I've watched hundreds of hours' worth of true crime documentaries. I'm so fucking prepared for this. I step into the living room. I see the balloons strung up on the walls. I am confused.

"Umm," I turn around to see that Maryann has walked up behind me, with her normal RBF on. I'd just opened my mouth, asking Maryann what the second party was for, since we already cut a little cake and sang a little song last night at 12, when a voice I know and love cuts in.

"SURPRIIIISE!"

My sister has somehow appeared behind the dining table, and I can't help but gasp melodramatically. I look between her and Maryann, who smiles at me. My mouth is still hanging open as I walk to Olive and pull her into a hug. She's taller than me and ruffles my hair like I'm a kid, then squeezes me tighter.

"I missed you." I say.

"Me, too." Olive says. "Whatever. Ew."

Then I pull away from her and hit her on the arm. "You know I was ready to stab you?

"Aww." Olive grins. "It's nice to see you're still a paranoid psycho."

"Ha-ha." I say.

I cut the second cake I've cut in 24 hours. Olive smushes some on my face and I chase her around, trying to do the same to her. Maryann goes to open the door when the bell rings, and in comes Hughes and The Guy Maryann's Sleeping With, all buddy buddy with one another. Olive is delighted to see Hughes, and vice-verse. A little while later, Joan and Michael from the bookstore I work at show up as well. They're all nice people, and we have a pleasant evening together – eating cake, playing dumb charades, drinking – me, diet coke; the others, beer. When Maryann is giving Joan and Michael a house tour, Olive suggests we go out clubbing.

"The clubbing scene isn't exactly the strongest here." Hughes says with a chuckle.

"Yeah, it's a family dinner party compared to the kinds of places we've been." I say to Olive

"Hey, when did you go check out the clubs?" Hughes asks me with an arched brow.

"Like, my first night here. Duh." I say.

"Still!" Olive says. "I don't care. I want to go out tonight. Let's go out tonight."

I'm really not in the mood. I say, "I don't know if I should, in my condition."

"Oh, don't be so selfish, Sabine." Olive sneers.

I laugh. "My bad. Sorry for being pregnant. Plus, it's my birthday. But sure. Okay. Whatever."

Olive rolls her eyes. She takes a sip of her drink. "Have you seen a doctor yet, by the way?"

"No." I pout. "But I'm going to, soon."

"Bro..." Olive says, putting on a very judgy look on her face.

"If I remember right, you only need one prenatal visit in the first month." Hughes chimes in.

"Exactly." I confirm. "I Googled it."

"Fine, whatever." Olive says. "Can we go hit the town now?"

*

We end up going out after all. But not to a club, just a bar, instead. People are still dancing here, though. And there's one of those machines here – the ones where you get to pick up a toy with a claw. Weird to have that in a bar, but I don't question it.

Olive points gleefully towards a blue octopus soft toy inside the machine. "Someone pleasee win that for me."

"Uhh," I groan.

Maryann has disappeared with her manz, and Joan and Michael are already at the bar.

"Alright, I'll try." Hughes says. He digs a coin out of his pocket and puts it in the slot.

"Yay!" Olive cheers. "Hughes is the best."

Hughes smirks, and I roll my eyes.

"Stop stroking his ego." I say as Hughes starts navigating the claw.

"I'll stroke whatever I want, Sabs." Olive retorts with a grin.

"Ewwww." I say. "Go away, whore."

"Look who's talking!" Olive cackles and I put my hands over my belly with a gasp. Olive cackles more.

"Fuck!" Hughes curses. The claw just helplessly clawed at the octopus then returned to its original position. "Again." He says to himself, digging out another coin, putting it in the slot, and he has this determined look in his eyes which is hilarious and a little hot. Olive and I share a look.

Hughes fails to get the octopus again. He grits his teeth, and finds yet another coin from the deep trenches of his pocket to put in the slot.

"Hey," I say, putting a hand on his back. "It's a scam, dude. Calm down. You can't win it anyway – "

"Mother of fuck!" He yells, and I jump. He has lost again. The octopus simpers smugly at us from inside the glass of the machine. Olive claps a hand over her mouth to control her laughter.

"Olive, do you really need that stupid octopus?" I glare at her.

"I do, actually." Olive manages, though her face is turning red. She lets loose a series of snickers, but Hughes doesn't hear it over the music and also because he is trying again and is too focused on the task at hand.

"Jesus." I say as I watch the man lose his mind over a stupid game.

