I blow dry my hair carefully and run my wand through my dark brown locks; giving it a little more wave than usual. I even take the necessary time to put on some more intense make-up, a light smoky-eye and some dark lipstick. When I’m finsihed getting ready, I walk over to the full-length mirror hanging near the door and take a look at myself. I nod my head in approval and grin. That’s right, I look HOT. My hair is perfect, my makeup is on point, and the red, strappy summer dress hits just low enough to not show my buttocks. I pair it with some wedges and I walk out the bathroom door, with an evil grin on my face, feeling confident and so unlike the old Sadie. Rowen isn’t going to know what to do with me. He’s used to teenager Sadie, semi-innocent Sadie. In her place is hot, sexy and grown-up Sadie; with more boob-age, I might add.
Once I lock the iron gate and shut all the lights out, I slowly pace the sidewalk, listening to my wedges pitter patter on the concrete with every step. When I round the corner, I look down and see the the tiniest little pink cupcake sitting there, along with several others. They seem to be leading to something, so I pick up the first, inhaling the sweet-smelling icing, and then walk a few feet forward and pick up the other. There are five in total and once I get to the last one, I bend down to pick it up and my eyes are met with dark shoes. I stand up straight and grin at Rowen. He is leaning against his truck and my mouth waters (not because of the cupcakes, either). He’s wearing his dark jeans, and an unbuttoned, light grey button-down with a crisp white shirt underneath. He has paired it with some brown stylish shoes and I’m a little taken back. The old Rowen would have been wearing gym shorts and an old t-shirt with his hat on backwards but this one… this one is freaking edible. Maybe if I place some of this light pink icing on him, I can have a little two in one; it’d be the best present ever.
I swallow loudly, as did he. He checks me out from head to toe and his gaze is smoldering. I feel like I’m on fire. Stop, drop and roll!
When I look down at his hands, I see he is holding a small box. I slowly walk over to him, still holding the five tiny cupcakes in my hands, and place them on the hood of his truck. We don’t say a word, he just hands me the box, untying the silk pink ribbon with his hand. I gulp as I watch his large hand fiddle the ribbon. I suddenly feel like I need to fan myself. When he opens up the box, there lay several pink and white cupcakes in the form of the number 21. I smile and my heart grows soft when I read what I was written in manly, scratchy handwriting on the inside flap: Twenty-One cupcakes for my only Cupcake. I think I fall in love with him all over again.
“Happy birthday, Sadie,” he says, following a little clear of his throat.
I hastily grab the box out of his hand and put it beside the other cupcakes, and I crowd his space. He looks down at me with confusion lacing his big brown eyes and I tip my head up to his, our lips millimeters from touching. I hear him swallow as I inch closer, placing my timid lips on his. The second our lips touch, I am a goner. Imagine five hundred fireworks going off at the same time. What I mean for the kiss to be, is a sweet way of saying thank you but it turns into something far deeper. It’s no longer a sweet and timid kiss. My lips part seconds after they touch his, and his tongue sweeps inside, sweeping me up in the process. I run my fingers through his soft hair and let out an audible moan and he very eagerly does too.
His hands grip my hips, hard, and he whips my body around so it’s flat against his truck. His leg goes in between mine, our lips never leaving each other’s. This isn’t just a kiss shared by two people; this is a “give it back to me kiss,” it’s a kiss that feels like we will literally fall apart and die if let go.
Needing oxygen, he finally let my lips go and we both gulp up the air like we have been underwater for minutes. I reach up and touch my lips with my fingertips, feeling the swollenness of them, and my mouth turns upwards.
“That was worth waiting for,” he says and I reach up and kiss him again, softly this time. If we kiss like that again, we won’t make it to wherever we are going. I can promise you that.
Rowen backs away once I remove my lips and runs his hand over his face, calming himself down. I get it, I need a breather too. Once he looks back at me, he gives me that Rowen grin and says, “You look absolutely beautiful, Sadie.” I flush in response and grab my cupcakes, rounding the front of his truck, smiling the entire time.
