“Just open it.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. You’re going to love it. I promise.”
I slide off the ribbon and tear open the paper, revealing a nondescript white box.
“It’s the gift that keeps on giving,” he says.
“How many times, exactly?”
“That depends on your personal settings, Stevie. But I will say this—it’s getting a lot ofbuzz…”
I open the box and find something about the size of a cucumber inside, rolled up in a few layers of pink tissue paper.
I wrap my hand around it and pull it out of the box, those butterflies now conspiring with my lady parts to paint averynaughty picture.
“Um… Ani?” My jaw drops. The size, the weight, the hints… There’s no doubt in my mind what this is. I just can’t believe Ani would actually buy me something so… so intimate.
So fucking hot.
Heat rises to my cheeks, but Ani’s obviously going all in on this prank, so I’m not about to back down either. He probably thinks I’m going to freak out and refuse to open it, then force me to admit he’s the best prankster ever.
But this little gingersnap has never been more wrong in his life.
“Ani, you’re the best. It takes a real man to do something like this, and I can’t wait to try it out with you.”
Ani doesn’t respond, but the wild anticipation in his eyes is impossible to miss.
Here goes nothing…
Taking a deep breath, I close my eyes and tear open the paper, ready to rock this epic joke to its inevitable conclusion, even if it means I totally mortify myself in the process.
The paper falls away.
I open my eyes.
And there, gripped firmly in my hand and ready to set this moment ablaze, is…
Nota vibrator.
It’s…
“A microphone?” I ask.
“Not justanymicrophone.” Ani taps a few buttons on his phone screen, and suddenly the mic lights up, flashing with neon pink and purple lights. He taps another button, and the opening instrumentals of Stevie Nicks’Edge of Seventeenblare out from the built-in speaker.
“Oh. My. Goddess.” I’m on my feet in an instant, laughter and excitement bubbling out of me. “You win, Ani. You totally win. That was the best joke ever, and this present is fucking amazing!”
“It’s got an app with all the best karaoke tracks. And you can change up the lights too.” A few more taps, and the flashing lights switch to red and blue, just in time for the first verse of the song.
Ani hops off the couch and jumps onto the coffee table, air guitar at the ready, and I raise the mic to my lips and belt it out. Verse for verse, we both keep up, dancing around the living room, jumping from the couch to the table to the floor, shaking our asses, totally rocking it out.
Our performance is fucking epic, and by the time the song ends, we’re both panting, laughing so hard we’re crying.
When we finally catch our breath again, I pull him in for another hug.
“Thank you, Ani. You were totally right—I love it. And I love that you picked that song.”
