A Mighty Need

Noel’s birthday fell on a Wednesday, the middle of the week; or hump day, as it was. And trust you and me, there was plenty of that early on in the day before either he or Audrey headed out anywhere. By noon, they had showered, dressed and had a late breakfast which consisted of Audrey making Noel her famous, thick and fluffy pancakes with lots of butter and syrup as well as some bacon and coffee. She had planned to get up earlier and surprise him with it in bed, but she had forgotten to set her phone alarm and they’d woken up together, which was perfectly fine. Noel didn’t seem to mind either way. As the morning progressed, he began to receive a few texts from his friends, letting him know how terribly sorry they were but they would be unable to get together with him that night for dinner or drinks afterward to celebrate his birthday.

At first Noel was okay about the cancellations. He understood; it was the middle of the week and a few of his friends had nine to five jobs and children to tend to at home. Going out for a night of revelry and drink was harder to do for them during the week and sometimes even on the weekends. When Audrey and Noel shared a cab into the city, he received a few more texts and a call from Julian, all giving Noel their apologies but would also be unable to get together that night. Most claimed family priorities, sickness, going out of town unexpectedly or prior engagements, but all insisted they would make it up to Noel; maybe on the weekend or the following week. Soon, they told him.

Audrey watched as Noel’s face fell and his shoulders slumped, like a boy whose youth sports team had lost the championship. She offered him a supportive smile and held his hand, giving it a squeeze as the familiar sights of the city rolled past.

Noel had no idea where they going at first; Audrey said it was a surprise. Eventually, the cab crossed the Westminster Bridge to the southern end of London, turning left onto York Road and another left onto Chicheley Street, where it finally came to a stop on Belvedere Road and they had a full view of the London Eye. When Audrey reached over to pay the cabbie and then hopped out, Noel took his cue to follow after, looking at her and then the Eye with a smirk.

“We’re going for a ride, yeah?” He thumbed at the Eye before shoving his hands in his pockets.

He was dressed in a pair of red skinny jeans and a black tee that had fake rhinestones spelling out KEEP CALM IT’S MY BIRTHDAY with the birthday bit in multicolored rhinestones. It was a joke gift from Audrey that she had him open up after breakfast. She hadn’t expected him to wear it all day, just for a little bit to see how it would look on him, mostly for shits and giggles. Noel, however, seemed adamant about wearing it until it was no longer his birthday anymore. He was originally going to leave the house without a hat on, but Audrey made a face and went to grab his bowler hat and put it on him, claiming he needed something extra and the hat was it.

“Yes, we’re going for a ride,” Audrey replied to his comment. “A private one, too,” she added. “Well, sort of private.”

“Sort of?”

As they walked toward the London Eye, Audrey gestured to the trio waiting for them. There stood Noel’s parents and brother.

Diane beamed as she greeted her eldest with a hug, having to stand on her tiptoes until he leaned down more to her level for a kiss. He greeted his father and brother the same way, all of the Fieldings and Audrey full of cheery smiles.

“Happy birthday, sweetie,” Diane said to Noel while Audrey turned to look at Mike.

“Where’s Maggie?”

Mike shrugged and made a face. “Yeah, uh…she’s not gonna be here.”

“She working?”

“No, we kinda broke up a couple weeks ago,” Mike explained sheepishly.

Audrey pouted, offering her sympathy for the younger Fielding. “Aw, I’m sorry.” She placed a hand on his back and gave a comforting rub. “Well, I guess this means I don’t have to share you with anyone,” she jested.

Noel heard the comment and mockingly scoffed at it. “Hey. One brother at a time, alright?”

“What can I say?” Audrey smirked. “Your parents produce good stock.”

Diane chuckled and Ray merely smirked as Audrey stepped away from the group so she could head to the Priority Desk in the ticket office in County Hall and get their tickets for their private capsule experience. She was out in five minutes and returned to the Fieldings with all five of their tickets and a complimentary mini-guide. They received priority boarding bypassing most of the queue and headed into their capsule within minutes, partly because of their private capsule tickets and partly because it didn’t seem to be a busy day.

On their way up, Diane took a seat and pulled small gift bag out of her purse and handed it over to Noel who took a seat beside his mother and placed a kiss on her cheek.

“Aw, mum, you didn’t have to get me anything,” he insisted.

