My parents arrived earlier that day upon my request as I couldn’t wait any longer to let them know about their newest grandchild. Mum had been beside herself when we told her our exciting news, congratulating us both over and over and rubbing my tummy every few minutes. Dad, on the other hand, had been a bit shocked at first, smiling only mildly and sitting in silence. It wasn’t until I explained to him that I had no doubts that Bryce was the father and not Rick that he seemed to relax a little. He hadn’t said much to me about Rick’s and my separation and break-up, but I could tell he was furious with his son-in-law for breaking his daughter’s heart. I could also tell he was happy I had left him.
Dad had given me a tight hug, saying he would have a nice number of little grandchildren-farmers to help him with his jobs around the farm soon enough, and perhaps he could retire early and watch them do all the work for him. Bryce’s brow had furrowed when Dad mentioned wanting to retire early, and I had a good idea of what Bryce was thinking at that particular moment. I made a mental note to speak to him about it at a later date. As much as Bryce had all the money in the world and was more than willing to share it with me and my family, my dad was still a very hardworking proud man, and I’m not sure if he would take kindly to Bryce meddling in his private financial affairs—good intentions or not.
***
The evening rolled around quite quickly and deciding what to wear to my birthday party had been somewhat challenging. Firstly, I didn’t want to choose something that was over-the-top glamorous, as wearing a label such as Versace to begin with was already singling me out amongst my friends and family, which I didn’t really want. I wanted this gathering to be intimate and comfortable, one where regardless of our surroundings we could all feel relaxed and enjoy ourselves. Secondly, I had to choose a dress that was not tight fitting. Even though I was not obviously showing at this point in time, a tight dress could reveal our secret, and having someone guess my pregnancy before we made the announcement would kind of be a buzz-kill.
Clarissa had been a Godsend, helping me find extra pieces of clothing for my wardrobe that were perfect for my soon-to-be swelling waistline. She was such a wonderful help and we had become good friends in the process. So, with Clarissa’s amazing fashion know-how, she finally convinced me to wear a mid-length, black strapless Versace. It was loose enough to inconspicuously hide my secret, and it was perfectly simple and elegant. I loved it.
Being that the dress was black, I could pair it with pretty much any shoe I wanted, and I really wanted to pair it with the Gucci Sofia Étoile Peep Toes that had been patiently sitting in the walk-in-stadium waiting to be loved by my feet. I stared at them longingly every time I passed them, fighting the desperation to put them on and wear them just for the hell of it. The thing with these shoes though, was that they had to be respected, and wearing them ‘just for the hell of it’ was breaking that cardinal rule. Therefore, my birthday being the perfect opportunity, I didn’t hesitate in choosing the gold pailletted, beige heels. As I slipped them on, I swear a heavenly beam of light shot down from the sky, illuminating them at the same time as an angel sang ‘Ahh’ at me. Okay, maybe not.
Charli was also overly excited that we were having a party and had put on her prettiest dress—pale pink chiffon with a layered tutu style skirt and a rose on the lapel. She was also excited that Lil’s daughter, Jasmine—Charlotte’s close friend—together with all my other friend’s children, were coming along for the celebration. Bryce had organised for the hotel’s nanny-service to be in charge of the kids for the evening, supervising them at the arcade centre in the Entertainment Precinct. He had even arranged for it to be closed to the general public for the evening, making it a private event just for the kids which Nate had said was ‘totes sick’, as it was gonna be him and his ‘mains’??? I need a freakin’ Nate dictionary.
All in all though, with an amazing venue, children supervised, and accommodation taken care of, we had the foundation set for an incredible night.
I’d set aside some extra time prior to getting ready to give both myself and Charli mini makeovers, pinning her beautiful blonde curls into a bun. I even let her wear some pink lip gloss—she looked gorgeous. Nate had dressed as quickly as Bryce had, Nate in black trousers and a navy shirt, and Bryce in a charcoal suit with a black shirt.
Both of them were waiting patiently for us in the lounge area looking incredibly handsome when we appeared at the top of the stairs. Charli made her way down first, taking slow steps like she was walking down the aisle—the biggest smile radiating from her little face.
When she reached the bottom, Bryce knelt down and handed her a single rose. “A pretty rose for a pretty girl, Miss Charlotte,” he said.
