2 Birthday Cake

ORIGINAL CONTENT OF D.C. BLU. DO NOT COPY AND/OR REDISTRIBUTE WITHOUT THE AUTHOR’S PERMISSION. PLAGIARISM IS CRUEL. PLEASE BE RESPECTFUL.

2: Birthday Cake

Cody laughed as her best friend and fake boyfriend Bailey ran up the bleachers after football practice to where she sat. A red stripe of some goop plastered down the middle of his brown curls, almost making his hair look like wings against his head. Sketched across his naked muscular chest in permanent black marker was written “NEWBIE”. Thankfully he had boxers covering his pretty ass.

“Does this qualify as hazing?” Bailey asked with a scowl on his face.

“Not sure, but it’s hilarious!” She continued laughing at what she hoped wasn’t permanent paint dripping down his face. “I thought you were getting along with the rest of the team.”

“I thought so too…” Bailey sighed, his gold eyes narrowed. “Maybe there is a clue on the back. What did they write?” He turned around. “They wouldn’t tell me.”

Cody read aloud what was written inside a big red outline of a dripping heart in bold black letters on his broad back. “Break up with Bailey. We Love You, Cody! Happy Birthday!” Cody grinned at the message. The thought was nice if not a little disturbing.

Bailey turned around with a smirk on his face. “They said they wanted to get you something, I didn’t think it would be this.”

“Dude, your team rocks. Now go put on some clothes,” Cody said kicking her foot at his backside, pushing him back toward the stairs.

“I would.” He plopped down beside her. “But I’m stuck like this.”

Cody gawked at him.

“After holding me down and having their way with my body, they took my shit and ran.” He groaned.

Cody burst out laughing again. She took his hand and stood, “Come on, let’s get you cleaned up. I’ll go find the guys and get your clothes back.”

“They could be long gone.”

“Not if they want to incur my wrath. I’d hate to kick some ass again,” she said of the first time they pissed her off. They nearly gave Bailey a concussion from playing to roughly inside the locker room. Bailey had a nice sized bruise on his noggin because some asshole decided to play toss with his head. She didn’t cuss the guy out. Nope, she walked up to him and give him an even nicer sized bruise in his eye. After that, the message was clear, Fuck with my Bailey and I fuck with you. Plus, she did it to keep the true love of Bailey’s life from plotting murder.

She and Bailey walked hand in hand to the locker room, where she dropped him off to shower and clean up. She continued to the head coach’s office. There several of the coaches were talking. With her posture straight and a big eager smile on her face, for show, she knocked on the door.

The head coach looked up through his office window at Cody and his whole face lit. He went to the door himself and opened it.

“Ms. Cody, how can I help you?”

“Hi, coach. Nice practice today,” she said getting the niceties out of the way like a good girlfriend who wanted to protect her boyfriend’s position on the team. She was getting pretty good at that shit, too. “I’m looking for your team. They have something important to me.”

The coach laughed. “They said something about going off campus to grab a bite at Gremlin’s.”

The Crank Drunk. Cody did a mental check of how far that was from the campus. Not too far if she drove. Fifteen minutes there and fifteen back. Or she could wait with Bailey and call Tyler to go get Bailey’s stuff.

Cody politely thanked the coach and jogged out the building.

She waved to the cheerleaders who she recognized and a girl from tennis. Thought Cody wasn’t enrolled in Miami, because football freak Bailey was scheduled to start his freshman year in the fall, she found herself getting to know a lot of the sports department. Though she tried not to be too sociable, because problems would eventually surface, being the make-believe girlfriend slid her into that social role…ugh.

As she traversed the parking lot toward her truck, she called Tyler, Bailey’s younger brother by two years and her other roommate. It rang and rang, without picking up. She’d have to go to the restaurant herself then. Without leaving a message she got into her pick-up truck and drove to the restaurant’s locale, then circled the block where the bar was trying to find a spot to park. When she did, it was in a lot blocks away. The cost was a bit more than she would have liked to pay for just stopping a moment to grab some gear but she was in a hurry. Plus, her father could afford it.

She ran the two blocks and a half it took to get to the bar, then barged through the double glass doors.

“Surprise!”

Jumping back in fighting stance, Cody gasped, breathing erratically as her three roommates Bailey now all cleaned up, Tyler, and their youngest brother Matt, along with the restaurant’s staff, the university football team, and a load of people she didn’t know all rallied in front of her cheering and laughing.

Chants of, “Cody! Cody!” Began to rise as Bailey and Matt rushed to her.

Cody hit Bailey in the arm. “I hate you so much right now.” She growled in his ear, glad she didn’t have to pee or she’d have pissed herself.