“You are my son and I will give you and your brother birthday gifts until I die, so shut up.” She bopped him on the nose with her finger as he chuckled and went about seeing what his mother (and father) got him. He stuck his hand into the bag, removing the tissue paper and then peered in, only to chuckle a little heartier. “I will admit, though, it is harder and harder to find the perfect gift for you.”

“Anything would be fine, mum. You could get me taxidermied cockroach with tinsel glued on for hair and that would be a great gift.”

“Thanks for the tip,” Audrey joked, flashing a smile at him.

Noel looked up at her and smiled back before reaching in to pull out the gift from his parents. It was a few things actually. There was a pair of bright blue novelty socks with pink pigs wearing red capes on them, a gift box of Mr. Stanley’s Marzipan Fudge and lastly a £100 gift card to Beyond Retro, which was a vintage shop that had a few locations but Diane knew the Soho location was probably the best bet; which is where she said she got the gift card from.

“I know you can more than afford to buy your own clothes, but I wanted to get you something you’d use; not just anything. Save your money for something more important.”

“Clothes are important,” he said as if talking about air.

Mike handed his big brother an envelope. “Unlike mum and dad, I didn’t know what to get you, so it’s nothing much and more of a gag gift, really.”

“Again, though…you didn’t need to get me anything.” Still, Noel happily opened the envelope, laughed at the outside of the card and what was said and written inside. Also inside were two tickets to Legoland. “This is great.”

“I was there last weekend with some mates. We went for shits and giggles; thought maybe you’d have fun, too. They’re open-ended tickets.”

“Yeah, thanks, mate.” Noel stood up and hugged Mike.

When he glanced briefly at Audrey, she raised an eyebrow back at him. “Your gift from me is later.”

“I can be cheesy and say you’re my gift.”

Audrey snickered. “Don’t be cheesy,” she laughed.

“So what are your plans for tonight?” Ray asked. “Getting together with your mates for a few pints somewhere?”

Noel frowned. “So far, it looks like it’s just me, Audrey and a couple other people. The plan was to get together for dinner then out afterward for drinks. As far as I’m concerned that’s still the plan. The list of people seems to be dropping as the day goes along.”

“Well, it’s probably just hard for people to get away tonight, being the middle of the work week and all,” Diane said sympathetically.

“Yeah, I suppose.” He looked between his parents and brother. “Do you three wanna join us? The more the merrier.”

“Oh, darling, I’ve got a pot roast cooking at home for me and your father; otherwise you know we’d say yes. We’ll go out to dinner, all of us, tomorrow, if you’d like.”

“Mike?” Noel spoke.

“I booked a DJ gig for tonight but I’ll try and make it out for drinks afterward if the gig doesn’t go too late.”

“Alright,” Noel nodded ruefully.

As if on instinct, Audrey stepped closer to him and placed a hand on the back of his neck and twirled some strands of his dark hair around her fingers. “It’s your birthday. Don’t be sad.”

“I’m not sad,” he assured. “Just a bit…I dunno. I just didn’t think almost everybody I invited out for dinner and drinks tonight would cancel. Especially the day of, you know?”

Audrey shrugged. “Things come up. It’ll make it more intimate, then, with fewer people. You can spend more quality time with those who will be present.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right.” Noel stood after placing the gifts from his parents and the card with Legoland tickets all into the gift bag. He walked over to the curved windows as their capsule neared the top. “London always looks better when it’s sunny.”

The sun was, in fact, out and shining. It was one of the few days so far this spring where there were literally no clouds in the sky for miles. It was much warmer out as well, more so than the week before when Audrey and Noel had returned to London. There was a feel in the air and a smell that whispered things about summer being just around the bend and winter becoming more and more of a distant memory.

Placing his hand on the small of her back, Noel looked at Audrey’s profile and leaned his head against hers. “Thank you for the capsule ride with my family,” he said quietly.

“The day’s not over. Don’t thank me yet,” she smirked.



