Tomorrow Is the Day

“I got you a gift.”

Talia’s head jerked up from the book she was reading. Her birthday had dawned beautifully, the sun covering the beach with an easy golden light. She’d gone for her run with Vengeance and came inside to a birthday breakfast made by Johnny. After showering and taking extra time to look nice, she had sat in her usual spot at the breakfast nook, reading the last few chapters of the novel she’d been reading.

“A gift?” she asked, pausing slightly. She hadn’t expected a gift from anyone in the house, least of all Shadows. Yet there he was, standing in front of her with a delicately wrapped box in champagne colored paper. She slipped the bookmark in between the pages and placed the book on the table. “You didn’t have to get me anything.”

“Well, I felt it was necessary. Turning twenty-three on the twenty third only happens once,” he said, albeit a tad uncomfortably. He seemed slightly unsettled as he handed her the box. She took it gently and placed it in her lap, glancing between it and him for a quiet moment. The house was almost unnaturally quiet.

“Should I—open it now?” she asked, pausing. He merely nodded, sliding his large body into the seat across from her. Even more unsteady now that his eyes were on her, Talia sighed and noted silently that this was probably the most awkward thing that happened to her thus far in the house.

Talia ripped the paper off with ease to reveal a plain white box. She bit her lip and breathed out through her nose, glancing up at Shadows before slowly pulling the top of the box off. There was an excess of tissue paper that she ripped through before she pulled out the most stunning purse she’d ever seen. It was Givenchy, she knew by the designer name stamped in silver across the top front of the bag. It was the lightest grey she’d ever seen, almost like a pearl, and just the perfect size for an evening out. She gasped as she held it up in front of her.

“Are you serious?” she exclaimed, “Seriously?!”

A slow smile spread across Shadows’ face, the kind he usually reserved for Val, or even one of the guys. It made Talia feel warm inside, as his eyes melted in happiness and his dimples showed.

“I noticed when we went through your belongings that you had no accessories packed, and I thought you might need a bag to carry when we go out for your birthday dinner tonight,” he explained casually, smile widening even more.

“Out? We’re going out?” Talia repeated, dumbfounded. It had been too long since she’d communicated with someone outside of the people in the house and she was excited, even if it was just to order food from someone. “Thank you so much!”

“Be ready by seven,” he said, standing up, “And you can ask Val what to wear, she told me to say dressy casual but I have no idea what that entails.”

“Thank you so much,” she repeated, looking from him to the bag with wide, amazed eyes. She already had an idea about what she would wear and couldn’t wait to pair it with her brand new bag, or bounce the idea off of Val.

“Don’t mention it; happy birthday Talia.”

One last warm smile and he was gone, leaving an enthused but confused Talia in his wake. What had spurred the sudden kindness from Shadows? He’d never been particularly rude to her, or particularly nice either. She could understand if maybe Val had pushed him to let her go out for dinner—but the purse? It was almost inexplicable.

Also inexplicable was the feeling that opening that elegantly wrapped box had given her. She turned the pearly, soft leather bag over in her hands. Talia had felt like she belonged, like she was accepted, like maybe all hope for an easy few months wasn’t lost. She thought back on her bet with Johnny and thought that maybe she might be out a grand; it didn’t seem like any fist fights were on her horizon. The fact that the gift had come from the hands of Shadows though, that she would have to think about and roll around in her mind.

“That’s a pretty purse,” came the low drawl of Vengeance’s voice. He was standing at the counter, leaning on it inquisitively and Talia couldn’t decide if he was being nasty or not. She glanced up, still high from the gift, and smiled at him.

“Thanks,” she said sweetly, bouncing up with it and dashing out of the kitchen, “It’s new!”

The irony didn’t escape Talia though, as she made her way up the grand staircase to her room, that she had nothing to put in her new purse except some makeup or that Shadows had admitted to looking through her things when she arrived. At the moment she didn’t really care though.

“Whatcha got there, birthday girl?” Brian asked right before she could barrel into her bedroom. Talia whipped around, smile already on her face and offered the bag up for inspection. He surveyed it carefully, appraising it with a seasoned eye for expensive taste, before nodding. “Very nice. Who’s it from?”

“Shadows just gave it to me…” she trailed off, “I guess it’s from him? Maybe Val picked it out.”

