Em was in the doghouse over our disastrous gallery date. I suppose it wasn’t actually his fault that the art was garbage, but he definitely could have given me a heads-up about Karen. He hadn’t mentioned to me that anyone he knew would be attending, let alone that he knew a featured artist—not that I would call her paintings art. He had to have known that I would at least meet her, even if he couldn’t have predicted her freak out. He apologized of course, and the velvet box of chocolates and dozen red roses I’d received the following morning did soften my disappointment. They were absolutely perfect, the Valentine’s Day gifts I’d always dreamed of. My pathetic ex-boyfriends of years past, with their cheap drug store candies and cards, paled in comparison.

My birthday was a few days away, just before the end of the month. Emile suggested we throw a dinner party at his place and invite my friends over to celebrate. I was nervous about the idea, since I doubted he could cook well, and my own skills were mediocre at best. I’d been able to avoid cooking Em anything beyond toast so far, and I didn’t want him to find my domestic skills lacking. But I was able to find some easy recipes online that were sure to impress everyone, so we set a menu and picked a date.

We prepped everything possible ahead of time. The day before the party, we put together a basic chicken soup. Em was surprisingly efficient at chopping the vegetables. The result was simple and tasty, and nobody had to know that we used store bought chicken stock instead of homemade. When that was done, we ran to the store together to pick up a stylish area rug, some candles, and a few canvases of wall art to hang up. By the time we were through, his utilitarian apartment was completely transformed into a cozy, comfortable, inviting space. The only thing missing was the dining table with a leaf he planned to pick up from his storage unit the next morning.

The following evening, everything was perfect. Candles were lit, places were set, and the tantalizing smell of roasted meat wafted through the air. It smelled so good, you’d never guess it was mostly cooked in a slow cooker. I’d barely had to do anything at all. The whole crew arrived together, since Matt had offered to drive everyone. Vee was naturally the first person to erupt through the door.

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY, NO-NO!” she shouted as she bounded over to tackle me in a fierce hug. She squeezed me so hard that I was coughing and gasping for air by the time I was released. It was a birthday tradition of hers. She turned to Liz, who dug into the gift bag they’d brought to produce a cheap plastic tiara. Vee eagerly smashed it onto my head and declared me the ‘Birthday Princess.’

It was horribly uncomfortable as it dug into my scalp, obviously sized for a child. I was about to remove it when Em snatched my right hand and pressed a gentle kiss to the ring I was wearing.

“Allow me to escort you upstairs, Your Highness?”

He played his role wonderfully. I flushed and obliged him, allowing him to lead our party upstairs and out of the cramped landing.

“You have a lovely apartment,” Tomie announced as soon as she was upstairs. Matt murmured in agreement. I swelled with pride, knowing that I was the one responsible for transforming it from a bachelor pad.

Vee chimed in, “And it’s so clean for a dude’s place!” Liz nodded along with her in approval.

“The least I can do is keep everything tidy for Elle,” Em chuckled. He was nothing if not perfectly courteous.

“Elle?” Tomie furrowed her brow and looked to me. “Who’s Elle?”

“That’s what Emile calls No-No,” Vee explained before I had a chance.

We were all starving, so found ourselves seated at the table before long. I portioned out salad and soup for everyone. Em, ever the obliging host, poured the drinks. He even offered Tomie and Matt sparking grape juice, because he remembered that they didn’t drink alcohol. It was a gesture so thoughtful that Tomie herself couldn’t even hide how impressed she was.

She was even more impressed when we started passing around the main course. She quipped playfully, “When did you learn how to cook, Noel?”

“I just need an opportunity to practice, I guess.”

“You’re going to make some lucky someone a great wife one day, No-No.” Vee declared as she leaned over to nudge Em with her elbow.

I was mortified. Emile didn’t seem to mind her brash comment. He raised his glass to his lips and maintained a perfectly neutral expression.

Blissfully, Liz changed the subject. “What did Emile get you for your birthday?”

“Oh, I don’t know yet. I haven’t opened it.” I gestured towards a wrapped box sitting on the coffee table.

“I thought it would be better to save the surprise for later,” he said, “Once we’re alone.”

“I bet it’s a ring,” Vee whispered to Liz loudly enough for everyone to hear.

“It’s not a ring. We’ve only been dating for two months,” I chided. Plus, the box was shaped wrong for that. It was long and thin. I assumed that it was probably a bracelet.