“I told the guys you don’t do birthdays, but they refused to hear it,” Bailey murmured.

Cody groaned inwardly as she ruffled Matt’s short crop of hair. Of the three, he was the youngest brother and in her opinion, the most adorable. The three brothers varied is height like stair steps, Bailey being the oldest and tallest to Matt being the shortest and youngest. Though Cody had a feeling that fourteen-year-old Matt would not stand in his brother’s shadows for long.

Cody glanced among the crowd of strangers. She really didn’t do birthdays. But she would bare with it for her three roommates. They were sweet enough to think of her so the least she could do was smile and play girlfriend for an hour or two.

Food, music, and laughter went on for hours as half of the university seemed to be gathered in her honor. She was glad the bar was large enough to hold so many. People came and left in groups, but never leaving much room in the bar. Cody hated crowds, but she sucked it up and plastered on a smile for everyone who wanted to meet the “birthday girl.”

Pulling away from another random guy asking her if she had a boyfriend, Cody found herself pulled into a group of guys she recognized. The frat boys from the other day.

“Hey.” Paul, the ringleader smiled at her a charming expression that made him look hot. But it annoyed the hell out of her.

“Hi.” She tried to exit the group, but they had effectively boxed her into a corner. Four guys, two who were taller than her, Paul about her height, and the other was shorter. With all the people around, she could have screamed and someone would have heard. But why yell when she could just beat their asses? “Care to move?” She asked trying for the diplomatic approach. She didn’t want to have the police get involved…again.

“I noticed you were watching me earlier,” Paul said looking into her eyes as if trying to make some kind of connection.

He was right of course. She saw him across the room near the beginning of the party and kept an eye on him to make an effort to stay away from him. But of course his ego misunderstood.

“Look…what was your name again?” Cody asked not giving the guy the satisfaction of letting him know she remembered his name. She always remembered names, just in case she needed to file a complaint or get a restraining order.

He gave a soft chuckle before saying, “Paul.”

“Paul. Right… Actually I don’t want to know your name. I want you to move. I don’t like being closed in,” she said slowly and carefully so he heard every word.

“I just want to wish you a happy birthday. Can’t I do that?”

“You just did! Thank you.” Cody grinned a fake cheerful expression.

“You’re welcome. I even have a present for you.”

“Really? That’s nice. Excuse-“

“Don’t you want to know what it is?”

“No.”

His face darkened into an angry red. “No?” He leaned forward reaching to grab her. She slapped one of his hands away, before swinging deliberately missing his nose, just barely. His eyes widened in shock.

Taking the moment of distraction, Cody shoved past him and elbowed someone so hard she heard a curse. She marched to the bathroom wanting to scream. For about five minutes, she sat on the toilet just to have time to herself and keep her head from exploding. Her skin crawled with all the people who wanted to meet her or flirt. And her nerves itched from the encounter with that damn frat boy. Not another one…not another one… She just turned eighteen, legally old enough to vote, and technically an adult. Yet nothing had changed. Nothing at all. Her fucking life would never change. Being with Bailey changed nothing at all.

After being disowned by their father, Bailey and his brother’s were given a new life by Cody’s father. Gabriel Walthour became their guardian/benefactor. And he had allowed her to stay with the brothers as long as Bailey continued to play her boyfriend to keep guys away from her. Yet there were still some who just didn’t give a damn, frustrating her.

After pulling herself together, she walked out to find Ada sitting on the sink counter, auburn hair styled in a cute bun. Her face made up to look almost like a doll in pinks. Her black blouse was cut low and her tight blue jeans showed of a generous butt.

“Cody, dear, why are you held up in here?” Ada asked swinging her legs back and forth. The heels she wore had to be about four inches high if not higher.

Cody shrugged approaching the sink. She waved in the sink letting the automatic faucet wet her hands. Putting her hands under the soap dispenser, the sensor recognized her presence. A tiny amount foamed into her hands.

“You have all these people adoring you, and you’re in here hiding? Aren’t you happy? I would be ecstatic. Come on, love, what’s going on? Did you and Bailey have a fight?” Ada asked leaning toward her.

“No.” Cody smiled and turned to grab a paper towel from the wall mount.

“You know… We could be friends if you allowed it,” Ada said jumping down from the counter. In those heels, the twenty-year-old college student was almost six feet. “Yeah, I think you’re smoking hot and would try to get into your pants now and then, but mostly it’s just playful-“

Cody turned to Ada who was standing too close for her own comfort. “I like you, Ada. But if you hadn’t noticed, when anyone other than Bailey flirts with me, it makes me unease. If you can cut that out, then yeah, friends. Otherwise, no,” Cody blurted, too tired to play nice.

