Raquel woke up the morning of her twentieth birthday feeling like a million bucks.
She got out of bed as soon as her alarm went off. Usually, Raquel was not a morning person and she felt tired until her first cup of coffee of the day, but the morning of her twentieth birthday, she felt amazing! She got up and stretched with a big yawn and went into the bathroom to get ready for class.
like a million bucks - exp.感觉很棒
go off - （警报器） 突发巨响
morning person - exp.爱早起的人
amazing - adj.令人惊异的
stretch - v.伸展；舒展
yawn - n.哈欠
"Wow," said Raquel as she looked in the mirror. She was having a good hair day. She had long, thick, dark brown hair that usually had a mind of its own. This morning, her hair already looked almost perfect. She brushed her hair with her favorite baby blue hairbrush until it was smooth and shiny, then she pulled it back into a bouncy ponytail on the top of her head. Because it was her birthday, Raquel was feeling fancy, so she decided to put on some makeup too. First, she applied black eyeliner and made sure that the lines were winged like she saw in fashion magazines. Then she put on some black mascara, which made her eyelashes look thick and long. Then she put on some bright red lipstick, which was fashionable and festive. To top it all off, Raquel splashed on some of her favorite perfume;it was expensive, over a hundred dollars a bottle, but it made her smell like a movie star.
good hair day - exp. 头发状态良好
mind of its own - exp.有自己的想法
baby blue - 淡蓝色
bouncy ponytail - 动感马尾
fancy - adj.精致的
makeup - n.彩妆；化妆品
apply - v.应用
eyeliner - n.眼线笔；眼线膏
fashion magazine - 时尚杂志
mascara - n.睫毛膏
eyelash - n.睫毛
lipstick - n.唇膏；口红
fashionable - adj.流行的；时髦的
festive - adj.节日的；喜庆的
Next, Raquel went to get dressed. She chose a bright red blouse that matched her lipstick, a black ballerina skirt and cute black flats. She admired herself in the mirror, thinking that she was the most beautiful girl on campus. And why shouldn't she be? It was her birthday!
blouse - n.女装衬衫
ballerina skirt -芭蕾短裙
flats - n.平跟鞋
Raquel went to the kitchenette in her dorm room and started brewing a cup of coffee. She loved coffee. Dark roast was her favorite and once she had a nice strong cup brewed, she put lots of cream and sugar in it. Usually, Raquel liked to eat a very healthy breakfast with yogurt and some fresh fruit, but she decided, because it was her birthday, that she could indulge in her favorite breakfast pastry: a Boston cream doughnut. The only problem was, Raquel didn't have any Boston cream doughnuts at home so she had to stop at the campus coffee shop to buy one.
kitchenette - n. 小厨房
brew - v.酿造；冲泡
indulge - v.沉溺；放任
pastry - n.油酥点心
Boston cream doughnut -波士顿奶油甜甜圈
She approached the counter at the coffee shop and smiled brightly. The cashier was a very cute boy that Raquel recognized from one of her classes. He smiled back at her and he was so handsome when he smiled that Raquel forgot to order.
"Can I help you?" the boy asked. Raquel looked at his name tag. His name was Michael.
"Oh! Yes, I want a Boston cream doughnut, please." She pointed at the one she wanted sitting in the glass case.
Michael took out the doughnut using a little piece of waxed paper and put it in a doughnut-sized paper bag. He handed it across the counter to Raquel, still smiling. Boy, was he handsome when he smiled!
"Thanks," said Raquel, "how much do I owe you?"
"You don't owe me anything, we're having a special promotion today," Michael said. "Pretty girls get one Boston cream doughnut for free."
Raquel erupted in a fit of giggles and blushed, hiding her face behind the paper bag containing the doughnut. "It's perfect!" she exclaimed.
"What is?" Michael asked.
"Today is my birthday," Raquel explained shyly, "so it's like a birthday present!"
"Happy birthday!" Michael exclaimed. "Do you have any big plans for celebrating your birthday?"
"I don't know," Raquel admitted, "I have classes all day, but I was going to ask my friends to go to dinner later." She paused, then beamed at Michael. "Do you want to come to dinner?"
"That would be awesome," said Michael, still smiling his ridiculously handsome smile.
"Can I get your number?" asked Raquel. She handed her phone across the counter and let Michael type in his cell phone number and name. He handed the phone back to her and she thanked him. "I'll text you later! I'm finished with class around four."
"Great! I get off at four. See you later."