She took it from him and blushed, twisting her body from side to side. “Thank you, this is my first flower from a boy.”
Bryce chuckled. “Oh, well I’m glad it was from me then.”
I smiled at them from the top of the staircase before I began my descent, Bryce raising his eyes to meet mine. He stood up, gently patting Charli on the head while continuing to eye me from top to toe as I took each step closer to him. When I stopped at the bottom, he held a rose in front of me and gently dragged it down the bridge of my nose.
“Your beauty flaws me, Alexis. It literally strips me of all cognitive function; I’m absolutely useless.”
I smiled seductively at him. “Oh, you are definitely not ‘useless’. I can vouch for that...many times.”
He smirked at my compliment and placed his hand at the top of my arse, passing me the rose with his other hand and pulling me to him. “Happy birthday.”
He pressed his lips firmly to mine and I could feel the fire igniting and burning in my core, so against all will, I doused it and pulled away.
“It’s not my birthday yet,” I breathed heavily.
“I know. I just wanted to be the first to say it.”
I lovingly scoffed at his charm. “You, Mr. Clark, are too sweet. Thank you. Oh, and thank you for organising this party for me and for putting up my family and friends in the hotel. It’s the best birthday present ever.”
He cocked an eyebrow at me. “This is not your birthday present, Hunny.”
“Oh, well I look forward to that present later.” I mirrored his expression but added a naughty smile.
He looked confused at first but then realisation spread over him. “No. That is not your present either. That is inevitable. You will have to wait till tomorrow for your birthday present.”
“Bryce. I hope you didn’t get me anything.” Of course he freakin’ did! “This party is more than enough. I don’t want anything else.”
“Yes, you do.”
I looked at him strangely, ready to question him further when the buzzer to the apartment rang. My inquisitiveness changed to one of excitement at the knowledge that my guests were beginning to arrive, so much so, that I put his mysterious birthday gift at the back of my mind.
One of the hotel’s catering staff politely opened the door and a wide-eyed Carls walked through. “Well, Fuc...out,” she looked sheepishly at Nate and Charli, “far out, far freakin out. This place is incredible.”
I walked up to her and gave her a huge hug. “Hey Carls.” I hadn’t seen her since the week I’d spent at Mum and Dad’s house after finding out Rick had lied about cheating on me, and that Bryce had offered Rick five million dollars to let me spend that week with him. Carls had come to my rescue and spent some time with me, helping me forget about the pain and betrayal I’d felt at the hands of the two men. She was my best friend and had been since we were young kids. I loved her, adored her and at times like all best friends, could kill her.
“This place is amazeballs, Lexi!” Amazeballs? Has she been speaking to Nate again? Where the fuck she does come up with this shit?
I shook my head at her and smiled. “Yeah, it’s not a bad little place to live, ay?”
“Pfft, yeah, you could say that.” She pushed me back to arms-length and looked intent
ly in my eyes, then drifted her stare down my body and back up again. “You look amazing. Shacking up with a rich stud-muffin does wonders for you. Speaking of the sexy stud-muffin, I need to formally thank him for his hospitality.”
With her hands still on my shoulders, she gently moved me aside and headed directly for Bryce. He looked amused.
“As long as you only thank him, Carls. That stud-muffin belongs to me.”
“Not until there’s an engagement ring on your finger...Wait!” She paused and turned back to me. “Show me your hand, is that why you are looking so good?”
I rolled my eyes at her. “No! There is no engagement ring on my finger.”
“There will be soon,” Bryce confidently stated. Oh shit! Is that the present he is talking about? I hope not. But...I do want him to propose, it’s just a bit too soon. Shit!
Carls smiled mischievously then continued on to Bryce, wrapping her arms around him. “Thank you.” She hugged him tight and squeezed his biceps...then squeezed them again.
He playfully grinned over her shoulder at me. “You’re welcome, Carly.”
Pouting, she reluctantly let him go and made her way back to me. “So, Lexi, the soon-to-be-bigamist.”
“I am not a fucking soon-to-be-bigamist.”
“Mum!” Charlotte waltzed into the room. “You just F-Bombed. You know the rules, now I get to bomb you.”