“I’m pretty sure Matt picked it out,” he rebutted, leaning casually against the wall. He was dressed in grey sweatpants and a tight white t-shirt and, as usual, looked like a god. Talia tilted her head at him, not phased by his good looks as she slowly got used to being surprised by them.

“Why’d you ask if you already knew the answer?”

Brian didn’t get the chance to give her an answer, though he opened his mouth to do so. Val had catapulted herself out of her bedroom, squealing in delight and excitement. She very nearly tackled Talia, who staggered back under the sheer force of the small blonde woman’s hug. Shadows stood in the doorway, chuckling at the display.

“Let me see it! He wouldn’t let me see it before you opened it! Oh my god, it’s gorgeous! Happy birthday Tally!” she exclaimed, all in seemingly one breath. She held the purse in both of her hands, inspecting every inch much as Talia had just done. “Are you so excited? Do you love it so much? What are you gonna wear later?”

These questions also came out of Val’s mouth like a bullet. Instead of being annoyed, Talia was frothing with excitement as well. She’d always enjoyed having birthdays, unlike so many people. She hadn’t expected a gift at all, or anyone to even really notice. This reaction to the day was above and beyond her expectations.

“Yes I’m excited, I love it beyond words, and I have an idea, please look at it!” she exclaimed back, laughing with the other girl as Brian and Shadows exchanged an exasperated look at their fast speaking. Talia turned her doorknob and the pair almost fell into her room to look through clothes.

“Did you understand any of that?” Brian asked once the door had shut, jerking his thumb backwards over his shoulder. Shadows smirked and shrugged.

“Not a single word.”

*

The purse sat in Talia’s lap, occupying the majority of her thoughts as Shadows drove to the restaurant they’d be having dinner at. While she absolutely adored it, she couldn’t quite fathom how it had come to her possession. After all, Shadows was the person she was least familiar with in the house and even if he’d thought giving her a gift would be nice, why keep it a secret from Val?

Throughout the day she’d received more gifts anyway, much to her surprise.

Johnny, who would be missing dinner on account of business, had offered up an expensive bottle of whiskey with a purple bow tied around the neck. He’d threatened her that if the bottle was gone in less than a month, he’d kill her. Vengeance had also offered up a gift, a boxed set of every season of The Sopranos. They’d smiled tightly at each other and she’d thanked him, understanding the subtle message he was trying to get across.

Brian’s girl, through and through, he’d once said, but she was starting to doubt that. There had been no gift from the man who sat to her left and barely even a recognition of her existence for the majority of the day. Not that she expected anything from him…or did she? That was a source of extreme internal embarrassment. The fact that she had somehow come to rely on attention from someone she barely knew in such a short period of time was gruesome to say the least.

“Penny for your thoughts,” Val prompted, wrapping her arm around Talia’s. There was a moment of bitter remembrance, a haunted deja vu. Talia pasted on a smile.

“My thoughts are worth more than a penny Valary.”

Vengeance snorted from the front seat as Val’s mouth opened in surprise, her eyebrows shooting up. Talia cracked a genuine smile at the dramatics and leaned into her blonde friend, leaning her head on Val’s shoulder and giggling.

“I’m kidding! I was thinking about how ready I am to be out in public,” Talia amended, shifting her weight closer to Val and away from Brian. He seemed to notice the slight turn of her shoulder away from him but said nothing. “It’s gonna be so fun!”

“And the dessert martinis are next level amazing,” Val chimed in, her voice almost a chirp in her excitement. She continued on about the different flavors, which were her favorite, and then moved on to talk about what she’d probably order for dinner. In fact, Val’s incessant speech lasted the rest of the way to the restaurant.

Much to Talia’s surprise—and pleasure—there was no stern look or reminder from any of the guys about her impending behavior. She’d expected some kind of lecture, maybe even a new list of rules, for her peruse out into the real world. Instead, there was just the sound of doors slamming and footsteps up to what looked like a nice and expensive restaurant.

Talia had worn a simple romper. It was black with a neckline that plunged to just above her belly button and had a triangular cutout at her lower back. She felt elegant in it despite the neckline and thought the flowing shorts accentuated her legs, which ended in a pair of black heels. Val looked much the same, her dressy casual request being fitted perfectly.

They were seated at a table toward the back of the restaurant after Shadows had produced a quiet “Sanders” when asked for the reservation name. It was private and warm, candles on all of the tables. Talia didn’t have to ask how they knew she loved Italian food and it didn’t escape her notice that no one seemed to be seated remotely near them. Still, she was grateful.

