Status: Finished!
Matchmaker
Chapter Eight: Happy Birthday
A day went by. Then a week. Next thing I knew, I had been in London for a month.
I had managed to avoid Lorenzo. I haven’t heard from him once. And I had managed to avoid Rupert. In person, anyway. We texted. A lot. All day, every day. Not that Morgan knew that, of course. She could never know.
Today was July 4th. My 21st birthday.
My phone buzzed at 7:30 in the morning. Seven. Thirty.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY! If I don’t see you today, I’ll die. :D What a way to make my day. Rupert was getting good at that. Thanks, sunshine. I’ll be sure to see you today. That’s a promise. : )
I stretched in my bed and looked out the window. It was hot in my room, so it must have been hot outside. The sun was bright.
“HAPPY BIRTHDAY!” I winced when Morgan burst into my room and jumped onto my bed.
“Thanks,” I said, laughing slightly. She tackled me in a hug.
“I have so many plans for today! Don’t expect to have any free time!” she said, laughing manically.
“Oh really? And what do these plans consist of?” I asked.
“We’re taking a road trip!” she said.
“What?! Where?!” I asked, excitement bubbling up inside me.
“You know that castle you were obsessed with in grade school? You told me that you’ve always wanted to live in it?” she asked.
“Craigmillar Castle?! Yes!” I said, jumping up out of my bed.
“Yeah, that’s it! We’re going there!” she said. I squealed.
“No way! That’s all the way in Scotland!!” I said. She laughed.
“Dan has a car! A nice one, we’re leaving in an hour, get ready!” she said. I sighed.
“Dan’s going? Awesome. Third wheel on my birthday,” I said, sitting back down on my bed.
“Fat chance. I asked Rupert to come,” she said. I tried to hide my smile.
“Why Rupert? Why not someone else?” I asked.
“He’s the most fun. Think of me as your own personal match maker,” she said. I rolled my eyes.
“Whatever. Get out so I can change,” I said, hopping up and going over to my closet.
“You’ll thank me one day!” she said, bolting out of my room and shutting the door behind her.
I threw on some clothes and put my hair up in a ponytail. I put on a little bit of makeup, and headed downstairs. Dan was already there, of course.
“Happy birthday!” he said, greeting me with a hug. I hugged him back awkwardly.
“Thanks,” I said.
“I made a cake and everything! It’s not great, but you’ll eat it anyway because I woke up really early to make it,” Morgan said, rummaging through the fridge. I rolled my eyes and hopped up on the counter.
“I’m sure it’s delicious, love,” Dan said.
“I heard cake,” Rupert said as he walked in our open door. I laughed a bit, as did Morgan. Dan greeted him with one of those guy hugs and Morgan said her hello.
“Hey!” I said with a smile. His smile almost blinded me. Wow.
“Hey, birthday girl! Happy birthday!” he said. He hurried over to me and picked me up off the counter, spinning me in a hug. I hugged him back after he set me down. I caught Morgan smirking out of the corner of my eye.
“Thanks,” I said.
“You’ll get your present later, okay?” he asked. I sighed.
“Rupert, you didn’t have to get my anything,” I said. He chuckled.
“You honestly thought I wouldn’t get you something for your birthday? You’re barking,” he said. I rolled my eyes, smiling.
“C’mon, darling, let’s go grab the bags,” Dan said, taking Morgan’s hand. They headed into the bedroom, leaving Rupert and I alone.
“So, did you know about this all along?” I asked, crossing my arms over my chest with a smile.
“Maybe,” he smirked.
“Then why did you make it a point to say that you had to see me today, hm?” I asked.
“I just wanted to make sure you felt the same way,” he said, putting his hands on my hips. Wow. Wow. Wow.
“You’re killing me, yunno,” I said, putting my hands on his, pushing them away. His smirk became more prominent.
“How?” he asked.
“You and your… flirting. I already told you, I’m not interested,” I said.
“Ah, but that smile of yours makes me keep trying,” he said. Wow.
“You guys ready?” Dan came back out, a bag in each hand.
“God, are we spending the night or something?” I asked.
“No. But I figured we’d have a picnic on the lawn,” Morgan said, smiling. I shrugged, smiling back.
