Page 1 of Touch of Class

One

“Surprise!”

Gillian gasped and jumped back into the hallway as her friends all popped out and shouted their greeting. Then, as if to take things one step past “too far,” a handful of confetti showered down over her, courtesy of her colleague Robin.

“Babe, let her in.” Sawyer caught their girlfriend around the waist and pulled her out of the way. “It’s her party.”

“My party?” Gillian asked as she stepped into the waiting room. “It’s my office.”

“Also, your birthday,” Brooke said. “We knew you were too smart to be tricked into going out someplace tonight, so we brought the celebration to work with us.”

“My birthday, my place of work. Shouldn’t I get to decide to celebrate it how I want, or not at all?”

“Sorry, not sorry, boss.” Tegan stepped forward, holding a cake alight with candles. “You’re too lovable not to celebrate.”

“Then I resolve to be less loveable in the year ahead,” Gillian grumbled, but she couldn’t help softening a bit as the initial shock wore off. These people loved her, and as inconvenient as it may be at times, the feeling was mutual.

“Good luck with that,” Sawyer said. “I tried awfully hard last year. Kind of backfired.”

Gillian looked at them, her eyes homing in on Robin’s arm around Sawyer’s waist, and the last of her grumpiness started to slip. “Well, whatever’s kept you here for three months could serve as a cautionary tale as easily as a ringing endorsement.”

Sawyer laughed and pulled Robin closer. “You know what’s kept me here, all these amazing women.”

Gillian’s first hint of a smile broke free as her argument faded. Brooke and Tegan, Robin and Sawyer did undoubtedly constitute an amazing group of humans, and if she had any accomplishments worth reflecting on as she wrapped up another year of life, the fact that she’d created and maintained this community through several storms into smoother waters had to be chief among them.

“Three months? A new record for stability.” Robin stared at Sawyer for a long second, though the comment could apply more broadly to all of them. Then, seeming to remember the reason for the celebration she said, “Come on, G-Money. Put your lips together and blow. We all need dessert.”

Gillian rolled her eyes but obliged without pausing to make a wish. For her fortieth year, she wanted only more of this right here, all her people safe and happy, a thriving mental health practice, closeness, comfort, consistency, calm. But once the flames were out, she squinted at the message scrawled in icing. “‘Happy Cougar Era, Ivy League’? Let me guess who placed this order.”

“Technically, I did,” Sawyer admitted, “but Robin dictated the inscription.”

“Shocking.”

“She said I had to sign the receipt because you can’t fire me,” they explained. “I said you could banish me, though.”

She caught them tightly by the arm as Tegan whisked the cake away to cut it. “If I have to stay and endure this chaos, you do, too.”

“It’s my pleasure,” Sawyer laughed. “Robin’s, too.”

“So much pleasure.” Robin kissed them for emphasis.

“Okay, okay,” Brooke said. “How about doing the presents now?”

“Brookesy,” Gillian warned in a low tone, “you know how I feel about gifts.”

“We do, and also your feelings on late-stage capitalism, which is why we all agreed to go with nonmaterialistic offerings to your awesomeness,” Robin jumped back in. “Sawyer and I decided on a chose-your-own adventure option.”

She raised an eyebrow, automatically suspicious about any gift Robin considered an “adventure.” Still, she eased into a chair as Tegan passed her a plate loaded with thickly frosted goodness.

“Option number one, we would like to pay for and accompany you on your first skydiving excursion.”

“Absolutely not.” She didn’t even have to think about it. The last thing Gillian wanted to do as she moved into middle age was anything that might hasten an untimely death.

“Told you,” Sawyer said. “You can’t just jump into things like this. You gotta crank up the temperature slowly.”

Robin folded her arms and approximated her most stereotypical therapist tone. “Gillian and I like jumping metaphors. Skydiving is a guided imagery exercise come to life. It could be a real milestone moment.”

“Every minute with you is a real moment,” Gillian deadpanned.