I come eye to eye with Preston and he has that damn devilish smile on his face. “You looked hot.” He shrugs.
I fling myself at him and he catches me, before pushing off the bottom of the pool and pulling me under with him. This time I was prepared and held my breath. I open my eyes under water and see him smile and waggle his eyebrows at me. I laugh and bubbles shoot out of my mouth. He pulls me closer to him and kisses me underwater.
Just when I think I will have to pull away to come up for air he lifts me above the water. I take a deep breath. “Breathe,” he says, with that smile again.
“You’re so bad.” I can’t help but laugh.
“Are you ready for tonight my sweet birthday girl?”
He was smart and told me about the party he was planning, he learned from the last surprise that it wasn’t wise to spring things on me. “Meh.”
He picks me up out of the water and sits me on the side of the pool, stepping between my legs and resting his arms on them, looking up at me.
“What’s the matter?” He frowns.
“You know I don’t like everyone’s attention focused on me. Christ, I can’t remember the last time I celebrated a birthday.” Even though I wanted to be in the music industry, it’s a different kind of attention to that of your closest friends and loved ones. I grew up looking for ways to blend in and be normal. I didn’t want to be looked at because more often than not I had bruises to hide. Preston understands this now and it’s a relief to have him at my back.
“I know, but that’s why I told you. Did you want me to cancel?”
“Actually. No, I don’t want you to cancel. It’s time I start enjoying life.”
“That’s my girl.” He grins, lifting my hand and placing a kiss on my knuckles.
His words make me proud of myself and how far I’ve come. I made the steps to work with Shaina on medication and it has been making me feel better. It’s time I stopped being afraid I’m going to get thrown into a panic attack.
“It’s just a chill dinner at your favorite Japanese steak house,” he reassures me. “Lea wanted to take you there since that was where she had one of her parties and you loved it.” He breaks eye contact with me and looks off into the mountains.
I cup his face and turn it back toward me. “What’s with the guilty look?”
He huffs. “Damn it. You know me too well.”
“Spill it, Hart.”
He runs a hand through his hair, his telltale sign that he’s up to no good. “Okay okay… Lea is going to kill me, so you have to act surprised. Promise me?”
“I promise. Wait! Please tell me she didn’t get a stripper. She’s still mad she missed my twenty first birthday.”
“Hell no! If you want a strip show, then I will be more than happy to do that for you in the privacy of our own home.”
I laugh even as my stomach tightens at his words. ‘Our’ home. Is that how he sees things now? I can’t ever see myself anywhere else, but it still floors me to hear him say it so soon after we made ‘us’ an official thing. “Maybe later, killer.” I shove him, acting playful to cover my surprise. “Now spill,” I demand.
“While we’re at dinner, we have someone coming to set up a karaoke machine and sound system here. So we all can come back and have a good time.”
“Oh! That sounds fantastic!” I squeal. “I’m so glad you told me.” This really is my idea of the perfect night; good food, friends and I get to sing.
“Thank fuck. I’ve been shitting bullets for a week. I wanted to tell you but Lea promised you would love this and wouldn’t get mad.”
“I’m difficult, I know. I’m sorry. But thank you for telling me. Now I can mentally prepare myself for a full night.”
Preston blinks, then a slow smile spreads across his handsome face. “Quirks and all, I love you.”
Happiness explodes through me. “I love you too,” I tell him.
He pushes himself out of the water, balancing himself on the sides of the pool with impressive upper body strength. He leans forward and touches his forehead to mine. “I’ve always loved you, Detka,” he murmurs, then whispers… “Always,” as he lowers his lips to mine.
Before we spiral out of control, I place my hands on his shoulders and push him back into the pool. I stand up before he can drag me back in with him. He comes up laughing and shakes his head like a wet dog.
“Come on Skye! Come back in the pool.” He splashes me as I walk away.
“No way, I only have a couple of hours to get ready. You know how long my hair takes to dry. I’m going to jump in the shower.”
