Danni's Birthday (Joint CD, names tagged inside)
Jul 19, 2017 2:39:34 GMT -5
Danielle Basch and Tornado Desencadenado like this
Post by Donovan Basch on Jul 19, 2017 2:39:34 GMT -5
OOC: This was a joint effort between myself, Danni LeBlanc, Austen Blackwell, Mercedes Carter(NPC), and Ruby Rose Lance. Wanted to make sure that everyone got their proper credit.
Scene opens inside a luxurious suite inside the Hotel Metropole in the city of Avalon on Catalina Island. In the living room portion of the suite, we find Nathaniel Basch and Marie LeBlanc, parents of West Coast Genesis competitors Donovan Basch and Danni LeBlanc, respectively. Nathaniel seems a bit impatient, constantly checking his watch.
Nathaniel: What’s keeping them?
Marie: Who are you referring to?
Nathaniel: The delivery crew from the bakery. How bad would it look if the guest of honor arrived before the cake?
Marie: Well, the other guests should be here momentarily… Perhaps they took their time to do a little sightseeing….
Nathaniel looks up and is about to say something, but is cut off by a knock at the door.
Nathaniel: I’ll get it…
He crosses the room and opens the door to the suite to show two men in bakery livery wheeling a cart with a 2-tiered cake in purple, silver, and black.
Nathaniel: It’s about time…
Baker: We apologize, sir, but we needed to ensure that the cake survived the trip from the bakery intact. Mr. Basch was QUITE insistent on that.
Nathaniel: Did you follow my son’s special instructions?
Baker: To the letter, sir. Speaking of which, this is for Mr. Basch….
The baker hands a folded slip of paper to Nathaniel, who opens it, reads it, and smiles. He beckons for the bakers to wheel the cart into the suite. Once they have it positioned to Nathaniel and Marie’s liking, they make their way out of the suite.
Marie: I’m assuming that everything is up to your expectations?
Nathaniel hands her the slip of paper. She barely has time to read it before everyone’s attention is grabbed by a knock on the jamb of the still-open door. Marie slips the note into the only location available to her at the moment… her cleavage. This does not go unnoticed by Nathaniel, who smiles slightly as Marie tries not to blush.
Ruby: Hey!
Ruby waves as she makes her way inside a little unsure of herself. She doesn't recognize any of the current guests, but it's pretty obvious from the surroundings that she's in the right place. She's holding a gift bag at her side and she cringes slightly at the uncomfortableness of being around complete strangers.
Ruby: Uh… hi! I'm Ruby. Donovan invited me.
Marie: Yes, you’re in the right place. I’m Marie, Danni’s mother….
Nathaniel: And I’m Nathaniel…. Donovan’s father…. Pleased to meet you, Ruby.
Ruby: You guys too! I, uh, work with Danni in West Coast Genesis. Donovan too! They're both awesome. Just the greatest.
Marie: Donovan and Danni should be here soon. It’s just a matter of getting here from the airport…. Donovan’s bringing her over by helicopter…
Nathaniel: Well, I did tell him to spoil her….
Marie: Like he needs any prompting in that department….
Ruby smiles at the two parents doting over how great their children are for each other.
Ruby: Oh! Uh… where should I put this?
She holds up the gift bag and looks around for a presents area. Marie gestures toward a side table in the living room, where a couple of other presents are sitting.
Marie: Over there with the others is fine.
Marie turns to Nathaniel, who is rubbing a hand over his bald head as he stares at the screen of his smartphone.
Marie: Any word from Donovan yet?
Nathaniel: No, not yet.
Marie: Give it a moment. Not exactly like Donovan can let you know where he is without cluing Danni in….
Ruby sets her gift down with the rest and then re-joins the two guests waiting patiently for their children to arrive.
Ruby: So, I'm real curious to see how Danni reacts to this. Last I heard she wanted to avoided a whole party because our last show went pretty crappy for her. I mean, I'm so glad Donovan decided to do this anyway because she totally deserves it. I just can't wait to see her face.
Marie gives Ruby a knowing nod of her head as she smiles.
Marie: Yes, well, knowing my daughter like I do, I can understand. On the flipside, even Donovan knew that she’d have cooled down enough to change her mind by now.
Nathaniel: Besides, he knew that something like this would take her mind off of things and cheer her up….
Marie snickers, quick to try and cover it up, but everyone present takes notice.
Marie: Cheer her up, he says...HA!
Nathaniel: Well, if what Donovan said was true. Danni was in a mood to crucify that idiot that attacked her.
Marie crosses her arms.
Marie: You mean that COWARD…
Nathaniel shakes his head.
