That night, Aless, Danny, Kay, and DJ had a great time. DJ immediately became infatuated with the beautiful Kay, who loved the attention, but had no actual interest in DJ. They planned on going out again as a group to celebrate Kay's eighteenth birthday the next month. Chipping in together, the four reserved a table at a club called Mabᴔb. Kay invited all her school friends and club friends, resulting in a group of twenty to thirty people. The evening overall was a lot of fun. With their table being so crowded, Aless chose to sit on Danny's lap most of the night, which neither of them minded. Poor DJ did what he could to maintain Kay's attention, but it was a lost cause. Too many of Kay's rich crushes were there, who brought expensive gifts and bought Kayla lots of drinks. By the end of the night, Kayla was trashed. DJ carried Kay to Aless's car when it was time to leave, which broke Aless's heart. If Kay wasn't such a snob, she would realize what a catch DJ was.
"It's just as much his fault," Danny sighed as they followed DJ to Aless's car. "He knows what type of girl she is, but he keeps hoping she will change her mind. I've warned him a hundred times by now. He just can't get over how beautiful she is."
"Kay is really beautiful," Aless agreed.
Her stomach clenched. Even though she knew it was petty, Aless hated when Danny said that Kay was beautiful. Stopping, Danny lifted Aless's chin, so she had to look at him.
"You are far more beautiful, Aless. I know you don't believe it, but it is true. Kay is flashy pretty, but flashy pretty gets old. You are long-lasting beautiful," he told her.
Kissing her gently, Danny ran his fingers through her hair and Aless felt her toes curl. He always knew the right thing to say.
"You guys!" DJ called out. "The damn car is locked."
"Sorry, DJ!" Aless chuckled.
Jogging over, Aless and Danny unlocked the car and helped get Kay situated.
"Are you sure you don't want us to follow you home?" Danny asked.
"No, Danny. I didn't drink, so I am fine," Aless reassured him.
"Yeah, but it's going to be hard to get her out of the car."
"I've got a system. This isn't the first time I've had to drag her butt into my house. We will be fine."
Giving him a quick kiss, Aless waved to DJ and climbed in. Rolling down her window, she called to Danny as he walked away, "Send me a dm when you get home safely, please."
"I will. You do the same."
"Okay!"
With that, Aless headed home. Normally getting a drunk Kay out of her car was easy, but, for some reason that night, Kay decided to be a pain in the butt. She wiggled, whined, and clung to the car seat in which she had been sleeping. Losing her temper quickly, Aless began cursing Kay as she tried to pull her friend free.
"Do you need some help?" a familiar voice said.
Turning Aless saw Bal standing by his truck.
"What are you doing making deliveries so late?" she asked.
"I should be asking what are you doing up so early," he replied.
Flickering her eyes to the car clock, Aless groaned when she saw it was almost six in the morning. Damn.
"We just got back from celebrating Kay's birthday."
"Oh, that's right. That was this week. How was the party?"
"Good, but my friend drank a little too much."
"I see. Do you want some help?"
Debating for only few seconds, Aless nodded.
"Please."
Trotting over, Bal gave Alessandra a warm smile in greeting.
"Normally, I can get her into the house on my own, but she is being a royal pain tonight."
"It happens. Let me try."
Bending over, Bal leaned into the car. He whispered into Kay's ear, who moaned slightly then wrapped her arms around his neck. Sweetly as sleeping babe, Kay allowed Bal to pick her up and out of the car. Annoyed, Aless rolled her eyes at her friend. Of course, Kay would be good for a man. Together Aless and Bal walked to the front door and Aless let them in.
"Where should I take her?"
"We'll put her in my room. Just follow me."
Quietly, they made their way up the stairs to Alessandra's room. There Bal laid Kay down gently on the bed. Removing her friend's shoes, Aless tucked Kay into bed then signaled for Bal to follow her downstairs.
"Thank you for your help," she said when they reached the main floor.
"No problem. It happens to all of us."
"Yeah, it does, but I still appreciate it. Can I get you anything to drink or eat?"