“Want me to join you?”
I laugh. “Nuh-uh. I need to look my best, so you just stay away.” I blow him an air kiss and walk slowly into the house, making sure I sashay my hips to tease him all the way.
“You’re playing a dangerous game there, Skye,” he yells after me with his husky bedroom voice.
“Finish your swim, your back will thank you for it later,” I call back after him.
We swim daily. For me, working out helps with my anxiety, and for him it helps keep his muscles loose so the scar tissue on his back doesn’t tighten up.
“Skye, we’re going to be late,” Preston yells from the living room.
“Coming!”
I grab my silver clutch and walk down the hallway. I turn into the living room and stop. I have to remember to breathe. Preston is wearing a gray suit that’s tailored to fit him perfectly. He turns to look at me and I see he has on a crisp white shirt with a gray tie. My mouth goes dry.
“You look fucking gorgeous,” he says, walking toward me.
I look down at the outfit I deliberated over. It’s not every day I get a chance to dress up, but I picked out something I’d be comfortable in: a blush maxi dress. The color looks fantastic against my bronzed skin and to finish the outfit off I have a pair of silver gladiator sandals.
My hair turned out too fizzy for my liking so I pinned it up in a low bun with a few wispy pieces framing my face. My makeup is light, just enough to accent my green eyes and make them pop. It was worth all the effort, just for the way he is looking at me now.
“You clean up nicely yourself,” I tell him softly.
He has a box in his hand wrapped all pretty with a white satin bow. “I want to give you your birthday present before we meet up with everyone.” He reaches me and leans down to kiss my cheek. He places the box in my hand.
“You shouldn’t have,” I gasp as I clutch the box.
“Open it.” He steps back and smiles.
I slowly open the box, and inside, resting on satin is a pair of earrings and a bracelet in the most brilliant shade of green. “Oh my God, Preston, they’re beautiful.”
“They are demantoid garnets from the family mine. They always remind me of your eyes.”
“I don’t know what to say. Thank you.”
“You’re more than welcome. Here, let me help you put them on.”
I’m very happy that I decided to wear my hair up now, it’s the perfect hairstyle to showcase these earrings. He takes out an earring and fastens it to my ear, making me shiver, then hurries and puts the other one in. Then he takes the box from me and gets the bracelet and setting the box aside, he claps it on my wrist.
“Happy Birthday, Detka,” he whispers to me.
“Thank you, Preston. You really didn’t have to.”
“Nonsense, you deserve everything I can give you and more. Now, let’s get going before I end up being selfish and we stay in.”
We walk into Kobe, the best Japanese steakhouse in the desert. We have a full table reserved for us.
Preston leans down and whispers in my ear, “Remember, don’t let on that you know about the karaoke.”
“I won’t.” I groan when I see the table has balloons around it and the whole gang is already here. Lea must have been responsible for that. She is sitting there with a huge grin on her face.
“Who’s that sitting next to Lea?”
“Tha
t’s Harrison, he works for me. He’s good people, you’ll like him.”
“Why is he here?” I wince as I sound super bitchy asking so harshly.
Preston chuckles. “Lea invited him. I think she has a sweet spot for him.”
“I see.” Now it makes perfect sense.
“Skye!” Lea yells across the restaurant.
I can feel the heat in my face. “Why does she do that?” I whisper to Preston and hold up a hand, half waving, half desperately trying to silence her.
“She’s always been like this. You’ve been away for a long time, you just forgot. We’d better not keep her waiting or she will yell again.”
We reach the table and Lea’s the first to jump up and give me a huge hug. “Happy Birthday, Skye! We have five years of birthdays to make up for tonight.”
“Thank you, but one is plenty to celebrate.” I look back to Preston and mouth, “help,” and he holds up his hands laughing.
“Leave her alone, Lea. Are you’re trying to make sure she stays hidden in Preston’s house and never comes out again? We need our girl back out with us,” Shaina says, giving me a hug. “Happy Birthday, Skye.”
