Wide-eyed, she looked at both men, who looked supremely smug – and with good reason. They were sending her to a spa for the day. And not just any spa – one of the most exclusive ones in the country, which was just up the road. They’d paid for her to have the works: use of all the facilities, any classes she wanted to take – fat chance of that – and as many treatments as she liked.
‘They’ve got my credit card details too, Alice, so if there’s something you want that’s not covered by that voucher, just charge it to me. Anything you want.’
Alice was speechless. Just when she thought the two men couldn’t possibly be any nicer to her, they went and outdid themselves. ‘Th-thank you. Both of you. I don’t know what else to say.’ The tears were threatening again, and Ethan pulled her into a hug and dropped a kiss to her damp hair.
‘There’s nothing else to say, Alice. Just go and get whatever stuff you need to take with you, then come back here to say goodbye before you leave.’
Jeremy nodded in agreement, so she went and did as he said. It was only when she started to shove swimwear, toiletries, clean clothes, underwear, and a book into a bag that she realised she hadn’t opened any of her other envelopes. Bollocks. She’d have to open them when she got back. She finished what she was doing and headed back into the kitchen, to find the men sitting down again, and a bacon sandwich waiting for her. Oh yes, she hadn’t eaten either!
‘Lunch is included, but I thought you should have something before you go. We don’t want you passing out in the sauna or anything, do we?’ Jeremy nodded towards the sandwich in question. ‘Now, hurry up before I eat it for you. And your lift is waiting too.’
‘My lift?’ She’d assumed she was driving herself. Which was no problem at all, especially considering she was having the day off work, leaving the men to cover for her. Making a half-hour’s journey in the car to an exclusive resort was no hardship.
‘Eat your sandwich, before it goes cold.’ Jeremy said.
She shrugged and did as he said. A couple of minutes later, her plate was empty and she was about to go and put it in the dishwasher. Ethan stopped her. ‘I’ll do that,’ he said. ‘Now go and brush your teeth and then go and enjoy yourself, for God’s sake!’
Alice was back within minutes, having brushed her teeth and rinsed with mouthwash. She grabbed her bag from the floor by the breakfast bar, then smiled at both men. ‘Thank you so much, you two. I really appreciate the effort you’ve gone to for me today. I’m going to make some new memories, OK?’
They slid from their stools and moved over to her. Both reached for her at the same time, so they were in a three-way hug. Or Alice was, anyway. They were cuddling her, not one another. Then, as if they’d choreographed it, they both kissed one of her cheeks at the same time and wished her a happy birthday.
‘We’ll see you later, OK?’ Jeremy said. ‘Your lift will be waiting outside the main doors of the spa at six. Don’t eat too much at lunchtime, because we’re doing something special for dinner too. Leave room for that, OK?’
She nodded, stood on tiptoes, and gave them both a quick kiss in turn, then left the room before she started crying again. No more tears, she told herself. Those two have gone to a lot of trouble to give you a good day. So that’s exactly what you’ll have.
When she stepped out of the Manor’s side door of and saw the white limousine waiting for her, her jaw almost dropped into the gravel beneath her feet. Immediately, the chauffeur got out and opened the back door for her.
‘Madam,’ he said, indicating she should get in.
Still gobsmacked, she turned back to the house and looked up. As she’d suspected, Jeremy and Ethan were standing at one of the windows that overlooked the staff and residents’ car park, grinning inanely at her. They waved. She waved back, then, regaining her wits, blew them a kiss. She got into the limousine before she was tempted to rush back inside and snog both their faces off.
Settling onto the cool leather of the seat, she felt like an utter tramp, dressed in such scruffy clothes yet about to be driven to a spa in the lap of luxury. Though the fact the car had blacked-out windows meant nobody could see her, anyway. People would probably look at the vehicle as it passed them on the streets and think she was some kind of celebrity, swigging champagne and generally being fabulous. She could dream, anyway. There was champagne, actually, she noticed as she spotted the cooler. But it was barely nine o’clock in the morning, so she wasn’t going to partake now. Maybe on the way home, after six. It was her birthday, after all. And so far, it was shaping up to be pretty damn good.