After their thirty minute private capsule ride was over, the fivesome broke apart; with Noel’s parents announcing they had to head home mostly so Diane could check on her pot roast, plus they had some essentials they needed to pick up at the grocery store. Mike joined Noel and Audrey, however, in going to the London Sea Life Aquarium. They only spent two hours, tops, looking at all the attractions. When they reached the manta rays, Noel started talking in the voice he used for Tony Reason in Luxury Comedy. There were some children nearby with their parents or nannies, whoever the adults were in relation to the children, who found Noel to be incredibly amusing; listening to him talk. When he realized they were listening, went into telling this crazy story about the other manta rays having a picnic in the ocean with penguins that built a boat out of ice and was fueled by rainbows that brought them all the way from the South Pole so they could join the picnic.

Audrey had found the story just as amusing and made a comment that Noel should consider writing a children’s book; he’d be amazing at it. He could write the story plus do all the artwork. He countered with maybe they (Audrey and him) could co-write, or she could write it and he would do the art. Audrey shrugged. It wasn’t a bad idea at all and something she would definitely consider doing with him when the time was right.

Upon leaving the aquarium, Mike bid them adieu and told Noel he’d see what he could do about getting together that night after his gig. Audrey and Noel continued on together, deciding to make the most of the lovely day out and walk across Westminster Bridge. They soon made their way to St. James’s Park, walking along the paths until they came upon an ice cream vendor and each bought a cone of strawberry ice cream. They took their desserts and headed to a grassy area that wasn’t roped off and chose to sit right down on the ground; Audrey with her legs tucked up under her and Noel with his stretched out. A group of young men either in their late teens or early twenties were walking across the grass near them when one of the guys noticed Noel’s shirt and wished him a happy birthday. Noel nodded and smiled and thanked him.

A few minutes later, Noel received a text from Serge saying him and Amy wouldn’t be able to make it to dinner or drinks. Their babysitter canceled on them and they could find no one else, last minute, to watch their sons for them. Serge said he felt like an ass but didn’t want to leave Amy alone with the boys if he were to go out without her, especially since she was looking forward to going out as well. Noel texted back that he understood and he wished Serge and Amy well.

It didn’t mean his spirits didn’t lower.

That left only two guests left: Russell Brand and Melvis Crawford.

Eventually they left the park, heading back in the direction they began from but this time walking along The Mall until they came out upon Trafalgar Square. Despite the ice creams, their stomachs were growling. It was nearing dinner time, when Noel and all his friends he invited to join him at La Bodega Negra in Soho to eat. As of now, it was just him, Audrey, Russell and Melvis.

That was until they reached Soho and Melvis texted Noel to cancel. By then, Noel was getting pissed off. They reached the underground restaurant before six and were shown to their table and while they were served their drinks and waiting on their orders, Noel was visibly beyond pissed off. The only thing that seemed to make it okay was having Audrey there. He checked his phone from time to time, wondering where Russell was, but never received a text or call. After their meals arrived and they were halfway eaten, Noel took to his cell phone again and shot Russell a simple text of Where the fuck are you?

Still he received no reply.

Audrey grabbed his hand across the table and offered him a smile, assuring his birthday wasn’t over; that maybe some of his friends would be able to make it out for drinks later after all. They ordered dessert after the meal and before they left the restaurant to head back to his house, Audrey excused herself to use the ladies’ room. She came back about five minutes later with a smile and paid their bill. It was his birthday after all and didn’t want him to pay for anything.

They caught a cab on Charing Cross Road and headed back to Highgate, arriving in under twenty minutes. When the cab dropped them off, Noel seemed oblivious to anything around him as he fumbled around for his house keys. When he placed the key in the lock, he noticed a curtain move from his living room windows, but shrugged; figuring it was one of his cats. Once he turned the key and unlocked the door, he pushed it open.

Noel hesitated, gesturing for Audrey to go ahead of him because of “ladies first” to which she countered with a joking, “Well, go ahead then.” He chuckled and stepped inside his front hall, tossing his keys onto the hall table. The moment Audrey followed him inside and shut the door behind him, suddenly there was a cacophony of voices ringing out.

“SURPRISE!”

All at once, all of Noel’s friends and family seemed to come out of the woodwork; some blowing what looked to be leftover New Years’ noisemakers and showering him with confetti and smiles.

“What the fuck?” he exclaimed, half stunned and half elated. He actually began to tear up, seeing everyone who mattered to him all standing there. “You motherfuckers; all of you.”

They laughed and approached him. His parents and brother were part of the crowd, as well, wishing him a happy birthday.

“We couldn’t throw you a surprise party if everyone was with you at dinner,” Audrey informed.