"Bye!"
handsome - adj.英俊的
Boy - exp.好家伙！
promotion - n.促销；提升
erupt - v.爆发
giggle - n.咯咯的笑声
blush - v.脸红
exclaim - v.大叫；呼喊
shyly - adv.羞怯地
beam - v.堆满笑容；照射；发送
awesome - adj.极好的
ridiculously - adv.相当地；十分；荒谬地
text - v.发信息
See you later - exp.再见
Michael watched the girl walk away, admiring her legs and her puffy black skirt. He felt a little bit dizzy because the girl was so beautiful, and friendly, and she smelled nice, and Michael had decided that she was pretty much perfect. He could hardly believe that she invited him to dinner on her birthday! He was practically a stranger.
admire - v.欣赏；钦佩
dizzy - adj.晕眩的
hardly believe - exp.难以置信
stranger - n.陌生人
The rest of Michael's shift at the coffee shop went by very, very slowly. He kept thinking about how red the girl's lips looked, and how white her teeth were, and how brown her hair was. He got butterflies in his stomach when he remembered her giggling when he flirted with her.
shift - n.轮班
butterflies in his stomach - exp.忐忑；紧张
flirt - v.调情
Time slowed to a crawl. Michael was very distracted while he worked. He was usually a very good employee, but today, he got orders wrong, burned the milk while making a latte, and even accidentally ignored a customer while staring into space and thinking about the girl! The customer berated him and his manager scolded him, but Michael didn't care because he had a date tonight with the most perfect girl in the world.
Time slowed to a crawl - exp. 时光慢慢流逝
burn - v.烧掉；烧糊
latte - n.拿铁[1]咖啡
accidentally - adv.意外地
staring into space - exp.呆呆地凝视前方
berate - v.严责
scold - v.责骂；训斥
When Michael clocked out, he checked his phone and, sure enough, he had a text from the girl.
Hey! Meet me at Tony's Pizza at 7. See you there!
Michael felt giddy as he responded to her text: Okay! Looking forward to it. And it was true, he really was looking forward to seeing the girl again. He had just enough time to go home, get cleaned up, and get a birthday card. Michael still lived with his parents at their house, which was close enough to campus that he could ride his bike. It was a beautiful day: sunny and not too hot. There was very little traffic, so his ride home was easy. He went inside the house, said hello to his mom, and went upstairs to change.
giddy - adj.头晕的
campus - n.大学；校园
traffic - n.交通
upstairs - n.楼上
Michael was a very tall boy. He had just turned twenty-one, and his mom said he was probably finished growing. He was six and a half feet tall and sometimes it was hard to find trousers that were long enough. He had one nice pair of trousers that fit him perfectly, so he decided to wear them to meet the girl, even though he had also worn them to work and they smelled a little bit like steamed milk and coffee. He put on a red polo shirt, thinking that the girl might still be wearing her red blouse and it would be funny if they matched. To cover up the smell of coffee, Michael put on some cologne and then he was ready to leave.
turn - v.变成；转变
feet - n.英尺
steamed - adj.蒸熟的
funny - adj.有趣的
cologne - n.古龙香水
He had just enough time to stop by a gift shop on the way. He knew he had already given the girl the doughnut for a present, but he liked her a lot and wanted to impress her so he also got a card. He didn't know what kind of card she would like, though! Would she want a card with a funny joke and a silly picture? Would she want a card with a sentimental message? Was she religious;would she want a card wishing her a blessed year? Michael settled on a card that was decorated with cute drawings of pink flowers and a happy cartoon puppy wishing her a happy birthday. He bought the card and started to write on it, but then he realized that he did not know her name!
gift shop -礼品店
impress - v.给人印象
sentimental - adj.伤感的；多愁善感的
religious - adj.宗教的；虔诚的
blessed - adj.受祝福的
cartoon - n.卡通；漫画
Michael began to panic. How stupid could he be? He asked a girl on a date without even knowing her name! She had his phone number and everything. How embarrassing! Michael groaned out loud and thumped his head down on the counter.
"What's wrong, buddy?" The guy behind the counter was an older man with gray hair and glasses.
"I don't know this girl's name," Michael moaned. "I asked her on a date and I don't even know her name!"
"Tough luck, kiddo," the man said. He was trying not to laugh, but he thought it was pretty funny.
"I feel so stupid," Michael grumbled. "It's her birthday, too."
"Everyone makes mistakes," the man said, and he shrugged.
panic - n.恐慌
stupid - adj.愚蠢的
on a date - exp.约会
embarrassing - adj.令人尴尬的
groan - v.呻吟；叹息
buddy - n.伙伴；小男孩
moan - v.抱怨；呻吟着说
pretty funny - exp.很有意思
stupid - adj.傻瓜
grumble - v.嘟囔；抱怨
mistake - n.错误
shrug - v.耸肩
Michael decided he would just not write anything on the card and hope that she didn't notice. He had been feeling excited and happy all day, but now he just felt nervous. If she found out that he didn't know her name, she would probably think he was some kind of creep or maybe she would think he was stupid. Michael didn't know what she would think, but it probably would not be good!