Alice climbed back into the limousine, not giving a shit who was looking at her in her crappy clothes and wondering who the hell she was. She was chilled out beyond belief and felt like she was floating. She’d totally splurged the voucher Jeremy and Ethan had given her, managing to squeeze in four treatments, as well as some time in the pool, hot tub, sauna and steam room. She hadn’t read any of her book, she’d been so busy. But the good kind of busy that meant she would be lucky to stay awake on the drive back to Davenport Manor. The ride in the limo was really smooth too, so that didn’t help.
She remembered she’d promised herself a glass of champagne to celebrate her birthday. Perhaps the act of pouring it, instead of just sitting there, would help her to stay awake. She dropped to her knees on the thickly carpeted floor of the car and shuffled over to the sideboard where the bottle of champagne was chilling in a bucket of what looked like fresh ice. It certainly hadn’t been there all day; otherwise it would have been water by now. She slid a glass from the hook it was on and put it down, before wrestling with the foil-covered cork. Eventually, she opened it with a loud and satisfying pop and did her best to get as much of the gushing liquid in the glass as she could. Inevitably, some of it spilled over her hands and onto the carpet, but she guessed that happened a lot. It was virtually impossible to open champagne without that happening. The cork had disappeared altogether.
Soon, she was perched back on the leather seat with her feet tucked beneath her, enjoying the pricey champagne. She felt like royalty, or something. Lady of the Manor, perhaps. She giggled. It wasn’t the first time she’d had that fantasy, after all. Another sip of the champagne and her giggles turned into peals of laughter. She hoped that the glass between her and the driver, whose name she didn’t know, was soundproof; otherwise he’d think his passenger was an insane person, travelling alone in a limousine and yet finding something incredibly funny. She wasn’t disturbed, however, so she carried on enjoying her sudden bout of mirth, and wondering exactly where it had come from. She suspected it was something to do with the fact that she was having the best birthday of her life. And she still had a special meal and an evening with two sexy men to look forward to.
Her laughs turned into full-on guffaws. She was still grinning like the Cheshire Cat when her ride pulled up outside Davenport Manor. She had tears streaming down her cheeks, and she couldn’t wait to get back inside and tell Jeremy and Ethan what a wonderful day she’d had.
The car pulled to a stop, and she resisted the urge to let herself out. Instead, she snagged the bottle of champagne, figuring Jeremy had already paid for it, so what did it matter, and climbed out as gracefully as possible when the chauffeur opened the door. She thanked him – perhaps a little too profusely, due to the champagne – and made her way to the side door leading into the Manor. The door flew open and Ethan stood there. He nodded to the driver, who got back into his car and left the premises. Alice guessed that Jeremy had settled up his bill beforehand. Or maybe he had an account with the limo firm. It didn’t matter either way – she’d had a delightful journey, thanks to her two favourite men.
Ethan took her free hand and pulled her inside, closing and locking the door behind them before wrapping his arms around her and holding her tight against him. He leant down and kissed her, a long, deep kiss that left her heart pounding and her skin tingling. When they parted, she was wide-eyed.
‘Wow,’ she said. ‘What was
that for?’
‘I missed you,’ he said simply. ‘Plus I remembered I hadn’t given you a proper birthday kiss. Did you have a good day?’
‘Better than good. I’ll tell you and Jeremy all about it. Where is he?’
‘Where do you think, sweetheart? In the kitchen, of course.’
‘Really? What do you two have planned for me? Do I need to go and wash up, or get changed, first?’
Ethan looked her up and down, and she tried not to cringe under his scrutiny. She knew she looked a mess. A relaxed mess, but a state nonetheless. Her hair was all greasy from her Indian head massage, and her face was probably as shiny as a mirror due to all the lotions and potions they’d used during her facial. At least her nails looked good, she thought happily. She’d had a manicure and pedicure and her hands and feet were almost model worthy.
‘Nope. You’re perfect as you are. Come on.’
Luckily he didn’t see her blush as he’d already turned his back and was leading the way to their living quarters. As they came closer to the kitchen, Alice could smell something delightful. It seemed the men really were cooking up a storm. And it was all for her.
