The air conditioner hummed gently as they sprawled out on the plush beige couch, their legs stretched out, each holding a glass cup filled with layers of cake and cream. The mess from their earlier celebration still lay around the room—deflated balloons sagging against the walls, bits of confetti glittering on the carpet, and a few empty party hats stacked on the coffee table.
Valerie spooned a generous bite of cake into her mouth, leaning back with a sigh of satisfaction. "You know," she began, her words muffled by the cake, "if my junior at work rolls his eyes at me one more time, I might actually lose it. How can someone be that cocky and that wrong?"
Delphinia chuckled, delicately scooping up a bit of cake from her glass. "Maybe he thinks he's impressing you. You know, 'Oh, look at me, I'm so smart.'"
"Please," Valerie groaned, throwing her head back dramatically. "If that's his idea of flirting, he's doomed. I don't date children."
