Darren and I both know any kind of “punishment” I’ll be doling out will be of the teasing variety, but they don’t need to know that, and sometimes it’s fun to keep them guessing.

It’s a hot day in late May, and the air conditioning is on in the pool house. Goose bumps flash over my skin as I pad across the cold tile floor to the bathroom. On the counter is a yellow gift bag tied with a bow. My name is written on the little card in Darren’s neat cursive.

Before I open the gift, I strip out of my clothes and wrap myself in the towel. I pull the satin ribbon, wondering if the whole dragging-me-into-the-pool business was an orchestrated move. I assume so. Darren doesn’t do anything without plan or purpose. I remove the tissue paper, noting the firefly print.

Inside is a small package wrapped in more tissue paper; this time lavender. I pluck at it from the back and gently tear the paper.

A soft knock is followed by the twist of the doorknob. “Charlene?” I’m unsurprised that Darren has followed me. I’m curious as to what his plan is—whether it’s going to be a delayed-gratification day, or the kind where we sneak off and satisfy our cravings for each other in short bursts of need and want. I’m banking on the latter since it’s my birthday, and I should be able to call all the shots.

I clear my throat, my body already warming. “I’m getting changed.”

“I came to assist with that.”

I bite back a smile as I open the door and peek through the gap. Darren grips the doorjamb, eyes moving down my neck to where my pearls lie, then dipping lower to where I clutch the towel.

“What if I don’t want your assistance?”

“I can just watch if you’d prefer.” His smile is full of dirty promises as he pushes on the door, and I step back, allowing him in. He closes it and flips the lock. “It’s your birthday. Whatever you want, you get.”

“Whatever I want?” I tap my lips. “Hmm. You know, I’ve been looking at those new Teslas. I think I’d look pretty great in the driver’s seat.”

“We can go car shopping later.”

“Haha.”

I’m clearly joking. It’s a two-hundred-thousand-dollar car. I would actually be terrified to drive it. Darren is quite sensible about his purchases. He has two vehicles—an SUV and a sweet sports car—neither of which cost an excessive amount of money. It’s one of the many things I appreciate about him. His most frivolous purchases are usually lingerie related, or at least they were until a couple of months ago when he discovered his love of cotton panties that retail at five dollars a pair.

I turn back to the lavender tissue paper so I can finish unwrapping what I suspect is the first of many gifts. I find a brand new bikini in a soft, pale purple—one I’ve looked at more than once over the past month or so.

“This one is as much for me as it is for you, hence the color.” He drops his head, lips finding my shoulder. “Are you sure you wouldn’t like my assistance?”

“Everyone is going to know what’s going on in here.” I point out as he kisses up the side of my neck.

“I don’t mind if they know I’m apologizing for throwing you in the pool.” He untucks the edge of the towel, and it falls to the floor.

“Is that what you’re doing? Apologizing?”

He skims the curves of my hips, making fresh goose bumps flash over my skin again. “You mentioned something about a punishment. I thought it might be a good idea to get that over with now.” His lips lift against my cheek.

“You’re welcome to serve your penance on your knees.”

His mouth touches mine for the briefest moment before he drops to the bathmat.

Lifting me onto the vanity, he hooks my legs over his shoulders and shows me exactly how sorry he is with his mouth, and then again when he gets inside me.

It’s a good half hour before we come out of the pool house. I’d be embarrassed, but this happens quite regularly with my group of friends—although usually it’s Randy and Lily who make use of the various bathrooms. Hockey players have high sex drives, and watching their girlfriends or wives wander around in bikinis gets them excited. There are worse problems to have.

Lily passes me a glass of champagne as soon as I settle myself in one of the loungers.

“Oh! I like this!” She motions to my new bikini. “Do you know if they have the bandeau-style top?” Lily is modest in the chest department. She’s incredibly lean and so fit she has a four pack.

“I think they might. I’ll text you a link to the site.”

Violet lowers herself into the lounger beside me. She adjusts her bikini top with a frown. “What the hell am I going to do if these get bigger? I’m already busting out of these tops as it is.”

