Dark Paradise

chapter nine

*** warning: there will be smut 😳 ***

C H AP T E R N I N E

1989

EVEN THOUGH LIFE WAS STRESSFUL, THE GROUP WAS STILL EXCITED FOR THAT WEEKEND. That coming Sunday happened to be Celia's birthday. Javier, Connie, and Steve were planning a surprise party for her. Connie was ordering food from her favorite restaurant in town, Steve was in charge of the decorations, and Javier was in charge of the cake.

Javier had been hesitant on helping Steve and Connie with the party at first, but the married couple were persistent. With a little begging from Connie and some pestering from Steve at work, Javier finally caved in. Connie assigned him with getting the cake for Celia.

He had asked Connie how she wanted it done and she simply replied, "You know Celia. Have them make it how she would like it."

When Connie told him that he almost had responded that he didn't know Celia. Of course they spent hundreds of hours together over the course of the past few years, but Javier knew that she always kept a part of her blocked off. He knew she didn't want to fully open up to him, but he didn't blame her. Javier wasn't the type of person people opened up to completely. Just because he didn't feel like he knew Celia, he overthought how the cake would look and taste. It wouldn't hit him until later that day that the other day Celia and Connie were going on about how they missed marbled cake. Once Javier had gotten out of work for the day, he sought out one of the best bakeries in Bogota and ordered Celia's cake.

For the most of the week, Javier wondered if Celia would like the cake. Steve had reassured him multiple times everyday that she would love the cake no matter what it looked like or how it tasted. He had also told Javier that it came down to the thought and gesture of the cake that Celia appreciated and valued. Javier slightly relaxed after hearing Steve's words over and over. It didn't take long until he got back into his head and that was because he realized he couldn't show up to Celia's party with no gift. Thankfully a gift idea came up easier than an idea for the cake. He made note to head to the store once he got out of work and continued on with the paperwork in front of him.

/ / /

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!" Steve, Connie, and Javier all sang to Celia as she pretended to conduct their singing with her hands. "Happy birthday dear Celia! Happy birthday to you!"

Celia laughed as the three extended out the last vowel of the last word of the song before she blew out her candles. Steve snapped a picture as she did while Javier clapped. As Connie was pulling the candles out of the cake Javier had bought, Steve swiped a handful of whipped cream off the cake and plastered it all over Celia's face. Celia gasped out in shock as he did.

"Fuck you, Steve!" Celia laughed out as she wiped the whip cream from her eyes as everyone else laughed as well.

Connie took the camera from Steve before taking a picture of her sister with whipped cream covering her face as she was laughing.