“Alright, Molly, lay it out. How do we sneak into a birthday party without getting caught?” Molly grinned, eyes sparkling. “Simple. We don’t sneak in. We *become* the party.” Bill raised an eyebrow. “Become the party? What does that even mean? Are we gonna juggle balloons and do magic tricks now?” “Better,” Molly said, pulling out a bright pink apron with cartoon kittens embroidered on it. “We pose as the entertainment.” Bill’s jaw dropped. “You wanna be clowns? Molly, the last time you wore anything colorful, you caused a gag reflex epidemic at last year’s gala.” “Hey, that was just one incident,” she shot back. “Besides, all we gotta do is blend in long enough to grab the presents. No need for actual juggling.” Bill rubbed his chin. “Okay, but how do we get the gifts out without the parents noticing? Those boxes are heavy, and they’re piled up right by the snack table.” Molly leaned in conspiratorially. “We make a distraction. Remember Timmy, the birthday boy? I’ve been scoping: He loves the piñata. If we can rig the piñata to explode confetti early, it’ll cause chaos.” “Confetti explosion, huh? That sounds messy.” “Messy is good. While everyone’s ducking sprinkles and glitter, we slip the presents into this.” She held up a giant tote bag covered in sequins. “Discreet, right?” Bill squinted. “Discreet and fabulous.” Molly winked. “Exactly. And since I’ll be near Timmy as his ‘balloon animal artist,’ I’ve got a direct line to the piñata. You hang back near the snack table, ready to grab any presents that get left unattended.” “Sounds like a plan. But what if a suspicious parent quizzes me?” Bill shrugged. “You just smile and say, ‘I’m here to make sure the juice boxes don’t run dry.’ Works every time.” Molly chuckled. “You might want to rehearse that one.” Bill sighed. “I’m not exactly diplomatic, Molly.” “Don’t worry. I’ll coach you. Now, what about the timing? The cake comes out at 3:30, right?” “Yep, that’s when the chaos will peak. Piñata blast right before the cake, and the parents will be distracted trying to calm the kids who just got showered in confetti.” “And kids covered in sticky cake icing.” “Perfect. Sticky kids equal less suspicion on us hauling gift bags out.” Bill grinned. “I gotta admit, this sounds more fun than our usual job at the bank.” Molly nodded. “Way more colorful. Plus, the loot’s better. Have you seen the size of those presents? Somebody outdid themselves.” “Hope the loot’s worth the headache of all those sugar-crazed kids.” “Oh, it is.” Molly’s eyes twinkled mischievously. “And with you by my side, no toddler tantrum will stand in our way.” Bill smirked. “Alright, ‘Balloon Guy’ reporting for duty.” “Perfect. Now, let’s practice our lines.” Bill cringed. “Lines? I was hoping to just smile and pretend to know what I’m doing.” “Come on, Mr. ‘Juice Box Supervisor,’ I’ll walk you through it. First, we have to nail the cheerful, slightly overwhelmed look.” Bill tried a smile. “Like this?” “Close, but maybe less desperate and more suspiciously cheerful.” “Suspiciously cheerful? That’s a thing?” “It is now. Here, try again.” Molly clapped her hands. “Remember, you’re the unsung hero of hydration.” Bill rolled his eyes. “Unsung hero, huh? What’s next? The heroic snack wrangler?” “Exactly! And if a parent asks, you say, ‘I’m here to keep the juice flowing and the snacks in check.’ Simple and effective.” Bill sighed but grinned. “Alright, Captain Kitty Apron, lead the way. When do we make the big leap?” “Tomorrow afternoon.” Molly tossed the apron at him. “Be ready. And Bill?” He caught the apron, puzzled. “Yeah?” “Practice your smile. We’re stealing birthday presents tomorrow, and failure is not an option.” Bill looked down at the glittery apron in his hands and shook his head. “This is going to be a mess.” “That’s the fun part.”