“Sounds acceptable,” I said.
“Let’s go, then.”
I had managed to avoid Lorenzo. I haven’t heard from him once. And I had managed to avoid Rupert. In person, anyway. We texted. A lot. All day, every day. Not that Morgan knew that, of course. She could never know.
Today was July 4th. My 21st birthday.
My phone buzzed at 7:30 in the morning. Seven. Thirty.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY! If I don’t see you today, I’ll die. :D What a way to make my day. Rupert was getting good at that. Thanks, sunshine. I’ll be sure to see you today. That’s a promise. : )
I stretched in my bed and looked out the window. It was hot in my room, so it must have been hot outside. The sun was bright.
“HAPPY BIRTHDAY!” I winced when Morgan burst into my room and jumped onto my bed.
“Thanks,” I said, laughing slightly. She tackled me in a hug.
“I have so many plans for today! Don’t expect to have any free time!” she said, laughing manically.
“Oh really? And what do these plans consist of?” I asked.
“We’re taking a road trip!” she said.
“What?! Where?!” I asked, excitement bubbling up inside me.
“You know that castle you were obsessed with in grade school? You told me that you’ve always wanted to live in it?” she asked.
“Craigmillar Castle?! Yes!” I said, jumping up out of my bed.
“Yeah, that’s it! We’re going there!” she said. I squealed.
“No way! That’s all the way in Scotland!!” I said. She laughed.
“Dan has a car! A nice one, we’re leaving in an hour, get ready!” she said. I sighed.
“Dan’s going? Awesome. Third wheel on my birthday,” I said, sitting back down on my bed.
“Fat chance. I asked Rupert to come,” she said. I tried to hide my smile.
“Why Rupert? Why not someone else?” I asked.
“He’s the most fun. Think of me as your own personal match maker,” she said. I rolled my eyes.
“Whatever. Get out so I can change,” I said, hopping up and going over to my closet.
“You’ll thank me one day!” she said, bolting out of my room and shutting the door behind her.
I threw on some clothes and put my hair up in a ponytail. I put on a little bit of makeup, and headed downstairs. Dan was already there, of course.
“Happy birthday!” he said, greeting me with a hug. I hugged him back awkwardly.
“Thanks,” I said.
“I made a cake and everything! It’s not great, but you’ll eat it anyway because I woke up really early to make it,” Morgan said, rummaging through the fridge. I rolled my eyes and hopped up on the counter.
“I’m sure it’s delicious, love,” Dan said.
“I heard cake,” Rupert said as he walked in our open door. I laughed a bit, as did Morgan. Dan greeted him with one of those guy hugs and Morgan said her hello.
“Hey!” I said with a smile. His smile almost blinded me. Wow.
“Hey, birthday girl! Happy birthday!” he said. He hurried over to me and picked me up off the counter, spinning me in a hug. I hugged him back after he set me down. I caught Morgan smirking out of the corner of my eye.
“Thanks,” I said.
“You’ll get your present later, okay?” he asked. I sighed.
“Rupert, you didn’t have to get my anything,” I said. He chuckled.
“You honestly thought I wouldn’t get you something for your birthday? You’re barking,” he said. I rolled my eyes, smiling.
“C’mon, darling, let’s go grab the bags,” Dan said, taking Morgan’s hand. They headed into the bedroom, leaving Rupert and I alone.
“So, did you know about this all along?” I asked, crossing my arms over my chest with a smile.
“Maybe,” he smirked.
“Then why did you make it a point to say that you had to see me today, hm?” I asked.
“I just wanted to make sure you felt the same way,” he said, putting his hands on my hips. Wow. Wow. Wow.
“You’re killing me, yunno,” I said, putting my hands on his, pushing them away. His smirk became more prominent.
“How?” he asked.
“You and your… flirting. I already told you, I’m not interested,” I said.
“Ah, but that smile of yours makes me keep trying,” he said. Wow.
“You guys ready?” Dan came back out, a bag in each hand.
“God, are we spending the night or something?” I asked.
“No. But I figured we’d have a picnic on the lawn,” Morgan said, smiling. I shrugged, smiling back.
“Sounds acceptable,” I said.
“Let’s go, then.”