One and Only

Chapter Eight

***Short Chapter -- kitchen sex ***

February 9th, 2021

Fayetteville, Georgia

"Wow," Desai said as she looked at all the messages on Tom's phone. "You have really touched a lot of people's lives."

"It's overwhelming," he said with a smile.

"You love it though, because without your fans you'd still be an actor but probably be a fairly unknown actor."

"Exactly," he said giving her a hug. "So, what did you get me for my birthday?"

She gave him an innocent gaze as she said, "Oh, that's what all those messages are for? I thought they were Valentine's Day wishes."

"Desai, I know that look. What have you done?" he asked nervously. In the last two weeks since their huge argument that had almost caused her to leave she had shown a new facet of herself. She had opened up and had begun to play pranks on him. Some fairly good ones too he had to admit.

Vaseline on his car doors.

Peanut butter under his windshield wipers knowing he would get soaked trying to get it off.

Slugs in his shoes!

Blue dye in his shower on his last day at the theater in London. After she had left!

He grinned, he'd looked like a smurf with black hair! And she was the only one thus far to beat him at Scrabble! How she did it he did not know or understand but that woman knew more words than a dictionary!

"What pray tell makes you think I've done anything?" she asked in her horrible British accent as she headed toward the kitchen leaving him sitting on their emperor-sized bed.

What was she up to? Thomas got up and followed her; unlike her he had not bothered to shower or get dressed, he still wore his joggers and shorts with, what seemed like, his ever-present blue jumper, and running shoes.

"Desai?" he called as he moved down the stairs and into the kitchen. Where the hell did she go, he thought as he continued to look for her. The house was so big that they had had a fun game of hide and seek just a couple of days ago. "Come out come out wherever you are!" he called as he moved through the kitchen and down the hall toward the formal dining room. Opening the door, which was strange – it was usually open – he saw her and then he saw everyone else.

"Surprise!" they all yelled.

Diana came over and gave him a hug as did his sisters and father, then his co-workers and the rest of the crew. He gave Desai a breathtaking smile as he hugged her to his chest. "I cannot believe you did this, and everyone kept it secret." Then he whispered, "That's a naughty thing to do. You need a spanking for that."

She blushed crimson. "That will have to wait until our guests have gone home," she whispered back and then led him into the ballroom where a huge buffet had been set up for brunch that included a birthday cake.

"I don't know what to say. I wasn't expecting anything like this," Thomas said as his voice caught with emotion. "I do however appreciate it very, very much."

She had told everyone that no gifts were required just their presence but of course no one listened. There were new shoes, shirts, ties, patterned socks, cuff links, a gold necklace, a new watch, and a signet ring for his right hand.