Page 100 of Storm Bound
I looked at Adam in the mirror again, and he just pursed his lips and shrugged.
“We’re staying here. For now, at least. Unless, of course, Adam wants to do something different,” I said.
“Hmm,” Zara said and sighed. “I guess that can’t be helped. At least I can make use of my air miles,” she said. “What about kids? Do you want kids?”
A knot formed in my throat. What was going on here? She was being so direct that she was putting Yaya to shame.
I hadn’t really even started to ponder over what my future with Adam looked like. What was I supposed to tell her?
A glance at Adam, and I knew the answer in an instant.
“Yeah. Yeah, I think so,” I said.
It’d be a lie if I didn’t admit I’d thought about kids and what my life might become if I didn’t find someone to settle down with, but looking at Adam’s bright blue eyes, I knew I wanted everything with him. A life with him.
I watched her as she turned around and looked at her son, giving him the thumbs up.
Did that mean she approved of me? Or was this a signal for something completely different?
Sadly, none of the car passengers offered any explanation and instead dove into different kinds of topics of conversation until we got to the bed-and-breakfast. The entrance was dressed in a balloon arch in black, white, and gold.
Benji was at reception, dressed in his green-blue polka dot suit, and jumped when he saw us.
“Happy birthday, Charlie!” he shouted and wrapped both arms around me.
After the necessary introductions, he led us up the stairs and through to the restaurant.
It had been completely transformed. While it usually looked like a breakfast room with not much of a character, it was now dressed with balloon arches, uplighters, and heavy drapes, looking expensive and formal. Like we walked into a gala and not a birthday party. The view of the sea out of the floor-to-ceiling windows made the atmosphere even richer as did the people in the room. My family, friends, all in the same space, celebrating me. Hell, even my brother Leo and his movie-star boyfriend had managed to come all the way here for me, shouting happy birthdays.
“H-how did you manage all this?” I asked Benji, but he just shrugged and kissed my cheek, then signaled at the DJ who started playing dance music.
“I’m surprised you didn’t go with a more… nerdy theme,” Adam told him.
Benji looked at me.
“Oh, I wanted a Cursed Hearts theme, but I was under orders,” he said.
I turned to Adam and took his hand.
“What? I can’t have a smart, classy party? It’s my thirtieth, and I want to feel rich, damn it!” I said.
Adam laughed, and his parents went to mingle, Zara introducing herself to Yaya straight away. Benji went off with Luke, and Adam offered me his hand.
“Care to dance?” he asked.
“Oh, are you ready to show me those moves?” I asked, taking his hand.
“Yes, baby,” he answered and pulled me to the center of the room where he proceeded to dance in the silliest, most absurd way imaginable, kicking legs and hands like a chicken dance, shaking his booty in a terrible, white-boy twerk, and making more than enough people laugh, myself included.
“Enjoying my dance?” he asked, wiggling his eyebrows.
“Oh, I am. Areyouenjoyingyourself?” I asked.
Adam kept on dancing around me as a response, and I laughed even harder. I couldn’t remember the last time my stomach and cheeks hurt from that much laughing.
As much as I wanted to compose myself, I couldn’t, because I couldn’t stop watching him make a complete fool of himself in front of my friends and family. Adam. The guy who didn’t like drawing attention to himself at any cost. The man who was so soft-spoken and gentle outside his work hours.
“What?” he asked, stopping in front me, catching his breath, and looking into my eyes.
