Hope Begins to Fade

Let Them Eat Cake

"Wow, look at you glowing," Steph greeted me when I finally tore myself away from Matt's body and found my way downstairs. A brief rush of panic washed over me. Could she tell that Matt and I'd had sex? That would be so, so bad.

"You caught a bit of sun yesterday," she continued sympathetically, "Do you need some aloe vera lotion?" My face went up in flames and I was thankful that my cheeks and nose were already pink, hopefully Steph wouldn't notice my embarrassment. I'd never be able to think of after sun lotion without blushing again.

Subtly drawing me off to one side of the kitchen away from the others who were drifting about sipping coffee and eating breakfast Steph leaned in to me and said softly, "Happy birthday."

I glanced quickly around to make sure no one had overheard her. "Thanks Steph but please don't tell anyone." I'd managed to extract a promise from Matt to not say anything to anyone and was hoping that Steph would stick to her promise to keep things quiet. She sighed and rubbed her face and then with a fatalistic shrug said, "Okay, okay I won't but I really wanted to get you a cake." Her pout was cute but it wasn't going to change my mind.

Fortunately a diversion appeared in the form of Cathy who bounced over and offered up approximately a million home remedies for sunburn before asking, "So ladies, what are we going to do today while the men go play with their balls?"

I blinked at her in astonishment and Steph choked on her coffee. "What?" she gasped.

Cathy gave an innocent little smirk. "Golf balls. Jeff told me they're playing golf. Y'all need to get your minds out of the gutter."

Steph gave a bark of laughter and I tried to keep the disappointment out of my voice as I said, "Oh right. Is that today?" Matt had asked me to look up some golf courses for him that weren't too far from the castle and I'd happily done it feeling for once very assistant like. If it upset me that I wasn't going to be able to spend the day of my birthday with him there was no way I was going to admit it.

"No, today is not golf day." Matt spoke up from behind me and it took everything I had to slowly turn around and look at him rather than just fling myself into his arms.

Cathy looked confused. "Yes it is. Jeff just told me ten minutes ago. I had to dig his favourite golf shirt and pants out of the suitcase and everything." Matt opened his mouth to respond but before he could get a word out Cathy called across the kitchen, "Jeff! Didn't you say that Matt had arranged a golf day for today?"

Jeff looked at Cathy then at Matt who narrowed his eyes at him in silent communication then back at Cathy. You could almost see that thought bubbles of his internal debate hanging over his head. Who was he going to agree with Cathy or Matt? In the end the bromance won out. He coughed a little before saying, "Uh no, hon I was just about to tell you I got the day wrong. We're not golfing today. Damn French with their different days of the week have me all confused." That didn't even make sense but it clearly satisfied Matt who turned full wattage dimples on Cathy as he said smugly, "See? No golf today." She just glared at Jeff who offered her a conciliatory smile.

Jeff's sacrifice in throwing himself under the Cathy bus was undermined by Zacky who strolled into the kitchen and asked blithely, "What time are we golfing today Shadz?"

The dimples disappeared from Matt's cheeks as he raised his voice, "We are not golfing today!" Cathy raised a sardonic eyebrow at him. The sound of stifled choking had me looking to the head of the kitchen table where Brooks and Kelly say gamely suppressing their laughter.

Matt was still glowering when Brian strolled in, hair flopping in his face, and started, "So today..."

"We are not playing golf today!" Matt roared in frustration.