Login with:

Facebook

Twitter

Tumblr

Google

Yahoo

Aol.

Mibba

Your info will not be visible on the site. After logging in for the first time you'll be able to choose your display name.

Can't Remember to Forget You

Birthday

Being a Tuesday, I wasn't expecting the bookstore to be too terribly busy, especially with the steady drizzle outside. But that was fine with me. The bookstore could stand a somewhat deep clean and it was easier to do this when there were no customers. I was in the back of the store dusting when I heard the bell above the door ding! Assuming it was a customer coming in to browse, I only called out a hello before turning back to the task at hand.

Seconds later, a pair of arms slipped around my waist and I jumped before realizing it was only Zacky. "Did I scare you, Wowza?" he asked, chuckling softly.

"No," I huffed playfully. "What are you doing here, anyway? It's so dreadful outside, I'm surprised you're not cuddled up in your bed."

"Well I would be, but a little birdie told me it was your birthday."

"Who--" I started, but then I realized there was only one person who could have told him. "Claire."

"I'm a little offended that you didn't tell me yourself," Zacky pouted. He pressed a kiss to my cheek and I felt him smile against my skin. "But anyway! I know you don't have a show tonight, so I planned some stuff for us to do."

I moved Zacky's arms from my waist and turned around to face him, a soft smile on my face. "You don't have to do anything," I told him. "I haven't really celebrated my birthday the past couple of years. Usually, me and Claire just rent a couple of cheesy movies and get wine drunk."

"Well, this year is going to be different. You're my girlfriend and I'm going to spoil you."

"But--"

"No buts," Zacky interrupted. He grinned. "Let me do something nice for you. Please. I spent a long time planning stuff you might like to do."

I rolled my eyes playfully. "Alright fine. Let me close up and you can enlighten me on these plans of yours while you drive me back to my apartment."

Zacky leaned in to kiss me on the lips, a short little peck that left me smiling as he pulled back. I'd honestly been looking forward to a glass of wine or two and mindless television, but he seemed so excited about whatever plans he'd made that I didn't have the heart to turn him down. Besides, I didn't think it would kill me to actually celebrate my birthday this year.

. . .

"So, why don't you tell me about these plans you made for us?" I suggested, looking to Zacky as I dropped into the passenger seat and buckled the seatbelt. He grinned, reaching into his backseat to pull out a small gift bag. "Zacky, I'm going to kill you. You didn't have to get me anything."

"Just open it." He waved his hand at me. "Go on, Wowza. You won't be mad at me when you see what it is, I promise."

I knew there was no point in arguing with Zacky over this, even playfully. I pulled the tissue paper aside, my eyes narrowing curiously when I saw what appeared to be tickets inside. I pulled them out, looking to Zacky incredulously when I realized what they said. "You got tickets to Young Frankenstein at the Performing Arts Center?" Zacky nodded, obviously pleased with himself, and even I had to admit I was surprised. "But how? This show has been sold out for weeks!"

"I have my connections," he said, smirking lightly. "So what do you think? Am I doing good so far?"

"You're doing great," I said and I really meant that. It made me realize that Zacky had truly been paying attention to me and the things I liked over the months we'd known each other. And knowing that he'd gone out of his way to get tickets to a show I'd been dying to see made me feel very special. It was almost a little scary, but I just told myself that Zacky was being a good boyfriend.

"Well, the show's at five so I made reservations for dinner at seven thirty," Zacky said, finally pulling away from the bookstore. I opened my mouth, but before I could even process what I was going to say, he interrupted. "I don't want to hear a word. Spoiling, remember?"

I glared at him. "I am so getting you back for this on your birthday."

"You're threatening me with presents?" Zacky asked, raising an eyebrow. He laughed. "You're so cute."