Noel looked at her. “Did you arrange all this?”

“Well, your parents and Mike helped,” she explained. “Your mom and dad came here straight from the London Eye to clean up and decorate and to let in the caterers and bartender I hired. Mike went home to get his DJ equipment, but the gig he had was your party.”

“So, there was no pot roast in the slow cooker?” Noel asked his mother with a chuckle, to which she shook her head. He was spellbound and never felt so loved. “I can’t believe this…”

“There’s a Bouncy Castle in the back garden, too,” Ray piped up.

“I already tried it out,” came the voice of Russell, somewhere amidst all the party guests. “Lost my equilibrium and nearly the entire contents of my stomach, I’ll have you know.”

Pulling her into a side hug, Noel placed a kiss on Audrey’s temple. She wrapped an arm around his waist as well while his friends moved closer to wish him a happy birthday. He still seemed so stunned over the surprise and was a bit speechless for a few minutes while he went about making his rounds to say hello to everyone and then grabbed a drink from the hired bartender that was set up in the same spot the other bartender had been set up on New Year’s. This time it was a female bartender, though, who looked to be in her mid to late forties, unlike the previous twenty-something male one they’d had. They had the same caterers again. Audrey had found their business card tacked to the corkboard in Noel’s kitchen which they must’ve left with him on New Year’s in case he needed their services again. Little did he know that it would be Audrey hiring them once more for his surprise birthday party. Then there was Mike, who went about spinning some tunes; mostly leaving them to play automatically by hooking it up to his iPod.

A short while later, with a drink and some finger foods in hand, Noel made his way outside to see the bouncy castle set up in his narrow back garden. He set the drink down on his nearby patio table and pulled off his shoes before clamoring into the bouncy castle with a roll. Before he could get up to his feet, Rev (or Paul, as Audrey still only referred to him as) ran and belly flopped onto the bouncy castle, sending Noel off his feet and falling back onto his ass with a few bounces. The guys laughed heartily and then both got up to their feet and began to jump around like a pair of children.

Audrey sidled outside with Julian and Julia close behind her; all three with drinks in their hands. Blacky followed suit, asking if Audrey could hold his beer for a bit, which she did, while he went and joined Noel and Rev on the bouncy castle.

“Aren’t you going to join them?” Julia asked her husband.

Julian shrugged. “Not sure this body can handle that kind of activity anymore.”

Audrey glanced at him with a smirk. “Are you that ancient?”

“I feel that way sometimes.”

“Oh, pish,” Julia scoffed. “Get your ass over there. You hardly get to see Noel as much anymore as it is. Go play with your friend.”

Julian gave his wife a knowing smile and passed his drink to her to hold as he sauntered over to the bouncy castle but hesitated, saying something to the three men already bouncing, which neither Julia or Audrey could here. They watched as Julian had gracelessly rolled onto the bouncy castle and struggled to get up, which led to Noel offering a hand.

“I feel like I have three sons sometimes instead of just my twins,” Julia quipped.

“They do all look rather boyish jumping around in that thing,” Audrey remarked. “Like, for a brief moment in time they get to be ten years old again, instead of in their thirties and forties.” After a moment, Audrey found herself smiling brightly. “After seeing pictures of what Noel looked like as a kid at his parent’s house, I can totally visualize him as ten years old on that thing right now or him with kids of his own, jumping around with them.”

“Noel would make a lovely father,” Julia nodded. Then, “Are kids something you’d want someday?”

“Me? Yeah, definitely; I’d want at least two.” Audrey took a swig of Blacky’s beer by mistake and grimaced at the sour taste before correcting herself and taking a sip of her drink instead. “It’d be nice to have one of each, obviously, but I really don’t care what I have, as long as there are at least two. I wouldn’t want my firstborn to grow up an only child, even if it meant adopting a second. I’ve had a number of friends who were only children and they’ve all mentioned how they’d hated it or felt lonely. I was lucky to have had three siblings and was never alone. Siblings are like homemade friends.” As an afterthought, she added with a laugh, “Well, most of the time; you know, when we weren’t at each other’s throats.”

“Could you see yourself having children with Noel?” Julia dared.

Audrey looked at her and after a moment, nodded. “Yeah, I could. I mean, when the time’s right. It’s not something I would want to jump right into so lightly. Having kids isn’t like buying a new pair of shoes because they look pretty. You can’t take them back.”

