Truly ours

Chapter 3

Tia's POV

Getting ready means finding clothes that fit the occasion. With no clue what to wear, I pulled out three options: a black body-con corset dress, a red long-sleeved dress, and a navy corset dress with chiffon sleeves.

Just as I stepped out of the shower, I heard my front door open, followed by the unmistakable sound of multiple pairs of heels clicking against the floor.

"Make sure to take off your shoes before entering!" I shouted from my room.

"We know, birthday girl! We know!" Krissy's voice rang out as she got closer. "Anyway, are you ready?"

"Nope. I have no idea what to wear," I said, gesturing toward the dresses laid out on my bed.

"Well, we girls brought a few things for your birthday-want to see?" she asked, smiling.

"Thank you so much," I said as Krissy, Maya, and Kavi walked in carrying gift bags.

Krissy pulled out the dress first. It was stunning-an emerald green number with a square neckline, elasticated puff sleeves, a corset-style waist, and a dramatic high slit.

Then came the accessories. A diamond cluster necklace, matching drop vine earrings, a gold watch, and a set of two dainty bracelets.

"Guys, this is all so beautiful. I don't even know how to thank you," I said, completely in awe.

"Tia, you're always the best gift-giver. Don't act surprised," Maya said, smiling as she handed over three more gift bags.

"What are these?" I asked.

"They're from our parents," Krissy said.

"Wow. These are amazing too," I said, mentally reminding myself to thank them all later.

"Okay, now hurry up and get dressed. We need to leave soon," Kavi said as she set up her makeup brushes. Maya plugged in the straightener.

45 minutes later...

"Guys, Alex says they'll be here in 20 minutes," Kavi said, putting her phone down.

I tightened the bracelets on my wrist and sprayed on my favorite YSL Libre Intense before tucking it into my purse.

"Let me make sure everything's off before we leave," I said, doing a quick check around the flat. I slipped on a pair of black satin heels, grabbed my coat, purse, phone, and keys, and headed down to the waiting car.

"Hey, birthday girl!" Alex called out as I approached.

"Hey, Alex," I smiled, sliding into the backseat.

At the bar, we met up with the rest of the group. Including partners, there were ten of us in total. Most of us met during university, except for me, Alex, and Krissy.

Alex and I were childhood friends-we'd known each other since kindergarten. We met Krissy a year later when her family moved to our neighborhood. During university, we expanded our circle. Kavi and I met in one of our lectures, along with Asher. Krissy met Maya in her fashion class. Alex connected with Noah, Lucas, Jack, and Mateo through his course. Over the years, we all became incredibly close.

"Let's go in!" Krissy said, looping her arm through mine and pulling me through the crowd and into a private lounge.

"Babe!" Krissy's fiancé, Ryan, called from the staircase, waving as he walked down.

"I thought you were coming later," Krissy said, smiling as she kissed him.

"I was, but I wrapped up work early. What-you don't want me here?" Ryan teased.

"Babe, that's not what I meant," she pouted.

"Lovebirds, let's move! It's time to celebrate Tia," Alex said, wrapping an arm around both Krissy and me.

We all piled into the lounge and flopped onto the massive sofa.

"Okay, lights off!" Krissy ordered. The room darkened, and we heard some shuffling.

Squinting, I saw someone approaching with candles. A cake. Moments later, the group started singing.

"Happy Birthday to you... Happy Birthday to you... Happy birthday, dear Tia... Happy Birthday to you."

I blew out the candles, and the lights came back on.

"Presents!" Noah and Lucas shouted, grabbing boxes and setting them in front of me.

"Do you want me to open them now or later?" I asked, grinning.

"Whatever you want!" Asher said as he handed out drinks from the bar.

"I'll open them now," I said, reaching for the nearest one.

The first gift was wrapped in royal blue paper. Inside was a card that read "Happy Birthday Bestie, Love K" and a sleek black hoodie. Beneath it was a Prada Re-Edition 1995 bag.

"Kavi, I love it! How did you know I was looking for this?" I asked, standing to hug her.

"You've been eyeing it for weeks-I had to get it," she said, hugging me back.

The next gift came in a large black bag. Inside was a box wrapped in gold tissue paper and a card that read, "Happy 29th Birthday!! Love Eli and Kate." I opened it to reveal the cashmere cardigan I'd been planning to buy myself later.

"Elijah, Kate-thank you! It's perfect. And the right size, too!"

"You've got Kate to thank for that. She made sure we got it just right," Elijah said, hugging me.

"Thanks, Kate. It's beautiful," I said, wrapping her in a hug. She'd only been part of our group for a short while, but I already loved her quiet, observant nature so different from Elijah's lively energy.

More gifts followed: bags, clothes, jewellery all carefully picked out. I felt overwhelmed, in the best way.

"Thank you all for the amazing gifts,I love them!" I said, raising my glass of champagne.

"Let's get this party started!" Kavi shouted, grabbing us girls and dragging us to the main dance floor.

"Come on, birthday girl, dance with us!" Krissy yelled over the music, pulling me to the center.

After a while, the dancing wore me out. I headed to the bar and ordered a mocktail.

"Pretty lady, are you here with anyone?" a tall, brown-eyed man asked from a seat away.

"Yeah, I am," I replied, sipping my drink.

"Ah, the pretty ones are always taken," he said with a dramatic sigh.

"That's very sad," I said, glancing back at the dance floor.

"I'm Jayson," he introduced. "Can I ask your name?"

"Tia," I said, meeting his gaze.

"Well, Tia, would it be rude to ask if you're seeing someone?"

"Maybe. Maybe not."

"If you're not... I'd love to ask you out."

"Look, Jayson. I don't think it'd be smart to go out with someone I barely know."

He smiled, hands raised in surrender. "Totally get that. No harm done."

We sat and chatted for a bit, light, casual topics. When he finished his drink, he stood up.

"Well, Tia. It was lovely meeting you. Here's my card, just in case you ever need anything."

He handed me a sleek black business card, which I tucked into my purse.

"It was lovely meeting you too, Jayson. Hopefully, you find someone who captures your heart," I said, giving him a side hug before watching him disappear into the crowd.

Edited