Unsure where to go from here, I think of something witty but decide to leave it for now.
April texts me to meet her in the kitchen. I grab my things and make my way there, trying to juggle responding to the messages now flooding my phone. Surprised to see a message from my dad, I quickly responded thank you. Then, I glance up and see April, Hunter, and Kathy all at the table.
“Surprise,” April cheers with a big smile on her face. “Your first official breakfast with my family.”
Kathy stands up to hug me, followed by wishing me a happy birthday. As Hunter rises from his chair, I beg him not to touch me. His eyes dance in delight, almost as if he’s picturing me naked on all fours because I’m officially twenty years old.
Great, now I’m picturing myself naked on all fours with him behind me.
I bite down on my lip as he extends his hand politely. “Happy birthday, Alexandra.”
My hand rests in his, the simple touch sending a frenzy throughout me, but I pull away quickly as Kathy and April watch us.
“Thank you.”
“Please, take a seat,” he motions, opening the chair for me. “Our chef has prepared a wonderful breakfast to begin your celebrations.”
The seat is beside April, and thankfully she is the buffer between Hunter and me. As soon as I sit down, the chef introduces himself as Gerald, then announces the menu. A server appears with coffee and juice before bringing out the food.
“Alexa, any big plans for your birthday?” Kathy asks while cutting her croissant. “Twenty is such an important time in your life.”
“April apparently has plans for me,” I mention, glancing at April. “Something exciting, no doubt.”
“Only the best for my bestie.” She grins, taking a bite of her omelet. “You know what would make this day even better?”
“What?” I smile, knowing whatever she says will be something ridiculous, like wearing leg warmers in the middle of summer. I take a sip of my coffee while waiting for April to tell me.
“Finding you a boyfriend.”
The hot liquid catches in my throat, making me cough involuntarily. My eyes briefly gaze at Hunter, but his head is down, staring at his plate. Beside his glass of juice, his fist is clenched tight, angered by April’s comment. I don’t understand why. We’re just fooling around, and there’s nothing serious going on.
“April, leave Alexa alone,” Kathy gently scolds. “Twenty is the age to be young and free. When I was twenty, you were starting school. Trust me, have fun and enjoy the freedom while you can.”
“I don’t mean get a boyfriend and get knocked up,” April drags.
My gaze falls upon the plate of food in front of me. If I had Cole’s baby, I would have a toddler right now to be responsible for. I highly doubt me and Cole would have lasted, so trying to co-parent with him would have been a nightmare.
Then, it dawns on me, it’s been a long time since I’ve thought about what happened between us. The nightmares have stopped, and life has just been so busy, which means I haven’t had time to think.
And someone else has been occupying my mind.
Hunter is still quiet across the table, prompting April to continue the conversation.
“Look, we’re all adults here. How about just a fling, then?”
This is getting worse by the minute.
“April,” Hunter clears his throat, but his expression is stern. “Some things are best not discussed in an open forum.”
April lets out a huff and rolls her eyes in boredom. “Fine, in that case, let’s go, Alexa. What happens on your birthday apparently stays between us.”
I place my napkin on the table, barely eating a bite of food. Politely, I say goodbye and only briefly look at Hunter. He’s good at keeping his expression at bay, showing no emotion or anything to give away what we’ve done.
“Have fun, girls,” Kathy says before turning to Hunter to discuss another event.
As we leave the room, I pull April aside. “You could have warned me he would be at breakfast. Do you know how awkward it is staying in your boss's house?”
“Relax … Hunter is pretty chilled. Although lately, he has been a bit crabby. Probably got his man periods or something.”