“He’s on his way, everyone!” I yell over the noise of rowdy hockey players. “Please move into the games room.”
“And shut the fuck up, or you’ll ruin the surprise!” Beth yells even louder, ushering the guests into the games room at the back of the house.
I’ve been planning Alex’s surprise thirtieth birthday party for weeks now. Ever since the Whalers made it to the final of the Stanley Cup and lost out in game seven to the New York Bull Dogs, it’s been my mission to cheer everyone up. Zac and I have decided to host a monthly supper club at our new apartment where our friends can come and be guinea pigs for new items on the Gooey Gourmet menu.
Well, when I say new apartment, it’s really Beth’s old apartment in Pioneer Square. You see when The Whalers made it to the cup final, Nate asked Beth to move in with him, right there on the ice after the last game. It was so romantic and really lifted everyone’s spirits. Of course, she said yes, and they immediately set about getting a place together.
I was finally in a position to pay rent somewhere, so when I mentioned this at Champagne Tuesday, Beth immediately offered me her place. It’s a perfect apartment, and I love sharing with Zac, even though it still shocks me to sometimes find his half naked hookups wandering around in my kitchen in the morning. It also makes it less awkward when Alex and I spend the night together, which, now the season is over, is every night.
So here we are, about to throw the legendary Alex Bergman a surprise birthday party. He’s on his way to Matt and Mila’s after picking up his family from the airport. There are so many of them, he had to hire a bus and a driver. I’m both nervous and excited to meet them. Even though I’ve been part of the family Skype calls for weeks now, it’s still nerve-wracking to meet them in person.
“Okay, I see the bus pulling up,” Matt calls from the front door. “Everyone shut up!”
I join Matt at the front door and try to keep the huge grin off my face. Alex has no idea we have this planned; he thinks he’s bringing his family over to meet my brother and have dinner. Of course, his family are in on it. I called his Mor when I decided to do this, and she thought it was a wonderful idea. I can’t wait to see the look on his face when he realizes we’ve all been plotting against him.
As the bus pulls up and the doors open, I see my handsome boyfriend disembark, and I still get the same thrill as ever, hardly able to believe he’s all mine. I can’t wait to get my hands on him and give him a great big birthday kiss.
“Holy shit!” I hear Matt exclaim and I return my gaze to the bus.
And holy shit is right.
What follows is a procession of bigger and bigger men, each sporting a reddish blonde beard and shaggy hair with huge bulging muscles. Alex wasn’t kidding when he said he was the runt of the litter.
“Hey Coach, if you’re looking to sure up our defensive line, you may have a few candidates coming your way,” Matt calls over his shoulder to Coach Casey, who just looks a little confused.
“Get ready, everyone,” I whisper-shout. “Here they come.”
As arranged, Alex’s mom makes sure he’s first through the door, and once he’s inside, everyone leaps out of their hiding places and yells “Happy Birthday!”
Alex looks completely shocked and is still staring around wildly as I throw myself into his arms and kiss him passionately, momentarily forgetting we’re in a room full of our families and his teammates.
“What the fuck, baby?” He laughs when I finally detach my lips from his.
“Happy birthday, big man. I wanted to do something for you just to show how special you are to me and how much better you make my life,” I reply, hugging his muscular torso, pressing my cheek against his chest where his heart beats rapidly.
“All I need is you, but this is awesome. Thank you, firecracker.” He presses a kiss to the top of my head as everyone approaches him to wish him happy birthday.
As I move away to give him some room, I’m quickly pulled into hugs by all his family, each hug tighter than the last, making me dizzy. His brothers, their wives, and children are so happy to be here, and finally I’m being hugged by his mom. She’s also a tall, solid woman, and I feel tiny surrounded by these Scandinavian giants.
But as she holds me to her, I feel the love she has for Alex. “Thank you for loving my baby” is all she says, before wiping her eyes and moving away to speak to my brother.
This is the perfect way to celebrate the birth and first thirty years of the man I love, the man I hope to love for the next thirty years and beyond.
The End