He got on his bike with the blank birthday card in his backpack and started the ride to Tony's Pizza. At least the food will be good, he thought.
notice - v.注意到
nervous -adj.紧张的
creep -adj.极讨厌的人
Raquel was so happy about Michael coming to dinner that she almost forgot to eat her doughnut.She ate it during class and spilled a little bit of the sweet cream filling on her notebook. It wasn't that big of a deal, but her notebook would smell like pastries for weeks to come!
forgot - v.忘记
sweet cream filling - 甜奶油馅
that big of a deal - exp. 没什么大不了
The lecture was so boring that Raquel barely took any notes. It was a statistics class, and Raquel didn't really like math. She liked history class better, and this semester she was taking a dance class which she enjoyed a lot.
barely - adv.几乎不
statistics -n. 统计学
dance - n.舞蹈
Raquel couldn't even enjoy her history lecture that day though, because she kept thinking about Michael. She kept thinking about his big, handsome, goofy smile. She thought about his black coffee shop uniform and wondered what he would wear later. She thought about his shaggy black hair. She thought about how tall he was, and she wondered if he had very big hands. She wondered if he would care that she was a whole foot shorter than him. She wondered about Michael all day long, until her last class ended and she was free to go.
goofy -adj.傻瓜的
uniform -n.制服
shaggy - adj.蓬松的
wonder -v.想知道
foot -n.英尺
She went to the library to do some studying but still kept thinking about Michael. She texted a bunch of her friends to invite them to dinner at Tony's Pizza later on, and after that she was able to study for a little bit, but Raquel really could not focus on her notes! So she decided to go take a walk because it was such a beautiful day.
studying - n.学习；研究
text -v. 发短信
focus - v. 集中（注意力）
Outside, the sky was a deep blue color and the air was cool and refreshing. It was springtime, so the grass and trees were a happy shade of green and there were flowers all over the place. Some of the trees had lots of tiny pink flowers, other trees had big white flowers, and some trees had no flowers at all: only buds and leaves. Bright yellow daffodils and tulips in a multitude of colors smiled up at Raquel from the ground, and because it was her birthday, she smiled right back.
deep blue -adj.碧蓝
refreshing - adj.提神的
springtime - n.春季
buds - n.嫩芽；蓓蕾
leaves -n.树叶
daffodils - n.水仙花
tulips -n.郁金香
multitude -n.多数
Raquel saw a few of her friends while she was walking, and asked them to come to her birthday dinner later that night, but they all said they were busy! Jolisa had to work, Mary Beth had an exam the next day, Carrie had a paperdue, and Thomas had to take his cat to the veterinarian. Raquel felt disappointed but it was still her birthday, so she tried not to let it get her down.
exam -n. 考试
paper due -论文上交日期
veterinarian -n.兽医
disappointed - adj.失望的
get her down -让自己失落
At last, seven o'clock came around. Raquel walked in to Tony's Pizza and chose a great big table so that everyone she had invited could sit with her. She ordered a soda and eagerly watched the door, waiting for her friends to show up.
But they didn't.
Seven o'clock became seven-thirty, and then it was eight o'clock. Raquel drank three sodas and was still sitting all by herself at the great, big, empty table. She tried not to be sad but, when eight o'clock came and no one was there to celebrate with her, Raquel felt tears in her eyes and she looked down at the table.
"Hey!" said a familiar voice.
Raquel looked up and saw Michael standing beside her. He looked very nice in his red polo shirt[2], except he had a scrape on his arm and his hair was mussed!
"What happened?" Raquel cried, leaping to her feet. "Are you okay?"
came around - exp.来访
eagerly -adv.急切地；渴望地
to show up - exp.出现
tears -n.眼泪
familiar-adj熟悉的
scrape - n.刮痕
mussed - adj.混乱
cry- v.大叫；哭喊
leap - v.跳
"Yeah, I just crashed my bicycle," Michael said sheepishly, "that's why I'm late. I'm really sorry."
"Oh my gosh. You're not hurt, are you?"
"No, I'm fine! I promise. Um... where is everyone else?" Michael asked. He looked at the empty table with a concerned expression.
crash - v. 撞
sheepishly - adv.怯懦地
Oh my gosh - 我的天！
Concerned expression -担忧的表情
"That is a good question," Raquel grumbled. "No one showed up."
"Let me buy you some pizza," Michael offered as he and Raquel sat down together.
Together, Michael and Raquel finished a whole pepperoni pizza. It was the best pizza either of them had ever tasted. Raquel felt much better after she ate, and she thanked Michael for coming to dinner.
"It's my pleasure," Michael told her, "I've been looking forward to it all day!" He took the card out of his backpack and handed it to her, "For you."
