【48】Surprises

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To my surprise, Lex's unexpected honesty didn't earn me much more than a little teasing early on

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To my surprise, Lex's unexpected honesty didn't earn me much more than a little teasing early on. Meryl had offered me a knowing and amused look when I'd joined her downstairs after I'd jumped into some clothes following a rapid shower. She insisted she didn't mind my tardiness, as she could perfectly understand why I'd get sidetracked with a husband like mine.

Our outing was lovely, and we first stopped to eat at one of the few decent restaurants in town. The steak was good, the fries crispy, and their chocolate lava cake was heavenly. We then headed to the salon, and spent over three hours there, getting mani-pedis and having someone take care of our hair. Meryl didn't need a haircut, but she still enjoyed a shampoo and mask, as well as a blow-dry. I, on the other hand, had the person in charge of me chop a good four inches, which meant I was back to my length from the previous summer, when I'd first started working at Kelex.

It was clear that Meryl was in dire need of a friend, and I sympathized with her because I was in the same situation. She spoke a lot about her grown-up children, who were her pride and joy, and also covered her grandchildren in praises of adoration.

Once we were done at the salon, after we'd paid and left generous tips, she insisted on showing me around, so I'd know which places I should favor or avoid. Time flew by in a blink, and when she pulled up into the alley of my temporary home, the night was almost here, the sky's orange and pink hues already fading into darkness.

"Thank you again for inviting me," Meryl said from the inside of her car through the opened passenger's window.

"It was my pleasure! Thank you for driving us there."

"Of course. Don't hesitate to call me if you want more of these escapades."

"I will!"

We waved at each other one last time and I walked to the entrance while she maneuvered her car to return to the main road. I watched the Audi disappear, holding bags in front of me, and fumbled for my keys once she was gone.

"Baby, I'm home!" I shouted as I entered the hallway.

A vague answer came from closer than I'd expected, so I put my things down, removed my jacket, picked up one of the bags, and went to look for him. I was feeling cute with my new hair, and I craved his approval.

I found him at the dinner table, working on his laptop, looking all nerdy with his glasses. Ugh, put a child in me already... Whatever he was doing on it had him quite absorbed, as he didn't even look up when I approached.

"I brought back food, so we don't have to bother with cooking tonight," I explained, putting the bag onto the table. He nodded but didn't glance my way.

Moving behind him, I hugged from the back, wrapping my arms around his neck and pressing the side of my face on his. "What are you up to?" I asked, trying to guess what he was working on.

"I'm almost done setting up the surprise."

Ever since he'd picked up that mysterious package a few days ago, he'd been working on it. I was excited to see what he was planning. "Is it my birthday gift?"

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