Anne shook her head. “Liam is used to people wanting to be his buddy because they’re impressed by his celebrity. He can handle it.”
Mia focused on Shannon. “I’m glad you could join us tonight, Shannon. I’ve wanted to tell you again how much Alexis enjoyed her party. She’s looking forward to McKenzie’s karaoke party next month. I know you’ll do a great job with it.”
“I’ve been working on a pop-star theme for that one. Like the TV show? They’ll be able to sing and everyone will get themed prizes like tiaras and glittery microphones and feather boas and splashy costume jewelry. The crafts project will be rhinestones and faux gems glued to picture frames. Don’t tell Alexis, because it’s going to be a surprise, but I’ll take a picture of the group dolled up like rock stars. I’ll bring a portable photo printer to make copies for all the guests to display in the frames they decorate.”
“That sounds like so much fun! I would have loved a party like that at their age,” Haley enthused. “My friends and I were always singing into hairbrushes at our sleepovers.”
Shannon laughed softly. “My sister and I did that a few times, too.”
“You’re good for James,” Haley commented, looking across the room to where James was chatting with the men hovering close to the sweets. “He seems to relax a little more with you than with other women he’s dated in the past couple of years.”
Shannon had already gotten the impression that Haley tended to speak frankly—a trait she certainly identified with. So she wasn’t particularly taken aback by the comment, but she smiled and spoke lightly. “He’s a nice guy. We’ve had fun.”
“He’s not an easy man to read, but we love him,” Anne said quietly, her blue eyes softening.
“Not easy, perhaps, but I know he loves you all, too,” Shannon replied. “He’ll miss everyone next year when you’re all in different places. He’s told me so.”
“Has he?” Haley eyed her speculatively. “Does he talk a lot to you?”
“We talk,” Shannon answered with a slight shrug, not sure what Haley meant by ‘a lot.’
“We really should try to get together for dinner or something next week before we leave for our rotations,” Anne fretted. “To celebrate James’s birthday a little early. I don’t like to think about him being alone in Seattle for the occasion.”
“Maybe he won’t be alone,” Shannon suggested. “He’ll probably make some friends there.”
Women friends, perhaps, she thought a little glumly. After all, there was no reason why James shouldn’t go out with any interesting women he met while he was away.
Because that thought was a little depressing, she quickly spoke again. “Did any of you know that James has never had a birthday party? Not even when he was a kid? He said he’s gone out to dinner with his parents and his friends, but was never thrown a real party. I guess because it’s what I do that seems sad to me.”
“Oh, to me, too,” Anne said with a little frown.
Mia nodded. “I’ve never really thought about it, but we’ve never attended a party for James, even though he’s come to many of the ones we’ve hosted for various events. We’ve had dinner with him on his birthday the last couple of years, but I guess we didn’t think about a party. He never seemed to expect one—or even to want one—but maybe he would have liked it. It’s hard to tell with James.”
“I always assumed he’d had parties as a kid, like the rest of us,” Mia commented, leaning her elbows on the table as she focused on the conversation. “I knew he was an only child, but so was Connor and his parents hosted birthday parties for him.”
Haley scowled. “I get the impression his parents are sort of…well, jerky,” she finished with an almost-defiant bluntness. “They don’t seem to be involved in his life at all. He always seems so alone. He rarely talks about them and when he does, it’s never anything critical or derogatory, but I get the impression his childhood wasn’t exactly fun-filled.”
Shannon thought of James’s passing comment that his maternal grandmother had brought fun into his life when no one else had. She glanced quickly across the room, saw him being drawn into a conversation with someone new and took advantage of his absence to make a suggestion. “I could put together a surprise party by next weekend. It wouldn’t be the first party I organized with only a few days’ notice.”
Haley’s face lit up. Mia looked intrigued. Anne’s eyes widened.
“A surprise party?” Anne asked. “For James?”
“It’s just a thought,” Shannon murmured, suddenly uncertain. “I mean, I could do it on short notice, but that doesn’t mean the rest of you…”
“I love that idea!” Haley practically bounced in her seat. “We don’t leave for our away rotations for almost two weeks. We could do it next Saturday night. We’ll all be finished with this block then. Is a week enough time, Shannon?”
“It is if you can help me with a guest list. It won’t be anything elaborate, of course, but we could invite anyone you think might want to come. And maybe I could send an invitation to his parents. If they’re both faculty at the university, their e-mail addresses should be available at the university Web site.”
“That’s about the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard.” Anne blinked rapidly, as if fighting back tears. “I wish we had thought of it, but we’ll certainly help you as much as we can.”
“Can we get together tomorrow and talk about it?” Haley asked with a dramatically stealthy look toward James. “We can meet at my place.”
“I can meet tomorrow,” Shannon agreed. “What time?”
Five minutes later, their plans were set.
“Here comes James,” Haley hissed. “Everyone look natural.”