"I need to get back to my route, but I guess I can stay for a soda if you have one."
"Sure."
Padding to the kitchen, Aless told him to take a seat as she found a soda and glass. Serving him, Aless beamed as she sat next to him.
"You must be exhausted," Bal said kindly.
"Naw, I always get energized from clubs. I'll be up for about another hour before I can sleep."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"What are you going to do?"
"I don't know. Watch TV or something."
"That doesn't sound too bad. If your bored, your welcome to join me on my route."
"Really?"
"Yeah, it's boring but at least you'd have company."
"That actually sounds fun. Let me change while you drink your soda."
Slipping back upstairs, Aless changed into comfortable pajama bottoms and tank top. She didn't bother removing her make-up, settling for brushing out her hair and throwing it into a ponytail instead. When she was ready, Aless made her way down the stairs to find Bal waiting for her. Quietly, they snuck out of the house and back to Bal's truck.
"You sure you don't mind me hanging out with you while you work?" Aless asked,
She hesitated at the truck door.
"If I did, I wouldn't have offered. Honestly, I appreciate the company since I'm not a morning person and these early shifts drive me crazy."
Grinning, Aless knew what he meant. She was not a morning person either. Climbing in, Aless made herself comfortable as Bal got the truck started. He was wearing his usual long sleeve uniform with combat boots. Aless wondered what he looked like in regular clothes. Silently, she harangued herself for not paying more attention when they had met at the club months before. It wasn't that she was interested in Bal, Aless had Danny after all, but she was just curious.
Bal had been right. His morning route was slow and boring. Aless and Bal entertained each other by first talking about Kay's party then telling jokes and then talking about places they both wanted to see in the world. To her surprise, Bal was highly intelligent and had seen a lot of the world. It seemed that once they began talking, the route and time flew by. Before Aless knew it, it was almost nine in the morning.
"Crap," Bal exclaimed. "I should get you home. You must be really tired.
"I'm fine," Aless said as she stifled a huge yawn.
Chuckling, Bal touched the top of Aless's head gently.
"You are literally falling asleep in that car seat, Ale."
"Am not."
Her voice sounded sleepy and pouty.
"Too cute."
Softly laughing, Bal turned the truck around and headed for Aless's house. Trying to keep her eyes open, Aless kept talking, but soon she fell asleep. Bal drove in silence, glancing at her once and while. When they reached her house, Bal parked the truck and reached over to wake the sleeping girl. Stopping short of touching her shoulder, Bal thought for a moment before pulling out a small imaging device from his pocket. Holding it up, Bal focused on Aless's face then said the word capture in a whisper. There was a momentary pause then a small mechanical whirring noise, followed by a small flash. An image of Alessandra projected above the small device, a perfect image of her sleeping. Pocketing the device, Bal got of the truck and picked Aless up. He saw no point in waking her. Carrying her to the house, Bal managed to open the door with her keys then made his way to the living room. Carefully, he placed her on the couch and covered her with blanket. Standing there for a moment, Bal left out a deep breath.
"Ale, you really should be more careful with who you talk to. It may get you in trouble one day," he whispered to her.
Licking her lips in response, Aless rolled on to her back. Shaking his head, Bal left, locking the door behind him. Sleeping most of the day, Aless woke around three in the afternoon. Momentarily confused, Aless slowly recalled falling asleep in Bal's truck. Realizing he must have carried her inside, Aless felt grateful for his kindness.
"He is a nice guy," Aless thought. "I'm glad we are becoming friends."
Sneaking upstairs, Aless checked on Kay who was still sound asleep. Showering, Aless thought about some of the jokes Bal had told her that morning and she giggled. She would need to remember them, so she could share them with Danny. Thinking of Danny, Aless realized that she had never messaged him when she got home. Damn. Jumping out of the shower, Aless immediately ran to her phone and saw several messages from Danny. As fast as her fingers would type, Aless sent several apology messages, explaining that it had taken forever to get Kay inside and then she had fallen asleep. Part of her felt that she should tell Danny about Bal, but a large part thought that it would be cause him unnecessary worry. She knew that Bal was just a new friend, but sometimes Danny got jealous. Nothing crazy, just a little jealous. And since Bal and Aless were just friends and nothing had happened, Aless didn't see the point in causing a problem. In a short time, Danny messaged back, expressing his relief that she was okay. They messaged back and forth for a little while before Danny had to go to work and Aless had to work on homework. Sitting down at the kitchen table to work, Aless felt tired, but content. Life was good, thought. Life was very good.