"Thank you!" Raquel exclaimed. She opened the card, and as she read it, she smiled. "That's so sweet of you, Michael."
Michael smiled and squirmed a little in his seat when she said his name, because he still didn't know her name. He had asked her on a date, bought her dinner, and given her a birthday card;and he still didn't know her name! The evening ended after they sat and talked for a few hours. They both had class early the next day and needed to get home and go to bed.
"Let me give you a ride home, since your bike is broken," Raquel offered. Michael agreed, and she drove him home. Once they got to Michael's house, Raquel said, "Thanks again, Michael, this was the best birthday I've ever had!"
Michael smiled and, feeling brave, he leaned over and kissed the girl's cheek!
Raquel giggled. Michael said goodnight and went inside. He still didn't know her name.
"How was your date, honey?" Michael's mom asked when he came in.
"It was... good," Michael said.
"You don't seem too sure about that," his mother said, looking at him over the top of her glasses.
"Mom?"
"Yes?"
"I don't know her name. The girl I asked out. I don't know her name! I forgot to get it when I met her, but she knows my name and she has my number and everything," Michael groaned.
"Why don't you just ask her?" his mom said.
"I can't just ask her! She'll think I'm so dumb!" Michael said.
"If she is the right girl for you, she'll understand," Michael's mom reassured him, but this didn't make Michael feel any better. "Can you ask one of her friends?"
"I can't just ask someone!" Michael scoffed, "They might tell her."
"Didn't you say you have a class with her? Maybe you can ask the professor," his mom suggested.
So, the next day during his class with the girl Michael approached the professor and asked for the girl's name. He described Raquel, but Michael wasn't very good at describing, and the professor thought he meant a different girl!
"Her name is Brittany," the professor said confidently.
When the girl walked in the room, Michael marched right up to her and smiled.
"Hi, Brittany," he said. His smile went away as the girl frowned.
"My name is Raquel," she grumbled.
Michael was mortified. He felt about as tall as a grasshopper's knee. He wanted to disappear into the floor. His cheeks turned bright red. Raquel saw how embarrassed he was and she relaxed.
"That's okay, Michael. Everyone makes mistakes!" Raquel took his hand and they sat down together in the front row.
Raquel thought that Michael was the best birthday present she had ever gotten.
It's my pleasure - exp. 我很荣幸
looking forward to it - exp.期待
so sweet of you - exp.你太贴心了
squirm - v.扭动；局促不安
offer -v.提议，提供
agree-v.同意
brave - adj.勇敢的
kiss - v.吻
cheek - n.脸颊
honey -n.宝贝
groan -v.呻吟
reassure-v.使安心
scoff - v.嘲笑
suggest - v.建议
approach - v.接近
describe -描述
confidently - adv.自信地
march -v.（坚定地）向某地行进
frown -v.皱眉
mortified -adj.窘迫的
as tall as a grasshopper's knee - exp.矮到尘埃里
relax - v.使放松
Summary
It was Raquel's birthday, and she felt incredible. She dolled herself up before going to class, put on perfume, and even decided to get herself a doughnut for breakfast from a local coffee shop. This is where Raquel meets Michael, a handsome boy who gives her a Boston cream doughnut for free and flirts with her. Raquel is so smitten with Michael that she invites him to her birthday dinner with friends that evening.
All day long Raquel and Michael daydream about each other, but Michael has one worry—he doesn't have Raquel's name. When it's time for the big dinner, nobody shows up but Michael, and he's an hour late—Raquel had just started to cry before he arrived. They end up having a wonderful date, but, even after kissing her good night, Michael still doesn't know Raquel's name.
The next day, Michael asks a professor about Raquel's name, but he is given the wrong name, and calls her Brittany instead. Michael is then terribly embarrassed, but Raquel handles the situation with grace and forgives him immediately, proving that she is the right girl for him.
