Page 61 of Love Bitters

Thankfully, Blythe makes it clear that the man isn’t here for Thatcher when she snarks, “Make yourselves at home, people, while I go toss out the garbage.”

If there was one person who was any clearer not trash, it’d be the man in the suit that looks expensive enough to pay my rent for two years. But that’s their beef. I’m just glad he’s not here for Thatcher.

We do as Blythe instructs and make small plates of baby-themed snacks. I've just taken a seat between Murph and Ollie when the voices near the front door grow from a quiet murmur to shouting. Or should I say Blythe starts shouting? I focus on my plate, trying to ignore her demand for him to leave. I don't have to be looking at the others to know they're doing the exact same thing. It's too quiet in here to do anything else.

By the time Blythe strolls back into the room, not a hair is out of place and she acts like nothing is wrong. For the next several hours, we do exactly as she says, playing games like one where we cut string to see who could get the closest to the exact wrap around my belly. Almost every single one of the presents I open makes me tear up. Come to find out Abilene had an ulterior motive when she asked me to make those lists. I'd given her access to one of them as she'd requested, but Ollie had snooped and found the other two I'd kept secret. He wasn't the least bit sorry either. Between my five boyfriends and seven new friends, they bought every single item on the lists. Even the stuff I'd marked as maybes. When I come to this realization, that's when the real tears start. Thinking back to that moment in the bathroom, peeing on that stupid stick and the lonely feeling that had devastated me, I feel so grateful now. I couldn't have asked for better friends or boyfriends.

For the final act, Blythe drags us out onto her patio that leads to the pool a little way down. The sparkling water is nothing more than a tease in this summer heat.

Forcing us to stand around a massive cardboard box, she needlessly instructs our friends to take out their phones. Half of them are already palmed and waiting. Once they're all ready, she tells us to lift the lid at her countdown. Evan stands behind me with his hands on my shoulders as the others help me lift the lid. Pink balloons and confetti pop out, raining down all around us, and some balloons take flight into the air.

Penelope sends Blythe a friendly glare, and the latter holds up a hand, saying, "I know, I know. Bad for the environment. Harp on me about it tomorrow and enjoy the moment."

There's something in the way Penelope smiles at her then turns to wink at me, like we've accomplished something more with this book club than making friends. I can't say I disagree with her either. The Blythe I met all those weeks ago wouldn't have been so giving and caring as she's proven to be today.

A little while later, the guys load all of our gifts in our cars after they pull Murph and Evan's around from the side. While they're doing that, having refused my help, I hug each and every one of my book club friends and tell them how much I appreciate more than just their thoughtful presents. Abilene lets me know Penelope has offered to drive her home, so we're clear to head our own way. Blythe had her people pack up the food and cake to send with us too. I tease that it'll last all of eight hours around five guys and a pregnant lady but hug her the hardest, telling her how grateful I am.

"Want us to follow you to your apartment?" Murph asks, drawing me in for a quick kiss.

Happiness just about bursts from my chest thanks to all the love they're spreading around me today, and I shake my head. "I'd really like to go back to y'all's place if we can."

"Anything you want, baby," he says, pressing another kiss against the top of my head. "Wes can drive your car if you're tired."

"That'd be great," I reply with a soft sigh. It always surprises me when any of them are observant and considerate. As soon as we get moving, the motion of the car puts me right to sleep. The next thing I know, Wes is gently waking me.

Taking that short nap was a nice little refresher, so at my suggestion, they bring everything inside the apartment for us to sort through it. I don't think there's anything funnier than the sight of a man holding a breast pump wearing an expression that looks like he's questioning his life.

"Please tell me these aren't as painful as they look," Thatcher says, tilting it on all sides then back again as we go through the bags.

I chuckle under my breath. "Maybe you should try it so you can teach me how it works."

"Uh uh," he says, quickly setting the box down and scooting it closer to me. "You got Wes with that mask that one time. I'm not stupid enough to fall for that."

"Hey," Wes says defensively. "That wasn't stupidity! It was blind trust. There's a difference."

Breaking down in laughs with them, I almost end up peeing myself. Oh, the joys. After doing my business in the bathroom and coming back out, it's to hear murmuring going around the room. Damn. Seems we can’t have one day of no drama around here.

"What's going on?" I ask, not bothering to even sit back down.

Ollie stands and weaves through the things littering the floor before coming to a stop in front of me. "We kind of got you another surprise, babycakes. It's one that's going to require that blind trust Wes was just talking about."

A sigh of worry replaces the one that almost happened in relief that no bad shit was going on. "I always trust you, Olls. No matter what."

"That's our girl," he says, booping me on the nose and then kissing the spot.

For the rest of the night, I try to get one of them to tell me what the surprise is, but none of them will. It's infuriated as much as intriguing, especially when they all gang up on me and say no sex tonight because we need to go to bed early and get some rest. They claim that today was exhausting and even use my nap against me to prove they’re right. I swear to them that they'll get payback, but each of them just laughs at my threats. They know I'd never be able to tell them no.

The next morning, we take our time getting ready. I'm given instruction to shower and do the girlie stuff I do to look nice when we go out, leaving me even more confused than ever. As sad as it is to say, it takes me back to the times Lizbeth and I were getting ready to go to church on Sunday mornings. It'd be crazy to ask any of them if that's where we're going considering they aren't religious in the least. Either way, the memories make me sad. Not just for my sister who I still think about every day and miss to the point of crying every time I do, but my parents too. It's true that the way I was raised left a lot to be desired, but they’re still my parents and we did have those good moments too.

"You can't be sad today," Evan says, slipping into the bathroom while I fix my makeup. He kisses the side of my neck before walking over to the cabinet to grab whatever he came in for.

Analyzing his outfit leaves me right where I started. Nowhere. His slacks look like his normal everyday wear.

"Can I get a hint for where we're going?" I plead.

Shaking his head with a smile, his only reply is, "No can do, love. When you finish up in here, Ollie has a dress laid out on our bed."

I open my mouth as more questions flood my brain, but he simply presses a quick kiss against my lips before slipping back out of the room. Seriously? What on Earth requires this much of a secret?

---