“That’s true,” Julia laughed. “But, as long as you want kids yourself, anytime is the right time. It may not seem like it, but it is. Mine are my greatest accomplishment. I had wanted to be a mother but I wasn’t expecting to get pregnant when I did but, when it happened, I was so happy.”

“Do you have pictures?” Audrey wondered to which Julia nodded and pulled out her phone.

Noel wobbled over to them around that time, having decided to take a break from jumping and found the two women huddled around the phone. “What ya looking at?”

“Pictures of Walter and Arthur,” Julia answered. “How did Julian do on that thing?” She gestured to the bouncy castle where Julian was now trying to climb off.

“Oh, he did fine. Complained a bit in the beginning about ‘being too old for this shit’ but a second later he was all rainbows and sunshine like the rest of us.”

“Yeah, sometimes he just needs a swift kick to the ass to get him moving.”

Audrey smirked at that as Julian rejoined them, holding his shoes in his hand. He dropped one to the ground and braced himself using Noel’s arm so he could slip back into the other shoe, then again with the first one.

“What about my ass?” Julian asked, but Julia just shrugged it off as nothing, and then smiled at him.

Audrey leaned back from the phone. “Your kids are so stinkin’ cute.”

Julia thanked Audrey but it was Julian that made a joke about sometimes wondering if they weren’t the postman’s kids instead. Noel didn’t bother putting his shoes back on and left them near the bouncy castle where several of his other friends were changing places with Rev and Blacky. He moved to stand behind Audrey, snaking an arm around her waist while his free hand once again held his drink he had set on the patio table. Resting his chin briefly on her shoulder, he snuck in a kiss on the side of her neck, just under her chin, which caused her to giggle at the touch because it tickled slightly.

Above them, the sky was getting darker; the previous blue being replaced by purples and pinks as the sun set somewhere to the west. A few birds were still chirping in the trees and the sound of music and conversation was swirling around in the air from the open windows in Noel’s home. Occasionally there was a car horn or the sound of a siren in distance; the latter being much more far off since, in a neighborhood like Highgate, they didn’t get much police or emergency vehicle activity like in the belly of the city.

As they made their way back inside the house, another round of drinks was the order of the day. Noel was handed gift bags and birthday cards alike which he sat down in his living to open. He got a lot of nice things from his friends; mostly clothing items and liquor, it seemed, though. When he was done with gifts, his mother came out from the kitchen holding a cake. Someone dimmed the lights and everyone started to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to him. On top of the cake were two simple candles: a number four and a number one to signify him turning forty-one. When everyone was done singing, he paused and glanced over at Audrey with a smile before blowing out the candles.

Audrey felt a bit flushed in the face; partly from the alcohol starting to work its way through her system and partly from the look he had just given her. She wondered if he’d just looked at her for the sake of looking, because he was fancying some naughty things for them to do later that night or if it had something to do with whatever he wished for before he blew the candles out. Maybe it was all of the above. She was growing more and more curious to know what he’d wished for, but knew not to ask him. She was superstitious about a few things and asking people about their wishes was one of them. She felt that if someone voiced their wish, it wouldn’t come true, so it was best to keep it a secret. The same with dreams; if you tell someone what you dreamt, it might not come true; which is why Audrey readily divulged information about any nightmare she’d ever had. She didn’t want any of those to come true. Whether or not her superstitions were valid, she wasn’t about to take any chances.

When the liquor coursed its way through most of the guests and they began to feel a bit freer, the party seemed to get bigger, in the grander scheme of things. Not just in that things began to seem larger than life and more amazing, but more guests began to show up. They seemed to be people Noel knew more as acquaintances rather than close friends, or were extensions of Noel’s friends; as in their significant others and other friends. It was turning into one hell of a house party and pretty soon it was basically standing room only.

Just before midnight the Barratts bid Noel adieu with a promise to get together for dinner and drinks sometime soon. Julia told Audrey that next time she would have to remember to bring one or both of Audrey’s books for her to sign, which indicated to Audrey that the Barratts meant for her to be there with Noel when they made plans with him next. It was a nice feeling, if not a bit assuming, that they expected Audrey would just be there, even though they could wind up setting up that dinner date during the part of the month in question when Audrey was back in Philadelphia.