I reached across the console and gave his arm a shove. "Just shut up and drive," I huffed. I wasn't really uncomfortable with Zacky spoiling me, just slightly uncomfortable with what it might mean. Spoiling a significant other was something someone did when things were starting to get serious, at least in my mind. This might just be something Zacky had gotten used to doing in his previous relationship and marriage. And I felt bad for feeling that way because everything Zacky had been telling me was right and it seemed like he'd worked hard to make sure I had a good birthday.

. . .

"So Wowza, are you excited?" Zacky asked.

I didn't answer him at first, too busy looking around the performing arts center as we walked inside. I was still a little surprised that he'd managed to get tickets but I was incredibly excited. "Of course I'm excited, have you met me?" I asked and Zacky chuckled. "It's been way too long since I've been able to just sit back and watch a show."

"That's right, I forgot you were a little theater nerd."

"Wow, that's rude! It's my birthday, you're supposed to be nice to me, you know."

"I know, I know, I was joking," Zacky said, chuckling. He wrapped his arm around my shoulder, pulling me close. He pressed a kiss to my temple and I smiled. "You're a little theater nerd, but you're a cute little theater nerd. And you put up with me, which even I will admit is quite a job."

"I know, right? I should be getting paid for this." I shot Zacky a smirk, leaning into his side as we entered the theater.

As we took our seats, it suddenly occurred to me that during the course of our nearly three-year relationship, Clark had never once bothered to take me to see a show. He'd made all sorts of claims about loving me and wanting to spend the rest of his life with me, but he'd never really made an effort to immerse himself in one of the biggest parts of my life, aside from obligatory appearances at my shows during college. And even then, I'm sure he only showed up because the tickets were free for students. And here was Zacky, coming to my shows and getting tickets to a sold-out show I'd been dying to see. And all within barely four months of knowing me. It was refreshing and honestly a bit terrifying at the same time.

"So I was thinking that maybe after this, we could just head back to my house and watch TV like you wanted?" Zacky suggested, thanking the hostess as she showed us to our table at the restaurant. He grinned. "I'll even order us a bottle of wine or two to take home. It'll be just like the way you're used to celebrating your birthday. Except you'll have better-looking company."

I snorted. "Are you calling Claire ugly?"

"What, no! She's pretty. I mean, not as pretty as you just...dammit, I don't really know where I'm going with this anymore."

I laughed. "It's okay, I know what you meant," I said, reaching out to give his hand a squeeze. "But that sounds like fun. A great way to end an amazing birthday."

By the time we were finished with dinner, I was more than ready to curl up with Zacky on his couch with a glass of wine. I wasn't particularly tired, but I was full and feeling a bit lazy now that the excitement I'd been feeling earlier had passed. I had Zacky stop my apartment one last time so that I could grab something comfortable to sleep in, knowing there was no way I wasn't spending the night with him tonight.

"You know, I don't understand why you wouldn't just let me change at my apartment," I said, standing beside Zacky as I waited for him to unlock his front door.

"Well you just look so breathtaking in that green dress, I just wanted to look at you for a little bit longer," Zacky said. He unlocked the door and pushed it open with a flourish, resting his hand on my lower back as we walked inside. "And I didn't think you wanted everyone else to see you in your sweatpants."

"What--" I started to ask Zacky what he meant by this, but I was interrupted as he flipped on the lights and everyone sprung up from various hiding places. "Oh, are you serious?" I hissed playfully, turning around to smack Zacky on the chest. I looked at Claire, who seemed overly gleeful at finally being able to surprise me with a surprise party. "This was your idea, wasn't it?"

She shook her head. "The mastermind behind this is that guy right there," she said, gesturing to Zacky. "He planned the whole thing."

I would be lying if I said I wasn't surprised. Not that Zacky had managed to pull off a surprise party, but that he'd actually put in the effort. He'd already gone above and beyond just by snagging tickets to Young Frankenstein. And realizing that he'd gone to all this trouble for me sparked a strange feeling in my gut. Was that...? No, it couldn't be. I'd spent eight years building my walls. Was Zacky really knocking them down so easily?

"Happy birthday, Wowza," Zacky whispered, pressing a kiss to my temple. "Now who wants some cake?"

