“You didn’t think I wouldn’t give you a present, did you?”
I smile and grab the little pendant with my fingers to look at it. It’s a magnificent crescent moon, made of a myriad of tiny white diamonds. The design is so elegant and pure, I love it... Though the moon is not too big, it shines like a treasure against my pale skin. I can’t take my eyes off it for a few seconds, making Damian smile.
“You like it?”
“Damian, I love it!”
I jump to kiss him, standing on tiptoe and putting my arms around his neck. My gosh, why does he have to be so tall! But it does not matter, as I feel him smile against my lips and bend over to kiss me some more. I play with his hair under my fingers, and he suddenly grabs my waist and hoists me up, before putting his arms under my thighs to carry me while I face him. Our playful kiss goes on, with the two of us chuckling from time to time, trying to take over the other’slips. It’s funny to stand a little higher than him for once, and I like the way he looks up to meet my eyes.
I hear the waiter coming back, and I’m red again as he sees me straddling Damian. I try to break free, but of course, the man won’t let me go and keeps holding me against him. I hide my face into his neck, too ashamed to face the young waiter. Can’t he be a bit more decent sometimes?
“Nora, look.”
I frown against his shirt collar. What does he want now? Is the waiter gone, at least?
When I finally turn my head, another surprise is waiting for me. A cake! A small cake is now on the table, with two lit 18-shaped candles on it. Damian puts me down so I can approach it. I can’t believe it! He really got me an Opera Cake!
I smile subconsciously, happy to see my favorite dessert. Someone even wrote down a “Happy Birthday” in white chocolate on top of the cake and drew flowers with the icing and spread some gold powder, too. I bite my lip, not knowing what to say. My first birthday cake in forever, and it’s so perfect!
I finally turn to Damian, smiling from ear to ear. “You really got me that cake!”
“You can thank Nate for that, actually. I had to ask for his help. So, this Opera Cake you wanted so badly was just a chocolate cake?”
I laugh and shake my head. “Not just a chocolate cake! It’s several layers of almond sponge cake, soaked in coffee syrup, with layers of ganache and coffee buttercream! And it is covered in the chocolate glaze,” I recite with assurance.
Damian looks at me, surprised. “Sounds like you could do it on your own.”
“Maybe I’ll try it sometime. I read the recipe long ago, and I always wanted to try it.”
“What, so this is your first time eating one?” He asks.
I nod and head back to my seat. I really want to have a taste of it now! Damian chuckles and joins me, putting his chair next to mine. The waiter comes back quickly to serve us some champagne once more. I take a new sip, feeling fine. I’m just a little bit light-headed, nothing wrong with that, and it might even not be to blame on the alcohol...
I lean toward the candles, and close my eyes, trying to think of a wish to come up with. I feel like I can’t ask for anything more than all that is given to me now... In the end, I just silently ask Moon Goddess Mother to watch over the people I love for this new year. I blow out the two candles quickly, and my fated mate puts a quick kiss on my head, wishing me a happy birthday once again.
Damian puts his arm around my chair while I grab the little forks. I decide to ignore the plates the waiter gave us and eat directly from the cake. Gosh, this is so good. I take another bite, a bit greedy. We are still facing Silver City, and I’m having an Opera Cake on a boat, with pretty clothes and a birthday present from my fated mate around my neck... If someone had told me that three months ago, I wouldn’t have believed any of it.
“Are you going to eat all that Opera Cake on your own, or do you intend to let me have some of it, too?”
I laugh at him with my mouth still full. I was so absorbed into my tasting that I even forgot to hand him his fork... Instead of giving it back to him, I take some of the cake with it and feed it to him.
He makes a frown as soon as he tries it. “Too sugary...”
“You don’t like sweet stuff, anyway! Why did you want it then?” I ask, amused by his grimace.
“I was curious about what that cake you wanted so much tasted like...” He grabs his glass and drinks some champagne,probably to take off the taste. Well, it seems like this cake is all mine then!
I keep eating happily, and Damian keeps drinking, watching me stuff myself with a smile. I know he still thinks I’m too skinny. They all do, though I’m pretty sure I’m not underweight anymore.
After a while, I finally stop eating, too full to have any more of it. I lean back and rest my head on Damian’s shoulder. “You didn’t smoke all night.”
“How do you know I usually smoke?”
“The smell. I’ve never seen you with a cigarette, but you always have this faint tobacco smell on you. How come you never smoke in front of me?”
“I couldn’t smoke at the hospital, and the Mura siblings hate it, so... I don’t need it that much, anyway.”
“Do your brothers smoke, too?”