Nathaniel: Six of one, half a dozen of the other…
Marie: Anyway, I think I’ll go and have a look at that cake… it’s such a refreshing change of pace to be a guest, and for once, not the one planning the whole thing! I’ve been doing that for Danni’s last 22 birthdays.
Nathaniel: I’ve been lucky in that respect. Donovan never had a lot of interest in celebrating his birthday.
Marie: Not even the milestones? Like 18 and 21?
Nathaniel: Honestly, no. He’s not a heavy drinker, and he’s never smoked. I’m fairly certain he felt like it wasn’t that big of a deal.
Marie shakes her head in disbelief.
Marie: And yet he still managed to steal the heart of my only daughter, a card-carrying party animal….
She walks over to the cake, carefully inspecting every fondant-covered inch as she silently mouths something to herself, as if trying to etch every detail into her memory.
Nathaniel: You know what they say… opposites attract.
Marie smiles.
Marie: Indeed they do.
Nathaniel quickly moves his hand to the inner pocket of his sportcoat, pulling out his smartphone. Taking a moment to look at the screen, he smiles and turns to the others in attendance.
Nathaniel: Just got a text from Donovan. They landed at the airport a few minutes ago and are on their way…
Marie: Of course, since they’re likely traveling by golf cart, it’ll probably still be a while before they get here. Perhaps by then, the others will be have arrived.
Nathaniel once again glances at his watch, then back toward the front door.
Nathaniel: Hopefully, the others get here soon. It would be rather awkward if they were to arrive after Danni and Donovan.
Marie: It would kind of ruin the surprise…
Just as Marie finishes her sentence, we see two familiar faces walk in; that of Austen Blackwell and Mercedes Carter. Mercedes has a gift in hand, as Austen looks around to see if he recognizes any familiar faces. Ruby perks up and waves to the couple, excited to see two faces that she actually knows. Both Austen and Mercedes head over to Ruby.
Austen: Hey Ruby.
He embraces her in a half hug. Mercedes smiles and offers up a hug of her own.
Mercedes: It’s nice to see a friendly face.
Mercedes holds the present in her arms, unsure what to do with it.
Austen: Where are Danni and Donovan?
Nathaniel looks at his watch again.
Nathaniel: I just got a text message not that long ago. They should be on their way over here as we speak.
Marie: You must be Austen and Mercedes. It’s a pleasure to meet you; I’m Marie, Danni’s mother.
Nathaniel: And I’m Donovan’s father, Nathaniel Basch.
Marie: You can put your gift over on that side table with the others.
She gestures to the side table where the other gifts are being stored.
Marie: It won’t be much longer before Danni and Donovan get here. In the meantime, is anyone thirsty? We’ve got beer; we’ve got soda just in case people don’t drink…
Nathaniel: Or aren’t old enough.
Marie: Never stopped me…
Nathaniel chuckles as he notices the sly smirk on Marie’s face.
Nathaniel: Now I see where Danni gets it from.
Mercedes smiles and takes the gift over to the table as Austen speaks up.
Austen: I am not really a drinker, but thank you. I think I might get myself a Pepsi or something.
He reaches his hand out to shake both of theirs. After Marie shakes Austen’s hand, she heads off into the kitchen, returning with two cans of Pepsi, handing them both to Austen.
Marie: There you are. I figured, in case Mercedes wanted one as well….
Mercedes walks back up to Austen.
Austen: Pepsi, for us.
He smiles and hands her one.
Austen: You two must be very proud of Danni and Donovan.
Mercedes grabs Austen’s hand as they hold each other’s hand.
Austen: They are a great couple.
Mercedes: And good friends.
Marie smiles.
Marie: I’m just glad to see my daughter happy for once. It’s been a pretty rough year for her.
Nathaniel: And that happiness has done wonders for Donovan. He seems so much more open than he was before.
Austen: Are we hiding for the party… or…..
Nathaniel rubs his head as he smiles awkwardly.
Nathaniel: I’m afraid I haven’t done a lot of these… surprise parties.
Marie raises a hand to her mouth to stifle a giggle.
Marie: Well, that’s usually how they’re done. Doesn’t make much sense calling it a surprise party when the guest of honor sees everyone just standing around.
Nathaniel: I suppose you’re right.
Austen nods as he and Mercedes decide to head towards the back of the room and take some cover.
Marie: And now…
Nathaniel: We wait.
Suddenly, Marie reaches into her cleavage and retrieves the slip of paper Nathaniel had handed her earlier. With an awkward giggle, she hands it back to him.
