ASTRID

“Happy Birthday, Sexbomb Astrid!” they all shouted after singing the birthday song to me.

I laughed. “Thank you, guys! Thank you all for coming!” I said before blowing out the candles on the cake Art was holding.

I didn’t wish for anything else; I simply thanked God for all the blessings in my life right now—the people who are here with me.

“Let’s enjoy the night together!” I added, clapping my hands. “Go ahead and get food! Take plenty, because there’s still a lot inside,” I said, lowkey giving Art a death glare for bringing too much food for my birthday, but he just smiled innocently at me.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Penelope Gray,” Art’s friend Chase said, extending a handshake to Penelope, but Art immediately tugged on his shirt from behind.

“Sorry,” Art apologized to Penelope. “Wag mo masyado lapitan yan, hindi pa nakakainom ng gamot.”

“I’m just a fan!” Chase replied, playfully shoving Art aside, which made Penelope laugh. “I’ve seen all your interviews and magazines! I don’t want to sound like a pervert, but you look absolutely breathtaking,” he said as he settled next to my friend.

I noticed Art shaking his head and leaned closer to whisper, “He’s a playboy.”

I laughed softly at his comment. “Penelope can handle herself, don’t worry.” He nodded in agreement. Meanwhile, I noticed Eli and Isaiah engaged in a friendly conversation as they filled their plates with food.

“How about Isaiah? Is he a playboy too?”

“No, he has a girlfriend,” Art replied, and I nodded. He seemed genuinely friendly while talking to Eli, and I couldn’t help but smile, relieved that everyone was getting along.

Feeling Art’s presence behind me, he started to massage my shoulders gently. “What do you want, birthday girl?” he asked softly, his gaze on the food. He leaned in a little closer, waiting for my response.

“I’ll get some later, after everyone,” I said, but he took my hand and led me to the table piled with food.

“Tell me what you want. I’ll get it for you,” he insisted, and I smiled at his thoughtful gesture. Well, if he really insists... “Just a small portion of each, please,” I replied, and he immediately complied.

I scanned the area to make sure everyone was okay. Four of our friends were already laughing at each other’s jokes, which helped me start to relax. I couldn’t help but smile; they were really getting along. Just chill, Astrid. It’s your birthday—enjoy it!

But then my eyes drifted back to Art, and panic rushed through me as I saw the plate.

“Huy! Not too much!” I exclaimed when I noticed him loading up my plate. I scratched my neck, feeling overwhelmed. I didn’t want to eat that much.

“The amount is just right for your body,” he said, looking me up and down, his gaze lingering a little too long on my legs.

“I just told you to stop teasing me about my shorts,” I said, pinching his waist.

“Ow! I’m not even saying anything!” he laughed. “Let’s go, birthday girl. You need to eat,” he said, and I followed him.

“Next time, be more careful. What if I hadn’t been the one to see you only wearing panties—” he started, but I quickly covered his mouth with my hand to keep anyone else from hearing.

He chuckled at my reaction and picked up a spoon. “Say ‘Ahh’,” Art said, placing the food in front of my mouth.

“Are you babying me?” I asked, playfully rejecting his offer. I stared at him as he waited, and it was clear he was serious about spoon-feeding me.

“It’s your birthday. Dapat extra special ka,” he said, offering the spoon again, so I accepted.

“Extra?” I asked as I began to chew.

“Because you’re already special to me, Estelle,” he said, gazing intently at me. That statement made me choke and cough. He quickly handed me a glass of water and patted my back.

“Are you okay?” he asked, looking concerned.

I rolled my eyes while drinking. “You’re going to kill me with your pick-up lines!”

“Those aren’t pick-up lines; I’m just stating facts,” he said, wiping the side of my lips with his thumb.

“You should eat too,” I said before taking another bite.

“Later,” he replied simply, still gazing at me with those loving eyes. I decided to offer him some food with the spoon he’d been holding. He smiled at the gesture and took a bite.

As he chewed, he gently caressed my head, and I couldn’t help but stare at him, feeling so content in that moment. He looked too cute; I almost wanted to pinch his cheeks.

A deep cough interrupted the moment. “Get a room,” Chase joked. Reality hit me—we were all sharing the same table, and I felt my cheeks flush. Art playfully kicked him beneath the table in response.

“Estelle, oh! Mapanakit!” Chase whined like a child, making me laugh at their antics.

Oh, so he knows me as 'Estelle.'

“Don’t call her that anymore. Call her ‘Astrid’,” Art corrected him, and I couldn’t hide my smile. He knew I only wanted to be called ‘Estelle’ by him. It was a small gesture, but it meant a lot to me. He was paying attention to everything I’d rambled about in Germany.

Chase rolled his eyes. “K. Bilisan niyo kumain, inom na inom na ako,” he said, jumping up and down before stretching his arms.

“Mahiya ka naman! Nakikibirthday ka na nga lang,” Isaiah said, tossing a handkerchief at him. Chase promptly sat down, and we all laughed as we continued enjoying the night with random conversations.

“Art, could you take pictures of us?” Penelope asked, pulling me and Eli over to the silver wall.

“Of course, anything for you guys,” he said, taking the camera Penelope handed him. We ended up snapping nearly a hundred pictures because we just couldn’t figure out the best angle for all three of us.

