22. Mabel
Mabel
Hearing the door click shut pulls me out of my sleep.
Straining my eyes against the light pouring into the room, it takes me a while to adjust to the brightness. The same amount of time it takes for Riley to re-enter the room.
“Close your eyes.” He stops in his tracks.
“Do I have to?” I mutter, eyes still squinting.
“Yes, spoilsport.”
Shutting my eyes, the brightness coming through my eyelids darkens and I hear the blinds being closed.
I feel Riley sit on the bed on my side, causing the mattress to dip. “Okay, open.”
My eyes open and he sits, presenting me with a box from the shop we stopped at for his mum’s present. I look at him, confused, and open it cautiously. It’s the laptop bag he bought.“Happy birthday.” He smiles.
“How did you know today was my birthday?” I ask, bewilderment set on my face.
“Rayna let it slip. Well, she asked if we were all doing something fun for your birthday while we were here, and I asked more questions,” he replies with a shrug. I run my hand over the smooth leather. “Thank you, but it’s too much.”
“Don’t be silly. Just accept it. You keep carrying around your laptop in your arms, now you won’t drop or break it.”
I know it’s a functional gift, but it’s something I have been muttering to myself the last few months.
And he listened to my mutterings and did something so sweet.
The words are there again, I just have to say them.
Even if they aren’t those three exact words, I could say something akin to it.
Something to tell him how much be means to me.
How much I am enjoying spending this time with him.
I lean over and kiss him. “Thank you. It’s perfect.”
“Let’s get some birthday food into you,” he offers.
Fleur organised a go-karting day and as everyone arrives in the lobby, it’s clear Riley shared it was my birthday and we are celebrating with go-karts.
Fleur has organised a shuttle to take us all to the venue.
Shelby, Nikki, and Dave also made it in time to come, too. I sit next to Fleur on the way there.
Leaning in closer to her to whisper, “I chickened out,” I confess to her quietly, but also looking around to make sure no one overhears me.
“What were you going to say?” she asks, low.
“I don’t even know. I ended up saying something like I like how things are at the moment and I don’t want anything to mess that up. ”
“Right.”
“During sex.”
“Offt.”
“Then he gave me a really lovely and thoughtful, but too expensive, birthday gift this morning.”
“If you said you don’t want anything to mess it up, maybe wait until you’re ready to tell him how you feel? Or when you have the courage?”
“I’m going to have to,” I concede.
“Are your parents coming to see you for your birthday?” Fleur asks, helping my overthinking and changing the topic.
“Shockingly, yes. They realised I wasn’t flying home so they're coming to see me, but not for a few weeks. They were adamant they weren’t coming to me at the start of the season. I guess I should actually ask if they want track passes. Doubtful,” I reply and smile at Fleur.
“They are that unsupportive?” Fleur questions.
“Mm-hmm, that unsupportive. Everything I do is criticised,” I offer, “But hey, let’s not talk about that. Thanks so much for organising this. It’s going to be an amazing day, as always!”
“My pleasure! I love these days out with everyone,” Fleur replies.
After an hour, we arrive. The complex is massive and has both indoor and outdoor options. From the greeting everyone gets from the staff, they have been here before .
“You must be the birthday girl!” A man in his late twenties with scruffy, red hair and the complex’s uniform on sticks out his hand.
“Yup, I’m Mabel.” I accept his hand with a firm shake.
“Welcome! I am Gabe, and I get roped into keeping these maniacs in line every time they come here.” He shoots a wicked smile to them all and they coyly laugh. “Hopefully, things stay in some sort of control today.” Everyone woos and claps as we walk towards the indoor portion of the complex.
Gabe takes us through the mandatory speeches and procedures, and then we're let loose on track for a few hours in a thrilling day of fun and competitiveness. By the end of it, we are well and truly spent after the day. Weak conversation and murmurs fill the shuttle bus back to the hotel.
Riley and I sit together at the back of the bus, both exhausted and talking minimally.
“Thanks for today,” I start, tilting my head to look at him. “It was really fun.”
“I didn’t do anything. Fleur is the master at organising these days out,” he offers, smiling at me as his blue eyes finding mine.
“Yeah, but I know you told her it was my birthday.” I smile back at him and slip my hand into his that hangs low near our knees.
“Can’t have you getting away without celebrating with us. We’re a family here.” He looks around and lifts our entwined hands to his mouth and kisses the back of mine softly and quietly, winking at me. My heart skips a beat and I squeeze his hand.
