CHAPTER 20
Mindy had just gotten home from school when Steve met her in the entryway.
“Happy birthday, pumpkin!”
“Thanks, Daddy!”
She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him on the cheek.
“Come to the kitchen,” he said, beaming at her. “I’ve got something for you.”
“The new car I keep asking for?” Mindy asked as she followed.
“Keep dreaming.”
A small round cake, slathered in pink frosting and decorated with strawberries, was sitting on the counter. “Another one?” she cried, the smile not leaving her face.
Mindy had already celebrated her birthday with her friends on Sunday, since so many of them were busy after school.
She was starting to feel left out in that regard.
Maybe she needed to get a job as well. Then again, her theater group kept her busy, as did her social life.
If she waited just a little longer, she could take advantage of her lifeguard certification again.
Sunning herself by a pool beat flipping burgers.
“We should probably wait until your mother gets home,” her father was saying. “Although she’s on a diet, and this was my idea. What do you think, birthday girl?”
“Let’s have a slice now!”
Steve smiled and reached for a knife. “Oh wait! I almost forgot.” He opened a drawer, pulled out a lighter, and began igniting candles.
“I already made a wish,” she said.
“You get two this year,” he replied before breaking into song.
Mindy was moved. So was he, judging from the tears brimming in his eyes. Her father was a big softy. She was lucky. In so many ways. So when Mindy leaned over the cake, she thought, Give this wish to someone who needs it more than I do.
After she blew out the candles, her father cut two slices and carried the plates to the dining room table.
“You might get three wishes actually,” he said as they sat down. “When we go out to eat tonight, they’ll probably sing to you.”
Mindy passed him a fork while grimacing. “So embarrassing! Please don’t tell them it’s my birthday.”
He shrugged. “When I called and made the reservation, they asked if it was a special occasion. I couldn’t help myself.”
“Daddy!” She was just about to take a bite when they heard someone knock. “I’ll get it!”
Mindy rushed from the room and threw open the front door, gasping in surprise when she saw Galen standing there, holding a colorfully wrapped box.
“Hey!” she said. “What are you doing here?”
“I couldn’t miss your big day,” he replied with a sheepish grin.
“You were at my party.”
“Yeah, but that doesn’t count. Today is your real birthday. Here.”
He offered the gift. She took it from him and gave him a smooch. “You’re so sweet! Come inside. We were just about to have cake.”
Her dad seemed crestfallen when she returned to the dining room with company.
She’d rather have the cake upstairs in her room, to be alone with Galen, but she also didn’t want to hurt her father’s feelings.
So they sat at the table. Steve fetched another slice and asked the sort of questions a parent did: What’s your favorite subject at school?
Is that something you plan to pursue in college? What do your folks do for a living?
Mindy ate her cake as quickly as she could and covertly gestured with her fork for Galen to do the same.
“We’re going upstairs now,” Mindy said as she stood.
“Don’t you want to open your present first?” Steve asked morosely.
“I’ll open it in my room.”
“Well… Okay.”
“It’s nothing big,” Galen said on their way.
She jiggled the box. “It’s heavy!”
He’d already given her a darling charm bracelet yesterday. She hadn’t expected more. Once they were seated on her bed, the box between them, she began unwrapping it.
“I’m guessing it’s books,” she said. “The only question is what kind.”
“You must have X-ray vision,” Galen replied. “Here’s the thing: You’re going to love this series, but the best books are way down the line. Technically you could skip to them, but reading out of order drives me crazy.”
“Same here,” Mindy said before clasping her hands together in delight. Six paperback books filled the box, all brand new. “The Discworld series! I remember you telling me about these!”
“I was going to loan them to you,” he said with a nod, “but trust me, you’ll want these on your shelf.”
“What’s this?” she asked, crinkling her nose at what appeared to be a small quilted rectangle lined with lace.
Galen chuckled nervously. “Well, you said you hate the covers. That’s what my grandma always uses when reading racy romance novels.”
“It’s a book cover?” Mindy asked before laughing. “Oh my god, it’s even uglier than the actual covers. I love it!”
“I thought you might. My grandma makes them herself.”