Marie: Before I forget, I should give this back to you. No sense making an awkward situation even more so by Donovan getting this from me…
Nathaniel blushes as he takes the paper and slips it into his pocket. He clears his throat and smiles.
Nathaniel: Yes… that would seem a little weird.
The time seems to drag on forever before we hear muffled voices coming from the other side of the door, one male, one female. Nathaniel hears the voices, immediately recognizing them as he momentarily turns his attention to the door, then back to the others.
Nathaniel: Alright, folks. Looks like it’s show time!
Nathaniel and Marie cut the lights and take cover just in time, as the telltale beep of the door lock rings through the room. The door slowly swings open as Donovan enters the room first, followed by Danni. Donovan is dressed in a pair of blue jeans and a black t-shirt, a stark contrast from his usual slacks and dress shirt, while Danni is dressed in white jeans and a matching blouse.
Danni: Well, this is nice… gotta love the nautical theme they’ve got going here.
Donovan: I figured you would. Anyway, we might as well have a seat while we wait for our parents.
Donovan swallows a lump in his throat, hoping that Danni doesn’t notice the difficulty he had saying those words with a straight face. The couple make their way to the center of the living room area, barely having more than a second to take in the decor when everyone jumps out from their hiding places…
Everyone: SURPRISE!!!
Danni nearly jumps out of her skin at the sudden sight of her mother, Donovan’s father, Ruby, Austen and Mercedes, so much so that all she can really do is stand there with a stunned look on her face.
Donovan: Happy birthday, sweetheart…..
Danni looks around, still a little stunned. Eventually, she turns to Donovan with a huge smile on her face.
Danni: Donny, you big, sneaky, adorable butthead… you planned all of this?
Donovan: Every last bit of it…. With a little help….
Marie: I had a little hand in it as well.
Nathaniel: Don’t look at me; I’m just here for the cake!
Donovan: Speaking of cake…. Let’s say we cut into this bad boy, shall we?
As everyone turns their attention to the cake, Nathaniel taps his son on the shoulder and slips the note from the bakers into his hand. He takes a quick moment to scan it and nod before pocketing it. Marie clasps her hands together, smiling from ear to ear as she places her hands on her daughter’s shoulders.
Marie: And now, for the part that is sure to embarrass the hell out of my daughter… Danni, if you would take a seat behind this massive sugary mound that is bound to stay with us for several days…
Marie directs Danni toward a chair at the head of the dining room table.
Danni: Well, at least there aren’t any pointy hats….
Donovan: Now that you mention it…..
Danni glares at him.
Danni: Donovan Jacob Everett…
Donovan holds up his hands.
Donovan: Just kidding…..
Danni: Oh, sure… before I can finish saying your full name…
She smirks at him. Nathaniel holds up his finger and drops it slightly in order for everyone to start singing at roughly the same time. While it’s not the worst rendition of “Happy Birthday” ever sung, some of the people present make up their lack of musical talent with gusto. Once the others are finished singing, they all turn to Danni, who is sitting with the cake in front of her, turning as red as a fire engine. She shuts her eyes, giggling at the spectacle as Donovan moves in with a cake knife. He carefully cuts into the bottom tier, and even more carefully, places the slice onto a plate, which he then presents to Danni. From there, Marie takes the cake knife from Donovan and starts cutting slices for the other guests as Danni picks up a fork, ready to dig in.
Danni: I see you went with my favorite...
Donovan: Devil’s Food with a chocolate ganache. I even had them add strawberries.
He points at the filling as it oozes out from between the layers of cake. Danni smiles, licking her lips as she moves her fork over to the confection.
Danni: You know me too well....
She giggles softly as she turns her fork sideways, looking to get as much of every section of the cake onto her fork. But, as she digs in, she’s met with some resistance. Puzzled, she moves the tines of her fork into the cake to investigate.
Danni: Hmm... that’s odd.
Donovan: Oh?
Danni: There’s something hard in my cake... I think it’s in the filling....
As she maneuvers her fork, the faint sound of crinkling plastic can be heard, prompting a more thorough inspection from Danni. Eventually, Danni clears away enough of the cake and filling to find the source of the crinkling...
The corner of a small plastic baggie.
Danni is a bit put off by the find, curling her lip in disgust as she continues to pull the rest of the baggie from the cake.
Danni: You’d think these people would be a little more careful when they’re baking. I...
She takes a napkin and wipes away the thick coating of chocolate, but what she finds beneath, inside the baggie, prevents any other words from forming. Inside the baggie is an unbelievably beautiful ring, with a princess cut diamond roughly the size of her thumbnail. As she stares at the platinum-set bauble, Donovan smiles and moves in to take the baggie from her hand.
