by Angel Devlin
I can’t sleep, so at nine am, after sneaking through the entrance with another resident, I’m banging on the door of Kaylie’s flat armed with her presents and birthday breakfast stuff.
She eventually opens the door, bleary-eyed and her hair stuck up at all angles. “Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Kay-bear. Happy birthday to youuuuuu.” I serenade.
She shuts the door in my face.
What?
A minute later she opens it again standing armed with a water pistol I brought around once for a laugh.
“You sing like that again and you get it.”
“Look, I’m a beautiful guy and a firefighter hero. I can’t be greedy and be able to sing too. I have to give other guys a chance. Now are you going to let me in, or do I have to go knock on the doors of the other residents looking for a hot woman who’d like all these gifts and my company for breakfast?”
“Please stop or I’ll not want to eat anything for puking.”
Once inside, she hits the shower while I go to the kitchen and fix her buck’s fizz and a cooked breakfast.
I’d not realised how hungry I was myself and once she appears we tuck in heartily to the food.
“I’ll need to line my stomach for tonight. I need to drink just to survive my family. My mother is still panicking I’m going to get a collapsed lung.”
I laugh.
“You can laugh. She loves you. She’s now asking why we’ve never got together. I told her to ask you.”
“You didn’t?!”
“I bloody did. I have to put up with the collapsed lung grief so you can deal with the why we aren’t romantically involved questions.”
“I think I’m starting to feel a bit ill. Might not make it.”
“If I can make it after surviving a fire, you can come stand in the path of the mother inferno. Just start snogging another guest or something. That’ll shut her up.”
I will need to put her mother off the scent. I don’t want her having any hint of what I’m intending to say to Kaylie on Sunday. There’s bound to be someone there I can flirt with.
“Present time!” I declare, changing the subject.
I give her the chocolates and she opens them and looks at me strangely.
“Erm. Thank you.” She puts the hamper down on the side looking uncomfortable. It’s no good, I’m a nosy bastard, so I look to see why she’s not jumping up and down in chocolate lover joy.
Godiva Carnival of Passion and Fun Hamper.
What in God’s name?
Luckily it is full of chocolate and doesn’t contain a dildo or a pair of handcuffs.
“Oh bloody hell. I just picked it up quick yesterday. I didn’t see the name.”
Her eyes narrow.
“You spent a lot of time considering what to buy me then?”
“Here just open the next one.” I pass her the next box and she unwraps the chocolate fondue set. Once again there’s an unexpected expression on her face. Is this… disappointment?
“I know how much you love chocolate, so I thought about this present for a while, so see I did consider what to buy you.” I try and big up my gift that for some reason isn’t hitting the mark.
She walks over to her kitchen cupboards and chooses the one in the furthest corner and she swings open the cupboard door. Behind is a chocolate fondue set.
“You bought me that five years ago for Christmas.”
Fuck. Did I? In all honesty I probably got my mother to get me a present and wrap it up.
“It’s that hammer attack to my eye. It’s damaged part of my brain. I’m going to have to see a doctor about my new memory problems.”
She gives me evil side-eye.
“Anyway, they were just bits of something. This is your main present.” I hand her the jewellery bag and she opens it looking like she’s expecting me to have wrapped a turd. Then her entire expression softens as she opens the first box and sees the pendant.
“They’re rubies. Not any fake stones,” I add.
“Oh my god, it’s beautiful.” She opens the box with the earrings next. “Aiden, these will look amazing with my party dress. Oh my. They’re so beautiful.”
Looks like the other presents are forgotten and I’m forgiven as she jumps up and over to me and hugs me. Her soft tits press against me and my dick swells.
“So how’s turning thirty then?” I say through a mouthful of Kaylie flesh.
“If I’m going to get jewellery, not so bad.” She goes back to her seat. “Thank you for being here on my birthday morning, Aid. Everyone else was just ‘see you at the party’. It would be boring without you here.”
Yep, and that is want I want you to realise. That without me your life’s boring and unfulfilled.
The doorbell rings. Thank fuck. I think, they said they’d deliver before lunch. Kaylie goes to the door and I follow behind her. Sure enough it’s the furniture delivery company with a brand new double bed and mattress for Kaylie.
“Surprise.” I tell her. It was an afterthought last night and so I rang the local furniture store this morning and begged and bribed them to come out with an ex-display model.
After it’s put in place (the old one shoved in Cheryl’s old room for now), we spend the rest of the morning drinking coffee and chatting about nothing in particular and then I leave her because she wants to go and buy new double bedding and get ready for the party. I’m picking her up at seven so she can get there in plenty of time.
Before long I’m back in a car heading towards her place once more. But I’m not in my own car. I’ve hired a limo with champagne and I’m sitting in the back. She’ll be making her way to InHale in style. Knocking on her door, I’m blown away by the vision that answers. Her hair is in these curls that I want to wrap my fist around. Her eyes look huge and doe-like because her make-up is accentuating her natural beauty. The dress she has gives a taste of those breasts. She gives me a twirl and the skirt of the dress swishes revealing a flash of red, and shapely thighs. I’m gonna have blue balls.