“What do you think you’ll get?” Val asked from her right. Brian was, again, on her left and she sat across from Vengeance at the round table. Talia shrugged and pointed at a few of the choices she’d been looking at while Brian quietly ordered what she assumed were appetizers. A glass of red wine was set down in front of her and she immediately made a grab for it, sipping gently and making a face.

Wine was never Talia’s drink of choice. She actually hated it and wasn’t entirely sure where it had come from but it was no matter, alcohol was alcohol and she could handle a glass or two surely. The women ordered first, salads and pasta dishes for both, and the men after them. Vengeance and Shadows laughed over some story.

There was a lot of distant background noise. Couples chattered from the main area of the restaurant and light instrumental music covered any lulls in conversation. Val had been charming Talia with stories of the classes she attended, mostly idiotic students and half-licensed professors.

“I thought you liked your anthropology professor,” Brian said over Talia, hinting at his attention to their conversation, “Matt was saying something about it yesterday.”

“Oh, I like him well enough. His lectures are totally insightful but, I dunno, it’s just super tedious like he expects us to interact with the notes and all that. I can’t keep up!” she explained, putting her wine glass down to explain fully with her hands. Brian nodded and Talia glanced at her lap.

“I never went to college but I understand that good classes are supposed to be challenging?” Brian quipped, lifting his own wine glass in a mocking toast to the blonde before sipping it. Val had the foresight to look outraged, her mouth open in a perfect circle.

“Honestly…touché,” she answered, lifting her own wine glass to her lips. Talia finished her own glass as the food arrived, a plate of carbonara placed delicately in front of her. The circumstances that had brought her to this particular birthday dinner, the first day of her golden year, were unceremonious. She never would have dreamed of a situation like this. Though, Talia had to admit, she aesthetically fit in perfectly with this group.

The food was delicious. There was scarce conversation as they ate; Talia didn’t mind and mostly took in her surroundings, bathing in the public eye. The restaurant was more full as they finished their meals, hardly allowing for them to be as secluded as they had been before.

“What are we doing for dessert?” Shadows asked, turning to Val. She began scanning the small, leather-bound menu. Vengeance was scrolling through his phone discreetly under the table as Val asked Talia which martini she wanted to try.

“Order both,” Shadows suggested, smiling when Talia was torn between two flavors.

“Oh, and I’ll order two different ones and we can share!” Val chimed in excitedly, her entire face lighting up. Talia laughed and scooted her chair closer to her blonde friend.

“We’re going to be wasted by the time we leave this restaurant,” Talia said as Shadows casually ordered six martinis and two decadent brownies for the table. Val shrugged and waved her hand.

“I need to be drunk anyway, it’s been too long.”

Talia snorted at that. It hadn’t been too long for her; drinking had become a daily event. She’d thought about slowing down, had even made an effort to take a night off from drinking even a glass of whiskey or beer at dinner, but as soon as the martinis were set down in front of her, all thoughts of less alcohol consumption left her brain.

“They’re so pretty I don’t even want to drink them!” she exclaimed, marveling over a beautiful mocha espresso martini complete with a swirly chocolate shred decoration. The others were gorgeous too; a simple pumpkin spice martini and a vanilla coconut, plus a few others.

“Right?!” Val clapped her hands together and smiled broadly. “But they taste so much better, I promise!”

Vengeance and Brian both rolled their eyes at the girly exclamations of wonder over the drinks but also indulged in sipping them. Shadows stuck to his small glass of scotch as the girls raced to finish each drink in between spoonfuls of rich chocolate brownie.

“Dude, this brownie is fucking fantastic!” Vengeance exclaimed, reaching over Shadows to take an extra spoonful off of Val’s plate. She hit his hand playfully and Shadows rolled his eyes, watching the two bicker. Talia sat back, sipping at the remnants of the vanilla coconut martini and feeling a pleasant buzz in the back of her head.

“Enjoying your birthday?” Brian asked, his voice a low and sultry tone. Talia was almost surprised that he deigned to speak with her. She turned slowly though, with an unimpressed look on her face. He was watching her intently, his eyes slipping from the glass in her hand, up her arm, and resting finally on her face.

“As much as one can when surrounded by those who keep them hostage,” she answered, though not unkindly. There was a spark between them, a hypnotic tension, and she didn’t dare break it by being sentimental. She couldn’t look away from his eyes. Usually a warm chocolate, Talia noticed that tonight his eyes seemed to achieve an almost golden undertone.