Noel’s parents left at that point as well but, other than that, the party wasn’t showing any signs of slowing down. In fact a few new faces showed up. Completely unexpected faces that were the last faces Audrey or Noel would’ve thought to make an appearance.

Noel was sitting on one end of his wrap-around leather sofa in the living room with Audrey seated beside him on the armrest with her arm around his shoulder. They were playing drinking games involving flipping a cup and whatever. Audrey wasn’t paying too close attention to the details. She wasn’t typically one for drinking games but enjoyed watching as everyone made a fool of themselves while they participated. At the moment though, Noel wasn’t playing either; it was a round between Mike and Serge. Russell was acting like a sports announcer; detailing every little thing about the game, holding a water bottle to his lips for his microphone.

Audrey had been a bit mistaken about Russell. Back on New Year’s she had been so drunk that she hadn’t realized Russell hadn’t been actually drinking along with everyone else. He had been nursing a bottle of sparkling grape juice for himself and mixing crazy drinks for the others after the bartender had left. The antics he had been up to that night hadn’t been alcohol-induced. It was just Russell being obnoxious. She didn’t realize that along with drugs, he abstained from alcohol as well. And this night was no different.

While watching the game at hand and listening to Russell’s witty remarks, the front door opened and Audrey could hear a few voices exchange surprised hellos with each other. Those crowding the archway into the living room parted and allowed the newcomers to come further inside. Blacky, who was sitting to Noel’s right, nudged the birthday boy and gestured to the archway. Audrey followed Blacky’s gaze along with Noel; both justifiably surprised.

“Hi,” came a shy greeting from the lips of Lliana, standing there beside Alison Mosshart, with a small gift bag in her hands and looking as if she wanted to turn running from the room.

“Uh, hey,” Noel replied. He stood up and gave Audrey’s knee a squeeze before stepping over to his ex-girlfriend. “I, uh, thought you were back in New York.”

“I was. I decided to come back early,” she said, glancing briefly over Noel’s shoulder at the others, which included Audrey. “I thought about sticking it out until next month and make it full year, but it was getting too lonely. I have all my family and friends here or in Israel and I just miss them too much. I can at least say I lived and worked in New York. It’s something I can cross off my bucket list.”

“So, then you’re back for good then, yeah?” Noel shoved his hands in his pockets and swayed slightly on the heels of his feet.

Lliana nodded. “Yeah, I’m home for good now. It took being away to realize everything I really wanted was here in jolly good England.”

Audrey didn’t need to hear that. She stood up and walked out of the living room and over to the bartender in the dining room to get a refresher drink but she was closing up shop. Audrey frowned but reached around and grabbed a bottle of vodka from the woman’s cart and commented that she paid for the booze he supplied anyway, so technically it was hers. She took the vodka into the kitchen and grabbed a clean glass from one of the cupboards and set it down on the counter before rummaging through the fridge for some form of juice; for a split second wondering what vodka and milk would taste like.

“Feeling a bit unnerved, sweetcheeks?”

Audrey craned her neck to look around the opened refrigerator door to find Russell standing there with his water bottle still in hand. “Something to that effect,” she replied, opting to pull out a bottle of Pepsi with half the contents missing.

“I am of the belief that it may have been Alison who invited Birdy to stop by.”

“Alison’s the one who gave me stank-eye on New Year’s, wasn’t she?”

Russell shrugged. “I don’t know about that, but I have it on good authority that she was a big fan of Noel and Birdy together and was saddened when they split up.” He then gestured to Audrey. “But Alison seems to be pleasant around you. Maybe she’s getting used to you being the one with Noel, now.”

“Used to me enough to call his ex, who she prefers him with anyway, to come to his surprise birthday party, which she wasn’t invited to,” Audrey clarified, mixing the Pepsi and vodka together into her glass.

“Well, to be fair, a few people weren’t invited tonight but just showed up.”

“Not ex-girlfriends.” Audrey took a swig of her concoction and took a seat at the kitchen table. Russell joined her. “Maybe when I have my birthday this year, I’ll invite my ex-boyfriends.”

“Oh, come on,” Russell frowned. “Don’t be like that. Noel didn’t invite Birdy, Alison did. Or probably did, anyway. I wager she is the dastardly culprit. He’s just being polite and talking to her out there.”

“Doesn’t make me feel any better.”