“You look amazing. Your carriage awaits.” I gesture behind me.
“Really? A limo. Wow. You spoil me.” A huge grin lights up her features. I hold out a hand to her and she takes it as she leaves the flat. She drops my hand to lock up and I feel sad. Jesus, I think I grew a vagina. She turns back to me and the ruby pendant sparkles under the streetlight. I reach out and lift it. It rests just above the swell of her breasts and my fingers touch her skin as I take the pendant in my hand.
“It’s beautiful, like the woman wearing it.”
A moment passes between us, a beat, where it could be my imagination but I’m sure there’s a connection.
Then the fucking limo driver gets out and opens the car door, shouting “Happy birthday, Madam, your ride awaits.”
Wrong fucking ride, mate. It’s my dick I want her to ride right now.
She loops her arm through mine and we walk down the path to the car together and climb inside. Then we’re on our way, via a scenic route, while we drink champagne.
“Are you prepared for my mother?”
“Yeah, I’m gonna ask if she’s bored with your dad yet.”
“Might want to rethink that cos I think she’d ditch him and ask where to sign up.”
“I’ll just have to shamelessly flirt with someone else then.” I hint at her. The thick cow doesn’t get it. Instead her expression clouds a little.
“Yeah, use my party as a pussy party. Bound to be someone there for you to tap.”
“That’s not what I meant.” I’m about to start explaining when we arrive and of course everyone is outside waiting for the birthday girl.
We exit the limo and she’s enveloped in family and friends and whisked into the restaurant’s private party room while I stand frustrated in more ways than one.
I greet the people I know and stand with Jenson and Leah. It’s adults only so their daughter Amelia is with a sitter.
“Oh yeah, how did that go down when yo
u told her?” I ask them. Amelia is a recently seven-year-old, spitfire.
“She told her father he was a basic bitch.” Leah raises a brow. I fall about laughing. “How come kids weren’t allowed anyway? I know there’s alcohol but…”
Leah points toward the door where a ripped and toned male body is coming through carrying a tray of drinks. The only thing he’s wearing is an apron. His muscled arse dimples as he walks towards Kaylie.
Everyone’s eyes are on him as he basically prowls towards her. This man is cocksure, confident, charismatic. I can see all the women swooning, except one. The waitress dressed in normal wait clothes. She’s sneering at him. Fucking Scott. How come tonight he’s not working downstairs and is instead on naked waiter duty?
“Whose idea was that?” I snap.
Leah looks at me, studying my face a little too long. “Mine. She’s not had any naked arse in her life for a while. I thought it was time.”
“She shouldn’t be anywhere near that manwhore.”
Jenson is talking to someone else now, Leah moves closer to me. “For a best friend you sure seem a little put out about Scott. Is that because you’re jealous?”
“No, of course not,” I bluster. “I think it’s a great idea. I’m actually thinking of cracking on with the waitress.”
“Really?” Leah looks bemused. “Suki’s lovely. Feisty though.”
“Just as I like ‘em.”
Leah sighs. “Sometimes you men are such dickheads.” She walks away from me, back to her husband.
I watch seething as one dickhead, his arse hanging out, flirts shamelessly with Kaylie, and what does she do? She laps it right up.
Fuck this. I head in the direction of the sneery-faced waitress. Two can play at that game.
15
Kaylie
I’ve no intention of telling Leah, but this whole ‘butler in the buff’ is so not my thing. I feel slightly more comfortable knowing it’s Scott and that he’s probably under strict instructions from my big brother not to lay a finger on me.
I was too distracted by said waiter along with all my other friends and family to notice what happened to Aiden, but I soon find him when we’re instructed to take our seats. He’s leaning over the bar whispering something in Suki, the bartenders, ear.
The way she’s smiling at him causes something I don’t like to stir in my belly. She’s not really his type so I figure I’m just being protective.
“Hey, did you hear? They’re about to bring our starters.”
“Oh, right. I’ll be over in a few. I’m a little busy right now.” Aiden barely manages to drag his eyes away from Suki to even bother looking at me. Glancing at her, I watch as her eyes hold his, pure sex appeal oozing from them in a way I could only dream of.
“Great, knock yourself out.” I don’t mean to snap, but whatever was in my belly moments ago is starting to spread throughout my entire body.
I want Aiden’s attention tonight. The way he looked at me when I first opened the door. His eyes darkened and the muscles in his neck rippled as he swallowed. I don’t think I’ve ever felt as beautiful. And when he reached out for my necklace, I swear he was going for my face like he wanted to kiss me. I only just about stopped myself from leaning in.
What the fuck is wrong with me?
I can’t help but look back over my shoulder at them when I get to my seat. The space beside my chair is empty, waiting for the idiot at the bar. When I find them, they’re both staring right at me with smiles on their faces.
I feel ridiculous, but knowing they’re laughing at me, tonight of all nights, has tears begging to flow and a lump in my throat.
I don’t want to watch my best friend pull tonight. I want him all to myself.
Shit.
The realisation hits me like a fucking articulated lorry.
Everyone chats around me as I lose myself in my panicked thoughts. Do I want him, want him? Or is it just in an ‘I’m still single on my thirtieth birthday’ kind of way and know he’ll be able to finish the day off right?