“So feisty,” he remarked, a glint of mischief in his golden eyes, “So rude, I may not even give you your present now.”

Talia, mid-sip on her martini, almost choked and spat it back up. Just when she’d resigned herself to believing he hadn’t gotten her a gift—when she’d begun to accept she was pathetic for even expecting one—he surprised her.

“Oh, don’t be a tease Brian,” she scolded, her voice still low enough to be nearing seductive. Her heart was pounding though, and her blood felt like ice. She drained the martini glass and placed it down on the table, willing herself not to shake.

“Don’t be a tease,” he repeated, amused, “You don’t want a taste of your own medicine?”

Talia was sure she was dreaming this up. That would explain the brand new bag she’d received from Shadows and being out in public. Any moment she’d wake up to a breakfast of protein from Vengeance and a stretch, she knew it.

Besides, the air was so magnetic that Talia couldn't understand how her and Brian weren’t the only people in the room, let alone at the table. She could hear Val making a comment—“Zacky, I swear you'll be fat by Christmas!”—and Shadows’ subsequent snort, but how on earth could they be missing this moment?

“Are you suggesting that I tease you?” she almost purred, her mouth dry and her pulse quickening. She almost reached for the empty martini glass but caught herself. The buzz in the back of her head was slowly blossoming all over her body and she could feel it in her wrists.

“On a daily basis,” he answered dryly. She watched his lips press into an amused line. He was obviously trying not to smile and very nearly failing. Talia played along, looking brazenly offended at the insinuation. At this look, he added: “If not hourly.”

“You’re too much,” she said simply, discovering a half-full martini a small reach from her. There was no question that she needed at least a sip, and when she lifted the glass to her lips she discovered it was the flavor of pomegranates. “Anyway, it’s not like I do it on purpose.”

The vodka was making her gums numb and her heart beat erratically. Talia relented though; the man she was focused on made her heart beat in that way.

“I know you don’t. You’re just intoxicating to be around,” Brian answered, leaving her stunned. From his pocket he produced a rectangular box, wrapped in a deep purple paper. As if that sentence wasn’t enough, she scoffed in her mind, he pulls out a jewelry box.

Talia had gotten many gifts in her lifetime and knew with precision how to open any present in order to make the giver feel as though they’d given her the best gift in the world. That skill, however useful, was unneeded because Brian had succeeded in giving her just that.

When she lifted the lid off of the box, Talia lost her breath. It wasn’t extravagant or flashy, but it was dainty and beautiful, with the same edge that Talia herself seemed to have. A silver necklace laid inside, the chain was thin and glinted when it caught the dim light. A small silver snake adorned it, the tail of it holding one end of the chain and it’s mouth holding the other. The eyes were the same red as her ring and it matched it almost exactly.

“Brian,” was the only thing she could manage to say, peering up at him with wide eyes. His eyes were softer now and his smile more genuine. It occurred to her that he might have been nervous to give her this gift. “It’s beautiful.”

“Happy birthday,” was all he said.

She offered the box to him and then turned, shifting her hair over her shoulder and holding it. Brian’s arms hovered so near to her as he clasped the necklace around her neck that she could feel the warmth of his body. She kept her eyes down, waiting until she knew he was done to move her long hair back over her shoulder. Talia turned so he could inspect it.

“What do you think?”

“Stunning,” he answered, though his eyes never left hers.

Talia had to turn away at that, not caring about the moment or the tension. She found that the other people seated at the table hadn’t missed out on their quiet moment, however, and her eyes rested directly into Shadows’. They all seemed to be politely interested, except for Val who might blast off into the atmosphere at any moment due to excitement.

“Everyone ready?” Vengeance asked, clearing his throat and pushing his chair back. Talia monitored his body language but he was doing a good job at not betraying his thoughts on the matter. There was an air of general agreement and everyone began standing up to leave.

The walk to the car was silent. Talia’s head was buzzing with the thrill of cocktails and the promise of something more to come from a night. They all slid into the large truck with ease. Val was babbling about the martinis but Talia couldn’t focus; this time, Brian sat so close to her that it was as though they were fused together.

Lost in her own thoughts for a while, as Val was distracted by fighting Vengeance over who got to choose the radio station, Talia ran her fingers over the smooth exterior of her purse. There were too many new things that had developed today and her mind hadn’t had so much to think about in weeks. What did the gift from Brian mean? More importantly, what did she want it to mean?