Ah crap! Who made up this stupid game? Oh...that’s right, me. Stupid me. “Um, I know, Charlotte, but you can’t bomb me. Not now.”
Without the slightest inclination as to why I was not about to let her play ‘Stacks On’, she diplomatically replied. “A rule is a rule, Mum.”
“Charli.” I subtly tried to raise my eyebrow at her. “You can’t.” I exaggerated the can’t bit. “You could hurt me. You don’t want to hurt me, do you?”
She looked at me strangely with her hands on her hips, suggesting she had been cheated or swindled. Then, she caught on. “Ohhh, I could hurt the baby,” she blurted out and slapped her hand to her head. “Okay, Mum, I’ll let you off this time.” She walked up to Carly. “Hi, Aunty Carls.” Charlotte and Nate had always referred to Carly as their Aunty; Carls was like a sister to me anyway.
Staring at me with her mouth wide open, a smile tugging at its corners, Carly looked wonderfully stunned. She nonchalantly gave Charlotte a quick hug, while keeping her amused expression fixed on me. “You’re pregnant?”
“Yes, I am.” I shot her a hold-on-a-minute look. “Charlotte, please don’t tell anyone else. Bryce and I want to make it a surprise and tell everyone later tonight.” Stupid me, I didn’t even think to tell motor-mouth Charli to keep our baby news a secret.
“Oh, sorry Mum.”
“It’s okay, Sweetheart. But don’t tell anyone else, alright?”
She skipped off. “Okay.”
I turned back to Carly and smiled, while placing my nurturing hand on its favourite spot—my stomach. “Yes, Bryce planted his seed.” I smirked.
He came up behind me and placed his hands on my shoulders. “What can I say, I like gardening,” he explained.
I leaned back into him and laughed.
“Wow...that’s...wow! I’m assuming it wasn’t planned.” Carly looked at me hesitantly.
“No. It definitely wasn’t planned,” I answered.
She looked up at Bryce then her expression changed. Curious, I tilted my head to glance at Bryce too. However, whatever had prompted her strange form was lost on me, because he peered down into my eyes displaying nothing but love and happiness, filling me with butterflies.
“So you’re both happy?”
We both answered her simultaneously, without removing our eyes from one another. “Of course we are.”
“Well, in that case, congratulations.”
With impeccable timing, a waiter appeared next to us with glasses of champagne on a tray. Carly grabbed two glasses and went to hand me one. She paused at the same moment Bryce opened his mouth and objected.
“Uh uh.” He grabbed the slightly pink coloured glass that was still sitting on the tray. “You, my love, get this one.” He handed me the drink. “The pink glasses are yours. All waiting staff have been briefed and know only to give you these ones.
“You’ve got to be kidding.” I furrowed my brow at him “What is it?”
The buzzer to the apartment sounded again, and the door was opened to allow the members of Live Trepidation in. Bryce began to make his way over to them when he answered my question. “No. I’m not kidding. I never kid where you are concerned. You, my love, are drinking non-alcoholic rose wine tonight.” Ah. Shit. Crap. Balls.
Carly shrugged her shoulders, and rather than put one of the two glasses she had picked up back down, she happily took sips from them both.
“Suffer,” she said, with a childish grin.
I squinted my eyes at her then smiled over to my newly arrived guests. Carly quickly tilted her head down and lowered her voice, speaking into the glass. “Who the fuck is that sex-on-a-stick?” She took an inconspicuous sip.
I followed her line of sight. “That is Derek, Bryce’s best mate. He’s also the lead singer of the band. He was at the pub in Shepparton, remember? When the band played “November Rain” and Bryce performed the guitar solos for me.”
“Is that him? Oh my God, he looks different.”
“Well you were slightly occupied with the barman. Plus Derek has shaved his head since then, maybe that’s why you don’t recognise him.”
“Fuck, Lexi. He is beyond hot. His hotness factor is through the bloody roof.”
I laughed at her choice of words. “It’s funny you should say that, because he is a firefighter.”
She grabbed a hold of my arm and pretended to go weak at the knees. “Please tell me he’s single, Alexis, because I have a fucking ferocious fire in between my legs that he needs to put out.”
I cracked up laughing. “Yes, Carls. He is single...as far as I know.”
