“Hang on, are we all eighteen?” I ask, and I know for a fact that we aren’t.
“Amias and Elijah are, the rest of us will be sporting fakes, but they are top quality. Don’t worry birthday girl, this is a day of fun,” she says with a wink, please let it be fun I could really do with some of that right now.
“So, after breakfast Bella, Mikaela and I will take you shopping to buy you your gifts and two outfits. Don’t even ask why you need two as it will spoil the surprise, then we’ll meet back up with these guys and move on to the next fun filled activity.”
Roxie is buzzing and I can’t help but remember that I know very little about these people, it’s not bad but it does make me feel like a crappy friend. Shouldn’t I know why this is making her so excitable, is this normal for her or is there a deeper meaning behind it?
Shopping isn’t really my thing, I tend to order most of my stuff online. But it’s not too bad, we’re going around a few clothes shops at the moment and there seems to be a theme going on. They keep giving me dresses to try half are short either knee length or mid-thigh and the other half are below the knee or fall to my ankles. I’m not going to question it, I’ve never really had girlfriends before so I’m just going to enjoy
the experience.
The one thing I have noticed, if they don’t like it, then it’s gone. My choices pretty much get vetoed straight off the bat if it doesn’t meet up to their standards. I really like this one though, please don’t put this in the no pile. It’s a bright red dress with a black lace overlay and a pleated skirt. It has a scoop neckline that gives a generous amount of cleavage whilst still being decent and it falls to my knee. I’m in love, it really is that simple and how can I not jump up and down when they agree that it’s a winner.
“Now for dress two, try this,” Bella says as she thrusts a dress at me and waits for me to hand her the winning dress.
The next one isn’t a bad runner up, it’s a silver maxi dress that hugs my curves and the neckline falls just above my breast line. It has spaghetti straps and the hem line has flowers created in golden glitter. I feel pretty and it suits me, but I have to pick the red one.
“The red one Bella, but I do really like this one,” I say as I pass it over the sip to the dressing room before putting my clothes back on.
Coming out she hands me a bag before giving me a delicate hug and telling me happy birthday, she brought me both dresses and I want to shake and kiss her at the same time.
Roxie is next and once I tell her my shoe size, there’s no stopping her, apparently she thinks I don’t need a say in this one so we’re browsing a second hand book store whilst she hounds the shoe shops.
“I know it’s not a dress or anything, but I thought you might like this. Happy birthday Leigh,” comes from Mikaela as she hands me over an item wrapped in tissue paper.
I take it out to find a bookmark made up of the pictures the guys took with me, shame about the sling but I love it nonetheless and there’s even a book. How can I not laugh at the description it’s a Rh book Boss by Scarlett Ross, I’m already in love with the cover and description; it can’t get more fitting to my life right now. I’ve never even read a Rh book before, but I’m eager to get started. I’m squealing as I throw my arms around her and she laughs shyly as I give her one last squeeze before releasing her.
I pick up a few more books to pass the time and I’m feeling such trepidation as Roxie comes in and drags me out of the store and over to a bench.
“Happy birthday you gorgeous woman, these will suit you have no fear,” she pops her hip out as she says it and shoves the bag into my hands.
The first box I pull out has me jumping up and down before I whip my trainers off and replace them with a pair of black leather cowboy boots, with silver skulls decorating the top, I love them so hard. She’s smiling like a loon but is telling me to look at the others before I thank her.
There’s a pair of black wedge sandals, with a ribbon that will wind around my ankle to keep them in place and a pair of silver ballet pumps with gold ribbon details. Damn can this girl shop or what!
“These are perfect, thank you so much Roxie,” I say, throwing my arms around her neck as I slap a massive kiss on her cheek.
“Anytime baby girl and remember, I’ve got you no matter what.”
By the time we are re-joining the guys, I can’t get the smile off my face. I’m having a great time and I’m so happy they have organised all of this for me. Although I’m not going to lie to myself, I’m bricking it over what they could have gotten for me but they’ve made it clear. I won’t find out until I get my surprise.
Five
“I can’t believe you did this.”
I’m standing with my guys behind me and my friends at either side of me and right before me, is my Dad. He’s joined by Elisa and her husbands, I love these guys.
This restaurant is so quaint, and it screams authenticity from the menu, to the Italian waiters.
We are not wasting any time to get our orders in and I feel so relaxed, there isn’t a single person here who I don’t like. And I can’t think of anyone, other than Mattias that I would want here with us. We all order our food and Dad is already handing me my gift, crying out loud man please don’t make me cry this time.
I open the bag to find a new phone, thank you Dad, and a teddy bear holding the number eighteen.
“Thanks Dad, I love it,” I say, standing up to give him a massive hug before returning to my seat. I will not become an emotional wreck tonight, I refuse to.
“Happy birthday sweetie, this is from all of us,” says Elisa as she hands me a bag with a pair of cubic zirconia studs and a matching T-bar bracelet and necklace set. It has a silver heart dangling in the middle of the chain, with my initials engraved in the centre.
“I don’t know what to say, thank you so much,” I will not cry, I will not cry.