The moment they’d shared at that restaurant was one of the most intense moments that Talia had ever experienced with another person. The way he’d looked at her—the tone of his voice—was all more than she could have ever dreamed up. Even now, she knew he was hyperaware of her. Every time she moved, he’d shift.

“Earth to Tally!” Val said, her face suddenly directly in front of Talia’s. The dark haired girl flinched back, laughing as an instant reaction. “What planet were you on?”

“Um, whichever one you’re on when you’re drunk?”

“Fair enough, I’m trashed,” Val slurred, falling into Talia’s lap with a giggle. Talia laughed too, less trashed but still inebriated pleasantly. She chanced a look up at Brian, who was smirking down at the drunk blonde.

“We’ll be home soon,” Shadows said, amusement in his voice. It sounded nice, Talia thought, the idea of going home. She wished that she could pretend that she belonged in this car. Maybe in another life she would have met Brian on some other terms and she would have found herself, background check and all, getting in the car and going home—of her own volition.

Soon though, they were pulling into the driveway and up to the house. Val stumbled out of the car, pulling at her shorts and laughing as she looked for Talia to hold her hand. The house was lit up like a beacon, as always, and the pair collapsed over the back of the couch in the living room upon entry.

“Did you have fun Tally?” Val asked, stretching her legs up and down over the back of the couch. Talia looked over at her with a grin.

“Best birthday ever.”

“I’m glad,” Val sighed. She swung her legs down, falling awkwardly onto the couch and then sitting up. Talia followed her moves with a touch more grace. “I worry about you sometimes, all the time, a lot.”

“What? Why?” Talia asked, surprised by the sudden sincerity in her friend’s voice. Val looked shy and demure within an instance and she shrugged.

“This probably is the weirdest circumstance you’ve ever had to deal with and I’d hate for you to be unhappy here.”

Talia’s heart broke for a moment.

“Well, you’re not wrong; this is a weird circumstance,” Talia agreed, “But it isn’t so bad, I mean, I have you and Johnny and Brian, and Shadows doesn’t ever bother me, and I’ve never had a better workout plan than I do with Vengeance, even if he is a dick. It could be a lot worse.”

“That’s what I was afraid of,” she said, “With the safe house, I mean. At least here you have things to do and people who are going to watch out for you.”

The implication hung in the air, that the people she would have been staying with would not have watched out for her.

“You don’t have to worry about me Val, I always get by,” Talia said, softening a little. She reached out to hug her friend, one of the only people she considered a friend, and felt a small warmth reach her heart. Val seemed overjoyed by the conversation and she bounced away when the moment was over, exclaiming her need to go to bed.

Talia pretended not to see her suggestive wink at the end of the announcement.

“You gonna go to bed too?” Brian asked, hovering in the doorway. Talia shook her head when she looked at him. She wasn’t really tired and she didn't want to waste the buzz from her birthday drinks. “Wanna watch a movie?”

“Depends on who gets to pick the movie,” she answered with a smile, as Brian stepped down into the room. He snorted and shook his head.

“Birthday girl picks everything, obviously.”

“We’re binge watching The Sopranos and there’s nothing you can do about it!” she shrieked, jumping up and rushing past him to get the boxed set that she’d opened earlier that day. While in her bedroom she also removed her shoes and took off her jewelry, except for the necklace she’d opened earlier that hour.

Brian was on the couch when she came back, sitting with ease and scrolling through his phone. Talia bit her lip and made her way to the TV, putting the first disc into the DVD player and allowing Brian to change the input from there.

A split second of heart pounding bravery later, accompanied by an ounce of liquid courage, Talia seated herself directly next to Brian, her legs tossed over his lap and her head resting on his chest.

If he found anything odd about the arrangement, he said nothing and made no protest. Instead, his arms found their way easily around her frame as he pulled her in as closely as possible. His breathing was steady and Talia found herself settled very easily into the hypnotic rhythm of it. Her beating heart slowed as she watched TV, though her stomach would tighten any time Brian would brush his hand against her thigh or shift to grab onto her hip.

Not for the first time that day, Talia wondered what the fuck was going on. Had she stepped into a parallel universe when she walked out of the shower that morning? Had everyone decided to pull an elaborate prank on her?

Whatever the answer was, she was sure of one thing: this was one of the best birthdays she’d had in a long while.