“I refuse to answer that question,” he said stiffly, “on the grounds that I might incriminate myself.” With a dramatic sigh, he heaved himself out of bed and headed into the bathroom, muttering under his breath something about cheeky subs.
It felt like it took much longer than usual to get him fed and out of the house. I’d arranged to spend the day with Peter, Alex, and Scott. I had clothes to buy, an appointment for a haircut, and that all-important birthday gift yet to find. I still needed a bit of inspiration for that. And I was still wondering about their secret conversation at the club.
Well, I had a secret of my own.
About an hour after Eli had left the house, the doorbell rang. The troublesome trio stood there, barely able to keep still.
“Are you ready?” Scott demanded. “We have a lot to do.”
“Scott, it’s only eight. We have an hour before the shops open.”
Alex wagged his finger. “Yeah, but we have somewhere special for you to go.”
“Tough. We can’t go for another thirty minutes.” I grinned. “I have a surprise for you.”
I swear, they were as bad as little kids. Scott started bouncing. “For us? What is it?”
“Did I not just say it’s a surprise? That means I can’t tell you.” There were groans, mainly from Scott, but the other two were getting just as excited. At precisely 8:30, the doorbell rang. I led them to the front door and paused there. “I’d previously organized this for tonight, to take Sir and me to the restaurant, but after we’d arranged all this, I changed the booking.” I opened the door and their collective jaws dropped at the sight of a stretch limousine outside the house. I grinned. “If we’re going shopping, it’s going to be in style.”
“Oh wow.” Scott was out the door in seconds, down the path and waiting for us beside the car, bouncing impatiently. “Come on, you guys.”
I locked the front door, laughing to myself, and led Alex and Peter to the limo, where the driver pulled open the door for us. We sat back in the wide, comfortable seats, but Scott lurched across the car at the sight of a fridge. “Hey, there’s juice in here!” He beamed.
“I know, I asked the hire company to stock the fridge with it. There are bags of nuts and crisps somewhere too.”
“Woo-hoo!” Scott went foraging for the snacks.
Alex shook his head. “Doesn’t take much to make him happy.” He nodded to the plastic glasses hanging from their stems. “Go on, then, pour us some juice.” He gazed fondly at his friend.
“So, would you like to tell me where we’re going?” I nodded toward the driver. “Because he’s going to need directions.”
“Oops.” Alex shuffled forward and passed the driver a slip of paper, then rejoined us on the seat. The car pulled away from the curb, its engine purring. Alex turned back to me. “There’s this shop; it’s kind of out of the way, on the outskirts of Stockport, but they have the coolest clothes. I made an appointment last night for you,” Alex told me.
Cool clothes and me didn’t exactly mix, and the thought must have shown on my face, because Alex laid his hand on my arm. “Don’t worry. We’re going to find something that makes you look great, that Master Eli would love, but that you also feel comfortable wearing. That good enough?”
“If you can do all that, you’re a genius.”
Alex grinned. “That’s me.”
When we got to the shop, the driver left us outside on the pavement and went off to find a parking space. Once I saw the interior, I wanted to run. It was full of clothes that would look amazing on any of the boys I was with, but on me? The phrase “mutton dressed as lamb” came to mind. “I can’t wear this stuff,” I whispered. “I would look ridiculous.”
“First off,” Scott said, “you would look great in this.” He held up a jersey that would be like a second skin.
“No,” I said stubbornly. “I am
not
wearing that.”
“Too bad. Eli would love peeling you out of it,” Alex said in a throaty whisper that had me rethinking my choice. “Don’t worry, Sandra has clothes you’ll like, I promise.” Before I could ask who Sandra was, Alex lunged forward to greet a spritely woman with big green eyes, made even larger by her glasses. Her flame-red hair was even brighter than Scott’s, but it suited her. She reminded me of a pixie.
“Hi, I’m Sandra. This is my shop. You must be Jarod.” We shook hands, and then she regarded me speculatively. “I have something I think you’ll love.” She grabbed my hand and dragged me toward the back of the shop. She rooted through a rail of clothing, huffing when she couldn’t find what she was looking for. With a sharp cry of “aha!” she went off to another area, pulling open the deep drawers beneath the displays. She reached in and pulled out a zipped bag, which she opened to reveal a dark gray suit that I fell in love with the moment I saw it.