Fuck. This is a disaster.
It must be the champagne.
The fancy pants starter that Jenson came up with consisting of smoked salmon and some funky looking green stuff is placed in front of me but after starving myself after breakfast in preparation, I’m suddenly not at all hungry. Well, not for food.
I risk a glance towards Aiden to find out if he’s fucking her against the bar yet, to find him walking my way. His eyes are locked on me as he drops into his chair.
“Hey, beautiful. You enjoying yourself?”
Watching you eye fuck the staff, yeah great. I manage to keep that as an internal thought and instead, smile sweetly and say, “Sure am. Scott was certainly a nice surprise. It’s the closest thing I’ve had to sex in a very long time.”
“Now, Kay-bear, that’s not true, and you know it.”
“Do I? Please correct me if I’m wrong but I’m pretty sure no cock has been anywhere near my body.”
He leans in. His manly scent fills my nose and the scruff on his cheeks tickles against mine. “I’m pretty sure you woke up very close to a cock the other morning. And I’m pretty sure you liked it.”
Holy fucking… My cheeks heat as memories of his body wrapped around mine fill my mind. I squeeze my thighs together as I remember how it felt with his hot palm cupping my naked breast.
“I… uh…” Aiden pulls back, his eyes bounce between mine and his starter as he awaits my response but as if he knows I need rescuing, Scott steps between us filling my gaze with hard muscle and bronzed skin.
“Refill, princess?”
“Yes, yes please.” My voice is rough even to my own ears.
“A few more of these down you and we should have a good night on our hands. You know you want to see what I’m hiding under this apron.” Scott winks at me, slightly turning up the edge of the fabric, before moving down the table to flirt with my mother. Cringe.
When I look back to Aiden, his eyes are narrowed at me and his lips are pressed into a hard line.
“What? Jealous?”
“Of his body? Not at all. Mine’s better.”
“Riiight.” I roll my eyes at his one-sided pissing contest with Scott.
Turning away from him, I pick up my fork and dig into my starter.
Aiden’s stare doesn’t leave me. It burns into the side of my face making me nervous about eating while under such harsh scrutiny.
I’ve just taken a bite when he leans in once again. “I’ll let you compare later if you’d like? I think it’s important it’s a fair competition.”
The taste of the incredible food explodes on my tongue at the exact time he whispers in my ear and I moan in delight… for the food. It’s definitely for the food.
He sits back and sets about eating his own starter, but the only thing I can focus on are his words.
He is jealous.
The rest of the night continues in a similar fashion. Scott’s flirtation gets more and more inappropriate and Aiden’s death stares get more and more threatening. But that doesn’t stop him making a play for Suki, mind you.
“He wants you so fucking bad, princess. I’m pretty sure his balls might explode if you don’t let him bang you tonight.”
“I’m sorry what?” I splutter when Scott comes back once again to refill my glass.
“Aiden,” he says, jutting his chin out in his direction. “He wants you… baaad.”
“Are you blind? He’s spent almost all night giving Suki his come-to-bed-with-me eyes.”
“Princess, you’re not dumb so please don’t act like you are. He wants you and he’s using Suki to make a point. He wants her about as much as he does me.” He leaves me with that final nugget of information and continues around the room with his bottle, clenching his arse muscles every time a woman so much as glances in his direction.
Scott’s words are on repeat for the rest of the party. My head spins as I say goodbye to everyone who got dressed up and came out
tonight to help me celebrate and soon it’s just Jenson, Leah, Aiden and me left. Well, Aiden’s not really with us because he’s still at the fucking bar making Suki throw her head back in laughter.
“Any plans for the rest of the night?” Leah asks.
“I don’t think so. Just heading home.”
“Jesus, Kay. You’re thirty, not seventy. You can still go out and enjoy yourself, you know?” Jenson says with a roll of his eyes.
Leah slaps him on the shoulder. “If Kaylie just wants to go home, then that’s up to her.”
Jenson scoffs but heads off towards the kitchen when Scott beckons him.
“You going home with Aiden?”
“What? No, of course not. He’s my best friend,” I snap.
“Whoa.” Leah puts her hands up in defence. “I meant in a taxi. I wasn’t suggesting you were going to… wait,” she sings as her eyes widen in delight. “You do want to go home with him, don’t you?”
“Don’t be silly. This is Aiden we’re talking about, total manwhore. I wouldn’t touch him with—”
“Hey, you ready to make a move?”
My cheeks flame bright red as my temperature soars. Please tell me he didn’t just hear that.
“Uh… yeah. I’m ready. I just need to…” I rush over to the table that’s littered with presents and start collecting everything up.
I know Leah and Aiden are staring at me. Tingles are running up and down my spine, but I refuse to turn around.
Eventually though, I don’t have much choice.
“Here, let me take those.” Aiden reaches out to take the box from my hands, but instead of grabbing onto the box, his hands cover mine. Something shoots up both my arms and our eyes connect. He felt it too. Something passes between us, just like it did out the front of my building when he first picked me up.
“Th- thank you,” I stutter, feeling all out of sorts.
“Anything for you.”