“Doesn’t Alex buy you a new bikini every week?”

“I have some from my last pregnancy that might fit you,” Sunny says from under her sunhat.

“Yeah, I might have to take you up on that. I’m constantly at risk of flashing a nipple here.” Violet leans back in her chair, and then checks to make sure the movement hasn’t exposed anything it shouldn’t.

Lily, Poppy, and I drink champagne while Violet and Sunny drink fizzy grape juice with strawberries floating in the glass. I survey the pool, smiling as the guys play volleyball and Lily’s and Sunny’s dogs—Weiner, Titan, and Andy—run up and down the length of the pool, waiting for someone to throw them a ball or a Frisbee. As far as birthday celebrations go, this is my idea of perfect. I have almost all the people I care about right here.

About an hour later, commotion in the driveway draws my attention. Darren pulls himself out of the pool and heads for the gate. Robbie and Sidney appear, both carrying coolers, and behind them are Daisy and Skye.

When they move to the side, I shriek and jump out of my chair. “Mom?”

She grins and gives Darren a nervous smile before she does jazz hands. The best part is she’s dressed like a normal person. “Surprise!”

I rush around the pool and throw myself into her arms. “I thought you were in the middle of filming.”

“I might have fibbed a little. As if I could miss my baby girl’s champagne birthday.” She hugs me tight. “Darren called me last week and arranged to fly me out here.”

He shoves his hands in his pockets and smiles. “I thought it would be a nice surprise.”

After I’m finished hugging my mom, I launch myself at him. He catches me as I wrap my arm and legs around him. His smile grows, and he chuckles. “I did okay?”

“You did amazing. Thank you.” Other words I want to say get trapped in my throat, so I kiss him instead.

The afternoon is full of appetizers, dips in the pool, crazy conversations between the moms about pregnancy, sex, and other things I’ve never wanted to know about Violet or Alex’s moms, or mine. But I wouldn’t trade the crazy for anything in the world.

We’re in the middle of setting the table for dinner—I could use the food thanks to the amount of champagne I’ve consumed this afternoon—when another commotion at the gate draws my attention.

“What’s going on over there?” I ask Violet, who’s busy trying to attach pickled pearl onions to baby gherkins and wrap them in ham so they resemble mini Super MCs.

Violet looks over her shoulder and shrugs. “Maybe it’s another delivery, courtesy of your boyfriend?”

“I’m going to check it out.”

Darren has bought me a ridiculous number of gifts, and apparently there are more waiting at his place. I’ve unwrapped a new closet’s worth of shirts and leggings this afternoon.

I tiptoe stealthily across the patio in hopes that I can catch a glimpse of whatever is being delivered.

“What the fuck is going on?” Darren mutters. “Why is this thing parked in your driveway? We need to get it gone before Charlene sees it.”

Darren is standing shirtless with his arms folded across his chest, Alex beside him, adopting the same pose. I suppress a shudder when an RV comes into view. It’s parked in the driveway. It looks eerily similar to the one that was parked on my street earlier today.

The door to the RV opens with an ominous creak. Anxiety ricochets awkwardly through my entire body as a man appears in the doorway.

I break into a cold sweat as memories I’ve spent the past decade trying to keep locked away and buried claw their way to the surface. I’ve never been more terrified of beige khakis with an elastic waistband and an off-white golf shirt. I feel like I’m being pulled into a nightmare. This can’t be happening—not now when everything is so perfect. Not when I finally have all these good things in my life.

I fight for breath as he searches the faces of my friends, his combover lifting in the air like a hand waving. I take a step back, seeking cover, my knees wobbling perilously as his wild eyes land on me and a creepy-ass wonky-toothed smile spreads across his pale, doughy face.

“I knew the signs would lead me to you!” He spreads his arms as if he expects me to run into them. “I’ve come to bring you back into the fold!”

I’m pretty sure my scream can be heard all the way to Canada.

DARREN