2019 Birthday Story Scavenger Hunt, 5

​​Welcome to birthday week! We're celebrating my birthday all week long with a short story I wrote just for the occasion, as well as a chance for you to win some ice cream. Want more information or to see the list of scavenger hunt clues you're looking for? Check it out here. If you missed yesterday's part of the story, it's here (you'll want to read it first).

​When the lights came back on, Cassandra tried to see through the smoke lingering in the air. If it didn’t dissipate soon, the fire detector would start blaring. She waved her hand through the wisps and glanced this way and that. No sign of that handsome guy who had grinned at her over Sarah’s shoulder. Had she only imagined him? He looked just like how she pictured Mykal in her book.
“Birthday girl first.” Sarah gave Cassandra a gentle push toward the table laden with food. “You have to fix your plate before anyone else can and we’re starving.”
 In a haze, Cassandra added dibs and dabs to her plate. Sandwiches, chips, pickles, carrot sticks. She wasn’t even hungry, really. Not after the huge lunch and the big bowl of ice cream this afternoon. Laden with food, she glanced around the living area, wondering where she should sit. Maybe she could just slip down the hall and disappear while everyone was preoccupied with feeding themselves, too.
No such luck. Three steps in that direction, and the handsome stranger was in front of her, a cup of red liquid in his hands. Her feet and heart faltered at the same moment. Why, oh why, was she wearing yoga pants at a time like this?
“Hi. You must be Cassandra.” His grin spread lazily across his tan face.
“Unfortunately, yes.” She couldn’t help but smile back at him. “Though I’d rather be just about anywhere besides here.”
“Really?” He took a sip of his drink. “Not a fan of parties?”
“Don’t get me wrong. Lucy and Sarah are great. And I appreciate how much effort went into this.” She shrugged and looked down at her plate, wondering why she had picked up three pickles. “I just had this crazy plan to spend the whole day reading. And thanks to well-intentioned friends and family, I still have about a third of the book left.”
“That’s the worst.” He scooped her plate out of her hands and motioned with his head. “I’ve got an idea.”
She followed him through the crowd, She didn’t even know who he was, and yet she already trusted him. Lucy jumped up and down and waved at her, a big grin on her face. What was she mouthing? Cassandra shook her head and then quickly caught up with her dinner.
He glanced around when he reached the living room wall, then slipped behind the curtains. What? His hand reached out and pulled her behind, too. He shoved the French door open and escorted her out onto their tiny balcony. The warm night air wrapped around her, and the noise from inside was muffled as he pulled the door closed behind them.
She laughed. “Don’t you think Lucy and Sarah will be mad if I hide out here?”
“Is it your birthday or theirs?” His eyes crinkled at the edges as he smiled. He pulled out a patio chair with a flourish and motioned for her to sit. “How’s this?”
“Wonderful.”
“I’ll be right back.” He didn’t wait for her to answer, but slipped back inside.
Was he going to fill a plate and join her? The other chair was full of Lucy’s wilting herb garden. Maybe she should start moving the pots. She hesitated. Would that seem too forward? This had been his idea, but maybe he had just intended to help her and then disappear again.
Her heart ached at the thought.
The party noise increased again as he came back out the door. He set a cup of punch on the table next to her plate. Then, from behind his back, he pulled out the book she’d left on her bed earlier along with the book lamp that lived on her bedside table.
He gave her a wink as he presented his findings to her. “I won’t tell. But everyone deserves to have what they most want for their birthday.”
“That’s amazing.” She ran her hand over the cover and then looked back up at the guy who reminded her of the hero. “How can I thank you?”
He held out an envelope and grinned. “Give me a call when it’s not your birthday.”
He disappeared back inside before she could say anything else. She hadn’t even caught his name. With trembling fingers, she pulled out a simple birthday card.
“I hope you don’t mind my forwardness.” His writing was neat and straight inside the card. “When Lucy told me about you, I couldn’t turn down her invitation to come tonight. I hope you have a wonderful birthday. Call me as soon as you’re free.”
Mark. His name was Mark Borden. The same name as the author of the book. Really?
She traced his number with her fingertips and smiled again. She’d have to thank Lucy for the best birthday present ever. But not right now. Right now, she had a date in Andorya. She’d work out her date with her real-life hero tomorrow. When she was thirty-years-and-one-day old.

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That's it. What did you think? Is this something you'd like to do again in the future?
I'll give you a few days to turn in your answers and the winner will be announced next Thursday, September 5th. Thanks so much for joining us this week as we celebrated my birthday (and Cassandra's). ;-)