“I’ll take it.”
“You haven’t even seen the price yet,” she said, a wide grin on her face.
“Don’t care, I’ll take it.”
Sandra appeared delighted. “After what Alex told me, I knew you’d like it. I’ve also got someone who can take it in for you while you shop, so you’ll have it for tonight.” She looked me up and down. “Not that I think it will need any adjustment. It could have been made for you.”
I turned to my friends and hugged each of them in turn, whispering thanks. It had been too long since I had friends, but I knew now that I was building a family here.
The suit fit perfectly. I didn’t come out of the fitting room, however; I wanted Eli to be the first person to see me in it. When it was packed away in a new suit bag, along with a dress shirt and tie, I bade Sandra good-bye and we were off to find the limo and continue shopping.
The Trafford Centre was a huge sprawling mall. I’d never been there, but I knew it was the second largest in the UK. It was clear from the moment we stepped inside its doors that Peter hated it. He gazed with wide eyes at the throngs of people, but Alex was at his side, whispering hurriedly. Peter shook his head and flashed me a quick smile. I had an idea and headed for John Lewis, a department store. There was something to be said for having everything under one roof, and we’d be less likely to spend a lot of time there. I was thinking of Peter.
Shopping for a gift was something I never liked doing. Phillip had had everything, and the only thing I could offer him was my body—which he said was the greatest gift he’d ever been given—but Eli was another matter. I wanted to get him something that he would really love.
“How about this?” Scott asked, holding aloft a hideously ugly tie. I stared at it, aghast, and he put it back with a murmured, “I’ll just get it for Ben later.” I shook my head. Poor Ben.
Peter had hung back near the entrance of the store, Alex standing by him, holding his hand, and I thought how lovely it was to know you’re not alone.
“Jarod? What about this?” Scott directed my attention to a zombie annihilation crate, and I rolled my eyes. Scott chuckled and tugged me toward it. “I’m serious,” he said. “This is so cool! It’s got a machete, knives, an axe, you name it!”
I guffawed. “Can you really see me giving that to Eli?”
Scott’s cheeks pinked. “I was thinking you could use it as a place to put some plane tickets and go on an adventure with him. It’d be a really cool way of giving him his gift.”
It was a brilliant idea—okay, not the zombie part, but the idea of an adventure—and I grabbed him and kissed him on the cheek. Eli had taken some time off to spend with me when we got together, but he said he hadn’t had a holiday for many years. I could take him someplace he’d never go. We could take a trip somewhere, spend a couple weeks together exploring. How amazing would it be to go to Egypt or Vietnam or anywhere exotic?
“I love the idea,” I told Scott. “You just earned yourself one incredible souvenir when we go.” I glanced at the two young men by the door. “Now let’s go and rescue Peter, and then we’ll go somewhere nice for lunch before it’s time for my haircut.”
Scott nodded enthusiastically, and we walked toward Alex and Peter. My head was buzzing.
It was going to be a brilliant birthday celebration.
Eli
“CAN’T YOU
at least tell me where we’re going?” I gazed through the window of the limo at the passing scenery. We were obviously heading into the city center, but that was as much as I knew. I’d arrived home after my run with Ben—I’d fully intended putting it off, but Jarod had insisted, and it had been a while—to find my best dark blue suit pressed and hanging in front of the wardrobe, a pale blue shirt and tie with it, and my shoes polished. I loved that Jarod had thought of this, but when he disappeared into the guest room and emerged ready to go….
My pet looked wonderful.
Having never seen him dressed that way, to see him looking so smart, so elegant, was like seeing him for the first time. His hair was short and neat, the strands of gray throughout making him look distinguished. This was a good-looking man. I was always proud to be seen with Jarod, but in his suit he made my chest swell with pride. Not to mention other parts of my anatomy….
“Are we having difficulty with the whole concept of this being a surprise, Sir?” Jarod was smirking.
The fact that he felt comfortable to tease me felt great, but that didn’t mean I was going to let him get away with it. “I will remember this when we get home, just bear that in mind while you’re having fun teasing me.” I gave him a stern look, but it failed epically. I was too excited to see what he’d planned for us. There was also the added mystery of the gift bag on the seat next to him. I was dying to know what was inside. I tried to relax into the comfortable leather seat. “This was a lovely idea, by the way. I’ve never ridden in a limo before.”