Danni: Holy shit, Donovan!
Donovan opens up the baggie, pulling the ring out as he takes Danni by the hand, beckoning her to come out of her chair. With a little coaxing, she follows Donovan to the other side of the table, in full view of Marie, Nathaniel, Austen, Mercedes, and Ruby. He nervously clears his throat, but continues to stare directly into Danni’s eyes.
Donovan: Sweetheart, when we first met, we couldn’t have ever guessed that time would bring us here. You saw something in me that very few others have ever had a chance to see, and yet you stuck with me. You’ve made my life so much better, and there’s only one way I can think of to make it absolutely perfect….
Donovan drops to one knee and holds up the ring.
Donovan: Danielle Marie LeBlanc…. Will you marry me?
Those four little words have shaken the young woman to her core. Seconds pass as she tries to find the words to respond.
Danni: Donny, I...
Completely overwhelmed by what’s happening, Danni passes out, falling limply into Donovan’s arms to the shock of the other guests.
Austen squeezes the hand of Mercedes and mouths “Oh my god” to her without saying the words. He looks over to Ruby who is as astonished as well. For her part, Marie can only stand by, looking absolutely helpless as she looks at her unconscious daughter. She can’t even form a single word as she stands with her hands over her mouth. Donovan gently attempts to rouse Danni from her torpor. Eventually, Danni slowly starts to come to, blinking her eyes as she looks around, only to find everyone staring at her.
Danni: Holy shit… what just happened? One minute I’m about to take a bite of cake, and all of a sudden, there was this big flash and...
She looks at Donovan, who is still holding the ring in his hand. She lets out a light gasp as she blinks once more.
Danni: Oh my god… I wasn’t hallucinating….
Donovan: No, you weren’t….
Danni gets back to her feet, straightening out her clothes as she looks around, still in shock.
Austen whispers into Mercedes ear.
Austen: Did you think he was going to-
Mercedes shakes her head no.
Austen: Me neither.
Donovan swallows and begins to speak.
Donovan: Danielle Marie LeBlanc…. Will you marry me?
Danni looks over at her mother, who is smiling even as tears begin to fall from the corners of her eyes.
Marie: He’s not asking me, sweetie!
Danni looks down at Donovan as tears begin to fill her own eyes. With a nod of her head and a HUGE smile on her face, she clears her throat as she gives him her answer.
Danni: YES!
Donovan shoots to his feet as if he were launched from a cannon. Folding Danni into his arms, the two lock lips in a kiss for the ages.
Nathaniel: Ahem…. Shouldn’t you two save a kiss like that for the actual wedding?
Marie: Oh, let them have their moment, you bald fuddy-duddy!
Nathaniel merely shakes his head, looking on as the happy couple continue kissing. Eventually, they come up for air, as Donovan slips the ring onto Danni’s finger. She looks down at her left hand and squeals.
Danni: It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen! Thank you, Spidey!
Danni looks over at her mother, who has a sort of fake look of innocence on her face.
Danni: Mother, you knew he was going to do this, didn’t you?
Marie smiles.
Marie: Well, he had to find SOME place to hide the ring….
Danni shakes her head, laughing. Nathaniel walks up behind his son and claps him on the back.
Nathaniel: Well done, son. I know that this has to be the hardest thing you’ve ever done.
Donovan: You aren’t kidding. Was it difficult for you when you proposed?
Nathaniel’s smile slips a little bit, but he quickly recovers.
Nathaniel: Completely different circumstances, son. I didn’t have a roomful of people….
Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Marie holding out a plate of cake for him. He twists slightly to take it from her and takes a bite out his slice.
Nathaniel: ...Or delicious cake.
Danni has had time to process the last few minutes, and finally seems ready to get the party into full swing.
Danni: Speaking of cake…
Donovan: Hmm, where did I hear that before?
Danni: Very funny. Anyway, let’s eat!
Danni stands up looking at her ring. Ruby, Mercedes, and Austen step forward. Ruby hugs Danni, and then Mercedes.
Austen: Congrats, you two. You both enjoy doing things big, right?
Mercedes sort of elbows him in the ribs.
Austen: Ouch!
Danni laughs as she slips her arm through Donovan’s.
Danni: Oh, you guys… Now, about that cake. All of this excitement has really worked up an appetite!
The three of them step back and give Danni the room to get some cake. Danni goes back to her slice, which has been completely mutilated due to her fishing her ring out of it, but she nonetheless picks up her fork and scoops up a sizeable amount. Before she raises the fork to her mouth, she looks around at everyone.