词汇表
like a million bucks - exp. 感觉很棒
go off - （警报器） 突发巨响
morning person - exp.爱早起的人
amazing - adj.令人惊异的
stretch - v.伸展；舒展
yawn - n.哈欠
good hair day - exp.头发状态良好
mind of its own - exp.有自己的想法
baby blue - 淡蓝色
bouncy ponytail - 动感马尾
fancy - adj.精致的
makeup - n.彩妆；化妆品
apply - v.应用
eyeliner - n.眼线笔；眼线膏
fashion magazine - 时尚杂志
mascara - n.睫毛膏
eyelash - n.睫毛
lipstick - n.唇膏；口红
fashionable - adj.流行的；时髦的
festive - adj.节日的；喜庆的
blouse - n.女装衬衫
ballerina skirt -芭蕾短裙
flats - n.平跟鞋
kitchenette - n.小厨房
brew - v.酿造；冲泡
indulge - v.沉溺；放任
pastry - n.油酥点心
Boston cream doughnut -波士顿奶油甜甜圈
handsome - adj.英俊的
Boy - exp.好家伙！
promotion - n.促销；提升
erupt - v.爆发
giggle - n.咯咯的笑声
blush - v.脸红
exclaim - v.大叫；呼喊
shyly - adv.羞怯地
beam - v.堆满笑容；照射；发送
awesome - adj.极好的
ridiculously - adv.相当地；十分；荒谬地
text - v.发信息
See you later - exp.再见
admire - v.欣赏；钦佩
dizzy - adj.晕眩的
hardly believe - exp.难以置信
stranger - n.陌生人
shift - n.轮班
butterflies in his stomach - exp.忐忑；紧张
flirt - v.调情
Time slowed to a crawl - exp.时光慢慢流逝
burn - v.烧掉；烧糊
latte - n.拿铁咖啡
accidentally - adv.意外地
staring into space - exp.呆呆地凝视前方
berate - v.严责
scold - v.责骂；训斥
giddy - adj.头晕的
campus - n.大学；校园
traffic - n.交通
upstairs - n.楼上
turn - v.变成；转变
feet - n.英尺
steamed - adj.蒸熟的
funny - adj.有趣的
cologne - n.古龙香水
gift shop -礼品店
impress - v.给人印象
sentimental - adj.伤感的；多愁善感的
religious - adj.宗教的；虔诚的
blessed - adj.受祝福的
cartoon - n.卡通；漫画
panic - n.恐慌
stupid - adj.愚蠢的
on a date - exp.约会
embarrassing - adj.令人尴尬的
groan - v.呻吟；叹息
buddy - n.伙伴；小男孩
moan - v.抱怨；呻吟着说
pretty funny - exp.很有意思
stupid - adj.傻瓜
grumble - v.嘟囔；抱怨
mistake - n.错误
shrug - v.耸肩
notice - v.注意到
nervous -adj.紧张的
creep -adj.极讨厌的人
forgot - v.忘记
sweet cream filling - 甜奶油馅
that big of a deal - exp.没什么大不了
barely - adv.几乎不
statistics -n.统计学
dance - n.舞蹈
goofy -adj.傻瓜的
uniform -n.制服
shaggy - adj.蓬松的
wonder -v.想知道
foot -n.英尺
studying - n.学习；研究
text -v.发短信
focus - v.集中（注意力）
deep blue -adj.碧蓝
refreshing - adj.提神的
