Darren’s
Birthday
“Darren,” Jack sang as she hovered above his sleeping body on the couch. “Wake up, baby. I’ve got a surprise for you.”
“What?” he asked, opening his sapphire blue eyes and staring up at her with a sweet smile across his lips.
“Come with me,” she replied, taking his hands and pulling him along. Jack led him into the kitchen where the lights were completely turned off and only candles lit the room. On the table was a full dinner, trimmings and all.
“This is all for me?” Darren asked, surprised and bewildered.
“Of course, silly. I didn’t want you to have a crappy birthday,” Jack answered, sitting down across from him at the table.
“You’re the best,” he commented. “Is Dan gonna be joining us?”
“I hope so. I made all this food. He’d better come and eat his fill,” she joked.
“Hey, guys,” Dan shyly poked his head through the door.
“Get your ass in here and eat,” Jack ordered the moment she laid eyes on him.
“Okay,” he quietly replied, sitting down at the edge of the table next to Jack. “This looks great.”
“Thank you,” she said, beginning to serve the food. “I’m glad you think so. I spent hours in here preparing it.”
Darren popped the quark on the Champaign bottle and poured some into each of their glasses. Before digging into his dinner, he lifted his glass and asked, “Who wants to toast?”
“Me!” Jack exclaimed as she picked up her glass. “A toast to the 30 year old birthday boy who will never grow up even after we get married.”
“And a toast to Dan, who had finally figured out that the woman of his dreams was standing right in front of him all along and has finally gotten enough courage to tell her,” Darren added.
“My turn,” Dan said. “To Jack and how she managed to bring us all closer together in some of the absolute worst conditions and overcoming adversity.”
“To all three of us,” Jack replied to finish the toast. They took a sip of their Champaign and soon began dinner.
“We should do this more often,” Darren said between bites.
“I know!” Jack exclaimed. “I miss you guys. We never get together and just talk. I miss having a real conversation with more than one person.”
“If you miss it so much, then why don’t you start it?” Dan asked.
“Fine! I wanna know what you’re working on in the studio,” she replied.
“A song,” he retorted.
“Wrong answer!” Jack shouted, beginning to laugh. “I want a title and lyrics.”
“Well, if I had either, I’d tell you.”
“You mean to tell me that you don’t have shit?”
“Yep.”
“You’re an ass, you know that? An ass!” Jack began to giggle.
“I know what you are, but what am I?” Dan jokingly replied as Darren burst out laughing.
“You guys are so childish,” he managed to say between laughs.
“No shit,” Dan and Jack said at the same time. The three of them began to laugh until their sides hurt.
“Okay, seriously, what have you been working on, Dan?” Jack asked as she drank the rest of her Champaign.
“I’m trying to write a song for Nadia, something sweet and simple, but this being me, the least romantic person in the universe, I can’t come up with anything,” he replied, sitting back in his seat.
“You know, maybe I can help you out. I wrote a song a while back ago called ‘I Miss You,’” Darren said.
“This I gotta see,” Jack joined in.
“I’ll be right back,” he replied. Darren walked out of the room and came back a few minutes later, notebook in hand. He opened it to the page the song was on and handed it to Dan. Jack leaned over to read along and found herself crying by the time she finished it.
“You’ve really turned into jello, haven’t you?” Dan jokingly asked as he stared at her.
“Hey, it’s not my fault. My hormones are on a rampage,” Jack answered.
“Now, I know she likes it,” Darren said, “but what do you think?”
“I think I’m gonna borrow this if you don’t mind,” Dan replied.
“Go ahead.”
“Thanks!”
Dan began to stand up, but Jack quickly pulled him back down into his seat. “Where do you think you’re going?” she asked.
Seeing the evil glare in her eyes, he answered, “Nowhere.”
“Good,” she replied. “I’ll go get dessert.” Jack stood up and went to the fridge. She soon came back with a triple layered chocolate cake.
“How long did it take you to do all this?” Darren asked in astonishment.
“None of your business,” Jack answered as she set the cake in front of him. She lit the candle on top with a light she confiscated from Dan.
“Please tell me you’re gonna skip the birthday song,” he begged.
“Hell no!” she retorted. “I came up with the perfect way to sing it, and you’re not gonna ruin it.” After clearing her throat, she began to sing, “Happy birthday… to you… Happy birthday… to you… Happy birthday… dear Darren… Happy birthday… to you.”
Dan could barely suppress his laughter when Jack finished. He had never seen Jack act so outlandish in her entire life. She would never do this even if she were drunk.
“Marilyn Monroe,” Darren said. “That was a really good impersonation.”
Dan put his hands over his face as he felt the tears fall out of his eyes in a stream as he laughed. Jack leaned over and pinched his side. “Ow!” he giggled.
“You get you ass out of here before I throw the entire cake in your face,” Jack warned. Dan gladly stood up and walked out of the room, looking back and laughing as he reached the door.
“He can be such an ass,” she told Darren. “So, getting past that. Make a wish.”
“Hmm… what should I wish for?” Darren thought out loud. “Oh, I know.” He closed his eyes and blew out the candle.
“What did you wish for?” Jack eagerly asked when he looked up at her.
“If I told you, it wouldn’t come true,” he replied. “But if you really wanted to know, I wished for us to have a wonderful life together.”
“Aw, that’s so sweet,” she said, taking his hand.
“Okay, where’s my present?” Darren asked.
“I’m getting to it,” Jack answered as she stood up and walked over to him. She sat down in his lap and leaned over to scoop a large dollop of chocolate icing off the cake. Facing Darren again, she gently smeared it across his lips and proceeded to kiss it off.
“Why do you have to torture me like this?” he moaned, his arms wrapping around her waist.
“Because I can,” she whispered, a devilish smile appearing across her face.
As Jack and Darren were having their fun in the kitchen, Dan was making arrangements for his departure for the states. Seeing Nadia couldn’t wait any longer. He needed to talk to her, especially after what she had said on the phone.