I rest my head on his shoulder as we discuss what we’re getting for room service, and he runs his fingers up my arm absentmindedly until we arrive at the hotel and we all pile out.
“Successful day out, Fleur,” Cole praises. Otto stretches his legs after being cooped up in the bus with us.
“I think you ruined us all,” Dave adds, punctuating the sentiment with a yawn.
“Drag me to bed!” Sophia exclaims to Javi and laughs.
We all part ways with goodbyes, and last birthday wishes to me.
My legs, exhausted as they shuffle from the elevator to my hotel door.
“How am I so exhausted? We were in go karts with little engines!” I exclaim as I push open the door, kick off my shoes, and flop onto the bed, dissolving into the mattress.
Riley laughs. “Ahh, you can always tell who is the newbie.”
“We weren’t on track for this amount of time on the other go-kart day.”
“Okay, fair call. I’ll give you that.” He comes up behind me, straddling me, and starts rubbing my back.
I moan and melt further into the bed. “If you start that, you can’t stop.”
“Not planning on it,” he replies, bends down to kiss my cheek before he moves his hands to under my t-shirt. His hands move as best as they can, but my t-shirt is tight, and it’s hard to manoeuvre around. “Can you remove your shirt?”
“Convenient,” I tease.
“So I can do this properly,” he retorts and I can hear him roll his eyes.
“Sure, sure.” As I remove my shirt, he continues to massage my back.
My eyes shut as I relax and enjoy his attention, his hands running along my skin, smoothing my tight muscles.
Thirty minutes later, Riley breaks my drifting into a snooze with, “How about you jump in the shower and I’ll order room service? One of everything?”
Wiping the drool from my cheek, I lazily open my eyes and agree. “Yup. I won’t be too long,” I say before making my way to the bathroom.
Putting on the shower, I am surprised Riley hasn’t joined me, but I’m a little grateful as I am wrecked. Bring on a birthday evening on the lounge watching a movie, because that’s about the speed I can handle right about now , I think as I put my pyjamas on.
Opening the bathroom door, the lights are off, but there is a warm glow emitting from the lounge and Riley’s features flickering by the light.
“What’s this?” I ask as I round the lounge and see he has organised food and a small cake with some candles on top of it.
“A senate hearing. What does it look like?” he jokes .
“You didn’t have to do any of this,” I reply, taking it all in, moved by the gesture.
“I know I didn’t have to. I wanted to do it. Everyone needs a cake on their birthday.” He motions to the cake. “I will save you from my singing, but insist you make a wish.”
I smile and look down at the cake while pondering my wish. How can I possibly think of anything to wish for when I feel so content? Maybe some confidence to have a scary conversation with Riley. I’ll wish for that. I close my eyes and blow out the candles, sending us in complete darkness.
“Crap. I didn’t think that far ahead,” Riley says.
The hotel room’s layout isn’t huge and complicated, but in utter darkness, it’ll be easy to trip or stub a toe.
“Do you have your phone?” I ask, knowing mine is somewhere on my bed in my bag.
“Yes!” I can hear Riley pat himself down, then exclaim, “Flash- light !” Light from the phone coming on as he emphasises ‘light’.
He goes to get up, but I raise a hand and say, “Hang on, where’s the remote? All I want to do is sit, watch TV, and eat. Just turn the TV on for the light.”
He reaches around behind him and presents it to me. “Birthday girl’s pick.”
I turn on the TV to a streaming service and put on something I've watched at least fifty times before and rake my eyes over what Riley ordered, things he knows are my favourites; pancakes, a Ruben, fried chicken, chips, and the cake, which looks to be chocolate.
“Thank you. I’m pretty sure this is my best birthday ever,” I exclaim as I shovel some chips in my mouth.
“Can’t be your best. What about your family? They aren’t here,” he flippantly adds.
“You know they're assholes to me. Better they aren’t here stressing me out,” I reply.
“Of course. Sorry.” He meekly waves a hand in the air.
“All good. I have come to terms with them. I can’t change the situation.”
We're silent for several long moments.
“What did you wish for?” he asks.
“I can’t tell you…” Don’t want to tell you. “…it won’t come true.” I could lose you.
He leans over, resting his chin on my shoulder to whisper in my ear, “Maybe I can help it come true?” My stomach flips.
“Doubtful,” I reply, side-eyeing him.
He smiles at me, and I turn my head to kiss him.
“Fine. Don’t share,” he replies cheekily, going back to eating and watching TV with me.
We make a good dent in the food, demolish the cake, and are laying on either side of the lounge, his hands rubbing my legs, lulling me into a doze.
Best birthday ever.