springtime - n.春季
buds - n.嫩芽；蓓蕾
leaves -n.树叶
daffodils - n.水仙花
tulips -n.郁金香
multitude -n.多数
exam -n.考试
paper due -论文上交日期
veterinarian -n.兽医
disappointed - adj.失望的
get her down -让自己失落
came around - exp.来访
eagerly - adv.急切地；渴望地
to show up - exp.出现
tears - n.眼泪
familiar- adj熟悉的
scrape - n.刮痕
mussed - adj.混乱
cry- v.大叫；哭喊
leap - v.跳
It's my pleasure - exp.我很荣幸
looking forward to it - exp.期待
so sweet of you - exp.你太贴心了
squirm - v.扭动；局促不安
offer -v.提议，提供
agree-v.同意
brave - adj.勇敢的
kiss - v.吻
cheek - n.脸颊
honey -n.宝贝
groan -v.呻吟
reassure-v.使安心
scoff - v.嘲笑
suggest - v.建议
approach - v.接近
describe -描述
confidently - adv.自信地
march -v.（坚定地）向某地行进
frown -v.皱眉
mortified -adj.窘迫的
as tall as a grasshopper's knee - exp.矮到尘埃里
relax - v.使放松
中文译文
最好的生日
今天是拉克尔的20岁生日，清晨醒来，她感觉好极了。
闹钟一响，拉克尔便立刻跳下了床。平日里，她不爱早起，而且往往要喝一杯咖啡才能精神起来。但在今天早晨，她感觉神清气爽！拉克尔起身打了个大大的呵欠，伸了伸懒腰，走进浴室，准备洗漱一下去学校。
“哇。”拉克尔照了照镜子，不禁发出感叹，今天的发型太棒了。她有一头浓密的深棕色长发，但往往难以打理。而今天早上，她的头发看上去已经几近完美了。拉克尔用她最爱的淡蓝色发梳将头发梳理得柔顺光亮，在脑后扎了一个高高的马尾辫，动感十足。
今天是拉克尔的生日，她想把自己打扮得精致一点，所以她决定画个妆。她首先画了个上挑的黑色眼线，就像在时尚杂志上看到的那样；接着涂上黑色的睫毛膏，让睫毛看上去又长又密；然后擦上亮红色唇膏，既时髦又喜庆。最后，拉克尔喷上了自己最爱的香水——这香水挺贵的，要100多美元一瓶呢，但能让她闻起来像个电影明星。
接下来，拉克尔去穿衣服。她选了一件红色衬衫，鲜艳的红色与她的红唇相配，一条黑色芭蕾短裙，一双俏皮的黑色平底鞋。拉克尔欣赏着镜子里的自己，感觉自己是整个校园最美丽的女孩，她理应是最美的？今天可是她的生日！
拉克尔走进宿舍的小厨房给自己煮了杯咖啡。她喜欢喝咖啡，而且最喜欢深烘焙咖啡。每次喝浓咖啡，她都会加许多糖和奶油。早饭她通常吃得很健康，还要配上酸奶和新鲜水果。但今天过生日，她决定放纵自己吃一些最爱的点心——波士顿奶油甜甜圈。唯一的问题是，宿舍里没有波士顿奶油甜甜圈了，所以她必须到学校的咖啡店去买一些。
拉克尔带着灿烂的笑容，走近咖啡店的柜台。收银的男孩子很可爱，拉克尔认出来他们上过同一门课。男孩回以微笑，男孩笑起来的样子帅气极了，让拉克尔忘记了点单。
“来点什么？”男孩问道。拉克尔看了一眼他的胸牌，得知他叫迈克尔。
“哦哦！我要一个波士顿奶油甜甜圈，谢谢。”她指着静静躺在玻璃橱中的甜甜圈。
迈克尔用一小块蜡纸包起甜甜圈，放在专用纸袋里，递给了柜台外的拉克尔。笑容自始至终都挂在他的脸上。天哪，他笑起来太帅了！
“谢谢，”拉克尔说道，“我该付你多少钱？”
“不用付钱，我们今天有促销活动，”迈克尔回答，“漂亮的女孩可以免费得到一个波士顿奶油甜甜圈。”
拉克尔忍不住“咯咯”地笑了起来，脸蛋“唰”一下红透了。她羞涩地把脸藏在纸袋后，惊喜地叫道：“太完美了！”
“什么太完美了？”迈克尔不解。
“今天是我的生日，”拉克尔害羞地解释，“所以这就像是给我的生日礼物！”
“生日快乐！”迈克尔大声说道，“准备怎么庆祝？有没有计划？”
“我不知道，”拉克尔老实回答，“我一整天都有课，但我打算邀请朋友晚上聚餐。”她停了停，微笑着问迈克尔，“你愿意一起来吗？”
迈克尔果断答应：“那真是太棒了！”依然是一副迷死人的笑容。