Just before they got to the kitchen door, Ethan stopped and turned around. ‘OK, close your eyes.’
She did as he asked, then she sensed him moving around her. He put his hands over her eyes and led her slowly forward, opened the door and helped her into the room. The food smells, now they were close up, were mouth-watering. She suspected the two of them had made her favourite, lasagne with garlic bread and chips. She knew chips didn’t really go with the meal, but she didn’t care; she loved them. And as for the garlic, well, at least the three of them would stink and keep the vampires away together.
Smiling as Ethan guided her further into the room, she wondered what awaited her when her vision was restored. It couldn’t just be the meal – that would be in the oven so she wouldn’t be able to see it, anyway. And of course, the scents had already given that particular game away.
Seconds later, Ethan said, ‘Are you ready, Alice?’
‘Of course,’ she said excitedly. ‘Please don’t keep me in suspense any longer!’
The two men laughed, then Ethan removed his hands. Instantly, she opened her eyes and let out a little squeal at the sight before her. Those crazy men had only gone and decorated the place! They’d put up a banner, balloons, streamers, and there were even some party poppers on the breakfast bar, just begging to be used.
‘We thought you’d prefer a nice, home-cooked meal, rather than going to a restaurant. If we got it wrong, though, please say and we’ll take you out. But it’ll have to be tomorrow – I’m not letting this food go to waste,’ Jeremy said, with a wink.
She put her bag and the bottle of champagne down on the side and she looked at each man in turn. When she curbed her excitement enough to speak, she said, ‘You know it’s not my 30th, don’t you?’
Jeremy frowned. ‘Of course, why?’
‘Because you’ve gone to an awful lot of trouble for a 31st birthday.’
Ethan grabbed her from behind and pulled her into a hug. ‘Alice, it doesn’t matter how old you are. You should have a fuss like this made of you every year.’ He pressed a kiss to her hair, and she tried to wriggle from his grasp. ‘What’s the matter?’
‘My hair’s greasy from my Indian head massage. It’s full of oils and stuff.’
He buried his nose in the brunette mass. ‘Mmm, whatever oils they used, they smell yum.’
Alice struggled harder to free herself. ‘Eww, don’t do that. You’ll get grease all over your face.’
‘I don’t care. Though to be fair, I’d rather have your pussy juices all over my face.’
She gasped, then elbowed him. He relented, and let her go, holding his hands up in supplication. ‘OK, I get it. No sniffing or hugging. It’s your birthday.’
‘Yes,’ she said decisively. ‘It is. Now, do I have time for a shower?’ She looked at Jeremy, guessing he was in charge of cooking times. Ethan might have said she was fine as she was, but she just didn’t feel comfortable. She wanted to be clean and hug-worthy.
He nodded. ‘Don’t be too long, though, Alice. You have about half an hour.’
She flashed him a grateful smile and scampered back to her room, stripping off and jumping into the shower. She hadn’t meant to be so mean to Ethan, especially after the effort he and Jeremy had gone to. It was just her head massage had been the last of her treatments and she’d only just had time to grab her stuff and get to the front of the building before the limo was due. She didn’t want to be late, and as a result, she’d arrived home feeling a tad unwashed. She’d make it up to Ethan later.
Scrubbing her scalp thoroughly, she realised just what a wonderful day she’d had. She hadn’t thought about the crappy memories of her past as she’d had such a packed timetable. Even when she was chilling out in the sauna and hot tub, she’d been so relaxed she hadn’t thought about much at all. So it seemed Jeremy and Ethan’s present to her had been exactly what she needed. Some time off, and a lovely day. And the best part was that it wasn’t over yet.
She finished her shower as quickly as possible, then dried off and headed back into her bedroom. Dressing speedily, she popped on some light make-up, then brushed her hair and left it loose. It would soon dry.
