CHAPTER 30 Sophie Summers
Creating Birthday Memories
The Friday we get back from Vegas is my thirtieth birthday, and honestly, I haven’t spent much time thinking about it.
I see the pictures on Facebook of my high school friends who are getting married and having babies, and I feel a twinge in my chest that they’re getting that while I’m pushing that life further down the road as I do whatever it is I’m doing with Miller. We’re getting married, sure.
Babies?
No. He’s pretty convinced he doesn’t even want kids, and I was never really all that sure. But the more I see photos of my friends holding their newborns moments after giving birth, the more I think I want that life, too.
I want a baby I can post pictures of. Not just to post pictures of, but to create a legacy with another person out of love, to be a mother who loves another being so selflessly and unconditionally, to give myself a new purpose and meaning as I shift into an entirely new role .
And I want a husband who adores me—who’s marrying me because we’re in love, not because he’s trying to help out an old friend.
More and more, I think we could get there. This feels like more than friends with benefits, and I already had a deep love for Miller because of the strong foundation we built over the years.
I’m not sure I can go through with a wedding that isn’t real when the feelings I’m starting to feel for him are very real.
But I’m also not sure I’m brave enough to have that conversation with him.
I guess turning thirty is affecting me more than I realized.
It’s making me want to start a family, which wasn’t really something I was worried about in my twenties. It feels like time is starting to close in on me a little, but I push those thoughts from my mind, close Facebook, and get back to writing.
“Happy birthday. I’m taking you out to celebrate,” Miller announces on Friday morning as he sets a breakfast plate in front of me. It has a bowl of his famous oatmeal on it along with an assortment of fresh fruit. “I thought maybe we could go to a club and reenact last weekend’s shenanigans.”
I roll my eyes. It’s still a little bit of a sensitive subject for me, I guess. “No public sex, but I’m game for going out.” I nod toward the plate. “Thanks for this, by the way. What do you have in mind for tonight?”
“Just a little something. Pack an overnight bag,” he says. “We’re leaving at noon. We’ll grab lunch on our way.”
“What sort of clothes should I wear?” I ask.
“Whatever you want.”
“Casual? Dressy?”
He shrugs, and he’s really giving me exactly nothing to go on here.
“Oh my God, Miller! Tell me what to wear!” I demand .
He laughs. “Shoes comfortable to walk in and an outfit that gives me easy access.” He wiggles his eyebrows.
“I already said no public sex.”
“You didn’t say no public fingering,” he says innocently, and I pick up a grape to throw it at him, but he runs out of the room before I get the chance to toss it, laughter following behind him.
That effectively ends my writing session for the day, as now I can’t stop thinking about where he’s taking me, so I head upstairs and rifle through my closet to find the right outfit to bring.
I decide on a long skirt that I can wear sneakers with and a cute top to match.
I throw everything I need for an overnight trip into a bag, and there’s still a solid three hours to kill before we leave.
I field some calls and texts from my parents and friends back in Phoenix, and I work on a few graphics for some things I have going on next week. The clock seems to slow to a crawl, but eventually it’s time to go, and Miller appears in the kitchen with a duffel bag and a sly smile.
I snag my bottom lip between my teeth. “What are you up to?”
“Creating birthday memories.” He shrugs, and I follow him out to the car.
I have no idea where we’re going until he pulls into a parking spot at the San Diego Zoo.
“The zoo?” I ask, and he just smiles. We head inside, and he treats me to lunch at a grill where we both order burgers and fries. Once we’re stuffed full, he grabs my hand and leads me to the penguin exhibit, where we have a private encounter where I get to interact with my favorite animal.
When we’re done, he takes me through the gift shop and stops at the register, where the clerk pulls out two wrapped boxes and hands them over the counter for me .
I open them to find a stuffed penguin and a beautiful necklace with a diamond penguin pendant, which he immediately fastens around my neck.
It’s such a sweet, thoughtful surprise.
After our penguin encounter, he leads me back to the car.
“That was so fun,” I say with a contented smile.
“The day is just beginning,” he says with a gleam in his eyes, and then I lean back into the seat and get ready for whatever’s coming next.
We arrive at the airport next, and we board a plane heading to Vegas. Of course it’s Vegas. We’re getting married here early next year, and we had a lot of fun here last weekend.
When we land, we head straight for Caesars Palace, and we check into a gorgeous suite in one of the towers that gives us a view of Las Vegas Boulevard.
I’m staring out the window gazing out at said view when Miller saunters up beside me.
“What are we doing here?” I finally ask, curiosity getting the better of me as I glance over at him.
“Celebrating your birthday.”
I chuckle. “Well, I mean…I know that. But this is all so extravagant, Miller.”
“I just wanted you to feel special on your birthday. You’re always working so hard, and you hardly ever take time for yourself. Tonight is just for you.”
I melt at his words, and then he proves it’s just for me by giving me my first orgasm of the night with his tongue.
I’m about to reciprocate when he says, “We have dinner reservations we need to get to.”
Truth be told, I’m already hungry after traveling and that climax he just gave me, so I freshen up, and we walk toward our destination, which turns out to be Hell’s Kitchen .
When we’re seated, I’m surprised to find Tanner and Cassie already at the table.
“What are you doing here?” I ask.
“You said you wanted to do dinner with these two again, and I’ve heard good things about this place,” Miller says with a twinkle in his eye as he obviously remembers me telling him I wanted to eat here less than a week ago.
They both stand and give me hugs as they wish me a happy birthday, and I sit and have an absolute experience for my meal.
I order all the things I’ve seen the chefs make on the show, and it’s undoubtedly the best meal I’ve ever had in my life as we talk about the family vacation Cassie ended up booking a few weeks ago.
She discovered the entire Nash clan has the week after her and Tanner’s wedding off, so with some rearranging of schedules considering the sheer number of people we’re doing this with, she booked a weeklong cruise for mid-July.
We will return the weekend before the oldest of the Nash brothers, Lincoln, needs to be back for rookie camp, and even though some of the men will have a bit of work to do on the cruise, mostly it’ll be a time for the entire family to relax together and build a bond only in the way traveling together can.
I shove a forkful of scallops into my mouth, and I think I might be moaning. Miller is looking at me like he wants to eat his beef Wellington off me.
I think that could probably be arranged, but only if we take it in a to-go container—which we can’t since we apparently have plans after dinner.
The four of us walk over toward the Coliseum here at Caesars, and I see the banners advertising the act playing here tonight.
“No way,” I whisper as we get in line at the will call ticket booth .
Miller angles his head down to look at me. “You want to see Backstreet Boys tonight from the front row?”
I think I might pass out.
Are you kidding me?
How is this real life right now? This man is literally the stuff book boyfriends are made of. Miller Banks is everything Tyler Boyd was not. He’s everything every single one of my ex-boyfriends was not, to be honest.
He’s everything I’ve ever wanted, and he’s been right here in front of me the entire time.
I’m done resisting him. Now I just have to figure out how to hold onto him.