“可以把你的电话号码给我吗？”拉克尔问着，将手机递给迈克尔，让他输上自己的电话和名字。迈克尔照做了，然后递回手机。拉克尔道了谢，“迟些给你发信息，我大约四点下课。”
“好极了，我四点下班。再见！”
“拜！”
迈克尔目送拉克尔离开，欣赏着她修长的腿和蓬蓬的黑色短裙，感到一阵目眩神迷。她是如此美丽亲切，笑起来那么甜美，简直太完美了！这么优秀的女孩居然邀请自己去参加她的生日聚餐！而自己只不过是个陌生人！
迈克尔觉得剩下的上班时间变得分外漫长，他一直在回想女孩红润的嘴唇、洁白的牙齿和美丽的棕色长发。回忆起调笑时她银铃般的笑声，迈克尔不禁心猿意马。
时间慢得就像蜗牛在爬。迈克尔根本无心工作。他一贯是模范员工，今天却频频失误：一会儿下错单，一会儿在调配拿铁的时候煮糊了牛奶，甚至还因为发呆没听到顾客的要求而遭到顾客的指责。迈克尔被经理狠狠训斥了一番，但他一点儿也不在乎。因为今晚，他要和世界上最美丽的女孩约会！
终于打卡下班了，迈克尔拿起手机，果然看到了女孩发来的信息。
“嗨！7点托尼披萨店见！不见不散！”
迈克尔幸福得快要晕过去了，立刻回复道：“好！万分期待！”这可是大实话，他确实十分期待再次见到那个姑娘。时间还充足，他可以回家把自己整理利索，再准备张生日贺卡。迈克尔仍与父母住在一起，住的地方离学校很近，他可以骑自行车回去。今天天气很好，晴空万里，温度适宜。路上车很少，他很快就骑到了家。进门后跟妈妈打了声招呼，迈克尔就上楼换衣服去了。
迈克尔个子很高。他刚满21岁，妈妈说他应该不会再长个儿了。他身高足足六尺半（1.96米），有时候都买不到合适的裤子。他有一条非常合身的裤子，虽然上班穿的就是这条，闻起来有热牛奶和咖啡的味道，但他还是决定穿着它去见女孩。迈克尔套上一件红色的马球衫，因为他觉得很可能女孩还穿着早上那件红色的衬衫，那两人将是多么相配。最后，迈克尔喷上一些古龙水来遮盖身上的咖啡味，准备出发。
还有时间顺路去礼品店。虽然自己已经给了女孩甜甜圈作为礼物，但强烈的爱慕之情驱使迈克尔打算给女孩留下更好的印象。不知道女孩喜欢什么样的生日卡片，是印着小笑话和搞笑图片的，还是写着煽情的文字的？她有宗教信仰吗？会喜欢带有宗教色彩的祝福卡片吗？最后，迈克尔选了一张十分可爱的卡片，上面画着粉红色的花朵，还有一只笑眯眯的卡通小狗在祝女孩生日快乐。买下卡片后，迈克尔打算写些祝福的话语，却突然意识到，自己还不知道女孩的名字！
迈克尔开始慌了，自己怎么这么笨？他邀请女孩约会，却连对方名字都不知道！而对方却知道自己的电话号码和一切信息！太尴尬了！迈克尔懊恼地呻吟了一声，手撑着额头颓然靠在柜台上。
“怎么了小伙子？”柜台后的男人问道。他一头白发，戴着眼镜。
“我不知道那个女孩的名字。”迈克尔抱怨道，“我约她出来，却连她的名字都不知道！”
“真不走运，孩子，”男人安慰着迈克尔，虽然觉得很好笑，但努力不让自己笑出来。
“我觉得自己蠢透了。”迈克尔嘟囔着，“今天还是她的生日呢。”
“人人都会犯错。”男人耸了耸肩，继续安抚着可怜的迈克尔。
迈克尔决定什么都不写，暗自希望女孩不会注意到。整整一天他都沉浸在开心和兴奋中，现在却紧张万分。如果她发现我连她的名字都不知道，会不会觉得我很讨厌，或者觉得我很傻？迈克尔不知道她会怎么想，但一定不是什么好印象！
想到迈克尔会来参加自己的生日聚餐，拉克尔高兴地差点忘了吃甜甜圈。课间她吃掉了甜甜圈，还往笔记本上掉了些甜奶油馅。这没什么大不了的，只不过未来几周，她的笔记本闻起来会像是香喷喷的甜点！
这节统计课太无聊了，拉克尔没怎么记笔记，因为她不是很喜欢数学。她更喜欢历史课，而且这学期她还选了自己喜欢的舞蹈课。
然而今天拉克尔连历史课都没能好好听，因为她一直在想迈克尔，想着他灿烂、帅气又傻傻的笑；想着他黑色的咖啡店制服，好奇晚些时候他是不是还会穿着赴约；想着他蓬松乌黑的头发，猜测着他有多高，手掌会不会很宽大；会不会在意自己比他矮了足足一英尺……整整一天，直到最后一节课结束，她都沉浸在对迈克尔的遐想中。
下课后拉克尔去图书馆温习功课，却仍然忍不住得想迈克尔。她给一堆朋友发了信息，邀请大家晚些时候在托尼披萨店聚餐。发完信息，她勉强学了一会儿，可注意力根本没法集中在笔记上！外面天气正好，拉克尔决定出去走走。
正值春日，晴空碧蓝，风清气爽，芳草连天，绿树成荫，鲜花遍地。有些树上点缀着小小的粉色花朵，有些盛开着大大的白花，有些树没有开花，只有含苞待放的蓓蕾和层层叠叠的树叶。鲜艳的黄水仙和色彩斑斓的郁金香怒放，仿佛在对拉克尔微笑。拉克尔也冲着这些娇艳的花儿报以微笑，因为今天是她的生日。