“Thanks, Shaina.”
Craig moves between Shaina and me. “Let me have her! Whoop! The last of us to turn twenty-three,” he says, picking me up and swinging me around.
“You big oaf! Put me down!” I can’t help the giggle that slips through. He puts me down and moves down to the end of the table with Shaina. The table has a grill built into it and they cook your food in front of you, with the two side seats taken I see Preston’s friend stand.
Before Preston can introduce him, Lea interjects herself, “Skye, this is my friend Harrison.”
He extends a hand and I clasp it with a firm handshake. “Happy Birthday, Skye. Thank you for allowing me to come to the party.” He has a slight accent and I can’t place which state it’s from.
“Any friend of Lea’s is a friend of mine,” I tell him. “Welcome to the crazy.”
He looks down at Lea fondly. “I don’t mind a little crazy.”
Well holy shit, Lea just blushed. I look over at Preston with wide eyes, shocked by how our over the top friend just freaking turned red like she’s twelve and this is her first crush.
I sit down at the corner of the table so I’m between Shaina and Preston, then the waitress comes around taking drink orders. She gets Craig and Shaina’s order, then moves on to me.
“Iced tea, no lemon please.” She nods and moves on to Preston.
Shaina leans in closer to me. “How are you doing?” she asks quietly.
“I’m feeling really good, Shaina.” I smile. “And it’s all thanks to you.”
“Oh, now, you’re the one doing all the work. I’m just handing you the tools. How’s the medication working out for you?”
“It’s really a life changer. I feel great.”
“Good, I’m glad it was able to help you.”
The waitress comes back and starts putting drinks down. She drops the house special – the ‘Kobe Dragonberry’-- in front of me.
“Oh no, I didn’t order this,” I tell her, trying to hand it back.
She smiles. “It was ordered for the birthday girl,” she informs me, glancing revealingly at Lea.
Lea lifts her drink in salute and calls, “Cheers!”
I take a sip to get her off my back and she returns to her hushed conversation with Harrison.
“I’ll finish this for you,” Preston whispers, taking the drink out of my hand.
“Thank you.” He knows I never really enjoyed drinking. I saw what it’s done to my mother and I don’t want the same thing for myself. I’m not about that life.
We order our dinner and in no time, the chef is out in front of us slicing and dicing and putting food in front of us. He puts on a great show and we all laugh our way through our meals. As the meal wraps up, I can see Lea getting antsy. She would have blown the surprise herself with the way she’s acting. At least now I can pretend I don’t know what’s going on.
Preston puts a hand on my thigh and gently squeezes. “It’s almost over, Detka. Enjoy it.”
“You just wait for your birthday,” I mumble.
With that, the waitress appears and sets a hat on my head and all the staff gather around in a half circle in front of me and start singing happy birthday off key. As all my closest friends sing happy birthday to me I realize how lucky I am to have them all back in my life.
I’m definitely too stuffed for the birthday dessert they gave me. “Do any of you want to share this with me?”
“Too full?” Preston asks, taking a spoonful of the ice cream on the plate.
“I feel like I’m going to pop. This was such a good dinner. Thank you for setting it up.”
“I’d do anything to keep that smile on your face.” He puts his arm around my shoulder and I lean in breathing in his manly scent.
“Ok, you lovebirds. Break it up,” Lea says, rolling her eyes.
Preston grabs the check off the table and throws a black credit card in the check holder, handing it off to the waitress.
“Do you guys want to go dancing?” This is so horrible of me, but I can’t resist. I see Lea’s eyes go wide, and from the corner of my eye I see Craig’s head snap toward me. Preston just sits back with a small smile parting his lips.
“If dancing is what the birthday girl wants, dancing is what she’ll get,” he says happily.
Lea can’t contain her huff of annoyance. I cover my mouth to hold back the giggle. It’s not every day we get one up on Lea, Miss Control-Freak.