A hurt look crossed Ada’s face, “I… Sorry? You always seems to joke with me so I… Cody, I never meant to make you uncomfortable.”

“I know. That’s why I try to play along. That’s what a normal person does right? I have to be normal…” Cody pointed to the mirror. “This girl…” Her finger touched the glass over her reflection. “She doesn’t get to be normal. People see this girl with flirty curls that demands they run their fingers through. A normal girl should accept that, right?” It was just thick dark brown curls, not even that long, barely coming past her shoulders. And yet sometimes she had to dodge hands that reached for it. “Those emerald green eyes, exotic, amazing, they call to people, always without her knowing it. And that face? People stop and stare at that face all the damn time. It’s so fucking beautiful isn’t it? Full pouty lips that always beg for a kiss. Always.” A tear ran down Cody’s cheek, but she quickly wiped it away. “She’s made to be touched and fondled, so she’s asking for it. She has boobs and butt, so of course she’s made for sex. The slut asked for all of it. For the harassment, and the unwanted advances. Just by the way she looks, she needs to be fucked…” When Ada’s eyes widened in horror, realization stopped Cody. What was she saying? Cody ground her teeth. “Shit.” She turned away and nearly ran from the bathroom.

And slammed right into the arms of one of her roommates.

“Hey,” Tyler, the gorgeous as sin gold-eyed brown-haired sex god held her. “You’re shaking.” He whispered in her ear.

And she was…shit, she was losing it. How could she have said that, let that out? To nearly a stranger! “Let go.” She whispered.

“Hmmm…” His hum, warm liquid silk, slinked down her skin, making her uncomfortable. “Why are you shaking?” His nose nuzzled her neck.

The contact woke her from her panic. “Fucker.” She kneed him in the thigh.

He laughed, kissing her cheek. “That’s better. Go find Bailey. Girls are flirting with him. I won’t have it.” He let her go.

Of course girls were flirting. Bailey may not be sex on legs, but he was still hella hot. And Tyler was very protective of his Bailey. Just as she was about to walk past him he slapped her ass.

“I’ll beat the hell out of you later.” She snapped.

“Of course you will.”

Though Tyler was the least of her favorites of the brothers and the bane of her existence, she couldn’t deny that the bitch helped ground her when her world started tipping.

“Cody, there you are!” Matt bounced around a group of people holding a piece of cake. He presented it to her with a bow like a young gentleman. Laughing, she took it and hooked an arm around his shoulder to give him a half hug. Matt was the other one who kept her solid.

She glanced down at her fourth slice that night. Light, fluffy, plain vanilla cake with rainbow sprinkles…Cody preferred chocolate, but after what she was feeling, what she just went through, she needed sugar. Lots and lots of sugar.

After digging into her cake, a presence dropped down beside her in the booth she sat in. She’d hoped for some alone time, but with all these people… From the warm earthy scent of his closeness, she knew it was Bailey. In public, they were always “lovey dovey” so for her to sit shoulder to shoulder with him was becoming her new normal. A normal she didn’t mind since he helped stave off most of the creeps, but not all.

“Want to go for a walk?” Bailey asked in a low husky voice, nose brushing against her cheek.

She nodded finishing up her cake. She left her plate for the wait staff before she followed Bailey out of the booth. Hand in hand they left the bar until they were a block from the place, where they dropped hands.

“What happened?” Bailey asked when the sounds of the bar dimmed.

Cody sighed running a hand through her curls. “Tyler told you?”

“Ada.”

Cody cursed inwardly. “I… Don’t want to talk about it.”

“You never do.” He bumped her shoulder with his own. “If I knew you were this uncomfortable with public gatherings, I would have insisted the guys not do it. I would have found some way to stop them.”

“It’s fine.”

“Is it? Cody…it’s your birthday. You should be happy, but you’re miserable.”

How could she tell him that she didn’t know how to enjoy something like a birthday? She never experienced a “happy” one. Usually she spent it alone with only one phone call from her sister. Sometimes Molly made an effort to take her out to eat, that is if she remembered. And before she came to live under her father’s care, she didn’t even know what day her birthday was.

The only thing she understood was that most people who celebrated, did so because they were thankful to be alive another year. Cody struggled to understand her own existence, let alone come to terms with a birthday.

She sighed thinking of the group at the bar gathered for her sake. Most of those people didn’t even know her. The football team threw the event together just to have a reason to party. The restaurant staff were there getting paid, minus Ada who had truly tried to be a friend. The only three who she could honestly say were there for her was Matt, Tyler, and Bailey. And she loved them for just being there. Even though that Tyler always made her want to smash his face in.

“Cody…” He started as if he wanted to say something profound, but stopped himself and asked instead, “Did your father call you yet?”

