"Happy birthday, boss!"

Daisy grabbed me and crushed me in a tight hug as soon as I stepped into the restaurant. I could almost literally feel the excitement radiate from her. I thanked my stars that the restaurant was empty at the moment; otherwise, I didn't know how I was going to explain the scene.

"Thanks, Daisy." I patted her back. "But seriously, I told you to stop the 'boss' thing. We've talked about it before."

"I know." Daisy rubbed the back of her neck, smiling sheepishly. "I'm just trying to be professional. You know, not let sentiments get in the way or something."

"You're still my friend, you know."...