The next month passed as Aless's eighteenth birthday drew closer. Bal and Aless started hanging out regularly on his weekend routes when Aless didn't have too much homework. They would spend a few hours talking about everything from movies to philosophy to stupid jokes. There was nothing Aless liked more than talking to Bal about his home country. Alᵫmdaun sounded breath-taking and it didn't take long before Aless added it to her list of places she wanted to visit once she graduated college. The longer they talked, the more relaxed Bal became. He laughed easily and teased Aless endlessly. The only time he ever became serious was when Aless asked about his family or the reason he came to Mᴔjin. Realizing it was a sore subject, Alessandra decided to avoid those two topics.
Her friendship with Kay was going strong as well. Whatever problem Kay had with Danny and Aless's relationship appeared to be over and the girls were close as ever. Her relationship with Danny felt the same way. Aless couldn't believe how lucky she was to have met Danny. Sure, he could be overprotective and jealous at times, but that didn't bother Aless. It felt nice to be with someone who always wanted to be around her and who she actually wanted to be around. Most of the guys she had previously dated didn't last longer than a month. Quickly, Danny was becoming the longest relationship Aless had ever had.
It was great because Aless and Danny never really argued. They would have silent disagreements in which both wouldn't say anything and would just pout. Aless knew it was immature, but she hated the idea of yelling at Danny. The only true area of conflict they had was Aless's dad. Danny hated that Aaron was never around
"It's like you live by yourself!" he snapped one night when he came over for dinner.
It was supposed to be the night he and Aaron finally met, but Aaron had called last minute and cancelled. Aless couldn't totally blame Danny for being upset. It was fifth time that Aaron had canceled dinner with Aless and Danny.
"I mean I cleared this evening, so I could meet him. Doesn't he care who you're dating?"
"Why are you getting so worked up over this? It's not a big deal. He will make it up to us. He said it was urgent," Aless instantly defended her father.
"Everything is urgent with him, except his family! You could disappear from the face of the earth and he wouldn't notice!"
"Danny! That is not fair! My father loves me. He is just busy with work. It's not easy being a single parent and running a business. If I can accept it so should you."
"It's just not right, Aless! You shouldn't be home alone so much! It isn't safe."
"What are you complaining about? You get to stay over whenever you want. You don't have to deal with my parents and we get plenty of privacy."
"I do enjoy that, but it's not the point! The point is that you are always alone! Don't you get that? You are always alone!"
Aless felt tears brimming her eyes, but Danny had never seen her cry, so she just narrowed them and frowned.
"You're right. I am always alone. But I'm okay with that. I like being alone. So you can just leave! I don't need you being here out of pity and you are going to leave eventually anyways!"
Turning on her heels, Aless stormed out of the room. Slamming her bedroom door shut, Aless fell onto her bed and just laid there. She didn't cry, but she felt like it. So what if she was alone. Alessandra had been alone before Danny came and she would be alone again when he left.
After about ten minutes, Aless heard the soft rapping on my bedroom door.
"Aless?" Danny's voice whispered. She didn't look up.
Soft footsteps approached her bed. They stopped and Aless could feel him standing over her. Staying still, Aless kept her back turned to him. His hand caressed her hair tenderly. Still she didn't move.
"Aless, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything. I know how important your dad is to you. But you should also know that I'm not going anywhere. I won't leave you. I promise."
He sat on the edge of the bed and Aless moved over a little for him even though she still didn't look at him. Crawling next to her, Danny wrapped his arms around Alessandra and kissed the nape of her neck. Eventually, Aless allowed him to pull her close and she could feel his breath on her ear.
