“Good. Let’s see how bad the damage is.” She lifted the lid. “That used to say ‘Happy Birthday, Mural Guy.’” She pointed to the blue frosting. “See it. Sort of?”
“Cute. It’ll still taste great.”
“Got any ice cream?”
“Only my favorite, and I don’t know if you’ll think it goes with chocolate cake or not.”
“What doesn’t go with chocolate? Bring it!”
He pulled a carton of black cherry ice cream from the freezer and set it on the counter, then got two plates out of the cabinet and set them next to it.
“Stop. I can’t believe this. Black cherry is my favorite ice cream too. I’ve never met anyone else who liked it.”
“Wearesoulmates.” He took the scooper from the crock on the counter.
“And it is perfect with chocolate.”
“You’re stealing my heart now.” He rolled a scoop of ice cream onto each plate.
She opened the box and cut two pieces of cake. “It ain’t pretty, but hey, it looks sort of like you did the first time we met.”
“Is that right?”
She nodded. “Yeah, it might even look better.”
He picked up the slice of cake from his plate. “What do you think of me now?”
“I like the way you look now.”
He held the cake to her mouth. “Take the first bite.”
“Can I trust you?”
“You won’t know until you try.”
She leaned forward and opened her mouth, sinking her teeth into the sugary frosting. “Mmm.”
He pushed the cake ever so slightly against her mouth and then leaned forward and kissed the chocolate from her lips, leaving her weak-kneed. “So that’s the way you want to play, huh? Remind me not to share wedding cake with you.”
He kissed her again. “Is that a proposal?”
“No, way too soon for that, and I’ll leave that to you.” She smacked her lips.
“I have to tell you something,” he said.
“What?”
“It’s not my birthday,” Matthew said with a laugh.
“But—?” She clearly remembered he’d played the five and six that night at roulette. “I thought…”
“I never really answered you. It was May 6th. I’m a bullheaded Taurus.”
“Not a Gemini. Huh. It’s the perfect art guy zodiac sign. So? Cake just for cake’s sake? Happy Wednesday Day?”
“I’ll eat cake with you any day of the year, Whitney.”
He led the way, and when she sat on the couch, he scooched close to her. “This is my first surprise party.”