“Did you see the balloons in the living room this morning?”

“Yeah.”

“That’s it.”

“That’s it?”

Cody laughed. “That’s the usual.” Balloons and a curt happy birthday note came every years like clock work. The man probably had a standing order or something. But it made sense that he never did anything more for her birthday, since he never wanted to acknowledge her as his child.

“He never asks you what you want for your birthday or anything?” Bailey asked.

“I have a bank card that is linked directly to his company. If I need or want something I get it.”

“But-“

“Bailey, how many times do I have to tell you, I’m good.”

“You’re lying. Remember, I know you.” He grabbed her arm and pulled her to him. He whispered into her ear, “I know you.”

Cody groaned dropping her head onto his shoulder for support. Yes, he knew more than she wished he did. He didn’t know everything, but he knew enough about her secret shame. “Can we not talk about him?”

“As you wish birthday girl. Let’s go back.”

They began to walk, hand in hand to the party when Cody’s phone rang. She answered it without thinking, figuring it was her sister to wish her a happy birthday.

“Hello?”

“You’re missing your party, sweetheart.”

Cody frowned at the voice…until it registered. How the hell did he get her number? She hung the phone up.

“Who was that?” Bailey asked.

“Wrong number,” Cody said pulling Bailey toward the bar.

“Why in such a hurry?” Bailey asked jogging behind her.

“I want more cake.” And she wanted to kick the ass of the frat boy who stole her number. How? When? Then she remembered how she left her phone behind the other day. That must have been when he got it.

Unfortunately, Paul and his friends were gone when she arrived back at the party. While she ate her fifth slice of cake, she put the number he called from in the reject pile. Good riddance.

“Hey.”

Cody looked up from her cake and swallowed the piece she had in her mouth, hard. “Hey, Ada, sorry about earlier.” Cody sighed putting down her fork.

The bar was still buzzing with activity and noise, so Ada had to lean across the table to talk and hear. Her low cut blouse showed the guys behind Cody a nice view. She even heard one of them curse.

“Everything okay?” Ada asked.

“Just moody. You know…girly stuff…”

Ada lifted an eyebrow. “Uh huh.”

“That’s my way of saying I don’t want to talk about it,” Cody said before picking up her fork and stuffing her mouth with more cake.

“Well if you ever do. Call.” She took out a pen from her purse and wrote on the cocktail napkin beside Cody. “Please.”

Cody nodded taking the number. Ada stood up straight but didn’t move. Not looking up at the woman, Cody finished her cake. She didn’t need to look up at Ada and see sympathy or some kind of pity in the woman’s eyes. She didn’t need that. And it would make her hate Ada.

Eventually, Ada walked away leaving Cody to finish her cake. Yeah, after tonight, she probably wouldn’t be back to The Cranky Drunk. Ever.

Later that night while she continued moping in her booth, a loud sound outside the window had Cody finally looking up and toward the window. A man had just parked by the curb and was getting off a nice sleek black machine. The motorcycle was just like a sports bike she drooling over at the car show that she and her roomies went to a few weeks ago. And it was a thing of visual orgasms. Gleaming under the street’s lights showing off slim lines and smooth curves, the thing was made for speed. If she looked like that bike, she’d understand why people stalked her.

When the owner of it took his helmet off, Cody gawked and stood from her seat. She was out of the restaurant, standing before two grinning idiots and the third, unzipping his black leather riding jacket.

Tyler grinned a sexy smile as he handed the helmet over to her. She took it absent-mindedly.

“Put it on! Put it on!” Matt cheered standing next to a proud smiling Bailey.

Cody nodded, putting the helmet on. It was a perfect fit. How the hell did the thing fit over all Tyler’s ego?

When Tyler finished taking his jacket off, he held it out for her.

“Are you guy’s kidding me?” Cody finally found her words taking the jacket, giggling uncontrollably like a kid. She was glad the helmet covered her face, because the tears coming down were gross.

Slipping on the soft jacket, she zipped it up. Though it was hot that night, she didn’t care, she was donning the buttery leather like a royal coat.

“Now get on. And ride.” Bailey ordered like the commander he was.

Not having to be told twice, Cody howled like a lunatic before straddling the machine. The powerful engine hummed between her legs, welcoming her. She grabbed the handle and looked over at the next three best things that happened in her life since her father took custody of her. Best birthday ever, she thought before revving the engine and leaving them in her exhaust.

ORIGINAL CONTENT OF D.C. BLU. DO NOT COPY AND/OR REDISTRIBUTE WITHOUT THE AUTHOR’S PERMISSION. PLAGIARISM IS CRUEL. PLEASE BE RESPECTFUL.