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I finally got out of work at 3:30 pm, 30 minutes later than usual. There was a rush of check-ins and I stayed to help out. Very bad idea. My mom called me on my last break to inform me that she forgot to pick up balloons for my sisters birthday dinner. I tried to remind her that Ashley will be 23 and does not need balloons, but shes the baby so mom likes to make her birthdays all fun and kiddish. So in a rush, I jog to my car and get myself home to change for dinner. Then to a party store on the way to buy balloons and helium.

"Mom! I'm here." I holler into the house as I drag in a small helium tank. I set up shop in the living room when my mom enters wiping her hands on a towel.

"Hi baby, whatcha got there?" She asks, giving me a hug.

"Helium, I just figured it would be way faster than trying to blow them all up ourselves. I bought ribbon too, to tie them up with."

"Sounds good, your sister should be home at 5, I'm just getting the cake out and getting dinner started. Do you think you can handle the balloons on your own?" She asked over her shoulder as she walked back into the kitchen.

I sigh and start working on the balloons. Just as I'm finishing the last of them, my pocket starts buzzing.

"Buzz, buzz" I imitate and pull my phone out of my pocket.

"Hello?"

~~*~~

"So, wanna hang out tonight?" Pete asked. He's in town visiting family and decided he needed a little break from family time.

"Yea, of course. Where are you thinking?" Patrick was leaning against his kitchen counter, flipping through material for work.

"Green mill? I haven't been there in ages. Does Charlie still work there?"

"Yea, he owns it now, bought it out when the last guy almost ran it into the ground." Patrick explained.

"Wow, sweet. Free drinks then, eh?" Pete laughed at the other end of the phone.

"Yea I don't think that's the idea considering the place was basically a hole in the ground when he bought it."

"Yea, your right, so what do you say? 5?"

"Yea, I'll see you there." Patrick hung up the phone after he and Pete had said goodbye and moved his work into the living room.

A few hours later, he was throwing his coat on and making his way down to the parking garage.

~~*~~

"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Ashley! Happy birthday to you!" We clapped as she blew out the candles. Mom grabbed the cake and pulled it closer so that it was easier to cut as I turned on the lights.

"You guys are so silly! I was not expecting this when you told me you were making me dinner for my birthday! The balloons are awesome and the cake is so pretty!" Ashley gushed as mom put a slice in front of her.

"Oh whatever, its like this every year. You don't always have to act surprised, just say thank you." I laugh as she overreacts to the taste of the cake.

"OMG! mom, this is your best cake yet!" I roll my eyes and smile at my younger sister.

We moved into the living room after cake, with a bottle of wine and my sisters favorite movie. Another tradition, although when we were kids, it was grape juice in our wine glasses.

"Okay, gifts please." Ashley demanded once we all settled into our seats.

"Not until after the movie, do you never learn?" Mom laughs and hits play as the main menu screen comes up.

While the movie was playing I was trying really hard to concentrate, but my brain was all bubbly from the phone called I had received earlier. It had taken everything I had to pay attention to the conversation and birthday fun during dinner, but now with my mom and sister distracted by the movie, I allowed myself to daydream.

Patrick called, just like Charlie said he would. He was so sweet too. He apologized about losing my number and asked me to meet him for lunch tomorrow if I was free.

Hello!

Of course I was free! I was already trying to decide what to wear, I couldn't wear my yellow sundress as I was wearing that when we met. My brain was going through my closet when I was hit in the face with a pillow.

"OW! Hey, what was that for?"

"Because you are holding out on us! All you've been doing the whole movie is sitting there with a dumb smile and staring out into space. So, spill, who's the guy?" Ashley and mom were looking at me expectantly.

"I, what, there's, pfft, there's no guy. I just was...umm.. day dreaming...aboooout... well boys. But in a completely generic non-specific way. So yea." I take a pull of my wine and turn back to the movie, to which I realize is playing credits. I cough on my wine and glance at my family. No wonder why they were giving me a hard time, I had zoned out thinking about Patrick for almost 2 hours!

"Right, well this was fun... Ashley, I hid your gift, just like always. Mom I love you. I have an early start tomorrow so... bye!" I had been inching my way out of the living room and at the last word ran quickly out of the house, laughing the whole way.

~~*~~

"Hey man!" Patrick said, pulling Pete into an embrace.

"Hey. Nice to see you again. Woah! You are one hot stud muffin, cuter and cuter by the day." Pete brought his hands up and pinched Patrick's cheeks.

Patrick slapped Pete's hands away and they laughed as they sat down at the bar.

"Pete! How ya doing? Whatcha drinking these days?" Charlie came over and shook Pete's hand, a big grin on his face.

"Whatever's free!" Pete laughed and ordered a rum and coke.

"You'll never change, eh Pete?"

"Not if I can help it!" The boys all laughed and Charlie walked off to get Pete and Patrick their drinks.

A few minutes later, Charlie was placing their drinks on the bar.

"Thanks man. What have you got there?" Pete asked, nodding at my drink.

"Arnold Palmer, my usual."

"Mmmm lemon-y tea goodness. Good choice. So anyway I have to tell you what my brother did yesterday--" Pete launched into a ridiculous story of his families shinnanigans.

When Charlie came over to refill their drinks, he handed Patrick a slip of paper.

"Hey I almost forgot, your friend was in here last night." Patrick gave Charlie a confused look and glanced down at the paper.

"Lucy was in here? Was she looking for me?"

"Well not exactly, she was with Smooth-Talker." Charlie said, grimacing a little.

"What?! Did she leave with him? What did they do?"

"Wait, whats going on? Who's Lucy, and Smooth-Talker?" Pete asked, failing to follow along with the conversation.

"I'll explain Lucy later, but Smooth-Talker is the nick-name for this guy that me and Charlie pick on all the time because he never comes here with the same girl and he always leaves with the girl he does come with. Its always the same story about his mom being sick and the girls always swoon over it. I can't believe Lucy came here with him. Did they leave together? What happened?" Patrick asked, redirecting his question to Charlie.

"I'm sorry, I don't know anything. I think they left together, but it was busy last night. I'm not sure. You should call her."

"Yea." Patrick got up and walked outside, he dialed the number quickly, trying to think of what he would say about Smooth-Talker. He had to warn her, he just didn't know how.

"Hello?" Suddenly all his anxiousness evaporated. The sound of her voice calmed him, he had never felt this before.

"Hi, Lucy?"