The power of a surprise party.
I throw my arms around his neck and hug him. “Happy birthday, baby,” I sing in his ear.
“You threw me a surprise party?” His arms go around my waist. “At Pizza Hut?”
“I did.” I lean back, staring into his face. “With Stuart’s and Carly’s help. You like?”
“I love.” He plants a kiss on my lips.
I see his eyes lift, and then he releases me. I turn to see Susie and Dale approaching us.
Dale looks the same as I remember, just greyer around the edges.
“Happy birthday, darling.” Susie kisses Jake on the cheek. “Tru, you look beautiful tonight.” She leans in and hugs me, kissing my cheek.
“Thank you, so do you.” I gesture to her gorgeous fitted knee-length black dress.
“Dale, you remember Trudy.”
“I do. Hello again.” He smiles at me. Turning to Jake, he claps him on the back. “Happy birthday, son.”
I feel Jake stiffen next to me. I know Dale didn’t mean any harm using the word “son,” but it must still feel strange for Jake to hear it.
I exhale in pure relief when I see my mum and dad heading toward us.
“Daddy!” I beam, breaking away from Jake to give him a big hug. “Mama!” I reach an arm out and pull her into the hug.
“Hey, baby girl,” Dad says, hugging me back.
“How are you feeling?” Mum asks.
She’s always asking since she found out I’m pregnant.
“I’m fine, Mama.”
“No morning sickness?”
“No.”
“Fatigue?”
“I’m a little tired, but overall I’m good.” I smile.
“You’re lucky. I was sick as a dog when I was pregnant with you.” She tucks my hair behind my ear. “Has Jake stopped smoking?”
Hearing his name, Jake turns to us.
“No, Mama, he hasn’t, but he doesn’t smoke anywhere near me.”
“Passive smoke can be harmful to a baby.”
“Mama…,” I warn.
“Good to see you, Billy,” Jake says. “Eva.”
“Happy birthday,” Mum says, almost cracking a smile at Jake.
“Yeah, happy birthday, son,” Dad adds, putting an arm around Jake.
I notice it doesn’t seem to bother Jake that my dad called him son.
“You like the guitar?” Dad asks.
“Yeah, thank you for keeping it all these years.”
“Never could get rid of a guitar,” Dad says. “We got you a little something. It’s not much…”
“Thank you,” Jake says.
Dad waves it off. “It’s over there with the rest of the presents.”
“Dale’s and my gift is over there too,” Susie says, gesturing to the table. “Do you want to open it now?”
“I’ll open it later.”
“Okay, no problem,” Susie replies, but I see the disappointment in her eyes.
He’s still angry that she came to Paul’s funeral only after I called her. I really need to fix this rift, and fast.
“Go open your present from your mum.” I nudge him with my hip.
Jake stares down at me, giving me a less-than-impressed look, then turns to his mum. “Sure, okay.”
I watch Jake follow Susie and Dale to the gift table.
My mum gives me a “what gives there?” look. I shrug.
“I’m going over to see Simone. See you in a bit.”
I leave mum and dad and all but run to Simone.
This is the first time I’ve seen her since New York.
She’s with Denny and Tom. Denny has his arm around her waist, and I swear this is the happiest I’ve seen him in months.
Her face lights up when she sees me coming.
“Look at you, all pregnant and gorgeous!” She throws her arms around me.
“No bump yet.” I pat my flat tummy. “Won’t be long, though, before I’m big and round like a bowling ball.”
“I still can’t believe it! I can’t wait to be Auntie Simone!”
“I know!” I beam at her.
“It’s so good to see you, and you look flippin’ gorgeous in that dress.” I gesture to her deep-purple silk dress.
“Ah, this old thing? I just threw it on last-minute.” She winks.
I know Simone. She’ll have spent hours getting ready and changed her outfits about ten times before settling on this one.
“I’m so glad you’re here. I’ve really missed you.” I wrap my arms around her again. I feel awash with tears at her being here.
“Me too,” she says, sounding equally emotional.
“I hate to break up this reunion of beauties,” comes Stuart’s voice from behind me, “but I need a quickie with the hostess.”
“Cock not your thing anymore?” Tom says, grinning.
“No. I saw the state of yours and it put me off rubbing the lamp ever again.”
Denny chokes on his drink and starts coughing. Simone pats him hard on the back.
“I got it,” Denny says, wiping his mouth.
“Hey, don’t mock the genius simplicity of the tattoo,” Tom says to Stuart.
“Please tell me girls haven’t actually fallen for it?”
“For it…on it.” Tom grins.
“My baby can hear this crap you’re talking.” I lay my hands over my tummy. “I don’t want him or her corrupted by you pervy lot. Especially not you,” I say pointedly to Tom.
He rolls his eyes. “Number one, this is Jake Wethers’s baby we’re talking about here. By DNA alone, it’s designed to be corrupt. Two, it’s a TMS baby and future rock star. Its rite of passage is to be corrupted by us. I’m just teaching it early.”
