Fulfillment Golland, M. (best classic literature TXT) 📖

as he identified itssignificance. He ran his fingers along it then passed it back, notbefore taking my hand and pressing it to his lips. “You’re wrong,Hunny, we do know.”

I gentlycaressed his sad face then moved forward and placed the star in thegarden. Happy with its perfect position, I moved back into Bryce’ssafe, secure and comforting embrace.

***

The followingweekend was Charlotte’s birthday. She was a Christmas baby andhated it. I remember her saying to me not too long ago that itwasn’t ‘fair’ and that she had to wait an entire year to celebrate.I’d tried explaining that we all had to wait a year to celebrate,but that just frustrated her even more.

“Charlotte,are you ready? Your friends will be here in any minute.”

“Yes, Mum,”she called from her room. “I’m coming.”

Charlotteappeared at the top of the stairs dressed in a purple and blueYoung Versace dress that Bryce had bought her with Clarissa’s help.At first I hadn’t known what to think of my now seven-year-olddaughter in a designer label. But, the more I thought about it, theunshakeable feeling of hypocrisy bubbled in the pit of my stomach,so I shrugged my shoulders and let it go. Plus, she did lookunbelievably sweet in the flowing pleated floral dress.

I beamed ather. “Look at you, Sweetheart. You look beautiful.”

“Like mother,like daughter,” Bryce said as he looked up from his newspaper atCharli. He was seated on the sofa next to me, bare footed and injeans with his legs stretched out and resting on the coffeetable—this now my new favourite sexy couch position of his.

Charlottegracefully pranced down the stairs, a large smile covering herface. “Thank you. I love my new Versace dress,” she said in a poshvoice, enunciating the word Versace. Oh God, I’ve created alittle designer-Charli-monster.

As she twirledaround the lounge room—making me laugh—the buzzer to the doorsounded. The refined poise she had just displayed practicallyevaporated into thin air, a squealing, jumping noisy bansheereplacing it.

I got up frommy seated position next to Bryce and followed Charli to the door,opening it to find both Lil with her daughter, Jasmine, and Stephwith her daughter, Katie.

“Come in,” Ismiled.

Charliembraced both her friends with high pitched giggles and a lot ofbouncing—lots and lots of bouncing. Steph and Lil remained in thefoyer.

“You comingin?” I asked, confused.

Steph laughedsarcastically. “Nope, are you kidding? They’re all yours.”

“We areheading to shops. Have fun.” Lil twiddled her fingers in a fauxwave then linked her arm with Steph’s as they skipped away.

“Bitches,” Icalled out jokingly. “We will have fun.”

As theyskipped through the foyer, they passed Addison and her mum,Addison’s mum giving both Steph and Lil a strange look.

“Hello,Addison.”

“Hello, Mrs.Summers.”

“Come in,Sweetheart.”

Charli,Jasmine, and Katie noticed Addison and all squealed again. Icringed at the noise.

“I hope youhave a set of ear muffs,” Addison’s mum said as she stuck herfinger in her ear.

“We have asound-proof room,” Bryce called out from his sexy sprawled outposition on the couch.

‘Oh my’ Iheard Addison’s mum say under her breath as she looked in hisdirection, then quickly covering her slip by answering his remarkwith a nervous stutter. “Even better.”

“Would youlike to come in?” I asked.

“No, I won’tstay. I have a few things to do,” she said red-faced. “Addison,I’ll pick you up in the morning.”

Addison didn’ttake any notice of her mum and just answered unfazed. “Okay,Mum.”

“Actually,”Bryce said as he strode in our direction. Fuck, he looksextremely hot today. Why does he look hotter than his normal hottyhotness? “Danny, my chauffer, will be dropping the girls offhome tomorrow in the limousine, if that’s alright?” he asked with acharming tone that no sane woman could refuse.

All the girlsscreamed.

I licked mylips.

And Addison’smum just stared.

“I think thegirls would like a ride in the limo, wouldn’t you?” he asked themas he pulled me into his side.

“Yes,” theysquealed.

“Mum!” Addisonscreeched, snapping her mother out of her Bryce-induced trance-likestate.

“Yes. Yes,sorry. Yes, that is fine, sorry. Thank you. Okay, I’ll see youtomorrow.” She quickly kissed Addison on the forehead and hastilymade her way out the door.

I closed itbehind her and wrapped my arms around my man. “You do that onpurpose.”

“What?”

“Hmmm,” Imumbled, while squinting my eyes at him.

He chuckled,leaned forward and kissed me on top of my head. All the girlssounded a long-winded ‘Oooooo’.

I laughed androlled my eyes, prying his hands from around my waist. “Okay, youfour, what will it be first: cupcake making or make-overs?”

“Make-overs,”the all screamed and clapped. And with perfect timing, the buzzerto the door sounded again. Bryce walked over and let in two of thehotel’s spa centre staff, who were both pushing a garment rackcontaining five fluffy robes and a case which I assumed containedmany beauty make-over products.

“This isBridget and Emily, Alexis. They will help make-over each and everyone of you.”

All four girlshappy-clapped and bounced on the sofa.

“Hi, pleasedto meet you,” I said.

“Great, nowthat Bridget and Emily are here, that is my cue to leave. I’ll bein my office if you need me.” He placed two fingers on his lips andblew me a kiss. I sighed. Did I just sigh out loud? Shit! Whatis wrong with me today?

Emily andBridget spent the next hour applying facial masks to me and thegirls while 4Life played through the speakers in the background. Weeach had our hair in buns, with headbands keeping the loose strandsof hair back, a greenish poo-coloured mud mask spread across ourfaces, and slices of cucumber lightly balanced on our closedeyes.

All four of uswere lying back on the sofa with our robes on and our feet up onthe coffee table.

“How long doesthis mask have to stay on?” I asked Bridget or Emily, not beingable to see either of them. Quite frankly, I couldn’t see shitthrough these circles of cucumber.

“Another fiveminutes,” one of them replied with a slight giggle. Glad youfind this funny!

I nodded verycarefully. I honestly couldn’t wait to get this shit off my face. Iwas only indulging in this incredibly expensive mud mixture—thatwas probably dug up from down the street—because Charli wanted meto.

The sound of acamera shutter broke through the only piece of silence I’d hadsince the girls arrived.

“Was that acamera?” I asked awkwardly, as the mud around my mouth was dry andmade it difficult to move