“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 intently 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.