Finally! (now published, so sample only)

Chapter 2 - Birthday revelations

It was weird when Stanford and Tracey arrived. I can't explain the weirdness. Maybe it was because I felt a little guilty over the cake batter moment that Nate and I had just shared. It had been quite an intimate moment. In that second, when all I saw was the gold in Nate's eyes, Stanford had been the last person on my mind.

Nate had greeted them at the door in the same brusque manner that he seemed to treat everyone bar his parents and me. I had to try to calm my heart fluttering madness that just wanted to relive that intimate time we shared.

"Happy birthday." I heard Stanford say in the same bland manner that he always spoke. I heard him introducing Tracey in a much more upbeat manner, as I flipped the cake out of its pan and headed to the door too.

I couldn't understand why, but Nate had barricaded off the most beautiful part of his apartment. The huge open living area with the view of the city afforded the most spectacular view. Everyone knew simply by the location that this was the most affluent part of town and he was in the penthouse so it screamed wealth.

Nate didn't like people knowing about his life. For his business, he even went under the name of Nathanial Ryan instead of Nathanial Miles. He pretended to live a far more meagre existence what he actually did.

I did understand a little of why because I had endured the stuffiness of high society over the years. Nate had dragged me to every function, ball or foundation event that he had been forced to attend when we were younger. High society knew me well, which was hilarious really. If those people saw my day-to-day life, they would be astounded.

"Evening, Adelaide." Tracey's overly cheerful voice had me gritting my teeth with suspicion. She never talked like this at work. She always called me Addy and joked around instead of being so stiffly formal. To me it sounded as though she was trying to cover something up.

"Hi Tracey, how was work?" I asked because I felt that I had to respond politely.

"Good thanks."

"Hello, Adelaide, I guess you spent your afternoon constructively?" Stanford's snobby attitude had my back up in an instant.

"I did, I made a birthday cake for Nate."

Why oh why did I feel the need to defend my actions to my boyfriend of all people? Since I had moved in with him, I had noticed his attitude shift dramatically. Instead of the loving, doting boyfriend that he had been for the last year or so, he was becoming bossy and insufferably rude. He was always trying to box me into the way he wanted to see the world.

"Very constructive use of a sick day." Tracey piped up before sending a look to Stanford that confused me.

"Yes, actually it was. Nate is a very important person to me," I told her, noticing Stanford sending a scowl to Nate, who still hadn't said anything beyond a greeting.

"There's food organised in the dining room." Nate's words were abrupt but he still sent me a reassuring smile.

"You are such a social recluse." I whispered to him as the other two left.

"I don't like them." He stated with a shrug and I sighed.

"Do you want me to send them away?" I asked, knowing I'd rather it just be the two of us anyway.

"No. He's your guy and she's your friend." He spat the word guy viciously but I chose to ignore it.

"I will tell them to go," I said with a frown, which he answered with a sigh of his own.

"Let's just eat, Kitty."

He steered me into the dining room with his hand on my back. Stanford and Tracey stood close together and I just knew they were discussing Nate. The fact that they jumped apart so swiftly seemed rather odd, however.