“Two months is plenty of time! At least, if you’re in love.” Vee wrapped her arm around Liz and pulled her close.

Tomie paled, “Please tell me you two didn’t get engaged.”

Vee laughed so loud that she snorted. “No, of course not. But we have talked about purchasing a chameleon together.”

“They’re very particular to care for,” Liz explained quietly, “They die if your husbandry isn’t impeccable. It’s a huge commitment.”

“But don’t worry! We’re not rushing into anything. We’ll want a healthy one from a good breeder. We’ll have to wait until the reptile expo, and that’s not until June. It’ll work out great, because it’s the weekend after our Girls’ Week. I won’t have to spend my vacation worrying about how the new baby’s settling in.”

“The three of us pool together to rent a house in Wildwood for a week every summer,” I stated for the benefit of Em and Liz. Being new to the group, they wouldn’t be aware of our traditions.

Liz asked, “Wildwood is a beach town, right?” She’d only moved into the area recently, so it wasn’t too surprising she wasn’t familiar with the area’s top vacation spots.

“Oh, it’s so much more! One of the best places around. Last year it rained every single day, but you can still stuff your face with funnel cake and fudge even if it’s pouring.” Vee was exaggerating a little. As much as I loved going down the shore every year, a lot of it was nostalgic enjoyment. The boardwalk wasn’t all that different from visiting an amusement park, or maybe even a strip mall. Hopefully this year we’d at least get a few good beach days in.

“Sounds like a lot of fun. You work so hard, Elle. You deserve a break this summer,” Em added. “I’d love to do something with you, too. Have you ever been camping?”

“Oh, I haven’t.” As much as I’d like to imagine a romantic getaway with Em, roughing it in the great outdoors was not my style. Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t just bail on the girls. Without my share of the rental fee, it’d be a big blow to both of them. “I’d love to...but I only get so many vacation days. I don’t think I can afford any more time off this summer.”

“That’s too bad.” I could see the wind going out of his sails as he spoke, and it broke my heart to disappoint him. “I guess I can go by myself.”

“Wow, that’s...pretty sad,” Tomie said with a surprising amount of sympathy. I guess it was pretty pathetic to imagine a grown man vacationing alone in the woods. “Hey, Noel. Why don’t you skip out this year? If Matt and Liz want to go, we can turn it into a couples’ shore week instead. Then you can do something with Emile.”

“I’d go,” Matt replied immediately. I was pretty sure it was the first time he’d spoken all evening.

“And Liz has never been, so she has to go. It’s settled then, no Girls’ Week this year.” Vee announced with finality.

After dinner, Vee busted out an ice cream birthday cake for me. It was kind of juvenile, but ice cream cake was a guilty pleasure of mine. It was practically melted by the time all twenty six candles were lit. Despite my protests, everyone sang for me. They couldn’t settle on ‘Noel,’ ‘No-No,’ or ‘Elle,’ so the melody really fell apart at the end. Still, it was heartwarming. It was great to see everybody getting along so nicely. My friends departed not long after.

“Birthday Princesses don’t wash dishes,” Em scolded when I offered to help with cleanup. “Go open your present instead.”

I plodded over to the coffee table. I cast aside the tiara I’d been wearing and picked up the small box. Whatever was inside shifted around, and the sound seemed to fall in line with my bracelet theory. I carefully peeled open the wrapping and slid it away to reveal a jewelry box. Inside was a gorgeous pendant necklace.

“Oh, Em!” I gushed as I plucked it out to inspect it. It looked to be vintage. The large teardrop shaped stone reflected every color of the rainbow. Opal wasn’t my birthstone, but it was prettier than any amethyst could ever hope to be. “I love it!” I swept my hair aside and he walked over to assist me with the clasp.

“It looks perfect on you.”

I threw my arms around his shoulders and peppered him with kisses before he could return to the sink. “Thank you so much.”

“Happy birthday,” he said with a tender smile. “I love you, Elle.”

My heart skipped a beat. This was the first time he’d said he loved me. I was sure of it, because I’d been agonizing over whether or not I should be the first to say it. Perhaps being free of that anxiety was the best birthday gift of all.

“I love you too,” I replied breathlessly.

He swept me off my feet—literally. The dishes could wait until tomorrow.