“You will not be teaching my child anything. What if I have a girl? I don’t want my daughter corrupted by stories of your pervy indiscretions.”
“No way are you having a girl,” Stuart pipes up from beside me.
“Why not?”
“Because like pussy cat over there said, we’re talking about Jake. With the level of testosterone in him alone, you’re definitely having a boy, gorgeous.”
I ponder this for a moment. A boy. A mini-Jake. I like the sound of that.
“What did you want me for anyway?” I ask Stuart, turning from the others.
“I just wanted to check that this is all okay?” He’s gone light on the decorations, knowing Jake doesn’t like too much fuss. There are some lanterns, balloons, and a few banners.
“I think you’ve done an amazing job. Thank you for doing this.” I reach up on my tiptoes and give him a kiss on the cheek.
“No bother.” He waves me off. “The cake is in the kitchen, ready for later; drinks on tap; and the pizzas will be out soon.”
“What would I do without you?”
“Your life would absolutely fall to pieces.”
“Which means you can’t ever leave. You’re stuck with us forever.” I slip my arm through his.
“Works for me. I’m kinda used to having you around now.”
“You’re so sweet.” I squeeze his arm. “Speaking of sweet—sorry, I mean hot—is Dr. Josh here yet?”
“He is. You wanna meet him now?”
“Do I wanna meet him now.” I give him a “duh” look. “I’ve been waiting ages to meet this guy. Lead me to the hotness.” I gesture.
“And this is why I haven’t introduced him to you yet.” He gives me a cheeky grin.
“I’ll keep it together for you. I won’t geek out on him, I promise.” I cross my finger over my heart.
Then I take the promise back almost immediately, as Stuart leads me toward a grade-A hottie. Like seriously hot. Blond hair, chiselled jaw, dark green eyes, golden skin. He’s dressed in jeans and a fitted black shirt.
Holy fuck. He is shit-hot.
Now I know why Stuart calls him hot Dr. Josh.
“Josh, this is Tru. Tru, close your mouth, and say hi to Josh.”
Realising I’m staring, mouth wide open, I quickly close it, my face going bright red.
“Hi, Tru, it’s really nice to meet you.” Josh smiles.
Holy fuck, he’s got dimples too.
Why are all gay men so ridiculously hot? I remember the first time I saw Stuart, I nearly died of heart failure. Or maybe it’s the fact that they’re gay that makes them hotter?
Nah, they’re just seriously hot. Stuart and Josh together look like an ad campaign for Armani.
“Hi, Josh.” I smile, composing myself. “It’s great to meet you. And I wasn’t staring.” I elbow Stuart. “I was just admiring Josh’s, um…shirt. It’s a really nice shirt.”
Josh looks down at his plain black shirt. “Thanks.” He grins.
I feel a pair of arms come around my waist, and Jake presses a kiss to my cheek.
“Hey, baby.” I turn my head to him. “Jake, meet Josh, Stuart’s new boyfriend, who’s wearing a black shirt.”
Jake doesn’t even blink at my introduction. He loosens an arm from around me and reaches over to shake Josh’s hand. “It’s good to finally meet you, man. Stuart never stops talking about you.”
I see Stuart flush beet red and shoot daggers at Jake.
“Excuse us a minute,” Jake says. “I’ve just gotta steal my girl away for a little while.”
Taking my hand, Jake leads me through the restaurant to an empty booth in the back, out of sight from everyone else.
He gestures for me to sit, so I slide in the seat.
“Everything okay?” I ask as Jake slides in beside me, but instead of answering me, he takes my face in his hands, leans into me, presses my back up against the wall, and kisses me.
I part my lips, and Jake’s tongue snakes out to meet mine. Then he starts to kiss me ravenously. Like he’s starved for me. I wrap my arms around his neck, winding my fingers into his hair.
“What was that for?” I ask breathlessly when he finally pulls away.
“I was making the one birthday wish I always had come true.”
My brow knits together.
At my confused expression, he continues. “I always wanted to make out with you in a booth at every birthday dinner we had at Pizza Hut, but I never had the balls to do it. I just made it come true.”
I stare at him, a little lost for words. Even when he stands and holds his hand out for me, I still can’t think of a thing to say.
“Come on, beautiful. Pizza’s out, and we’ve got guests to entertain.”
Taking his hand, getting to my feet, I say, “You’re totally gorgeous. You know that, right?”
“Oh yeah, I absolutely know that.” He winks, walking ahead, leaving me with a view of his very gorgeous ass.
He really is.
And I really am the luckiest girl in the world.
FIVE MONTHS LATER…
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Come back to bed.”
“I can’t,” I call to Jake in the bedroom. “I’m picking Simone up in half an hour.”
“You mean Dave’s picking her up and you’re just sitting in the car looking gorgeous.”