"I love you, Alessandra, and I'm not going anywhere," he whispered sweetly.
That was the first time Danny had ever told Aless that he loved her. A feeling of both pain and delight exploded in her chest. More than anything she wanted to believe him, but Aless couldn't ignore a gnawing feeling in her gut.
"I love you too," she whispered.
"I'm sorry I yelled," he said.
"I'm sorry I yelled."
"I guess this was our first big fight, huh?"
"Yeah, it was."
"And the first time we have said I love you."
"Uh huh."
"I guess we are a real couple now."
"We weren't before?"
"No, we were, but now we are even more of a real couple. We can handle anything now."
Turning to face him, Aless looked into his warm eyes, the moonlight filtering through her window illuminating his Josӕng. He was so handsome and so kind.
"You are right."
"Of course, I am."
Kissing her gently, Danny held Aless against his chest. Breathing in his scent, Aless realized she did love him very much. The idea terrified her, and she couldn't help but feel that terrible gnawing in her stomach that told her something bad was going to happen. Suppressing the sensation, Aless took a deep breath and let herself fall into her feelings of love. What else could she do but learn to trust him? He promised he wouldn't leave, so Danny wouldn't leave, she assured herself. Technically, Aless hadn't been wrong.
As her birthday continued to draw closer, Alessandra realized that her feeling of foreboding was unfounded. Danny and Aless were happy together. Nothing and no one came between. With time Danny's over protective nature and jealous eased up and Aless felt that should could trust Danny not to leave her. It was the first time in over ten years Aless didn't feel alone. She didn't even mind that her father was never around because she had Danny.
Just before her birthday, Aless discovered that Kay would be out of town with her parents. Without Kay around, Aless didn't see the point of going out and partying. She could go out with Danny, but it didn't feel the same. Eighteen was such an important birthday, she really wanted it to be special. In her heart, Alessandra knew what she wanted, yet she was scared to ask for it. Two weeks before her birthday, she decided to grab the Cąȶ's whiskers and ask for what she wanted. Building up her courage, she approached her dad on one of the few nights he was home.
"Dad," she said timidly.
"Yes?" He asked.
Aaron did not look up from the paperwork he was reading. Hunched over his desk, Aaron was buried in his work even at home.
"My eighteenth birthday is coming up in two weeks," she said.
"Really? Is that soon?"
"Yes. Remember my birthday is the last day of the Golden Moon Month."
"I know when your birthday is, Catherine. I just didn't realize that it was so late in the month."
Shuffling his papers, Aaron let out a sigh of annoyance. Shift from foot to foot, Aless couldn't believe how uncomfortable her father made her.
"Well, I was hoping we could spend it together. You know a father-daughter night."
"That should be fine."
"Are you sure? I know that you have a lot of work lately…"
"My big business deal should be done earlier that week, so I can take a night off. It is your eighteenth birthday after all."
"Wow, thank you, dad!"
Frowning at Aless, Aaron finally looked up from his papers.
"Why do you sound so surprised?"
"I…It's just…I don't know. I just thought you wouldn't be able to."
"That silly. Of course, I would be there for your birthday. You act like I'm never around for your birthday."
Saying nothing, Aless didn't have the heart to point out that she had spent the last seven birthdays with her friends or alone.
"We can go out somewhere nice to eat. I'll buy you your first drink," he continued.
"That would be nice, dad, but how about we just have a night in. I can cook and we can just have a nice quiet night together."
"Why? Don't you want to go out to a nice dinner? I can take you to Flӕme. You can dress up nice for once."
Forcing a smile, Alessandra nodded. She hated going to fancy restaurants, especially with her dad. They usually ran into someone he knew from business and then he would spend most of the night talking to them. In the stifling environment, Aless and Aaron rarely talked because Aless was afraid of talking too loud. Yet it was clear that it was what Aaron wanted.
"Okay," Aless agreed.
"Do you want to invite that boyfriend of yours?"
"No, I would like it just to be the two of us."
"Good. I would prefer that too. I thought I would offer though."