Mindy covered her mouth. “Oh gosh, I didn’t mean to—”
“No, it’s okay,” Galen assured her. “I’ve always thought they were ugly too.”
“But in a good way,” Mindy said. “Which one is the first book? I want to dress it up.”
Galen showed her while providing a brief overview of the series, which from the sound of it, was made up of little subseries and the occasional standalone.
“I also brought this with me,” he said, pulling out a battered copy of The Colour of Magic from his backpack. “I thought we could read the first few chapters together. Like, at the same time.”
“What a fun idea!” Mindy said.
The doorbell rang again. She ignored it while they arranged the books in series order.
“Pumpkin?” her father called. “Someone else is here to see you.”
“I feel so popular!”
Mindy leapt off her bed. She slowed on her way down the stairs. Vonn was standing in the entryway, talking to her dad while clutching a bouquet of flowers.
“Hey,” Vonn said when noticing her.
“Umm… Hi!” Mindy replied, glancing over her shoulder with a burst of panic. Galen was hovering by her bedroom door, probably curious to see which of their friends was here.
Mindy hurried down the stairs. Maybe she could ask Vonn to step outside with her.
“Would you like some cake?” Steve asked.
Vonn shrugged. “Sure.”
“No!” Mindy said. “I mean… Um…”
Vonn’s gaze traveled upward. “Oh. You’re busy.”
A quick glance over her shoulder confirmed that Galen was now at the top of the stairs, his expression confused.
“A little,” she said apologetically.
“That’s fine,” Vonn replied. “I just wanted to give you these and wish you a happy birthday.” He handed her the bouquet.
Mindy felt two pairs of eyes watching them. “Can we…?” she nodded at the front door.
Vonn took it all in stride. “Nice seeing you again, Mr. Beaumont,” he said to her father.
His gaze moved to Galen, who was standing in the same spot, before he nodded cordially. Then he turned and left, Mindy hot on his heels. She closed the door behind them and finally released the breath she’d been holding.
“These are beautiful!” she said, considering the flowers at last. “Roses! Wow!”
They were pink. Her favorite color.
“I couldn’t be there on Sunday,” Vonn said with an easy shrug. “Not with my sister around. But I thought of you. So I thought I’d stop by on your actual birthday.”
“That’s so sweet of you!”
“I should have realized you’d be hanging out with a friend.”
The point on that sentence was subtle but sharp.
“He’s more than that,” Mindy replied. “We’ve been on a few dates.” Part of her was tempted to say more so he wouldn’t get the wrong idea about her. But then, they’d never put a title on anything. Mindy didn’t need to excuse herself. She only had to be honest.
Vonn seemed to digest this news. Then he nodded. “All right. When can I take you out so we can celebrate properly?”
“How about Saturday?”
“You’ve got it.”
He leaned forward, but not all the way, as if testing the waters. She kissed him without making it a big production, although her heart raced nonetheless, because this was scandalous. Kissing two different boys, in such quick succession!
When she returned inside, Galen was no longer at the top of the stairs. Steve lingered nearby.
Mindy handed him the flowers. “Could you put these in water for me, please?”
“Sure, honey, but I thought—”
“Thanks, Dad!”
She raced up the stairs. Galen was standing in front of the window that overlooked the street. The roof hid the front stoop from view, so he couldn’t have seen much, aside from Vonn driving away in his truck.
“I’m back!” Mindy said.
Galen spun around. “Who was that?”
His tone was devoid of accusation, although it did sound concerned.
“Keisha’s older brother,” she replied, wanting to avoid the subject.
“He brought you flowers,” Galen said. “They were roses!”
“You got me this lovely bracelet,” she said, holding up her wrist for him to see.
Galen moved his jaw before he managed a response. “Is he one of the guys you’ve been dating?”
“Yes,” she admitted.
“How old is he?”
“Nineteen?” She squinted. “Or maybe twenty.”
Galen’s eyes went wide.
“Probably just nineteen,” she hastily amended. “He graduated last year.”
“That explains why he looks like a frat boy. Does he lift weights or something?”
Mindy shrugged. “He was raised on a farm. Maybe they use him to plow the fields.”
She meant it as a joke. Galen didn’t laugh. He seemed shaken as he sat down on the edge of her bed.