Once we get closer to where we’re going, Rowen makes me tie a blindfold around my face. I scowl the entire time I am tying it behind my head but really, I’m euphoric over the idea of being surprised.
When I feel the rumble of his truck come to a stop I try to look through the blindfold to see where exactly we are. I can’t make out shit, so I sit here and cross my arms—pouting like a four-year-old.
“This is a bit ridiculous, Rowen.” I roll my eyes underneath the blindfold.
“Relax, Sade. We’re here.” I huff in response but feel him shift closer to me.
“Do you remember what you said we’d do on your twenty-first birthday?” he whispers along my ear, causing goosebumps to break out all over my arms.
“No, I don’t think so… ” I try to think really hard but with his breath on my neck, I just can’t concentrate.
“We were at Kyle’s. In his bedroom. You, me, Kyle, and I think it was… ”
I finish the sentence for him, “Katelyn.” Kyle’s flavor of the month. He went through more girls than I could count on my fingers… and my toes.
“Mmhm,” his breath warm on my neck. “And we were all drunk, playing quarters and you looked right at me and said… ” He trails off and lets me finish.
“I looked over at you, after making my quarter in the cup, and I said, ‘You’re gonna take me to all the bars along College Street and get drunk with me. Then you’re going to carry me back home.’” I laugh when I say it. I was tipsy at the time, without a care in the world.
I feel Rowen’s hand brush my cheek as he unties the blindfold from my face and sure enough, here we are, parked in front of College Street. This is where all the bars are, all the good ones, anyway. The ones you come to on your twenty-first birthday planning to get shit-faced.
I’ve been to bars before, the ones near Duke, but never as a twenty-one year old, and these establishments are so different in all aspects. The street is lined with cars, people spilling out of the buildings plastered beside one another. They are all brick, and rusty looking. Young women, clad in tight dresses, and high heels, and curled hair. Men dressed to impress, trying to catch a whiff of any female that walked past. Carefree, fun.
“This is the best second second date I’ve ever had,” I laugh as Rowen climbs out of his truck.
He turns around at the last second, “And it’s the last second second date you’ll ever have.” I bloom on the inside. Literally bloom like a flower on a spring day.
Once we enter the first bar, we are taken back to a back booth and there are Anna, Hannah Marie, Kyle and some other guy. I almost jumped for joy at the sight of my friends but Rowen’s hand landed on my lower back and my spine straightened right up. His touch does things to me, especially after our hasty make-out session. I still feel his hands on my body, his lips on mine. I’m probably still flushed, too.
“Happy birthday!” Anna and Hannah say in unison, draping a hot pink feather boa over my shoulders and placing a sparkly “Birthday Girl” crown on top of my head. Kyle already had a birthday drink in hand for me and I downed it in seconds. I needed a drink to calm my raging hormones. With Rowen’s touch on me, claiming me in this busy upbeat bar, I’m ready to strip down naked.
We all ended up taking a few shots (except the mystery guy, who I find out later is a friend from school that they paid to be the DD), and then we wobbled around to three more bars. We were currently in Crazy Eight’s and it was by far my favorite. It was big and open. A giant dancefloor right smack dab in the middle. The place was decked out in neon everything. Everything glowed like we were in a laser tag maze and the dim lights made everyone look as if we were avatars.
“Shots for the birthday girl!” Hannah slurs and I willingly take the shot, tipping my head back and letting the burning liquid slide down my throat. I had a pretty good tolerance, thanks to Alicia and I hitting several parties last year (in hopes to get my mind off Rowen, which obviously didn’t work) but now that I’m at my fourth bar, I’m drunk. Straight up drunk and you know how I know that? Because I just dragged Hannah Marie and Anna out onto the dance floor with me. I’m in between the duo, with my hands in the air, letting my hair whip across my face.
Hannah Marie and Anna are basically grinding on me and we’re all cracking up like we’re in a comedy show. I glance over at Rowen and he’s sitting at the bar, a beer in his oversized hand, cracking a smile at me with the pink feather boa wrapped around his shoulders.