Aftermath

Ch 102: The Bubble

Sang

I met Victor at the door of Nathan's house and gave him a big hug. "Happy early birthday!"

Victor chuckled. "You told me that this morning."

"I still mean it." Smiling, I pulled back to look him over as I led him inside. " Are you ready for your party?"

Victor raised a hand to graze his bruised jaw and cheek. The swelling was down, and the damage was starting to look better, but he still wasn't his usual self. "As long as it's a fairly subdued party," he said. "I don't want to chance getting a headache, and I know Kota's still having them even worse than I am."

Luke, who had driven him over from Kota's, came through the front door just behind Victor. "We thought about that," Luke said. "It's going to be subdued. Well, sort of."

"Luke, get your ass in here!" Gabriel called from the kitchen.

Luke hurried off, leaving me alone with Victor.

"That didn't sound subdued," Victor said, as wry as ever.

"We're going to keep it as low-key as possible," I promised him. "And subdued."

"And let's make it short," Victor advised. "Not that I don't appreciate the effort, but I just don't feel up to a prolonged affair."

"You can walk away at any time," I promised.

His eyes fired with interest. "What are we doing for this short, subdued party?"

"You didn't see anything when Luke pulled into the driveway?" I asked.

"He said it was a surprise," Victor replied. "So I locked eyes with the pavement." He put his hand on my shoulder. "Anything for you, Princess. But why are we here at Nathan's instead of at Kota's?"

I grinned at him. "What does Nathan's house have that Kota's doesn't?"

"Broken pipes?"

"Just in Nathan's bathroom," I explained. "Silas has got it where we can use the other one. And we'll only be here for a few hours, if that long."

His eyes flared with interest.  "Then what is the big surprise?" 

"Let me show you." I took him by the hand and led him through the house.

Victor stopped in the kitchen and sniffed. "Something smells good."

"Luke and I made cupcakes this morning," I said. "We'll get those later after we eat." Impatiently, I pulled his hand toward the back door, then unzipped the large inflatable bubble dome that the boys had set-up a few days ago. The bubble extended all around the pool and the surrounding area, allowing us to have a pool party in January. Much like in a greenhouse, the air was warm but not too warm, and the water would be even warmer. 

Victor stood back and took it all in. "A pool party for a January birthday. Interesting. Well, you told me you were going to put me in a bubble; I just didn't know that you meant literally."

"Do you like it?" I began to get worried. "Everyone promised not to be too noisy and overactive. But the spa is closed, and we thought this might be relaxing."

A smile spread across his face. "Where do I change?"

I sent him to Nathan's bedroom, where his swim trunks were already laid out.

While he was gone, I pulled off the jogging pants and sweatshirt I was wearing, which left me in the pink bikini Gabriel had picked out last summer. It had been so long since I had last worn it that I felt self-conscious all over again.