"Hey,"

I turn and come face-to-face with a familiar, and very cute, guy.

"Hi..." I start. The man grins. "Hi."

Then I remember. It's the guy from the bookstore!

"Hi, hi." I say. "I remember you. Aaron."

"I remember you, too, Sabine." Aaron chuckles, folding his arms over his chest. "So, what brings you around here?"

"I'm here with some friends." I say, nodding behind me, in Hughes and Olive's direction. Aaron waves at them. "It's my birthday – we're just celebrating."

"Oh, shit, really?" Aaron asks, shifting his feet.

"Yeah. Really. I'm 26 now. It's a really weird age to be." I say.

"I'm 26, too. So I know." Aaron says, shaking his head comically. I giggle a little. "Well, happy birthday, dude. Is there anything special I can do for you?"

I chuckle. "What, you work here or something?" I arch an eyebrow.

"My mother owns the place, so, I help sometimes." Aaron smiles.

"Oh." I say. "Oh." I say again stupidly. "Um," I turn to look behind me. Hughes is looking at the machine like it kidnapped his children and killed his wife.

I look back at Aaron. "Do you think you could open up that thing?"

*

Aaron is a hit amongst my friends and Olive. And why wouldn't he be? He's absolutely adorable. Olive keeps giving me the thumbs-up every time I catch her eye. Maryann flirts with him a bit. Hughes doesn't like Aaron too much, though. I think he's bitter about not being able to win the octopus on his own.

I walk outside with Aaron to get away from the noise, and I tell him that, about Hughes being bitter. He bursts into laughter, making me follow suit, although I do tell him to stop because I'm loyal to Hughes. We're sitting on the edge of the pavement, sharing a cherry Coke between ourselves.

"What has that guy got to be bitter about?" Aaron asks, shaking his head through his laughter.

"Stop laughing, asshole!" I punch his knee jokingly. "And what does that mean?"

"He's, um, a stunning specimen." Aaron says, breaking into a fit of laughter. I can't help but laugh along. I mean, I agree.

"Seriously, though," Aaron says once he calms down a bit. "I'd hit that. But I'm straight. I think."

"Mm." I say, starting to stand up. "Thank you for that image in my head. I hate it."

Aaron cackles. He grabs my hand, pulls me to sit down again. He lowers his voice, leans in conspiratorially, and asks me:

"Have you hit it? I feel like you've hit it. Have you?"

"Noooo." I drag the word out, leaning away from him. "I haveeeen't. That's disguuuuusting."

"It's disgusting" Aaron repeats. "Wow, we have very different tastes then."

"It's not because I think he's ... unattractive." I drawl out. "He's very nice to look at. I just can't see him in that light."

"Mm." Aaron hums.

"I've known him for more than 10 years." I go on. "I don't think it's still possible to want to fuck someone if you've known them for so long."

Aaron looks at me like I've said something very intelligent. He passes me the Coke.

"That's truly something to think about." He says.

I shrug, take a sip, give it back to him.

"Hey," Aaron says.

When he doesn't say anything and a moment has passed, I look at him. He meets my eyes. He has plain brown eyes. But they look so friendly, and so warm, that I feel at ease immediately. Aaron presses a chaste kiss to my lips.

"Hm." I remark, looking down at his mouth. I meet his gaze again. He looks at me for approval. I slightly tilt my head to the side. Aaron kisses me again. He tastes like cherry Coke. We kiss slowly and carefully, smiling at each other in between, eyes sometimes open, but mostly closed.

I decide I like kissing him.

*

Aaron and I walk back to Maryann's house. We hold hands for a while, and he gives me a piggyback ride for a while, we giggle a lot.

I text Hughes. His number was the first in my inbox.

I'm at
Home

Aaron moves my hair out of the way and presses a kiss to the side of my neck.

I take soft breaths as I let him kiss a trail up my neck. Then I turn around and slide my hands up his chest – up, up, up, till I can interlink my fingers behind his neck. He wraps me up in a hug, and we make out in the hallway for a few enchanting minutes.

"My bedroom's upstairs." I murmur, pulling away to speak.

Aaron chases after my lips. "Mm." Kiss. "That's so far." Kiss kiss.

I grin. "Okay, um." I hold his face in my hands. "The couch is much, much closer."

"Isn't this not your house?" Aaron laughs. Such a precious sound.

I shrug. "What are friends for?"

"You're seriously so smart." Aaron says, and he kisses me again.