Pitbabe S2, Chapter 12 pg2

 Pitbabe S2, Chapter 12 pg2

   I walked to the fridge, pulled out a chilled bottle of water, and poured it into a glass. Doing something for someone else might suit Charlie better, but it’s not like I don’t know how to take care of people—especially him. I give him shoulder massages all the time, wash his hair when we shower together, and sometimes I even help him cook, mostly with stuff like serving food onto plates. I think I’m a pretty damn good assistant.

   “Hey, Babe,” Charlie piped up, like he’d just remembered something. “Your birthday’s next week, right?”

   “Is it?” I tried to recall what day it was. With no races going on, I’ve totally lost track of time. Next thing I know, my birthday’s rolled around again. Life moves so fast it’s hard to keep up. “Completely forgot.”

   “Celebrating at Alan’s place like usual, yeah?”

   “Guess it has to be that way,” I said, walking back to the living room with Charlie’s cold water. “If I don’t go, they’ll get all sulky.”

   “Thanks,” Charlie took the glass from me. He took a big gulp, and the refreshed look on his face got me excited in a way I can’t explain.

   “Or do you want to celebrate just the two of us?”

   “Honestly, I’m fine either way,” Charlie replied casually. “It’s Babe’s birthday, so we gotta do what Babe wants. Plus, I think celebrating with everyone’s nice too. We’ve been celebrating together every year anyway. For Babe’s birthday, we should get as many people you love as possible, right?”

   “You talk like we don’t see them all the time,” I made a face, thinking of the goofy crew at the garage. “Any more, and I’d puke up their faces.”

   “But you miss them when you don’t see them, don’t you?”

   “I miss you way more.”

   “You miss me even though we sleep together every night?” That dumb kid really doesn’t get it. While I’m sulking over the little time we have together, Charlie tilts his head, looking at me with wide, clueless eyes, like he doesn’t even know what “miss” means.

   “Yeah, sleeping next to your snoring every night totally cures it.”

   “Aww…” It takes some sarcasm for him to catch on. Charlie flashed a sweet smile, reached out, and pulled me to sit beside him, wrapping his arms around my waist. This move was clearly his usual trick to sweet-talk me out of my sulk—his signature move. “Sorry for making you miss me. I’ll make it up to you on your birthday.”

   “How you gonna make it up?”

   “Hmm… we’ll go celebrate at Phii Alan’s place first, then in the evening, we’ll come back and celebrate just the two of us at home. I’ve got a gift prepared.”

   “That’s it?”

   “Don’t you wanna know what my gift is?”

   Charlie’s sly smile got me hyped. Based on past years, I’d say he’s the best at picking exciting, spot-on gifts. Last year, he secretly planned a birthday trip to a seaside resort—stunning views, a huge, delicious seafood spread, and, of course, unforgettable birthday sex. This year, I’m not expecting much beyond topping last year’s champ.

   “If it’s not wow-worthy,” I said, pinching his cheek, pretending to threaten him. Truth is, I’d love anything Charlie gives me. Even if there’s no gift, it’s not a big deal. I already have everything I want. The only thing I want for my birthday is to celebrate with Charlie. But I didn’t tell him that—especially since he said he’s already got a gift ready.

   “It’ll definitely be wow,” Charlie said with full confidence.

   “Wow-er than last year?”

   “Twice as much.”

   “Ugh, I wanna turn tomorrow already!”

   “Be patient.”

   Charlie cheered me up for my upcoming birthday with a sweet kiss. The familiar taste and rhythm today might not have set my heart racing, but it felt like being wrapped in a giant teddy bear—soft and warm. If this kiss went on for another hour, I wouldn’t complain. Since Charlie came into my life, the Babe who hated kissing has been completely laid to rest. I no longer find it creepy—though maybe that’s just because it’s Charlie. If I had to kiss someone else now, it’d probably still give me the creeps. And more importantly, Charlie wouldn’t exactly approve.

   “Mmm…” The moment we pulled apart was such a pity, but if we didn’t take a breather, I was worried one of us might suffocate. I was slightly out of breath, trying to draw air into my lungs slowly, while Charlie seemed totally fine. He playfully kissed my neck, like he was looking for something to do while I caught my breath. “Shoes.”

   I mumbled when my eyes happened to notice Charlie was wearing flip-flops, not his favorite sneakers like when we left the house. And they were flip-flops I’d never seen before.

   “Oh… my shoes got dirty too,” Charlie answered without needing more prodding. “All sticky. I washed them and left them to dry at the lab.”

   “Why didn’t you bring them back?”

   “Forgot.”

   “Always,” I pouted, not that upset but unable to resist grumbling about him leaving the shoes I bought him somewhere else. “Don’t lose that pair.”

   “I know, my Babe got them for me. How could I lose them?” The forgetful kid planted a big kiss on my cheek as both an apology and a promise. “I’ll bring them back tomorrow.”

   “If you forget again tomorrow, you’re getting a smack.”

   “Yessir, Mommy.”

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