Danni: Well, we might as well eat up. I’ve got a feeling there’s gonna be a LOT of leftovers!
Now that everyone has their cake, they all dig in, murmuring their approval between bites.
END
Scene opens inside a luxurious suite inside the Hotel Metropole in the city of Avalon on Catalina Island. In the living room portion of the suite, we find Nathaniel Basch and Marie LeBlanc, parents of West Coast Genesis competitors Donovan Basch and Danni LeBlanc, respectively. Nathaniel seems a bit impatient, constantly checking his watch.
Nathaniel: What’s keeping them?
Marie: Who are you referring to?
Nathaniel: The delivery crew from the bakery. How bad would it look if the guest of honor arrived before the cake?
Marie: Well, the other guests should be here momentarily… Perhaps they took their time to do a little sightseeing….
Nathaniel looks up and is about to say something, but is cut off by a knock at the door.
Nathaniel: I’ll get it…
He crosses the room and opens the door to the suite to show two men in bakery livery wheeling a cart with a 2-tiered cake in purple, silver, and black.
Nathaniel: It’s about time…
Baker: We apologize, sir, but we needed to ensure that the cake survived the trip from the bakery intact. Mr. Basch was QUITE insistent on that.
Nathaniel: Did you follow my son’s special instructions?
Baker: To the letter, sir. Speaking of which, this is for Mr. Basch….
The baker hands a folded slip of paper to Nathaniel, who opens it, reads it, and smiles. He beckons for the bakers to wheel the cart into the suite. Once they have it positioned to Nathaniel and Marie’s liking, they make their way out of the suite.
Marie: I’m assuming that everything is up to your expectations?
Nathaniel hands her the slip of paper. She barely has time to read it before everyone’s attention is grabbed by a knock on the jamb of the still-open door. Marie slips the note into the only location available to her at the moment… her cleavage. This does not go unnoticed by Nathaniel, who smiles slightly as Marie tries not to blush.
Ruby: Hey!
Ruby waves as she makes her way inside a little unsure of herself. She doesn't recognize any of the current guests, but it's pretty obvious from the surroundings that she's in the right place. She's holding a gift bag at her side and she cringes slightly at the uncomfortableness of being around complete strangers.
Ruby: Uh… hi! I'm Ruby. Donovan invited me.
Marie: Yes, you’re in the right place. I’m Marie, Danni’s mother….
Nathaniel: And I’m Nathaniel…. Donovan’s father…. Pleased to meet you, Ruby.
Ruby: You guys too! I, uh, work with Danni in West Coast Genesis. Donovan too! They're both awesome. Just the greatest.
Marie: Donovan and Danni should be here soon. It’s just a matter of getting here from the airport…. Donovan’s bringing her over by helicopter…
Nathaniel: Well, I did tell him to spoil her….
Marie: Like he needs any prompting in that department….
Ruby smiles at the two parents doting over how great their children are for each other.
Ruby: Oh! Uh… where should I put this?
She holds up the gift bag and looks around for a presents area. Marie gestures toward a side table in the living room, where a couple of other presents are sitting.
Marie: Over there with the others is fine.
Marie turns to Nathaniel, who is rubbing a hand over his bald head as he stares at the screen of his smartphone.
Marie: Any word from Donovan yet?
Nathaniel: No, not yet.
Marie: Give it a moment. Not exactly like Donovan can let you know where he is without cluing Danni in….
Ruby sets her gift down with the rest and then re-joins the two guests waiting patiently for their children to arrive.
Ruby: So, I'm real curious to see how Danni reacts to this. Last I heard she wanted to avoided a whole party because our last show went pretty crappy for her. I mean, I'm so glad Donovan decided to do this anyway because she totally deserves it. I just can't wait to see her face.
Marie gives Ruby a knowing nod of her head as she smiles.
Marie: Yes, well, knowing my daughter like I do, I can understand. On the flipside, even Donovan knew that she’d have cooled down enough to change her mind by now.
Nathaniel: Besides, he knew that something like this would take her mind off of things and cheer her up….
Marie snickers, quick to try and cover it up, but everyone present takes notice.
Marie: Cheer her up, he says...HA!
Nathaniel: Well, if what Donovan said was true. Danni was in a mood to crucify that idiot that attacked her.
Marie crosses her arms.
Marie: You mean that COWARD…
Nathaniel shakes his head.
Nathaniel: Six of one, half a dozen of the other…
Marie: Anyway, I think I’ll go and have a look at that cake… it’s such a refreshing change of pace to be a guest, and for once, not the one planning the whole thing! I’ve been doing that for Danni’s last 22 birthdays.