“Well, no, and that’s understandable. Just don’t hold Noel responsible for something someone else did.” He reached across the table and gave Audrey’s free hand a squeeze. “Come now, sweetcheeks. Don’t wallow and hide away in here. You’re the hostess of this shindig. Don’t let anyone push you out of the picture. Go to your man’s side and let everyone know, in the classiest way possible, that you’re here to stay.” Russell stood up and pulled Audrey up with him. “Come on. No lumps on a log allowed tonight.”

Audrey rolled her eyes but ended up smirking. As she walked out of the kitchen with him, her drink in hand, she smiled up at the scraggly haired man. “You’re a doll, you know that?”

“The only kind of doll I am is the one barristers use in a courtroom to have kids show where Uncle Joe touched them.”

Audrey chuckled and stood on tiptoe to place a kiss on Russell’s cheek as they made their way to the living room where Noel glanced over at them with an inquisitive eye. Before joining Noel at his side as Russell commanded, she gave the latter a slap to the ass and chuckled again. Linking her arm around Noel’s waist, she put on a pleasant smile and beamed drunkenly at Lliana.

“Howdy-doo,” she greeted.

“Hiya,” Lliana nodded with a cautious smile. “You look like you’re feeling no pain.”

“Not physical.”

“Where’d you go?” Noel wondered, glancing again over at Russell.

“To get a drink. I only paid for the bartender till twelve-thirty. She’s wrapping up her mobile bar station so I took a bottle of vodka from it and found some Pepsi to make my own drink. Russell joined me for a chit chat.” Audrey then eyed Noel. “What have you two been talkin’ ‘bout? Old times?”

Before Noel could reply to the awkward situation he found himself in, Lliana handed over the gift bag in her hand. “Actually I was about to give you this.”

“You got me a present?” he asked, a bit amazed.

“How thoughtful,” Audrey commented as Russell walked behind her and flicked her ear. When she looked at him, he mouthed behave at her.

“I bought it last year, actually, after your fortieth. I misplaced it and it was after your birthday when I found it again, but by then we had already…well, you know. I’ve held onto it since then. I figured I’d get around to giving it to you sooner or later, and then Alison sent me a text, telling me to stop by.” Lliana grimaced. “I know this is really awkward. I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s alright,” Noel assured. “We gotta get to the point where it’s not awkward anymore eventually, right?” he laughed slightly. “How we gonna do that if we don’t ever see each other?” As he peered down into the gift bag, removing the tissue, he smirked as he looked upon the contents of the bag.

“What is it?” Audrey inquired while the rest of the guests seemed unfazed by the interaction going on with Noel and his current and ex-girlfriends.

He pulled out a taxidermied chipmunk wearing a top hat and a monocle over one eye. “This is great,” he smiled. “And you’ve held onto this since last year?”

“Well, technically it was part of my shit I had stored at my parents’ house but, yeah, since last year.” Then, after a laugh brought on by remembering something, she added, “Remember that one gorilla at the zoo last year for your birthday? We watched it take a shit and then sit back down on it and wiggle its ass all around it.”

“Oh, god, yeah. That was well disgusting.” Noel nodded and chuckled. “But, yeah…this is a great gift. I love it. Thank you.” Ever polite, Noel reached out and hugged Lliana; a hug that lasted a few seconds too long in Audrey’s eyes. “I think I’ll put it above the fireplace.”

“Glad I could finally get it to you and that you like it.”

“I do,” he agreed.

“It’s really adorable,” Audrey spoke. She was trying to heed Russell’s words.

“Well, like Audrey said, I guess the bartender she hired is done, but there are plenty of drinks lying around. Feel free to help yourself to whatever there is or grab whatever from the fridge. You know where everything is,” Noel said; the last bit turning Audrey’s stomach sour.

She shot a glance at Russell while Lliana merely confirmed to Noel she did remember and then stepped away to head toward the kitchen, with Alison jumping up to join her. Noel was inspecting the chipmunk a bit more with a smile before placing it back in the bag and then glancing at Audrey who was staring back at him with heavy-laden eyes.

“You’re drunk, aren’t you?”

“A bit.”

“Are you mad about Lliana being here?”

“I’m fine.”

“Yeah,” Noel scoffed. “Fine is woman code for []shit is brewing.”