With that he turned back to his work and Alessandra knew the conversation was over. Exiting the room, she called Danny and told him their plans.
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Danny asked. "You know he isn't great about keeping plans."
"Danny," Aless said warningly. "It is my eighteenth birthday. My dad wouldn't miss that."
"But Aless, he…" Danny trailed off.
The tension from Aless's side of the phone was palpable. Deciding it was better to say nothing, Danny said, "It sounds like it will be a nice birthday. I hope you take a picture for me so I can see you all dressed up."
"Of course, I will. This way you can also go camping with DJ like you wanted."
"Hey, I would skip that camping trip in a heartbeat for you."
"I know you would but this way I can spend some time with my dad and you can have a guys weekend. We can celebrate my birthday the next weekend. It will be the best of both worlds."
"That is true. If you are sure about this, then I'll tell DJ I am in for the trip."
"I am sure. Will I be seeing you tonight?"
"Yes, my love. I will pick you up around seven."
"Can't wait."
Hanging up the phone, Alessandra thought for a moment then went upstairs. She had to see if she had any clothes nice enough for Flӕme. If she didn't, Aless knew she had to go shopping. As it turns out, Aless did have to go shopping for a new dress. Kay and Aless spent the next two weeks looking for the perfect dress. They finally found a gold-shimmery dress with red birds embroidered on the skirt that appeared to be flying when she moved. It was gorgeous and perfect for her eighteenth birthday.
The day of her eighteenth birth day, which landed on a Letears, Alessandra woke early to see Danny before he left on his trip. They kissed and hugged as they said goodbye. Danny gave Aless her birthday gift, which turned out to be a delicate crescent, almost identical to his Josӕng. It was made of a gold and blue metal that felt warm to the touch.
"Danny, its amazing," Alessandra gasped in awe.
"It's made from sun-metal. That's why it feels warm," he smiled.
"I have seen sun-metal in the stores, but I never had jewelry made of it. I thought it was most used for machines, like car parts and insulators."
"It is but I had some scraps from the garage and I thought it would make a pretty necklaces."
"It is does. Thank you so much. I love it!"
Aless threw her arms around Danny, hugging him tight.
"Good. I'm glad. I designed it after my Josӕng so its like I'm always watching over you."
Beaming, Aless kissed Danny. Her heart banged around her chest and she felt light headed. What had she ever done to deserve him? They spent a few more minutes kissing before Aless had to let Danny leave.
"Remember you promised not to take off the necklace," Danny said from his open car window. "I won't have any signal in the mountains so I will feel better knowing you will keep my necklace on."
"I told you I promise," Aless laughed. "Go have fun."
"Happy birthday, Alessandra. I love you."
"I love you too.
With the final farewell, Danny drove off. Climbing into her own car, Aless headed back for home. At home, Aless had discovered her father had already left for work. He had said he would be home by six-thirty and they had reservations at eight. Since school had let out on Solstice break, Aless had no homework to do. Biting her lip, Aless tried to decide what to do for the day. Going upstairs, Aless stared at her dress, which she had hung on her bathroom door, allowing any wrinkles to straighten out. The dress was so elegant that Aless thought she may be too plain for it. Bringing a finger to her mouth, Aless almost chewed on her nail when she suddenly stopped. Studying her nails, Aless saw that the gloss she had put on over a month ago was almost completely gone, making her long nails look shabby and rough edged. Looking between the dress and her nails, Aless realized that she couldn't wear such an elegant dress with trashy nails.
"Well, I know what I am going to do today," Aless said out loud to herself.
Grabbing her purse, Aless left to get her nails done. Once at the parlor, Aless decided to spoil herself with a full spa day. She got a manicure, pedicure, massage, hair cut, and eyebrow waxing. After over four hours, Aless felt pampered and ready to go home. On the drive home, Aless examined her nails again and again. They were glossed a mesmerizing gold, the same color as her dress, with small sparkling onyx chips on each nail. Never before had Alessandra had such beautiful nails. Normally, Aless thought such things were a waste of money but it was her eighteenth birthday and it was the first birthday she would spend with her father in close to a decade. It was worth it.
