“And many happy returns,” croaked the raven.
Tears burst from my helpless eyes, utterly beyond my control, spilling down my cheeks. I pulled Katie tight and buried my face in her brown curly hair. “Thank you, everyone,” I choked out.
“Why is she crying?” Orin asked nervously. “Is it the wrong day?”
“No, big guy, they are tears of joy.” I stepped away from Katie and wiped my cheeks. “Thank you guys. Really.”
“You think we didn’t listen the other night at dinner?” Brann asked.
“No, yes, I don’t know. I just… with everything going on, I almost forgot myself. I mean, no one mentioned anything, and…”
“That’s because it was a surprise,” Keegan said, handing me a Mimosa, ice cold and perfect.
“It was all their idea,” Katie sat down next to me. “They kept you busy with all your training so they could surprise you today. They’re not such assholes after all.”
Keegan let out a loud, sarcastic gasp. “Did you just ... compliment us?”
“I believe she did,” Weylyn chuckled. His hair was still dripping wet.
“Do you blame me?” Katie countered. “She’s been drugged, assaulted, almost kidnapped not once but twice, and now she has to kill The Three Amigos. Sorry if I was a bit worried that you four were as useless as a chocolate teapot.”
“At least she’s picking up the lingo,” Keegan admitted, nodding at Katie.
Katie has a brutal honesty, the kind that tests friendships and suffers no fools. But one thing I appreciated, I always knew where I stood with her.
“Katie has every right to feel that way,” Brann said, packing scrambled eggs onto his plate. “The storm’s not over yet, and the winds are raging on.”
“But we’re with you till this is over,” Orin said (I think. Hard to tell with the wad of pancake stuffed in his pie hole.)
“Christ, Orin. Manners?” Weylyn scolded.
“Or until we are all dead, anyway.” Keegan chimed in cheerfully.
Weylyn shakes his head. “Sharp as a beach ball, this one.”
“Stop it, your gonna make me cry again,” I sniffled.
“Please don’t. Orin goes all to pieces when you cry.” Keegan said, spurring Orin to throw a chunk of potato at him.
“Easy. I worked hard frying up those praities,” Keegan laughed, and popped the spud in his mouth.
Looking around the breakfast table, my heart overflowed with happiness and love. Everyone laughing, smiling. For the first time in forever, I felt like I was home. I couldn’t even see my life without these hooligans in it. All of them, even the bird. It was the best birthday gift I could ever ask for.
“Finish up. We have stuff to do before tonight,” Katie said, chugging down her mimosa.
“Oh?” I asked, “Are we sharpening some knives? Mapping out an escape route? Mixing some kind of vanishing potion?” I looked over at Katie. “Or maybe someone’s hot to get her some bartender. Conrad, was it?”
Katie blushed. “Conner, thank you very much.”
Keegan and Weylyn began laughing. Orin let a smile graze his lips, although it wasn’t clear he knew why.
“No, we are doing none of that,” Brann states dryly, mopping up the last of his breakfast. “We actually have to pick up our suits from the tailor.”
“Do I get to watch you in the dressing room?” I asked hopefully.
“Sure. In your birthday suit,” said Weylyn.
“No, really?” Orin puzzled but hopeful.
Brann gently clipped him on the back of his head. “I believe you ladies are doing something else.”
Katie was now standing next to me, holding my bag and hers. “Ready?”
“What? Now?”
“Yes, now.” She turned to Keegan. “A lift into town if you will, my man.”
“Gets me out of doing dishes.”
◆◆◆
Several hours later, every ache, pain, and cramp had been wrung out of my abused body. Katie’s mystery trip was to drag me along on a best friend spa day. Steam, massage, facial, a mani-pedi. The full pamper menu. I was feeling more like a lady than I have ever felt. It was the last thing I was expecting, yet according to Katie it was something “you desperately need.”
And all through the steaming and soaking and pounding and kneading of the flesh, Katie kept up a constant flow of gossipy questions, observations, and pronouncements about my love life.
“So. Wolfboy. Did he look as good without the towel as he did brushing past me this morning?”
“Do I kiss and tell?”
“No. Why would I care who you kiss?” She leaned in, a wicked gleam in her eye. “All I want to hear about is who you fucked, and how was it!”
“It was fine.”
“Blow me,” Katie said. “But, I was right about one thing.”
“Oh? And what’s that.”
“Well… I knew once you had a taste, you’d go right down the menu.”
“Aren’t you a genius. I told you I wanted all of them.”
“Starting with Wolfy?”
“Why not? You saw him. Yummy.”
“No doubt…” Katie played her time well, then snapped “And when were you planning to tell me about fucking the Leprechuan?”
No point denying that, since the deep blush that memory call up told Katie all she needed to know.
“So…? Which one was better?”
I closed my eyes and let the movies play on the inside of my eyelids. Keegan’s tongue. Weylyn’s delicious cock. The power of Keegan’s pounding thrusts. The tenderness as Weylyn carried me from shower to bed.
“They’re both… magical.”
“Really? Wow. Can’t keep a secret, can you?” Katie huffed. “I fucking know they’re all magical. Details, bitch. Give!”
Well, she is my best friend? Why hold back?
When Katie and I left the spa, I was floating on cloud nine. It never ceases to amaze me what a few hours of shameless, indulgent hedonism can do for a gal.
“I can’t believe they didn’t have ‘ballet slipper’. Only the world’s most popular color of nail polish ever,” Katie fumes, staring at her nails. “Bubble bath just isn’t the same.”
“It’s still pink,” I groaned. “It’s ALL just bloody PINK!”
“It is not the same!” Katie exclaimed, dramatically throwing her hands up in the air, like she hoped the nails would just fly off.
Up ahead, I saw Keegan waiting to give us a ride home. He was parked right