散着步，拉克尔看到了几个朋友，便邀请他们参加晚上的聚餐，但大家都说太忙了！乔丽萨要去工作，玛丽?贝丝要准备第二天的考试，嘉莉要赶论文，汤姆斯要带自己的宠物猫去看兽医。拉克尔有些失望，但她努力不让这些小插曲影响自己的好心情。
马上七点了，拉克尔走进托尼披萨店，选了一张巨大的桌子，这样大家能都和她坐在一起。她点了杯苏打水，急切地盯着店门，等着朋友的出现。
但是没有人来。
时针从七点指向七点半，又指向了八点。拉克尔已经喝了三杯苏打水，依然孤零零地坐在空荡荡的大桌子上。她努力不让自己难过，但当时针指向八点，还是没有人出现时，她的眼泪忍不住开始打转，拉克尔垂头看着桌下。
“嘿！”一个熟悉的声音响起。
拉克尔抬起头，看到迈克尔站在她身边，穿着一件红色polo衫，看上去帅极了。他的手臂上有擦伤，头发也一团糟。
“发生什么了？”拉克尔惊叫着跳了起来，“你没事吧？”
“没事，我骑车的时候撞了下，”迈克尔怯怯地说，“所以我来迟了，真的很抱歉。”
“我的天，你没伤到吧？”
“没有，我好得很！我保证！嗯……其他人呢？”看着空空如也的桌子，迈克尔面露担忧。
“问得好，”拉克尔抱怨道，“一个人都没来。”
“我给你点些披萨。”迈克尔说道。两人一起在桌前坐下。
他们吃光了整个意大利腊香肠披萨，这是他们吃过的最美味的披萨。拉克尔感觉好多了，对迈克尔能来参加聚餐表达了感激之情。
“荣幸之至，”迈克尔告诉她，“我一整天都在等待这一刻！”他从背包里拿出贺卡递给拉克尔，“送给你。”
“谢谢你！”拉克尔大声说道。她打开贺卡，读着上边的祝福，开心地笑了。“你真是太贴心了，迈克尔。”
听到她叫自己的名字，迈克尔一边笑，一边不安地在凳子上扭了扭身体，因为他还不知道拉克尔的名字。他邀请她约会，为她买单，给她买生日贺卡，却仍然不知道她的名字！夜晚在几个小时的畅聊中度过了，第二天早上两人都有课，于是他们准备回家睡觉。
“你车子坏了，我送你回家吧。”拉克尔提出，迈克尔欣然同意，于是拉克尔送迈克尔回了家。到迈克尔家时拉克尔说：“再次谢谢你，迈克尔，这是我有史以来最美好的生日！”
迈克尔笑了，感觉勇气倍增，他靠过去亲吻了女孩的面颊。
拉克尔咯咯笑了。迈克尔道过晚安，进了家——他还是不知道女孩的名字。
“约会怎么样，宝贝？”进家的时候妈妈问迈克尔。
“嗯……挺好。”迈克尔老实答道。
“你看上去不是很有把握。”妈妈说，视线从眼镜上方瞥向迈克尔。
“妈妈。”
“嗯？”
“我不知道她的名字。我约会的这个女孩，我不知道她的名字！遇到她的时候我忘记问，但她知道我的名字，知道我的号码，知道我的一切！”迈克尔嘟囔道。
“为什么不问她？”妈妈疑惑。
“我不能问！她会觉得我是个木头！”迈克尔反驳道。
“如果你是她的真命天子，那她会理解的。”妈妈安慰道，但这并没有让迈克尔好受些。“你能问问她的朋友吗？”
“我谁都不能问！”迈克尔自嘲，“他们会告诉她的。”
“你不是说和她选了同一门课吗？或许你能问问教授。”妈妈建议道。
于是第二天一起上课的时候，迈克尔找到教授，询问女孩的名字。他形容了拉克尔的样子，但是他笨拙的形容让教授给出了另一个女孩的名字！
“布里特妮，错不了。”教授肯定地说。
当女孩走进教室，迈克尔径直走向她，笑着打招呼：“嗨！布里特妮！”但看见女孩皱起眉头时，迈克尔的笑容凝固了。
“我叫拉克尔。”女孩抱怨道。
迈克尔尴尬极了，感觉自己瞬间矮到了尘土里，脸颊烧得通红，恨不得找个地洞钻进去。看着他尴尬的样子，拉克尔忙安慰道：“没关系，迈克尔。人人都会犯错！”拉克尔拉起他的手，一起在前排坐下。
拉克尔认为，迈克尔是她收到过的最棒的生日礼物。
小结
今天是拉克尔的生日，她感觉棒极了。去学校之前她先好好打扮了一番，喷了香水，甚至还决定去附近的咖啡厅买个甜甜圈当早餐。就在那里，她遇见了马克尔，他是个英俊的小伙子，免费给了她一个波士顿奶油甜甜圈，还一直跟她调笑。拉克尔简直迷上了迈克尔，所以邀请他和朋友们一起参加当天晚上她的生日晚餐。
整整一天，拉克尔和迈克尔都在想着对方，但是迈克尔有个麻烦——他不知道拉克尔的名字。到了晚餐的时候，除了迈克尔，一个人都没来，而迈克尔还迟到了一小时，在他到餐厅之前，拉克尔差点儿就要哭了。不过最后他们的约会非常棒，互道晚安的时候他还吻了她，但是迈克尔仍然不知道拉克尔的名字。
第二天，迈克尔去向教授打听拉克尔的名字，但是得到了一个错误的名字，他叫了她布里特妮。迈克尔尴尬极了，但是拉克尔对此的反应却非常优雅，她马上原谅了他，这也证明了她是迈克尔命中注定的姑娘。
注释
[1]拿铁：由浓缩咖啡加鲜奶冲泡而成的一种咖啡。
[2]马球衫：一种带领子的短袖运动衫。