In the afternoon heat, the shapes wobbled and reformed into wavering creatures that no one could make out behind the car window. Not that anyone cared. All the cars on the street were trying to fill up the most suitable spots for the fireworks later. Almost as an afterthought, one more car came onto the street, stopped for a second as if hesitating, then summoning its courage, leapt into a parking spot. The figures behind the glass did not seem remotely concerned with their great spot, however. Inside, a simpler scene was taking place.
"Happy birthday, Zoee Anne," Dominic said, holding a small bag out to her. She looked sideways at him, an inquisitive stare dripping off her eyelids, but she suppressed her reflexive refusal long enough to accept the bag. He held her wrist as she was going to open it. "Now I know that you don't normally do the gift thing, but I thought that you would like the things I got for you here. At least look at them before you decide." She nodded, now genuinely curious. She dipped a slender hand into the plastic depths and came up with-
"Really? Hello Kitty earrings?" she laughed.
"Yeah, and they have ruby accents on them. I figured that would work, since that's your birthstone and all."
She looked sharply at him. "How did-"
"I looked it up," he smiled easily. "Didn't take long, and I figured you were worth it." Their smiles faltered a bit as their hands met and fingers locked firmly. "I didn't know what else to get you, so I went into the store and had these made. So," he breathed as his face came inexorably closer to hers,"happy birthday, cherie."
Their eyes closed as their lips exchanged greetings, and soon his hands were roaming all over her as she let her fingers walk all over him. They parted reluctantly, and his shirt was already over his head when he stopped abruptly.
"What?" she asked, confused, a thumb stuck in and pushing down the edge of her short shorts. This was what they had come out for, after all. THIS, waiting in the back seat of the car, here, as sunlight surrendered his tyrant grip on the sky and left muttering, was all she wanted for her birthday. Her lover, here, with her, making her body light up. Now, however, he seemed to have other things on the mind. "Why don't we watch the fireworks? They start soon, after all. Make a date out of it. Then, when everyone is still out here on their blankets, we come back here and..." he deliberately trailed off, but the smile in his eyes told her all she needed to know about that. She reluctantly agreed, but in her brunette head, wheels turned and plots bubbled. She decided to break his resolve to stay outside in the easiest way possible.
They took a blanket out as the sun disappeared completely, and in seconds they were surrounded by throngs of people all looking for a place on the grass. Old, young and children alike flocked to the grassy slopes gently leading down to the water where the fireworks would launch into the sky. The pair found a likely spot, not too crowded in by other sightseers, and took a seat on the short green. She flapped the blanket out, and as it descended, it came down on her thighs and floated up to her breasts, sweating slightly in the halter top. He noticed the shortage of fabric on his side, however.
