The Master Plan

"Look at them."

"I know, they're so obviously in love."

"Well duh."

"But they're never going to do anything about it."

"Unless..." the first girl said with a devious smile.

The second girl finished her sentence for her. "Unless we do it for them!" They turned to each other and grinned.

"Chris's birthday is tomorrow," the second girl said.

"Again, duh."

"Well that's a perfect opportunity to get them together!"

"Oooh you're right!"

No more words were spoken between them. The two girls could basically read each other's minds. They simply exchanged another grin and hurried off to begin their master plan.

* * * * * * * * * * *

The doorbell echoed throughout the flat at eight o'clock in the morning. Someone might have awoken as a result of the sound if the only person living there had not already been awake since the crack of dawn, as he was every morning.

Chris hurried to answer the door. He wondered who it could be. He wasn't expecting any visitors, at least not until the evening. He put one blue eye up to the peephole in the door. On the porch stood a delivery man in an ugly brown delivery man's uniform. He was holding an oddly shaped white box and a clipboard. He tapped his foot impatiently even though he hadn't even been waiting thirty seconds.

Chris opened the door with an overly excessive amount of gusto. At least, that's what the man must've thought, by the irritated expression on his face.

"Oooh, a present, for me? What could it be, I wonder?" Chris's eyes sparkled with excitement. The delivery man, who according to his nametag was called Albert, rolled his eyes.

"Just sign here," he stated grouchily, pointing to the clipboard. Chris dug around in his pockets.

"Hmm, sorry. I don't have a pen." He smiled sheepishly. Albert heaved a great sigh and pulled a pen out of his pocket.

"Here," he grouched. "Now sign the damn thing." Chris scribbled his name onto the paper and handed the pen and clipboard back to Albert, who in return handed him the box. "Enjoy," he said sarcastically.

Chris paid no attention to Albert's less than kind demeanor. He was overwhelmed with excitement that someone had given him a gift. He shouted out a goodbye to Albert and hurried back inside. He set the box on his kitchen table. For a while he just stared at it with big, bright eyes, letting his childlike imagination run wild as to what it might be.

Finally he reached out gingerly and opened it. His eyes grew wide as saucers . Inside the box was a cake. And this was no ordinary cake. It was triple chocolate death cake, Chris's favorite. He jumped around the room squealing. "A cake, a cake!" he shouted to nobody. "A cake on my birthday!"

He finally stopped bouncing and just stared at it. "A cake...I wonder who it could be from?" He scraped some of the rich chocolate icing off with his finger and stuck it in his mouth. "Mmmm. Well whoever it was, they sure do know what I like!" Suddenly he noticed something taped to the inside cover of the box. He pulled it off. It was a typed note.

Chris-

Happy Birthday! I ordered this cake especially for you. I hope you'll enjoy it. You deserve it. You are an amazing person and an even better friend. So when I woke up one morning loving you, I wasn't surprised. You are the person who makes me feel complete. You are as rich in good qualities as this cake is in sugar. I just thought you should finally know. Call me later, okay?

-Jonny

Chris folded up the letter and slipped it in his pocket with a smile. His eyes wet with tears, he called Jonny on the phone. "Come over please. I think we should talk."

Jonny, oblivious to any cake gifts or love notes, agreed. Half an hour later Chris once again ran to answer the door. He didn't even wait for Jonny to come inside before he blurted out what he had been holding in for so long. "Jonny, I love you. But I was too scared to admit it. But now it's all okay right? We can be together."

Jonny managed to hide his complete shock and even formed a coherent sentence. "I...love you too."

"Well I know that, silly!" he said, pulling him inside. "Now come on, I want you to share the cake with me."

"Chris, is your head okay?" Jonny questioned, as he was dragged into the kitchen and forced to sit down.

"Of course it is, why wouldn't it be? I just got the best present ever from the best man ever."

"Oh," Jonny said. he tried to hide the pain in his voice. "Well, what's his name then? I hope he is good to you."

Chris stared at him like he was crazy. Then he burst out laughing. "I'm talking about you Jonny-boy! Who else would I be speaking of?"

Jonny wasn't sure. He had no idea what was going on. But he decided to play along. He knew from experience that it was better not to question Chris's odd behavior. It was better to just go with it. "Oh. Well I'm glad you liked....my present," he said slowly.

"Of course I did! Now let's eat!" he proclaimed. Jonny shrugged and helped himself to a piece of the cake. He found it so funny that Chris had bought himself a cake for his birthday, even though he was going to get one at his party later.

He watched him with adoration as he stuffed bite after bite of cake into his mouth. He laughed out loud when Chris missed his mouth completely and cake ended up all over his face. He didn't have the slightest clue what Chris had been talking about with gifts and all that, but he couldn't have been more glad that Chris had confessed his love. Otherwise he never would have had the guts to admit his own feelings.

"Chris."

"Yes?" he looked up form his plate. Chocolate was smeared all over his mouth. A dab of chocolate frosting sat on the tip of his nose. There was even a streak of sugary icing across his cheek and forehead.

"You've got a little cake on your face," chuckled Jonny.

"Oh," he replied, frowning.

"Here, let me help you." He leaned in and lightly ran his tongue across Chris's cheek to lick the icing away.

Chris gasped, then stuttered. "Jo...Jonny?"

"Yes?"

"There is chocolate on my lips too."

"I was getting to that," he mumbled, and pressed his lips gently onto Chris's. A few seconds passed this way, then Jonny pulled back just enough to whisper in Chris's ear. "Chris, I do believe this is the best birthday you've ever had."

Chris smiled. "I believe that too."

* * * * * * * * * * *

Two girls crouched in the hedges, peering into the kitchen window. The first remembered the receipt she was holding and stuck it into her pocket. "Thirty five dollars for a cake!" she exclaimed. "But it was worth it."

"Of course it was," the second girl replied, fingering her dark brown curls. The first swept her thin, brown bangs out of her eyes. They both smiled. "Success," they whispered in unison.



THE END