13

Days turned to weeks and weeks to months.
x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
Ethan was making a lot of preparations while his friend sent invitations across. The surprise party was going to take place in the great Hall of Calendar. The hall was massive and grand, big in size.
Agnes's birthday was around the corner but she seemed less interested in celebrating it. She did not even bother to inform anyone about it, well that was how she had always celebrated her birthday. A day off from work, alone in her house, eating and drinking whatever was available and wishing her self many more birthday celebrations in loneliness and sorrow. Most times she would use that opportunity to go to the orphanage where she had grown up in to share gifts and money among themselves. Then she would cut her cake in their presence and they would all enjoy it. This time around she had already concluded that her birthday wasn't going to be special. One cool thing about Agnes was that even though she had a rich boyfriend, she wasn't expecting anything from him.
x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
Agnes's phone rang, she pulled out her phone, stared at the phone to see who the caller was before accepting the call.
"Hey Ethan."
"Good morning love," Ethan greeted in a romantic tone. "Will you be free throughout this.."
"Sorry, I forgot to wish you a happy New year," Agnes interrupted him in a bit of haste.
"You should not be sorry, I too had forgotten to wish you a happy New year," Ethan replied.
"Happy new year my darling boyfriend," she romantically let those words out of her mouth.
"I wish you the very best my darling girlfriend and my love."
"You were asking me something earlier on, what was it?"
"Yes true. I wanted to ask if you would be free throughout the week?" He asked, crossing his fingers and hoping she was going to give him a positive answer.
Agnes released a sigh. "This week will be a pretty busy one for me. Remember it is a new year and so I have to be at the bar, organizing things. Apart from that I also need to visit some places like the orphanage home. I have to do my new year cleaning in my new apartment and I have to go shopping for new groceries. These and many more, there a lot of things I have to do that I didn't mention."
Ethan breathed out the air he had been holding in for long, "you mean you are going to do all these?"
Agnes frowned her face, "not like I have a choice, if I did have an option, trust me I would go for the latter."
"Okay fine. Take care, I will come around," Ethan rushed his words as if someone was forcing him to say them. "Bye for now," he told her and hung up immediately.
"Clinton, hope you can see for yourself, she acts all might every time, pretending like I don't exist," Ethan's eyes was squinting in anger.
"Calm down Ethan but come to think of it, today is Sunday and her birthday is coming up on the Friday of this week. Was she not the one that told you about her upcoming birthday?" Clinton asked in a surprised tone.
"She didn't, I don't even think she remembers.. I got the information from her manager.
"Ohh I see, you have a workaholic as a girlfriend, that's so sweet."
"Enough of your nonsense talks, what's sweet about having a workaholic girlfriend?"
"I don't want to argue with you, so I'm letting this topic off. Why not call her and ask her if she will be free on Friday," Clinton suggested.
"No," Ethan rejected, he didn't like the idea.
"Why?"
"I do not want her to feel too important. She might just get stuck with the idea that I'm way too interested in her."
"I thought you wanted to make her fall deep for you.. So why are you complaining? This type of things are what would help you achieve your goals," Clinton advised, widely using Ethan's strategy to convince him.
"She loves me already."
"Yes she loves you but she doesn't love you enough to give you time in her life."
"Shut up, she's just a work maniac."
"Stop with your unnecessary argument and just give her a call," Clinton spoke to him, "and ask her if she will be free the day after Thursday, so it won't arouse any suspicions."
Ethy looked at his phone and then at Clint, then he squeaked, "fine."
He dialed her number, "hey Agnes," he spoke up, immediately the call was answered.
"Yes, is there any problem?" Agnes's melodious voice asked. "Did you forget to tell me something?" She added with another question.
"Yes," Ethan replied, his eyes solely on Clinton.
"Go on, ask her," Clinton murmured and gesturing with his hand.
"Ehem," Ethan cleared his throat. "Will you be free the day after Thursday?"
"Why are you asking?"
"Because I will be free on that day and I would love to spend it with you," Daniel replied her hastily.
"Well," Agnes spoke in a worried tone, "no. I will be visiting a lot of places on that day but if you are free on that day, you could hang out with friends, I don't really need to be with you, right?"
"Yeah," Ethan answered her without thinking.
"No," Clinton corrected him.
"I meant no, you are my girlfriend, I want to spend that day with you."
"Em," Agnes said thinking of what to tell him. "That day is..
Ethan did not let her finish whatever she wanted to say, "if you feel that your work is way more important than I am, I won't mind at all, what I'm trying to say is, if that day will be pretty occupied for you, then don't bother coming, maybe some other day would work out for us."
"Ethan, I just wanted to tell you that I will be going over to the orphanage to celebrate with the kids on Friday," Agnes tried to justify herself.
"I would really love to see you on Friday, why not go over to the orphanage on Thursday? It will not affect much if you rescheduled for my sake, I am your boyfriend after all."
"You mean a lot to me Ethan and I am sorry for giving you petty excuses. Since you want to spend time with me on Friday, I will cancel every other thing. You and I are going to spend quality time together," Agnes realized that declining him was a bit selfish, so she changed her mind and assured him that she was going to go out with him.