"Are you kidding me, you even got a cake?" I asked. "Zacky nodded enthusiastically, gesturing to the box on his coffee table. I went over to take a look, making a face when I noticed what he'd had written across the cake. 'Happy Birthday, Wowza!' "You think you're funny, don't you?" I asked, turning around to glare at him.

"Hilarious."

. . .

By the time everyone left Zacky's house, it was a little after midnight. I helped Zacky clean up the mess despite his insistence that I didn't, although I didn't get much done before he was shooing me away to go change clothes. By the time I settled on the couch, Zacky was finished cleaning and he poured each of us another glass of wine before he sat down next to me.

I pulled my legs up onto the couch, taking a sip of my wine as I leaned into Zacky's side. "Thank you," I said, breaking the peaceful silence as he flipped through the channels. "For today, I mean. I had a really good time."

"Well, I'm glad you did, because doing all that was a lot of work." With my free hand, I swatted him on the chest and he laughed. "I'm just kidding! It was a lot of work, but it was worth it to see you smile like that."

I felt a little guilty that my initial instinct was to move away from Zacky when he said this. This was still a little strange for me, but I knew my issues would take more than a couple of months to overcome. But Zacky certainly made it easy and he had been overwhelmingly patient. Beneath his playful exterior, he was actually a really sweet man and I was pretty glad at this point that I'd let his insistence win me over.

"You know, I think I deserve a kiss for doing such a good job," Zacky said. He put on a fake pout, pressing his nose to my temple.

"What, my smile wasn't payment enough?"

"So I can't have a kiss?"

"Well, you did go through a lot of trouble to make sure I had an amazing birthday." I leaned forward to set my wine glass on the coffee table. "So I guess you can have a kiss."

"That's all I needed to hear." Zacky smiled as he leaned in to kiss me and the initial kiss was sweet. It surprised me every time he kissed me just how gentle his kisses were. I even let him kiss me a little longer than I normally would have, but I blamed that on the wine I'd had at the party and my good mood.

"You're a good kisser." The words slipped out before I could stop them and Zacky chuckled.

"Am I?" he asked. He reached up to touch my cheek, slipping his fingers into my red hair. "From you, that's a damn good compliment."

He leaned in again and this time the kiss had a bit of heat, likely sparked by the way Zacky's fingers tangled ever so slightly into my hair. But I didn't mind. I didn't even mind I felt his lips leave mine, finding the pulse point behind my ear before he made a haphazard trail down my neck and across my windpipe.

What I did mind was the cold shock of his fingers on the bare skin of my stomach. I reached down to push Zacky's hand away as I pulled back, smiling awkwardly. "Hey now, I said you could have a kiss," I said, trying to make a joke.

"Oh fuck, I'm so sorry," Zacky spit out. "I guess I just got a little carried away. God, I feel like an ass now."

"It's okay," I assured him. "I know you didn't really mean to. And you stopped when I asked you to, which is really all that matters to me. I just don't think it's a good idea for anything to happen right now, you know? We're both a little drunk." The lie slipped off my tongue a little too easily for my comfort. Well, it wasn't totally a lie. Zacky and I were a little wine drunk. And anyway, it seemed to be enough to calm him down.

"Well, in that case, I think it's probably time for us to go to bed, don't you think?"

I smiled, reaching for my wine glass. I quickly finished it off before getting to my feet. "You read my mind."

Notes

Comments

Girl, stop liein to yourself...Zackys PERFECT for you...


You're really talented. I love your stories.

BeccaBearSc BeccaBearSc
2/14/19

This is so well written, you are really good at it. I just wanna hug Zacky i kinda feel bad for him, he's trying so hard lol. Bless him.

HaleyJade HaleyJade
2/11/19

Love it so far!
Looking forward to the upcoming chapters <3

Their relationship is adorable.

BeccaBearSc BeccaBearSc
2/2/19

Oooh a kiss and she's finally giving a chance!

Andlat Andlat
1/31/19