Teach Me Something // LH44

Chapter Eighteen

"Surprise!" A chorus of voices call out as I walk over the threshold of the room but there's only one that is actually a surprise to me. Lewis is cheering with the rest of them already sitting around the table, grinning as he stands up when I look at him with what I imagine is a severe degree of disbelief on my face. I turn around to see Lucas without the same look of shock on his face and behind him to see Jenny laden down with bags, also looking equally unsurprised. I'm gently ushered out of my state of shock when Lewis walks around the table, demonstrating the tight-fitted white t-shirt that looks as though it was made by an angel from how well it fits him. He draws me into the room by interlacing his hand in mine and pulling lightly before he helps me to take my jacket off my shoulders, pulling out a seat next to the one where he was sitting before.

"Did we surprise you?" He asks me enthusiastically, brushing the hair off the side of my head to bring my attention back from panicked glances around the room to focus on him. The minute I do, I find my heart rate slowing right down, stuttering over a single beat as I try to remember the English lesson I'd given my kids earlier today in the hope that would give me a foundation to work from now.

"Er... if this was a group effort then yes... I don't understand what's going on," I say, half to Lewis but also to the rest of the table that looks giddy. Not just to be around him but also to watch on, making me oh so aware of every micro-expression on my face. I look around the room for an answer and obviously find it on Jenny's smug face as she takes a seat across from us.

"Lewis messaged me and asked if there was any way that he could crash part of tonight because he knew how much you wanted to be with your best friends in the whole, wide, world... but he also wanted to see you," Jenny says with a grin, picking up her water to sip it as I look back at Lewis who is nodding to confirm her story. If it weren't for that I would have been convinced that she was lying to me but I had to concede that she wasn't. "I thought about it for... hmm... all of thirty seconds before I saw your mopey face emerge from your bedroom and thought fuck it, he should be here for the whole damn thing! I mean after all, you only turn thirty once," she points out and I roll my eyes, cheeks going red from her embarrassing comment about me moping as I shake my head at Lewis to signal that she's lying.

"It's okay, I've been pretty bummed out these last few days myself," he whispers reassuringly in my ear before pressing a delicate kiss to my cheek that I'm sure was only designed to make my complexion resemble a fire engine. His arm on the back of my seat allows his thumb to rub up and down my arm softly as the rest of the room erupts into chatter and laughter as everyone sits down. "I really have missed you," he tells me solemnly and my heart skips a beat when I see the warmth and sincerity in his eyes.

Finally, the private dining setup made sense as I turned to properly look at him, his white top making his skin look even warmer and inviting. It contrasted so perfectly with his tattoos, hair and eyes that I was wishing for an even more private room that my friends wouldn't be able to get a look into as I lean in to receive the kiss that I've been missing for the last few days. I can feel my heart melt along with all the background sounds when I do, and for a moment I manage find that harmony that he always seemed to bring with his presence before turning to the rest of the table.

"Well... thank you all! I appreciate your presence as well as this surprise and I guess here is to having a good night filled with laughter, some memories and good vibes, so that we may take them forward and into the rest of the year," I say, raising the champagne flute that was in front of me into the air, my toast receiving small cheers from around the table as everyone joins in. Lewis and I make sure to bump our glasses lightly on the table before making eye contact with the first sip.