“No, I was just kidding.” I laugh. “I couldn’t dance. I’ve eaten too much.”
“I have an early morning at the hospital,” Shaina says to me.
“Thank you all for coming and celebrating with me. It really meant a lot to spend my birthday with you all.” One would think I was going soft, but something I learned while I was away was not to take friends for granted. I did that for five years, I won’t ever do it again.
I’m stronger than I ever thought I was and I’m ready to get the night moving even if it overloads my feels.
“Yeah, I have an early yoga class,” Lea says without looking at me. It’s almost comical how she can’t lie to save her life.
“Okay, we will see you guys later.” I stand and give everyone a hug as we leave the restaurant.
The second Preston and I are sitting in the car he busts out laughing. “You are such an asshole, Skye,” he says, wiping tears out of his eyes.
“I couldn’t help it. Did you see the look on her face as she started panicking? Christ, I wish I had a picture of that.”
I see her and Harrison pulling out of the Kobe parking lot, her hands animated as she talks to him.
“Look at her, I’d bet a hundred bucks she’s making his ears bleed.” Preston laughs even harder.
“No way, I won’t be taking that bet. Shall we race them to the house?”
“There isn’t a chance in hell you are going to get me to do that. I don’t want to hear her bitching all night.”
I hold up my hands. “Alright, alright, I’ve had my fun. We can go now.”
Preston drives home slower than a turtle crossing the road. When we pull into the drive there are no cars in sight. He parks the car by the front door in the circular drive.
“Aren’t you going to park in the garage?” I innocently ask.
“As much as you’re making me laugh, no,” he says, getting out of the car and coming around to open my door.
I place my hand in his and step out. “Spoil sport.”
We walk up to the door and he places his key in, unlocks it and motions for me to go in first.
“Surprise!” is yelled in unison.
“What?” I say, covering my mouth, acting bewildered.
Lea bounces up and down like a child, thinking she pulled one over on me. “We wanted to have a whole night of fun! You almost blew it with your wanting to go dancing.”
/>
I turn back to look at Preston. “Did you know about this?” I give him a huge wink that they can’t see.
“Come on Skye, we have karaoke and drinks all ready.” She takes my hand and drags me into the living room where speakers are set up with more damn balloons.
There is a man manning the karaoke station and I frown slightly. He looks familiar but I can’t place him. Lea follows my line of vision. “Do you remember Robbie?” She directs me toward him.
“He looks familiar.” I just can’t place him.
“He went to school with us, he was in Shaina’s year.”
“How would I know him then?” I still can’t shake that I know that face.
“He works at Native Foods during the day.”
“No shit? Didn't we go there for our peanut butter parfaits?”
“Yes! Well he deejays in his spare time to make some extra cash.”
“Hey Robbie, this is Skye, the birthday girl,” Lea introduces us.
I shake his hand. “Nice to meet you, Robbie.”
“I go by Robert now but Lea doesn’t listen.” He looks at her with a soft smile.
Oh shit, he likes her. He glances over at Harrison and gives him a once over and my mouth drops. I look over and make eye contact with Preston with raised brows. He shrugs as if reading my mind, well hot damn Lea is working it.
“You can’t tell her crap. It’s Lea’s way or the highway,” I agree.
Lea just laughs.
“Don’t I know it? Well, tonight is all about celebrating your birthday. I’ve a karaoke book on the table. Do you want to go first?”
“Oh no, by all means let Lea go first. I’ll take a look at the book.”
I take a seat on the sofa and start thumbing through the book. I look up to see Craig and Preston knock back a shot. Shaina’s standing by them and pours another when they slam the glasses down. I haven’t seen Preston this relaxed and carefree since he left. In fact, it was on our graduation day when he and Craig were goofing around, before everything changed.
Lea claps her hands. “Can I get everyone’s attention?” She waits until the talking stops. “Before we start singing, we have some presents for you, Skye.”
“I don’t need any presents, spending the evening with you all has been the best birthday present.”
Divine Hart Page 18