“So anyway,” she said, wanting to change the subject, “you know what would be more fun than reading the same book at the same time? We could read to each other.”
Galen looked at her sharply. “Like you do with Diego? Are you guys…”
“Not anymore,” she said before frowning. “I don’t like how this is starting to make me feel.”
“That makes two of us!”
Mindy tasted guilt. She didn’t want to hurt anyone, but she had to make her choice carefully, because so much more was on the line than who would become her boyfriend.
Mindy was ready to lose her virginity. She could hardly wait!
But she had to, because the experience would be a part of her life forever.
She would get no second chance, no do-overs.
She liked Galen and Vonn in very different ways.
Either of them was a worthy choice. That was the problem.
Mindy sat next to him on the bed, took his hand, and rested her head on his shoulder. “That was weird,” she murmured. “For both of us.”
“When do you think you’ll make a decision?” he asked, sounding vulnerable.
“I’m not sure. I just want things to happen naturally. Is that okay with you?”
She heard him swallow and felt his head nod. “I just wish he wasn’t so handsome.”
“Like you aren’t?” she said in disbelief. “I love your face.”
She pushed him back, so he was lying flat on the bed, and swung a leg over his hips. Mindy kissed him on the nose, which was wide and flat, and then moved on to his thick lips, pulling back so she could see her favorite aspect of him. Galen smiled, his sweet brown eyes lighting up.
“And I love your body,” she said, placing her palms on his chest and her rump on his crotch.
“Oh man,” Galen squeaked. “I love you!”
She blinked in surprise. “You do?”
“Yeah,” he replied, his voice raw. “Is that okay?”
“Yes!” Mindy said, her pulse picking up. “I love you too.”
Galen strained his neck. She stooped. Their kiss became increasingly intense, until a noise in the house reminded them that her father was home.
“We better cool it down,” she said, climbing off him.
“Yeah,” Galen said, sitting up with his arms crossed over his lap.
Mindy wanted to see, so she grabbed his hand and tried to pull him to his feet. “Let’s go out back and read together. I need some sun.”
He resisted her. “I’m gonna need a minute.”
His jeans looked uncomfortably tight, to her immense satisfaction. She didn’t want to torture the poor boy (okay, maybe a little), so she let him go and picked up the book they were about to begin.
“Why does the little guy have four eyes?” she asked.
“Because the cover artist misunderstood the source material,” Galen replied, seeming relieved by the change of topic. “He’s supposed to be wearing glasses. You know, four eyes?”
Before long, they were able to go outside.
Reading simultaneously turned out to be an enjoyable experience.
One of them would laugh, the other would realize why a moment later.
When they reached the end of the first chapter, she noticed that a hint of worry still crinkled his forehead.
If only Vonn hadn’t stopped by! She didn’t want Galen to feel like he was stuck in a competition.
Choosing a winner wouldn’t be easy. One of them would feel rejected, no matter what.
But at the moment, Mindy knew what she wanted.
“Be right back,” she said, setting the book down and going inside.
Her mother had just gotten home, Steve tempting her with the cake.
“Happy birthday, honey!”
“Thanks, Mom.”
Mindy made another wish. Not by blowing out candles. She asked her parents for permission instead. Then she rejoined Galen in the backyard.
“Hi!” she said, plopping down next to him.
“Hey,” he said with a chuckle.
“Do you wanna go to dinner tonight with me and my parents? I already asked them. They said it would be okay.”
“Are you sure?” he asked.
“Yes! There’s literally no one else I’d rather have with me.” And it was true. Vonn was exciting, sure, but she couldn’t imagine having a relaxed meal with her parents while he was at the table.
“Okay,” Galen said, flashing that adorable grin of his.
“You just have to promise one thing. If any waiters start to sing, you’ve gotta tackle them for me.”
Galen puffed up his chest. “I won’t let you down.”
“All right. Now let’s try reading to each other. I love the funny voices you use when we play D&D.”
“I just so happen to do a great Rincewind,” Galen said, his confidence having returned.
“I’ll be Twoflower. It’ll be like reading a play.”
They soon lost themselves in the story, laughing through most of it, although part of Mindy remained dazzled by the best birthday present she could have gotten. A boy had declared his love for her!