Nathaniel: I’ve been lucky in that respect. Donovan never had a lot of interest in celebrating his birthday.
Marie: Not even the milestones? Like 18 and 21?
Nathaniel: Honestly, no. He’s not a heavy drinker, and he’s never smoked. I’m fairly certain he felt like it wasn’t that big of a deal.
Marie shakes her head in disbelief.
Marie: And yet he still managed to steal the heart of my only daughter, a card-carrying party animal….
She walks over to the cake, carefully inspecting every fondant-covered inch as she silently mouths something to herself, as if trying to etch every detail into her memory.
Nathaniel: You know what they say… opposites attract.
Marie smiles.
Marie: Indeed they do.
Nathaniel quickly moves his hand to the inner pocket of his sportcoat, pulling out his smartphone. Taking a moment to look at the screen, he smiles and turns to the others in attendance.
Nathaniel: Just got a text from Donovan. They landed at the airport a few minutes ago and are on their way…
Marie: Of course, since they’re likely traveling by golf cart, it’ll probably still be a while before they get here. Perhaps by then, the others will be have arrived.
Nathaniel once again glances at his watch, then back toward the front door.
Nathaniel: Hopefully, the others get here soon. It would be rather awkward if they were to arrive after Danni and Donovan.
Marie: It would kind of ruin the surprise…
Just as Marie finishes her sentence, we see two familiar faces walk in; that of Austen Blackwell and Mercedes Carter. Mercedes has a gift in hand, as Austen looks around to see if he recognizes any familiar faces. Ruby perks up and waves to the couple, excited to see two faces that she actually knows. Both Austen and Mercedes head over to Ruby.
Austen: Hey Ruby.
He embraces her in a half hug. Mercedes smiles and offers up a hug of her own.
Mercedes: It’s nice to see a friendly face.
Mercedes holds the present in her arms, unsure what to do with it.
Austen: Where are Danni and Donovan?
Nathaniel looks at his watch again.
Nathaniel: I just got a text message not that long ago. They should be on their way over here as we speak.
Marie: You must be Austen and Mercedes. It’s a pleasure to meet you; I’m Marie, Danni’s mother.
Nathaniel: And I’m Donovan’s father, Nathaniel Basch.
Marie: You can put your gift over on that side table with the others.
She gestures to the side table where the other gifts are being stored.
Marie: It won’t be much longer before Danni and Donovan get here. In the meantime, is anyone thirsty? We’ve got beer; we’ve got soda just in case people don’t drink…
Nathaniel: Or aren’t old enough.
Marie: Never stopped me…
Nathaniel chuckles as he notices the sly smirk on Marie’s face.
Nathaniel: Now I see where Danni gets it from.
Mercedes smiles and takes the gift over to the table as Austen speaks up.
Austen: I am not really a drinker, but thank you. I think I might get myself a Pepsi or something.
He reaches his hand out to shake both of theirs. After Marie shakes Austen’s hand, she heads off into the kitchen, returning with two cans of Pepsi, handing them both to Austen.
Marie: There you are. I figured, in case Mercedes wanted one as well….
Mercedes walks back up to Austen.
Austen: Pepsi, for us.
He smiles and hands her one.
Austen: You two must be very proud of Danni and Donovan.
Mercedes grabs Austen’s hand as they hold each other’s hand.
Austen: They are a great couple.
Mercedes: And good friends.
Marie smiles.
Marie: I’m just glad to see my daughter happy for once. It’s been a pretty rough year for her.
Nathaniel: And that happiness has done wonders for Donovan. He seems so much more open than he was before.
Austen: Are we hiding for the party… or…..
Nathaniel rubs his head as he smiles awkwardly.
Nathaniel: I’m afraid I haven’t done a lot of these… surprise parties.
Marie raises a hand to her mouth to stifle a giggle.
Marie: Well, that’s usually how they’re done. Doesn’t make much sense calling it a surprise party when the guest of honor sees everyone just standing around.
Nathaniel: I suppose you’re right.
Austen nods as he and Mercedes decide to head towards the back of the room and take some cover.
Marie: And now…
Nathaniel: We wait.
Suddenly, Marie reaches into her cleavage and retrieves the slip of paper Nathaniel had handed her earlier. With an awkward giggle, she hands it back to him.
Marie: Before I forget, I should give this back to you. No sense making an awkward situation even more so by Donovan getting this from me…
Nathaniel blushes as he takes the paper and slips it into his pocket. He clears his throat and smiles.
Nathaniel: Yes… that would seem a little weird.
