For a few seconds I hesitate. What if he is one of those sour people who don’t like anyone to make a fuss over their birthdays? Stella’s grandfather is like that. He goes mad if anybody even wishes him happy birthday, let alone buys him a present. He grumbles that presents are a total waste of money. Then I think: what the heck? I should throw a little surprise party. It’ll be fun. This house is way too dead.
‘Yes, bake a cake, Olga. We’ll surprise him with a party. Nothing grand or too intrusive, just the staff.’
Olga smiles and nods with approval.
‘I think we’re going out for dinner, and when we get back I’ll bring him into the living room. It has to be dark and when he switches on the light everyone can pop up from their hiding places and scream surprise. Then you can bring in the cake with lighted candles. We’ll all sing happy birthday and maybe have a toast.’
Olga smiles happily. ‘That sounds like a wonderful idea. I’ll make strawberry cake. It’s his favorite.’
I smile back excited by the idea of throwing a surprise party for Zane. ‘Thank you for telling me, Olga. He should have a proper birthday.’
‘Yes, he should,’ she says softly.
‘I’ll go out today and buy him a present.’
That afternoon I go out with Noah. First we pass by my workplace to drop off read manuscripts and pick up more. Then we go shopping.
It’s hard to know what to get for a man who already has everything. Of course, Noah is no help. Just for fun I get him a set of 4 Star Wars flash drives. They are really cute and they should make him smile. I chose Darth Vader, Yoda, Chewbacca and C-3PO.
With my flash drives safely in my bag I get the driver to take me to Coco De Mer. Neither the driver nor Noah show any reaction. Noah waits outside while I go in and buy an A10 Cyclone hands free Male Masturbator and the lubricant that goes with it.
Outside, Noah’s eyes drift to my package. ‘Done?’
‘Nearly. I just need to quickly pop into Non Stop Party in Kensington to pick up some stuff.
At Non Stop Party I buy loads of silver and black balloons, streamers, banners, wrapping paper and a funny card with a grinning monkey with the words:
Don’t panic. You’ve still got it.
For my last item I walk into Dune and buy every scented candle they have in stock. It comes up to just over a hundred.
‘All done,’ I tell Noah.
‘If you think of something else you need let me know. I’m around anytime,’ he says.
‘Why thank you, Noah,’ I say.
A small smile tugs at the corners of his mouth. ‘Glad to be able to help,’ he says gruffly.
Once we get home he helps me carry all my purchases up to my room. After he has gone, I sit down on the bed and begin to wrap them up. A part of me can’t wait for tomorrow. To see Zane’s reaction. Halfway through wrapping Yoda, my sister calls me on Skype.
‘Hey you,’ I say cheerily.
She doesn’t even say hello. ‘Are you still at your friend’s house?’ she asks.
Shit, she has recognized the background. ‘Yeah. I’m kind of staying here. I know I said it was a friend’s house, but actually it’s my … er … boyfriend’s house.’
She frowns, her eyes narrowed and suspicious. ‘What? Why would you hide that from me?’
‘Ummm … it’s kind of complicated, but basically, I wasn’t sure if it was going to come to anything so there was no point in saying anything if it was going to be a non event.’
She rolls onto her front on the bed and lays her chin in her folded hands. ‘You haven’t told mom either, have you?’
‘And have her quiz me about it all the time? No thanks!’
She grins. ‘So come on, who is he?’
‘Uh … his name is Zane, well, that’s like a nickname. His real name is Aleksandr Malenkov.’
‘That’s not an English name,’ she notes.
‘No. He’s Russian.’
Her eyes widen. ‘You’re going out with a Russian guy?’
‘Yup.’
‘Is he nice?’
‘Here let me send you a pic of him,’ I say and send a pic over to her.
‘OMG!’ she exhales. ‘He looks so big and fierce. What’s he like, a wrestler or something?
‘No.’
‘So what does he do?’
‘Umm … he’s a businessman.’
‘Oh, what kind of business?’
‘Er … something to do with credit cards,’ I say vaguely.
My sister is on to me straight away. ‘Are you hiding something, Dahlia?’
‘No, why?’
‘I don’t know. You sound sort of evasive. Is everything OK?’
‘Of course. It’s his birthday tomorrow and I’m just sitting here wrapping some presents for him.’
‘Oh yeah. How old is he tomorrow?’
‘Thirty-four.’
‘God, that’s old.’
‘No, it’s not,’ I say immediately.
What did you get him anyway?’
I pick up the unwrapped Star Wars flash drives and show them to her.