“No, really, I’m fine,” she insisted. Setting her glass down on the nearby end table, Audrey reached her arms around his waist and rested her chin on his chest while staring up at him. “Are you having a happy birthday, Mr. Birthday Boy?”

“Yeah, I am,” he spoke with a smile in his voice and on his lips. The latter he pursed and placed upon Audrey’s for a kiss. “Thank you for putting this all together.”

“I hope you don’t think the party was your birthday gift from me.”

“No, I figured whatever it was you planned on giving me later,” he replied, wiggling his eyebrows.

“It’s not sex,” she snickered, then corrected, “Well, it’s not only sex.”

“When can I have it?”

“Demanding fuck, aren’t you?” she teased. She playfully rolled her eyes and lowered her hands from his waist to tuck them into his back pockets; giving his ass a gentle squeeze. “It’s upstairs.”

“Is it like a scavenger hunt? Do I need to go off looking for it?”

“No,” she smiled. “Do you want me to go get it?”

“I am pretty curious to see what it is now that you’ve built up all this anticipation in me.”

Shaking her head, she removed her hands from his pockets. “I’ll be right back, then.”

Off Audrey went, out of the living room, into the front hall and up the stairs to duck into Noel’s room. She could hear moaning and groaning coming from the extra bedroom across the hall that Austin had used over Christmas and smirked. Someone was having a good time and Audrey was just thankful they had the decency to not do it in Noel’s bed where she planned on showing him a good time later.

In one of the pockets inside her suitcase there was a small box wrapped in silver gift paper with a smushed down purple bow on top; smushed, unfortunately, from traveling. Grasping it firmly in her hand, Audrey turned and left the bedroom and smirked again at the sounds coming from the extra bedroom. Good for them, whoever they were. She’d have to take stock of who was missing from downstairs at some point. That way she’d be able to deduce who was shagging each other rotten. Down the stairs she walked, treading carefully as not to let her drunken buzz cause her to misjudge the steps and go flying down and snap her neck or something.

Entering back into the living room, there stood Noel again with Lliana, as well as Alison, this time. Biting her tongue, Audrey focused solely on him and smiled brightly. She presented the small gift to him, allowing it to rest in her hand, palm up, like a pauper waiting form alms.

“Happy birthday,” she said simply.

“Are you proposing to me?” he teased.

Audrey laughed nervously. Why did he have to make a joking comment like that in front of Lliana of all people? As if it wasn’t awkward enough. “You wish, big boy,” she teased right back. As he pulled the purple bow off, he placed it on top of his head and Audrey bit her bottom lip. “Your mother was right that it’s hard to buy you anything that you can easily get yourself. But this is something you can’t just get yourself. It’s something that has to be given to you.”

He removed the gift paper and glanced at Audrey while he did so. “Is it a homemade gift, then?” He momentarily looked at the black velvety gift box he held in his hands. “The box still screams engagement ring, though.”

Shaking her head, Audrey laughed again. “Not exactly homemade, but home is part of it.”

Opening the box with a dull clicking sound, he knitted his brow together with a curious gaze and lifted a single gold key out of it. “Where’s this go to?”

“My condo,” Audrey replied sheepishly. She tried to ignore Lliana and Alison staring at them. “I want you to be able to show up announced at my condo in Philadelphia whenever you want. So, now you have your own key. Mi casa es su casa, and all that.” She studied him with wary eyes. “I know, it’s a shit gift, isn’t it. It’s no cute chipmunk or tickets to Legoland but it—”

“No, it’s perfect,” he cut her off. Noel tossed the box aside and held the key firmly between his fingers as he stepped forward to close the gap between his body and Audrey’s. He wrapped her up in a hug and kissed her warmly on the lips. “I love it. Thank you.”

As Noel pulled away, however, something in his eyes said he was unhappy about something and Audrey instantly felt a pang of anxiety flare up under her skin, making her feel hot under the collar. She could feel the nerves dancing about like errant firecrackers.

“I’m glad,” was all Audrey could muster.

Noel smiled and hugged her again, placing a kiss on the corner of her mouth. And while she languished in his embrace, something inside of her screamed at the appearance of the feeling of impending dread.

She didn’t know what exactly, in that moment, it was but it had a certain ‘this is the beginning of the end’ quality to it.

Instead of facing the gnawing feeling, Audrey just focused on Noel’s hug.