At home, Aless had a late lunch then watched some TV. Around five, she began to shower and prepare for her dinner. Aless wanted to show her father that she had become a young lady, one he could be proud of. Her phone buzzed at six with a dm from her father. He was going to be a little late. No problem. At least he let her know this time. By seven-thirty, Aless was dressed in everything but her dress. She slipped into her dress and a new pair of stiletto heels at seven-forty five. Carefully, Aless made her way downstairs and waited by the door. Her father said they would go straight to dinner since he would already be in a suit from work. Gnawing on her lip, Aless split her attention between the door and the view of the driveway through the front window. If she saw her dad's car coming up the driveway, Aless could just leave the house and meet him in the driveway.
Eight came and went. To entertain herself, Aless took a few photos in front of a mirror and sent them to Danny. She knew he wouldn't get them until he came down from the mountains, but at least he would have a nice surprise then. At eight-twenty, Aless called her dad. His phone rang several times, but he didn't pick up. Beginning to pace, Aless felt her stomach wrap up in knots. Compulsively, she stroked the pendant Danny had given her. Eight-thirty. Eight-fifty. Nine.
Every sound outside made Aless jump to look out the window, but it was always nothing. Just as the silence of the house began to oppress her, Aless's phone began to ring. Snatching it, Aless saw it was her father. Answering it quickly, Aless held her breath as she spoke.
"Are you okay, daddy?" she asked. "Are you near? Even though we missed our reservation, I am sure we can still get a table. They know you at Flӕme after all."
Opening the front door, Aless looked outside for her father's car.
"Catherine," her father's voice cut in. "I can't leave the office tonight. The big deal we were working just fell through. It's a complete disaster."
Pulling her head back in the house, Aless hung her head as she made her way to the kitchen.
"Oh, I understand."
"I knew you would. I am having the gift I bought you sent over. I probably won't be home until Pumic."
"Oh okay. I…"
"I have to go, Catherine. I'll call when I can."
Opening her mouth, Aless didn't even have a chance to say anything else before her father hung up. Collapsing into a kitchen chair, Aless stared silently at her phone for a long time. A single tear slipped down her cheek as she stared at her phone, willing her dad to call her back, to change his mind, to wish her a happy birthday. That single tear seemed to break a flood gate behind Aless's eyes and soon she wept uncontrollably. Even with the tears blurring her vision, Aless could not look away from her phone. The screen went black and she could see her own reflection, crying with blazing Sǐwáng Moon eyes. How was it that her father was the only man who could make her cry?
"Ale, I thought we talked about you leaving your door," a voice called from the front of the house. "Come on, girl. You now it is unsafe."
Bal strutted into the kitchen, smiling broadly. In his hands was a small package addressed to Aless. He was thrilled to have an excuse to see his friend on her birthday.
"Any crazy person could…"
His voice trailed off as Aless looked up from her phone. Blushing, she quickly turned her face from him as she wiped her cheeks clean. Coughing, she stood up quickly and grabbed a tissue for her nose.
"I didn't realize that I had left it open," she said with force cheer. "I guess I ditzed out."
"Ale, what is wrong?" Bal asked concerned.
"Nothing, nothing. What brings you here this late?"
Turning to him, Aless smiled broadly. Her cheeks were enflamed from her tears and her eyes shone desperately bright. In her dress, Aless looked nothing short than a tragic movie star, breathing take and heart wrenching.
"I just got this package in and, since I saw it was for you, I figured I would drop it off now," Bal said slowly.
"Oh thanks. That's so sweet of you."
Approaching him, Aless took the signing board from his hand and angrily signed before handing it back to him. With trepidation, Bal handed the gift to Aless, who still wore her painfully fake smile. Taking it, Aless grabbed a knife and slit the package open. Inside was an expensive necklace that alternated between blue diamonds and black pearls.
"Beautiful and expensive," Alessandra laughed.
