"I'm going to take a nap," Micah says, standing over the kitchen sink. He chugs a glass of water from the tap. "Thank you so much for the great birthday party everyone. I really appreciate you all being here for me today."
Mr Williams hugs him. "You're welcome, son. Landon has been good to all of us. You should thank her for the party, though. For everything."
"It's nothing," I say, blushing a little. "I wanted to. Really. He's the best boyfriend in the world. I wanted him to know that."
Micah tries to hide his smile. He crosses the room and envelopes me in a huge hug. Twirls me around the room. I laugh along with him. "I thought you said you were tired."
"I could never grow tired of you," he says in my ear. "Never."
I sit by Micah while he lies down. I stroke my fingers through his hair for a while. He kisses my wrist, asking me if I want to lay down with him. "You know I can't. Besides, I have a lot of cleaning up to do."
"I'll help when I wake up. Okay?"
I kiss his forehead and watch his droopy eyes flutter close. "Okay. Whatever you say, sleepy head."
I find Ashlae and Shay doing the dishes in the kitchen. I help them dry and pack away.
"What are we doing for the rest of the night?" Ashlae ask. "I mean, my baby brother just turned twenty-one, we have to go out for drinks or something. Take him to his first nightclub."
"That sounds like a good idea," Shay says.
"Except, I don't drink," I argue.
"Mocktails?" Ashlae offers, handing me a plate.
I wipe it with the tea towel. "Not really my scene to be honest. Why don't you take him? Spend some quality time with your baby brother. The two of you haven't seen one another in forever."
"That's a great idea," Shay says. "Except, they'll need a designated driver if they plan on getting smashed. So that leaves you at home alone. That's no fun."
"Honestly, it's okay," I reassure them. "I've been so stressed out about this party. I just want to unwind. Take a bath and get into bed. You have fun. I'll be back to the Landon we all know and love tomorrow morning."
Ashlae hugs me, hiding her face in my hair. She's at least a head taller than me and gives the best hugs. Yes, even better than Micah. "You sure?"
"Yes, I'm sure," I say to her. "Have fun and take lots of pictures of my boyfriend. I want something to blackmail him with when it's my birthday."
"So can do," Shay says.
I help Micah choose what to wear to the club when he wakes up. Naturally, he doesn't want to leave without me. He's moody all the way to the front door, but I know he'll be the one having the most fun. So, I force him to go. It's his birthday. He's allowed to have fun without me.
"Promise me you won't text me all night?" I say to him. He pulls me into his chest, kissing the top of my head. "You can't make me agree to that. Who am I supposed to talk to all night?"
"Ashlae and Shay!"
"But I want to talk to you," he groans. "I want to be with you."
"There's no negotiating," I argue. "You're going."
Shay honks the horn of his Jeep. "Come on, kids. Keep the kissing to a minimum. We haven't got all night!"
"Don't let them take me," he whines.
I laugh, kissing him. "It's just for a few hours."
"Okay." He leans down and kisses me. It's deeper than usual. His tongue slides between my lips. I whimper into his mouth, fingers in his dark blond hair. Then he pulls away from me.
"No—" I whine.
He kisses my cheek. "Think about me while I'm gone."
Cute. So cute, Micah Williams. I see what he did there. Trying to get me worked up. Did he expect me to beg them to leave him behind? To let him stay home.
"I will," I say, smirking. I push him to the car. Then stuff him into the backseat after one last goodbye kiss. I stand in the driveway and watch them pull out of parking and disappear down the street.
I start a bath in the bathroom inside Micah's room. While the bathtub fills with water, I look around in his cupboard for towels. I can't find any.
"Are there any towels in the downstairs bathroom?" I ask Mr Williams. The door to his study is ajar. I stand in the doorway, watching him file through a stack of documents.
He looks up at me, pushing his glasses up into his hair. The same dark blond Micah inherited. I suppose I have him to thank for my beautiful boyfriend.
He rubs his eyes. "Uhm, yeah. In the cupboard beneath the basin."
"What are you working on?" I ask him. "If I may ask."
He sighs. He hands me the pile of papers. "Really, I don't mind. I've been staring at them so long I can't tell if it's my inability to read or the contents of the documents."
"What is it?" I ask, walking into the room. I sit down in front of his desk.
He's got a glass of whiskey with ice next to his files. He takes a sip. Then pauses before taking another sip. "I hope you don't mind. This is really..."
I shake my head. "It's okay."
"The document is a press release for an advertisement one of my clients had recently released on their website," he sighs. "It's been criticized for its discrimination and racism. Apparently, it depicted people of colour in a negative light."
I move close to his desk. "Can I read the rest? We're working on something similar in class. Brands and scandals and stuff."
Mr Williams is a lawyer. He is currently working with a prominent haircare brand who decided to collaborate with the company—at least according to Micah.
He leans back in his seat. The first two buttons of his cornflower blue dress shirt were undone. He pinches the bridge of his nose, green eyes tired. "What do you think we should do?"
"Well, I have to know if the company is responsible or not," I say to him.
"I can't allow them to admit to anything," he argues. "It's a third-party supplier. The company isn't directly responsible."
"I'll need some more time to study the files," I say to him.