Jarod smiled. “I have, a few times actually. It’s something everyone should experience once in their life, at least.”
A thought occurred to me. “Pet… do you drive?” There was still so much I didn’t know about him, but the process of learning about Jarod was a pleasant one.
Jarod’s cheeks were flushed. “I passed my driving test when I was eighteen. When I met Phillip, he made it clear that he did the driving, so that’s how it was. He drove us everywhere.” He gazed off into the distance. “I guess I’ve gotten out of the habit, it’s been so long since I was behind the wheel. And it isn’t as if I don’t have a car. I have three.” The blush deepened.
I twisted to face him. “Are these the cars that Phillip left you? What are they?”
“There’s a Ford Ka, his little convertible. Then there’s a Mercedes, and finally there’s his baby, an E-type Jaguar.” He sighed. “They’re all sitting in the garage, under covers.”
“Don’t you think you should take some refresher lessons, so you can drive them? I’m pretty sure Phillip wouldn’t like the idea of them rusting away. He’d want you driving them, getting some enjoyment out of them.” I sighed. “It seems like sacrilege, leaving an E-type to rot in a garage when you could be burning up the miles in it.”
Jarod met my gaze. “You’re right, of course. That’s exactly what he’d want. Maybe I should look into organizing some lessons.” He fell silent for a moment, biting his lip, and then looked at me with shining eyes. “You know cars, right?”
I shrugged. “I can do some basics, but I’ll never be a mechanic if that’s what you’re asking.”
Jarod smiled. “Why don’t
you
drive the cars?”
Oh wow
. I got tingles all over. “Are you sure? I wouldn’t want to ruin one of them.” I said one, but the only car in my thoughts was the Jag. It was the car of my youth, the one I’d drooled over in all the magazines that had passed through my clammy little hands as a teenager.
“They’ve been mothballed for years. As you said, Phillip wouldn’t want them to go unseen. We could go out for a drive one Sunday with the top down.”
I knew I had this silly grin all over my face, but I couldn’t help it. Laughter burst out of me, sounding so loud in the car. “I’ve always wanted to drive a Jag,” I admitted. “If you’re sure….”
“Very sure,” Jarod assured me. And then he did something out of the ordinary. He leaned across and kissed me, slowly, on the lips.
In that moment I was grateful for the black screen between us and the driver. I lost myself in the kiss, savoring the taste of him. When we finally parted, both of us a little out of breath, Jarod gazed at me once more. “Nothing would give me greater pleasure than seeing that smile again.” He glanced through the window and smiled. “We’re here.” The car pulled in to the curb and stopped, the engine still humming.
I looked out and saw Severino’s, an Italian restaurant I’d passed many times. I’d heard good things about it from some of the other drivers.
The car door opened, and we climbed out. “I’ll call when we’re ready to go back,” Jarod told the driver, who nodded. Jarod indicated the glass door of the restaurant. “After you, Sir.”
I pushed open the door and was immediately greeted by a waft of warm air laden with garlic, herbs, and other enticing aromas. I sniffed up eagerly and my stomach rumbled. Beside me, Jarod chuckled, and I swatted his arse. “Hush, you.”
A tall, dark-skinned young man approached us, dressed in black. “Good evening, gentlemen.”
Jarod stepped forward. “Good evening. We have a reservation in the name of Pearce, for two.”
The waiter’s eyes lit up. “Oh, yes. This way, gentlemen.” He led us across the restaurant, weaving through occupied tables where small candles flickered and where soft jazz filtered through the air. A corner booth awaited us, with a “reserved” card on it, and as soon as I saw it, I understood the waiter’s reaction. An ornate candelabra sat on the table, three tall red candles set into it. A glass vase was filled with red roses, and deep red napkins showed up beautifully against the snowy white tablecloth. A silver ice bucket containing a bottle of champagne and two flutes sat on a silver tray covered by a white linen napkin in the middle of the table. The whole setting was romantic.
I turned to Jarod. “You set all this up?”
He nodded. “I wanted you to have a birthday to remember.” He bit his lip.
I hurried to put him at his ease. “Jarod, it’s… it’s beautiful.” The romantic soul in me was soaring with pleasure. I hadn’t expected anything like this. We sat down facing each other and the waiter poured us both a glass of champagne. He wrapped a napkin around the bottle neck and placed it back in the ice bucket.