Without warning, Aless threw the gift across the room against the far wall. Taking a step back, Bal stared stupefied at Aless. Her smile was painful as she forced herself to keep smiling broadly. How stupid had she been to think her dad would actually spend her birthday with her? How stupid was she to have told Danny to go away for the whole weekend? How little did her dad think of her that an expensive gift would make up for him breaking yet another promise?
"Ale, what's wrong?" Bal asked quietly.
"Nothing. Everything is great," she lied.
Raising an eyebrow at her, Bal looked from her to the necklace on the far side of the room.
"I may not be the best at reading women, but usually when a girl chucks something across the room into a wall as hard as she can that means something is wrong."
"Yeah, well, aren't you just so observant!"
There was an awkward silence. Standing emotionless and unmoving, Bal held Aless's gaze. Lips quivering, Aless tried to hold his gaze stubbornly but failed. Averting her eyes, Aless knew he was just trying to be nice.
"I'm sorry. It's just I had plans tonight and my date bailed."
"Oh, I'm sorry. Your boyfriend?"
"My dad."
"Your dad?"
"Yeah. But he had another business thing. He always has some business thing."
"Isn't it your birthday?"
"Yeah. No big deal. He hasn't been around for my last seven birthdays. Why would this be any different? It was my fault for thinking differently. And my fault for telling my boyfriend to go on the trip with his friends instead of being here with me. So once again, I'm a complete loser, celebrating my birthday alone."
Shuddering in suppressed tears, Aless turned her back on Bal. In two quick strides, Bal stood next to Aless, placing his hands on her shoulders. Turning her to face him, Bal's face was serious as he spoke.
"You aren't a loser! I mean your dad sounds like a jerk and your boyfriend is stupid."
"Hey! They are my father and boyfriend. Only I can say that!"
With a hard shove, Aless glared at Bal, ready to pick a fight. Holding up his hands in surrender, Bal laughed gently.
"You're right. I'm sorry. I just know how you feel. My parents were never there for my birthdays. Doesn't mean that they aren't thinking of you."
"That's what that stupid necklace is. An expensive gift to make up for missing one of my most important birthdays. He thinks that material things will make up for his absence. That's why I have a car and the newest phone and all this other useless crap. My dad would rather throw money at me then spend time with me."
"Sometimes people just don't know how to make things up to others. Buying stuff is the easiest and least painful way."
"I guess you're right. All I wanted was to spend a quiet evening at home with him. But no, he insisted on an expensive dinner out, so I spent two weeks finding this dress and then I spent all day today getting ready. My hair, nails, everything!"
Waving her hand, Aless gestured to her appearance. Bal's eyes roved up and down her body.
"You look beautiful beyond words, Ale."
"You're just saying that."
"No, I'm not. You look like an elegant young lady. Your father is a fool for missing it."
Unable to stop herself, Aless threw herself onto Bal. Holding her, Bal let her cry into his shirt. After a while, he pushed her back and sighed.
"I am sorry, Ale, but I have to go. I have two more last minute deliveries then I have to return the truck."
"Oh, yeah. I understand."
Giving her a tight hug, Bal released Alessandra then headed towards the front door. His face was tight in thought.
"Wait!" Aless called.
Stopping at the front door, Bal turned to see Aless following close behind.
"When you're done with work, would you like to come back and hang out? I can cook us something and we could just hang out…"
Studying her feet, Aless felt silly and desperate. Bal said nothing.
"Forget it. You probably have other plans. It was a stupid idea."
Lifting her chin with his fingertips, Bal smiled at Aless.
"I think it's a great idea, but it's your birthday, so I will cook dinner. I'll be back in two hours. I know that's late, but is that still okay?"
Heart racing, Aless nodded.
"That's no problem. I will see you then. Just send me a dm when you are on your way."
With a nod, Bal left. Watching him leave, Alessandra locked the front door. Seeing herself in the hall mirror, Aless sighed heavily. She did look great. Yet Aless felt as if she was looking at someone else. She almost didn't recognize herself in the refined young lady in the mirror.
"No point in staying dolled up," she said to herself.
Double checking that the door was locked, Aless made her way upstairs to shower for the second time that night.