The time seems to drag on forever before we hear muffled voices coming from the other side of the door, one male, one female. Nathaniel hears the voices, immediately recognizing them as he momentarily turns his attention to the door, then back to the others.
Nathaniel: Alright, folks. Looks like it’s show time!
Nathaniel and Marie cut the lights and take cover just in time, as the telltale beep of the door lock rings through the room. The door slowly swings open as Donovan enters the room first, followed by Danni. Donovan is dressed in a pair of blue jeans and a black t-shirt, a stark contrast from his usual slacks and dress shirt, while Danni is dressed in white jeans and a matching blouse.
Danni: Well, this is nice… gotta love the nautical theme they’ve got going here.
Donovan: I figured you would. Anyway, we might as well have a seat while we wait for our parents.
Donovan swallows a lump in his throat, hoping that Danni doesn’t notice the difficulty he had saying those words with a straight face. The couple make their way to the center of the living room area, barely having more than a second to take in the decor when everyone jumps out from their hiding places…
Everyone: SURPRISE!!!
Danni nearly jumps out of her skin at the sudden sight of her mother, Donovan’s father, Ruby, Austen and Mercedes, so much so that all she can really do is stand there with a stunned look on her face.
Donovan: Happy birthday, sweetheart…..
Danni looks around, still a little stunned. Eventually, she turns to Donovan with a huge smile on her face.
Danni: Donny, you big, sneaky, adorable butthead… you planned all of this?
Donovan: Every last bit of it…. With a little help….
Marie: I had a little hand in it as well.
Nathaniel: Don’t look at me; I’m just here for the cake!
Donovan: Speaking of cake…. Let’s say we cut into this bad boy, shall we?
As everyone turns their attention to the cake, Nathaniel taps his son on the shoulder and slips the note from the bakers into his hand. He takes a quick moment to scan it and nod before pocketing it. Marie clasps her hands together, smiling from ear to ear as she places her hands on her daughter’s shoulders.
Marie: And now, for the part that is sure to embarrass the hell out of my daughter… Danni, if you would take a seat behind this massive sugary mound that is bound to stay with us for several days…
Marie directs Danni toward a chair at the head of the dining room table.
Danni: Well, at least there aren’t any pointy hats….
Donovan: Now that you mention it…..
Danni glares at him.
Danni: Donovan Jacob Everett…
Donovan holds up his hands.
Donovan: Just kidding…..
Danni: Oh, sure… before I can finish saying your full name…
She smirks at him. Nathaniel holds up his finger and drops it slightly in order for everyone to start singing at roughly the same time. While it’s not the worst rendition of “Happy Birthday” ever sung, some of the people present make up their lack of musical talent with gusto. Once the others are finished singing, they all turn to Danni, who is sitting with the cake in front of her, turning as red as a fire engine. She shuts her eyes, giggling at the spectacle as Donovan moves in with a cake knife. He carefully cuts into the bottom tier, and even more carefully, places the slice onto a plate, which he then presents to Danni. From there, Marie takes the cake knife from Donovan and starts cutting slices for the other guests as Danni picks up a fork, ready to dig in.
Danni: I see you went with my favorite...
Donovan: Devil’s Food with a chocolate ganache. I even had them add strawberries.
He points at the filling as it oozes out from between the layers of cake. Danni smiles, licking her lips as she moves her fork over to the confection.
Danni: You know me too well....
She giggles softly as she turns her fork sideways, looking to get as much of every section of the cake onto her fork. But, as she digs in, she’s met with some resistance. Puzzled, she moves the tines of her fork into the cake to investigate.
Danni: Hmm... that’s odd.
Donovan: Oh?
Danni: There’s something hard in my cake... I think it’s in the filling....
As she maneuvers her fork, the faint sound of crinkling plastic can be heard, prompting a more thorough inspection from Danni. Eventually, Danni clears away enough of the cake and filling to find the source of the crinkling...
The corner of a small plastic baggie.
Danni is a bit put off by the find, curling her lip in disgust as she continues to pull the rest of the baggie from the cake.
Danni: You’d think these people would be a little more careful when they’re baking. I...
She takes a napkin and wipes away the thick coating of chocolate, but what she finds beneath, inside the baggie, prevents any other words from forming. Inside the baggie is an unbelievably beautiful ring, with a princess cut diamond roughly the size of her thumbnail. As she stares at the platinum-set bauble, Donovan smiles and moves in to take the baggie from her hand.
Danni: Holy shit, Donovan!
