This is one of my stories from Nag Nag Nag: Megan and Emmett Volume I.

Megan’s surprise for Emmett turns out to be more of a surprise than she expects.

—

Emmett dropped his keys after unlocking the front door. While he was fumbling to return them to his pocket, Megan switched on the lights. Several people shouted, “Surprise!”

He turned toward her and grumbled in an almost inaudible voice, “You know how much I hate surprise parties.”

Plastering a fake smile on his face, he shook hands and listened to a barrage of “happy retirement” congratulations.

His grumbling continued during dinner. “Vegetables. Blech! Are you trying to kill me for the insurance? And what’s this organic dreck?”

After supper, everyone sang “Auld Lang Syne”. He responded with a grimace.

A frown swept over his face after Megan lit the sparkler on his retirement cake. An errant spark set the curtains ablaze, and the room erupted into a frantic burst of chaos.

Derek dropped his drink in his lap and swatted a fleck of ash from his hair. Aldona stumbled over Derek’s feet as she ran from the fire. She tripped face-first into a piece of cake that had flown onto the floor.

Larry wrestled the water-cooler bottle off its stand and splashed everything between him and the curtains. John grabbed the fire extinguisher.

Sabrina, Megan and Emmett’s Siamese cat, clawed up the sofa, yowling her displeasure at the sudden wetness.

Kathy careened into Lorraine. Lorraine fell against Keith, knocking off his glasses. Bruno grabbed Kat’s cane and started yanking down curtains. A flying ember landed in Al’s mustache. He slapped at it and gave himself a nosebleed.

Within moments, the flames and festivities had been snuffed out like a trampled cigar butt. John put down the extinguisher to rub at the soot on his chin.

Smoke and steam hung in the air. The sickening smell of burnt mustache tickled Emmett’s throat. He coughed.

Then he looked at the dour expressions and chuckled. His chuckle escalated into raucous laughter. He doubled over, face red, tears streaming down his face. “Megan, this is absolutely the best party I’ve ever had.”

—

You’ll find more short fiction like this in Nag Nag Nag: Megan and Emmett Volume I.