Meaghan stood there, bemused and touched when, with a courtly flourish that brought squeals from the girls, Rickie presented Leaf with two boxes of coconut ice cream squares. After Leaf took the containers, he was quickly surrounded by the rest of the group. Catching Meaghan"s eye, he gave an abashed smile that melted her heart, and she felt herself tumbling into love."Isn"t he great!" Leaf effused as she carried the boxes to the table, "I knew you were having problems finding my favorite ice cream, so I called Abang Rickie and he offered to bring it by!" The glow of hero-worship gleamed in the teen"s eyes. Meaghan felt compelled to pull back Leaf"s expectations.
"He might have had something important to do today." Meaghan watched him as he chatted with the young girls, relaxed and comfortable with their focus. Suddenly he clapped his hands, and they immediately quieted down.
"Is time for cake yet? I heard En Torno"s cake was the best in Sarawak!" He looked over and grinned at the two sisters, looking boyish and happy. To a chorus of affirmatives he made his way to Meaghan"s side. Tucking an arm around her waist, he began to sing "Happy Birthday", which was quickly picked up by the rest of the group. Meaghan lit the candles and presented the cake. Tina closed her eyes, and with one breath, blew out the candles.
Meaghan began doling out slices of the rich, dark cake while Tina used tongs to dish out the icy white squares. Once everyone had a plate, Meaghan carried the rest of the ice cream back to the kitchen. She was sealing it in a plastic container when Rickie sidled up behind and wrapped himself around her, trapping her arms.
"Rickie!" she protested weakly, already savoring the feeling of him surrounding her. "I have to put this away before it melts!"
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He kissed the top of her head and rested his chin on her shoulder, still hugging her.
"I hope you"re not mad at me for crashing the party," he said guiltily.
"Thank you for bringing the ice cream." Meaghan shook her head, conscious of her disheveled appearance; in keeping up with the younger girls, her serviceable bun was unraveling, wisps of hair escaping to curl with abandon around her face. Her simple green dress was wrinkled; her flowered ap.r.o.n spotted with stains. "I just wish I looked better", she thought.
Rickie turned her around and pressed her against the counter top and looked into her eyes. "I think you look beautiful."
Oh no, had she spoken aloud? She closed her eyes as heat crept up her neck. She felt him gently caress her cheek and opened her eyes to see a single eyelash on the tip of his finger.
"Ready to make a wish of your own?" Rickie all but whispered. They looked each other, and then Rickie brought his finger to his lips and gently blew. Meaghan followed the lash for a brief second before her view was blocked as he leaned down and captured her lips.