“Tama na, nakakahiya na,” I said, worried that Art might be turned off by how we were bonding—through taking pictures.

“I’m actually enjoying it,” Art replied, continuing to snap away while giving us different pose ideas. “Does this pass for your taste?” he asked, showing us the camera.

I couldn’t hide my smile; he was so supportive. It was very ‘Instagram boyfriend’ of him.

We all glanced at the camera, and to my surprise, the photos looked amazing. I’d expected them to turn out poorly since a guy was taking them, but Art was definitely an exception. I couldn’t help but wonder if he’d picked up some photography skills from his model ex.

Enjoy your birthday, Astrid. No negative thoughts. He’s just good at everything he does. He’s Art, after all.

“Oh, solo!” Eli said, playfully pushing me to the wall. I felt a little awkward with Art as the photographer, so I struck only a few poses. “I’ll take a picture of you two naman,” Penelope said, nodding at me and Art.

I froze for a moment as Art smiled and pulled me closer, wrapping his arm around my shoulders. Penelope snapped away, but I remained stiff, smiling brightly. “Astrid, konting sweetness naman! Para kang standee d’yan! Different pose please!”

I shot her a death glare, causing Art to chuckle. He shifted behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist as if he were hugging me from the back. “Is this okay for you?” he whispered, sending shivers down my spine.

I just nodded and smiled at the camera, my face heating up as my friends continued to take pictures.

“Wow! Prenup pictorial ang atake,” Chase said, stepping closer with Isaiah.

“Approved na ba tropa namin sa inyo?” Isaiah asked Penelope and Eli, who just laughed.

I felt a wave of nervousness—was he approved by my main girls?

“Of course he is. He presented his business proposal to us last night,” Penelope said, trying to stifle her laughter.

“What the fuck, man! Nakakahiya yung pinaglalagay mong pictures don,” Chase said, shaking his head. I breathed a little easier, relieved to hear Penelope and Eli’s approval of Art.

“The question is, am I approved by you, Ms. Mercer?” Art whispered in my ear, reminding me that he was still hugging me from behind. My breath hitched again, but before I could respond, our friends called for a group photo.

Later, we decided to drink and take a dip in the pool, so we changed into our swimsuits. Feeling a bit self-conscious with Art around, I slipped on a sundress to cover up. I figured I could take it off later.

Music filled the air as we played games like beer pong and charades. I was surprised to see Art coordinating with Penelope for the games; he had actually planned things out with my best friends! He even handed out prizes, and I couldn’t imagine how expensive they were—things like perfumes, shopping vouchers, and watches.

In the game 'Who Knows Me Better,’ Art was competitive, but he couldn’t quite keep up with my two best friends.

“What’s my pet peeve?” I asked, looking at everyone lined up.

“Poor table manners!” Penelope shouted. I laughed because Art looked confused; he didn’t know the answer to that question.

“How about my favorite K-drama?”

“Queen of Tears!” Eli shouted, prompting a sigh from Art.

“Hmm...” Unable to think of any more questions, I took a sip from the red cup before muttering a random thought, “What do I do when I’m drunk?!”

“Huh?” Eli replied.

“You cry!” Chase guessed.

“Nang aaway!” Isaiah chimed in.

“Girl, you just go crazy!” Penelope declared.

I looked at all of them, equally confused. Even I didn’t know the answer to that question. My gaze drifted to Art, and suddenly, a wave of horror washed over me. He was smirking at me. “I know what you do when you’re drunk,” he said.

“What?” they all exclaimed in unison, their curiosity piqued.

He fell silent, as if reminiscing, then flashed me a teasing smile.

“Well? Ano na?” Chase prompted.

My face began to burn red as I recalled what I’d done to him when I was drunk.

“It’s nothing. Penelope was right; she just goes crazy, that’s all,” he said, his eyes never leaving mine.

I rolled my eyes, relieved he didn’t spill the details of that night. We continued the game, and although he tried his best, he ended up losing, giving me the perfect opportunity to tease him. Of course, I would soon regret it as he silenced me with gentle kisses.

Fortunately, our friends didn’t mind our public displays of affection; they probably expected it by now. I smiled brightly, realizing how much fun my birthday was turning out to be. I was grateful for the people around me, having forgotten the problems I faced in the days leading up to this. They had truly poured their time and effort into making this birthday a blast. I knew I’d treasure these moments forever. I’ll cherish them forever.

My thoughts shattered when I heard a loud splash in the pool.

Chase playfully shoved Isaiah. “Tangina mo! Yung cellphone ko!” Isaiah exclaimed, tossing his soaked phone onto the grass. Chase just stuck out his tongue in response.

Before Chase could walk away from the pool, Art approached him while taking off his shirt. He tackled Chase, sending them both crashing into the water.

My heart jumped at the sound of the splash, but relief washed over me when I saw them laughing together. Art’s okay. Chill, Astrid.

“Putangina! Ang sakit ng tenga ko, gago!” Chase shouted, trying to clear his eardrum by tapping his head.

“Sino ba kasi nanguna?” Art said, splashing more water in Chase’s face, which made Isaiah laugh even harder. Chase started shouting for help when Art and Isaiah decided to dunk him deeper. They were acting like kids, and I couldn’t help but laugh at the chaos.

Art was right; they were all chaotic together.

How could this birthday possibly get any better?