I looked at her with lowered brows, “Cee, I’m atyourbirthday party. It’d be pretty shitty if I didn’t know your name.”
She shrugged as if to say,‘tough shit.’
“We’ve known each other foryears,” I went on. “Even if we were just acquaintances, we would at least know each other’snames. It’s not going to work.”
She smiled wickedly, just giving me another shrug. “It wouldn’t be much of a game if it wasn’t a challenge, Connor.”
I sighed. “Alright. I didn’t want to have to beat you on your own birthday, but…I guess it can’t be helped.”
Her eyes lit with something mischievous and light andallCeci. “Game on, Con.”
In a flash she was outside, barreling her way back into the party. Within minutes, she was turning her gaze toward the window where she probably knew I’d be watching. Concealed close to her body, she mimed two numbers along her hands.
One, zero Ceci.
She was already in the lead, and with me, where it counted, she’d always win.
Chapter Three
CECI
I lost.
According to Connor he somehow managed to look eight people in the eye yesterday and ask them to remind him the name of the girl’s party he was at. Eight was a lot, I only managed three times without laughing or someone else calling bullshit. So I couldn't believe he’d gotten away with eight successful attempts without cracking. I actuallywouldn’thave believed it if I hadn’t witnessed one instance with my own eyes.
I was conveniently walking by him and my tía Diana when I noticed him talking to her and slowed down, intent on eavesdropping and hopefully catching some of his embarrassment firsthand. That’s not what I got. What I saw was Connor turning to my aunt, who had just thanked him for coming to her‘little sobrina’s’party, with the straightest of faces and saying, “Of course. Remind me her name again.”
Tía Di, who was never one to hold her tongue, gave him a funny look and placed her hands on her hips. “You come to her home and eat her food, but you don’t even know hername?”
Con’s eye twitched, the only indication that he found this just as amusing as I did, as he shrugged his shoulders, seemingly indifferent. “I know it starts with an‘S’, the rest just isn’t coming to me.”
He even snapped his fingers and tilted his head to the sky, really getting into the role. I had to bite my tongue to keep from laughing at his bullshit. Most people wouldn’t think Connor Ferguson was a funny guy, but that was because he didn’t show that side to most people. To me though, he let his smartass flag fly.
In response to his ignorance, Tía Diana looked about ready to hit him. I think she was gearing up to do it too when I quickly eased up to her side and inserted myself into the situation.
“Hey Tía!” I said in a chipper voice as I came up beside her. “What are you doing hitting on all the young boys again? I can’t take my eyes off you for a second, can I?”
She didn’t bite. Wrapping a protective arm around my waist, she pulled be against her side and continued to glare up at Con. “Mija, we were just looking for you. The Ferguson boy wanted to wish you a happy birthday.”
It was my turn to hold in my laugh as both me and my aunt looked up at Con expectantly. He was for sure going to lose now. He couldn’t wish me a happy birthday without blowing his cover. He also couldn’tnotwish me happy birthday in front of my feisty aunt.
I had him, or so I thought. But I guess I underestimated the audacity of Connor Ferguson, because with that same serious face he turned his eyes on me. Eyes that only I would know weredancingwith amusement. “Happy birthday,Celine.”
My smile broke loose at the horror we were creating on my poor aunt’s face and I had to eat it quickly before she caught sight of it. Putting on my best acting shoes, I gave him a scowl, “Celestia. My name is Celestia, dipshit.”
But I messed up there too, and it was a big enough mistake to pull a triumphant smile from Connor’s mouth.
I’d done two things wrong. First, I had just given Connor ammunition to end the game early, because if I supposedly just told him my name (especially with a witness present) there was no reason for him to go around the party acting like he didn’t know it anymore. Secondly, I never told anyone my name wasCelestia. I mean, it was, but the use of my full name was reserved for very few people, Connor being one of them.
Tía Diana didn’t know that, though. No one did. And now she was looking atmelike I was the crazy one.Dammit.
“Well then happy birthday,Celestia,” Connor said in his deep rumbling voice before he slipped away sporting a smirk on his face.
I couldn’t even sulk at being beat. I was too busy fighting off the zinging feeling his words had given me. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up, the way Connor rumbled my name always leaving me feeling weird. Hot and a little jittery.Charged.He didn’t use it often, but when he did it almost always gave me this strange feeling.
So I’d lost, and customary to any of our ridiculous shenanigans, loser paid for whatever we were doing together next. We didn’t have any plans set, but I wanted to get him coffee anyway for saving me from that bar, and taking me to the emergency room, and buying me two birthday presents that I loved. So hopping out of the childhood bed I’d stayed in last night at my family home, I rushed through showering, scrubbing the glitter off myself, and saying goodbye to my parents in order to make it over to Connor’s favorite coffee place and then to his house before he left for work.
Tearing through my family’s massive home with my overnight bag slung across my shoulders and wrist throbbing because I’d left those pain meds from the doctor at my apartment before the party yesterday, I made for the front door whilst calling over my shoulder. “Bueno Mami, Apá! Hasta luego, te amo!”
