets all the time. And I just find them awkward. There’s so much expectation, but it rarely lives up to it.”

I nod thoughtfully. “I get that.”

“What about today, though?” Masters asks. “Was it awkward and terrible?”

Joy tilts her head as if she’s thinking. “Awkward? Yes. Terrible? No.”

He chuckles and Aldo grins. I’ve avoided this long enough, and my stupid heart starts to pick up speed as I reach into my pocket and pull out a folded piece of paper.

“I did get you a present by the way,” I say, shifting a little so I’m facing her.

She puts her bowl down and turns to me, her narrowed eyes glancing at my crotch. “It’s not your dick, is it?”

“No. But I’m going to need you to stop staring at it, because it’s going to want to join the party.” I thrust the piece of paper toward her like an eight-year-old giving his crush a flower.

She unfolds it carefully and I hate that Aldo and Masters are peering over her shoulder, but I also know I’ll never get her alone.

“DJ Lurkstar is playing in Portland,” I explain, as though it’s not clear enough from the flier. “I’d like to take you.”

She looks up from the flier, a shy smile on her face. “Thank you. I’d like that.”

“Yeah, well, I was going to get you new headphones, but the ones you have are already top of the line.” I pin her with a glare. “You rich kids are hard to buy for.”

She glares right back. “Call me a kid again and see what happens,Coach.”

I break and smile and she grins, leaning forward and catching me by surprise with a kiss on the cheek.

“You can even bring your harem,” I say, reaching for my glass of wine.

Joy snorts. “Harem?”

I look pointedly over her shoulder at Aldo and Lane.

She pulls a face. “I’m pretty sure two doesn’t count as a harem. But thank you.”

“When is it?” Aldo asks, reaching for the flier.

“Right at the beginning of spring break,” I say. “I know it’s not much. I didn’t know I’d be competing against necklaces that make you cry.”

Aldo huffs a laugh and gathers up the empty bowls and stacks them, taking them over to the sink. “If you had gotten her a charm, what would you have chosen?”

I raise my eyebrows at the question, expecting someone to dismiss it, but Joy just stares at me curiously and Masters stands, walking over to where the open wine bottle is sitting on the counter. I can’t answer that question. The necklace is too personal. The charms they chose for her mean something. I mean nothing to Joy, so what could I possibly choose?

“I’d get you a dick,” I say confidently.

Joy’s face is a picture. “A dick.”

“Yep.” I nod. “It will always remind you of me, because I’m the biggest dick you’ll ever meet.”

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