Donovan opens up the baggie, pulling the ring out as he takes Danni by the hand, beckoning her to come out of her chair. With a little coaxing, she follows Donovan to the other side of the table, in full view of Marie, Nathaniel, Austen, Mercedes, and Ruby. He nervously clears his throat, but continues to stare directly into Danni’s eyes.
Donovan: Sweetheart, when we first met, we couldn’t have ever guessed that time would bring us here. You saw something in me that very few others have ever had a chance to see, and yet you stuck with me. You’ve made my life so much better, and there’s only one way I can think of to make it absolutely perfect….
Donovan drops to one knee and holds up the ring.
Donovan: Danielle Marie LeBlanc…. Will you marry me?
Those four little words have shaken the young woman to her core. Seconds pass as she tries to find the words to respond.
Danni: Donny, I...
Completely overwhelmed by what’s happening, Danni passes out, falling limply into Donovan’s arms to the shock of the other guests.
Austen squeezes the hand of Mercedes and mouths “Oh my god” to her without saying the words. He looks over to Ruby who is as astonished as well. For her part, Marie can only stand by, looking absolutely helpless as she looks at her unconscious daughter. She can’t even form a single word as she stands with her hands over her mouth. Donovan gently attempts to rouse Danni from her torpor. Eventually, Danni slowly starts to come to, blinking her eyes as she looks around, only to find everyone staring at her.
Danni: Holy shit… what just happened? One minute I’m about to take a bite of cake, and all of a sudden, there was this big flash and...
She looks at Donovan, who is still holding the ring in his hand. She lets out a light gasp as she blinks once more.
Danni: Oh my god… I wasn’t hallucinating….
Donovan: No, you weren’t….
Danni gets back to her feet, straightening out her clothes as she looks around, still in shock.
Austen whispers into Mercedes ear.
Austen: Did you think he was going to-
Mercedes shakes her head no.
Austen: Me neither.
Donovan swallows and begins to speak.
Donovan: Danielle Marie LeBlanc…. Will you marry me?
Danni looks over at her mother, who is smiling even as tears begin to fall from the corners of her eyes.
Marie: He’s not asking me, sweetie!
Danni looks down at Donovan as tears begin to fill her own eyes. With a nod of her head and a HUGE smile on her face, she clears her throat as she gives him her answer.
Danni: YES!
Donovan shoots to his feet as if he were launched from a cannon. Folding Danni into his arms, the two lock lips in a kiss for the ages.
Nathaniel: Ahem…. Shouldn’t you two save a kiss like that for the actual wedding?
Marie: Oh, let them have their moment, you bald fuddy-duddy!
Nathaniel merely shakes his head, looking on as the happy couple continue kissing. Eventually, they come up for air, as Donovan slips the ring onto Danni’s finger. She looks down at her left hand and squeals.
Danni: It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen! Thank you, Spidey!
Danni looks over at her mother, who has a sort of fake look of innocence on her face.
Danni: Mother, you knew he was going to do this, didn’t you?
Marie smiles.
Marie: Well, he had to find SOME place to hide the ring….
Danni shakes her head, laughing. Nathaniel walks up behind his son and claps him on the back.
Nathaniel: Well done, son. I know that this has to be the hardest thing you’ve ever done.
Donovan: You aren’t kidding. Was it difficult for you when you proposed?
Nathaniel’s smile slips a little bit, but he quickly recovers.
Nathaniel: Completely different circumstances, son. I didn’t have a roomful of people….
Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Marie holding out a plate of cake for him. He twists slightly to take it from her and takes a bite out his slice.
Nathaniel: ...Or delicious cake.
Danni has had time to process the last few minutes, and finally seems ready to get the party into full swing.
Danni: Speaking of cake…
Donovan: Hmm, where did I hear that before?
Danni: Very funny. Anyway, let’s eat!
Danni stands up looking at her ring. Ruby, Mercedes, and Austen step forward. Ruby hugs Danni, and then Mercedes.
Austen: Congrats, you two. You both enjoy doing things big, right?
Mercedes sort of elbows him in the ribs.
Austen: Ouch!
Danni laughs as she slips her arm through Donovan’s.
Danni: Oh, you guys… Now, about that cake. All of this excitement has really worked up an appetite!
The three of them step back and give Danni the room to get some cake. Danni goes back to her slice, which has been completely mutilated due to her fishing her ring out of it, but she nonetheless picks up her fork and scoops up a sizeable amount. Before she raises the fork to her mouth, she looks around at everyone.
Danni: Well, we might as well eat up. I’ve got a feeling there’s gonna be a LOT of leftovers!
Now that everyone has their cake, they all dig in, murmuring their approval between bites.
END