Alice was back in the kitchen well within her allotted half an hour, so she sat down at the breakfast bar and watched Jeremy and Ethan as they buzzed around putting things away, loading the dishwasher, and so on. It was only then that she remembered she hadn’t opened any of her cards. She grabbed the pile which still sat on the table and started on them. There weren’t many – most of her friends had sent text messages or emails instead – so it didn’t take long. But the ones from Jeremy and Ethan more than made up for the lack of numbers. They’d obviously chosen carefully, as they both said “To Someone Special” rather than something bland like “To My Friend”. They couldn’t have got “To My Girlfriend” of course, because she wasn’t, was she? Maybe they did cards these days that read “To My Friend with Benefits”, but Jeremy and Ethan had decided to play it safe. She bit back a giggle, then grabbed the small pile of cards and headed into the living room to put them on the mantelpiece.
After arranging her cards carefully, she slipped back into the kitchen and crept up behind the nearest man, who happened to be Ethan. She put her arms around his broad body and gave him a hug. ‘Thank you for my card. And everything else.’
She was squeezing him so tight that he couldn’t turn around. Instead, he looked over his shoulder and said, ‘You’re welcome, Alice. But you’ve got another present to come, later.’
‘Really?’ she squeaked. ‘You two have seriously spoiled me today.’
‘Well,’ Jeremy said, glancing over from where he stood wiping down the worktops, ‘you’re worth it, Alice. We’ve had all this planned for weeks because we wanted you to have an incredible day. And –’ he hesitated ‘– be left with nice memories of us when you leave.’
She cleared her throat loudly and disengaged from Ethan. ‘Well, let’s not think about that, shall we?’ She all but launched herself at Jeremy and kissed his cheek. ‘Thank you, for everything.’ Eager to move the subject well and truly on from her leaving, she asked, ‘So, is dinner nearly ready, then?’
Jeremy laughed, and aimed a light slap at her arse. ‘Go and sit down, Alice. It should be almost ready. I’ll check on it while Ethan gets you a drink.’
‘I could get my own drink, you know, if Ethan’s busy.’
‘He’s not,’ Jeremy replied. ‘He’s done his bit now, so he’s on drinks duty, OK?’
Suitably chastised, Alice moved to the breakfast bar. Just as she was about to clamber up onto a stool, Jeremy stopped her. ‘Uh-uh, not there. In the dining room.’
‘Um, OK.’ She’d been in the dining room, of course, but they’d never eaten a meal in there before. They really were going to town for her birthday.
‘Before
you go, Alice,’ Ethan said. ‘What would you like to drink? We’ve got … everything.’
‘Wine, please. Whatever’s open. Oh, no, wait!’ she exclaimed. ‘I’ve got the champagne from the limo. Let’s finish that first, before it goes flat. That would be a terrible waste.’
Ethan smirked. ‘That it would. OK, champagne it is. Now, off you go.’ He waved his fingers at her, encouraging her to leave and go into the dining room.
Alice went into the little-used room and let out a strangled noise of surprise when she saw that they’d decorated in there too. There were helium balloons tied to the backs of three chairs – the ones they’d be using, she assumed – candles, napkins folded origami style, and a banner hanging from the wall behind the chair at the end of the table. It read “Birthday Girl”. She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, so she opted for the former. All this and she still had another present to go – she could hardly believe it.
Settling into the chair that had been reserved for her, she sighed contentedly and waited for the men to join her. Soon, Ethan came in with the remainder of the bottle of champagne and poured it into the three glasses that were already part of their place settings, then sat down next to her. She grinned at him. He reached for her hand and pressed a kiss above her knuckles.
‘Happy birthday, Alice.’
She blushed. ‘You already said that.’
‘I know. But I felt like saying it again.’
Just then, Jeremy entered the room, carrying three plates skilfully. Anyone would think he was a fully trained waiter, not a ridiculously wealthy lord. The question crossed Alice’s mind as to whether Jeremy actually was a lord. She’d joked about it to herself many times, but she knew money didn’t necessary equal a title. She made her mind up to ask him about it tomorrow. For now, she just wanted to get her teeth into her dinner. Then Jeremy and Ethan, hopefully. She covered up her smirk by grabbing her glass of champagne and holding it in front of her mouth for a second, before taking a healthy gulp. She realised she hadn’t eaten since lunchtime, so she’d better get some food inside her before she drank any more. Otherwise she’d be having an early night – by herself!