Derek was extremely good looking. He was the same height as Bryce, approximately six foot five. He had tanned skin and clearly defined biceps which by memory were artfully decorated with a few tattoos. His eyes were a bright blue and his once upon a time caramel coloured hair was now closely shaved to his head.
Bryce and the rest of his band, which consisted of Derek, the lead singer and guitarist; Matt, the bass guitarist; and Will, the drummer, all made their way over to where Carls and I were standing. As they got closer, she squeezed my arm tighter and dramatically said under her breath. “Quick! Quick! My vagina in burning, please come to my rescue.”
I laughed again and murmured back, “Mr. Firefighter Derek, please douse my friend’s fiery hole with your fire hose. Nobody likes a burnt burger.”
Carly nearly spat her champagne—she was good at that. With great difficulty, we both managed to subdue ourselves and act like the adults that we were by the time the men reached our position in the room.
Bryce placed his arm around my waist securing me to him. “Alexis, you remember Derek, Will, and Matt.”
“Yes, of course I do. It’s nice to see you all again. Thanks for coming.”
Carly giggled at my choice of word, forcing a childish giggle from me too. Carly Josephine Henkley, stop that.
“Happy birthday, Alexis.” Derek handed me a small package. Oh God, a present. How embarrassing. I really don’t need presents.
I sheepishly took it from him. “You really shouldn’t have.”
He smiled and shrugged his shoulders. Bryce looked at him in wonder.
“Is it your birthday, Lexi?” Carly asked, knowing it was. “Because I didn’t get you jack shit.”
I gently shoved her shoulder. “Sorry, this rude bitch here is my best friend Carly. Carly, this is Will, Matt and Derek. They are members of the band Bryce plays in.”
“Yes, I know. I saw you guys in Shepparton. You were all fantastic.” She pointed her glass at Derek. “And you, have a voice to die for.” Oh God. Carls the epitome of o
bvious.
I smirked at her as I unwrapped my present, discovering a Live Trepidation CD. “I love it! Thank you.” I really did love it. Now I could cruise around in my car and listen to my sensationally talented sexy rock god, play his guitar chords. I looked up at Bryce with a big smile. “You didn’t tell me you had a CD.”
“We’ve only just recently produced it. It appears you would be one of the first to own a copy.”
“Oh, lucky me. Can you all sign it?”
“I think track four already has your name on it,” Matt said, as he took hold of a beer from the tray a waiter before us was balancing.
“A track that has my name on it?” I repeated, confused.
The buzzer to the door sounded again, and this time the people entering seemed to be never ending. Bryce quickly interrupted my train of thought and excused us.
“Your family is here.” He gently guided me toward to apartment entryway door.
***
I spent the first part of the evening as a tour guide, showing my friends and family around the apartment, Tash being the only exception to the welcoming expedition, having already visited after taking Bryce up on his offer of a job at the hotel. She was due to begin her first shift as an event supervisor starting this coming Monday.
Lil, Jade, and Steph, together with their husbands also seemed quite impressed with my new home. Honestly, how could you not be, this place is a palace. I still feel like royalty when I am here and I love it. I might make all my friends curtsy upon entering.
My brother Jake playfully tutted every time I showed him a new room, and Jen...well she was just about ready to move in, having taken a liking to Lucy’s room with the cot.
The evening had gone rather smoothly, with every one happily talking amongst themselves to low volumed background music. The kids were having a great time at the arcade, allowing us parents to relax and enjoy each other’s company together with food and drinks. Rick was even contentedly mingling with our mutual friends, however, he was clearly avoiding my family—especially Jake. Even Gareth had gladly arrived with Samantha by his side and appeared to be enjoying his surroundings and company. Seeing him and Sam look somewhat jovial eased my concerns in regards to their relationship. However, I still felt Sam deserved to know the truth about Gareth’s diagnosis, so that she could decide for herself if his condition was one she could overlook. I knew deep down I had to tell her. I think I had made that decision the moment I became aware that Gareth suffered Dissociative Identity Disorder, having had an apprehensive notion in the pit of my stomach that told me one way or another I would enlighten Sam. I just hoped it didn’t reverse Gareth’s clear positive progression of late.
Fulfillment Page 11
