"Happy Birthday Suzu!"

I jolted awake from the cheer that was being screamed into my ear, "What? I'm awake, what was the question, Professor?"

It took me a moment to reorient myself to take in my surroundings, at first, I was confused expecting to be in the auditorium classroom at Johns Hopkins.

Finally, my brain caught up to my eyes, I wasn't in the classroom, I was in one of the CDC's Gulfstream Jet, with its leather seats, and shining wood panels.

I refocused my attention on the woman who was laughing on the coach and I scowled at her.

"Do you mind acting your age for once, Candace?"

She looks at me, which then sets her off again to laugh even more.

I got up from my seat and made my way to the drink bar to get myself a cup of coffee. No way was I going to allow myself to fall asleep again, this was the second time she had pulled this on the flight.

In the time it took me to make my cup of coffee, which I will admit was more sugar and creamer than coffee, I just distaste bitter food with a vengeance, but to get a surge of caffeine into my system, drinking coffee is worth it, Candace's hysterics had calmed down.

I shouldn't even be on the plane in the first place, but Candace had insisted, saying she could bring one person with her, and this was my birthday gift from her.

An all-expense paid trip to France.

Retaking my seat and taking another sip from the mug, I then picked up the report on the seat beside me which was the reason I was stuck in this tin can with the comedian that was my boss.

Wildfire.

A lab in France had sent in a report regarding a virus they'd developed, given the data they'd provided, it was a virus that was just on the cusp of being classified for high-risk aerosol transmission. For the lab to get approval to continue to work with it, they'd called the CDC in to verify that they could continue its development under their current Biosafety Level 3 status.

"What do you think about the report?"

I took another sip of coffee and put the report down to look at her, "I think that it's a little too close to the high-risk classification."

"I agree."

Candace got up from the couch and took the seat beside me, picking up the report before she sat on it, "I think the data they've provided is a little too convenient. The La Biomédicine DDMI lab has been established for two years now, they've struggled to keep the funding coming in, and now they send this report of a groundbreaking new virus, and the numbers are just fixed enough so it's under the guidelines set to assign a Biosafety Level 4 status for the virus. It's a big expense to retrofit a lab from Level 3 to Level 4. I think they're trying to avoid it."

"So, what's the plan once we land?"

"You will be at my side for the entirety of this journey, we will go to the lab and you will be my shield against the angry mob once I decline their request and submit my report that they will need to upgrade the lab to level 4 status for their research to continue. Provided that you are still intact after said mobbing, you and I are going to hit the town and see if we can find you a young attractive male Gigolo for you to have an exquisite debauchery night. Because there is no way I am letting you reach 30 years old while still being a virgin, why not break in your 29th birthday with a real bang!"

I scoffed at her, trying to will my body to stop the blushing that I could feel spreading across my cheeks.

Of course, when Candace saw this, it set off the hysterical laughter once again.

"Oh, come on, if I don't help you, at this rate you could audition for the next 40-Year-Old Virgin movie."

"Five-minute warning, we've been cleared to land at the airport, please fasten your seatbelts for the landing."

I drained the last of my coffee, put the paper cup into the holder, and fastened my seatbelt.

"Brace yourself, Suzume Saito, this will be a day to remember."

The restaurant we had chosen to have dinner was quite attractive with its décor, the music coming from the speakers wasn't too loud, and the dinner crowd hadn't arrived yet so the room had a relaxing atmosphere.

"I still say that you should have taken his offer," Candace states again for the seventh time since we had been seated at our table at the restaurant and the waiter hadn't even returned with our drinks that we'd ordered not 5 minutes ago.

"Mmmhmm," I muttered as I reviewed the menu.

"I'm serious, Antoine was premium one-night stand material."

"Considering that you dropped the bomb on Antoine and his team that they need to cough up the dough to update their lab status to continue to make virology history, their words not mine, a minute after he asked me out, I took that as a sign."

The waiter returned with our drinks, after giving him our orders and he stepped away from the table.

"Okay, all joking aside, I'm worried about you Suzume."

I shifted in my seat; Candace's thousand-yard start always managed to set me on edge.

"You are one of the most Type A person I have ever met. You graduated high school, college, med school, and graduate in record time which is an accomplishment that you should be proud of. Your personal life, however, is nonexistent."

"Oh, come on, I have a personal life," I protest.

"Tell me this then, as you have delivery services for everything, you don't need to go out shopping for groceries or to the pharmacy. In the past month have you been anywhere else other than your car, your house, or work?"

Damn.

I just look at her silently, wishing I could refute this and wipe the triumphant look off her face.

"I'm fine Candace, yes, I will admit my personal life isn't much, but I am happy," I said placing my right hand on hers and gently squeezing her hand.

"Promise me you'll at least shake some things up in your routine. Get out, eat out at a restaurant and sit at the bar, interact with some people. I don't want you to go to your grave as the 29-year-old virgin with only two friends."

Seeing the determination on her face, I knew this was a battle I would lose, "I cannot guarantee the first item, but for the other, I will work on it."

Accepting my surrender with a triumphant look on her face, she took a sip of her champagne.

"Come on Suzume, something tells me this will be a year to remember. Within a year, you finally lose your virginity and truly begin to live," Candace says as she raises her champagne glass.

"Don't bet on it," I countered back, clinking my glass against hers.

In the years that'd come to pass, I would look back on this night thinking this thought.

Oh, Candace, you were right yet again. The losing my virginity part was enjoyable, but I never thought that it would take an apocalyptic event for me to truly begin to live.