Chapter 45

Karen was defeated so she went upstairs and got her shower. When she got out, she saw a little sunburn forming on her shoulders and put some lotion on. Karen went to get dressed but didn't fix her hair or put any make up on yet. She went to the guest bedroom and looked out the window to see if Sidney was back yet. Karen didn't see his Range Rover and decided to lay down for a little bit until she heard him come back.

Sidney got back about an hour later and didn't see Karen in the living room with the girls. Sheril told Sidney that since she hadn't heard from her, she went to check on her and that Karen was asleep. Sidney smiled and ran upstairs. When he got to her room, he saw her laying on the bed with the most peaceful look on her face. Sidney quietly walked over to her and crawled in bed beside her. He laid facing her and lightly kissed her until she woke up.

"Hey" she said fluttering her eyes open. "When did you get back?"

"Just a few minutes ago. Did you get tired out from today?"

"A little. After my shower, I got so sleepy and didn't want to fall asleep on you and whatever you have planned for me. What did you plan for me?"

"Are we seriously playing 20 questions again?"

"Um, it's not again since I technically never asked 20 to begin with."

"Ok, I'll give you that. But to answer your question, I do have something else planned and it's downstairs waiting for you."

"Really?"

"Yes really, so let's go."

"I need to fix my hair and everything first."

"No you don't" he said pulling her up "you're beautiful just they way you are."

"You can stop now. You got me."

"And I will get you later tonight." Sidney gave her an evil grin and kissed her before leading her downstairs.

"Why are all the lights off Sid?"

Sidney got her to the bottom of the steps and told her to stop. He took her hand and slowly led her to the entrance way of the living room. Karen was about to say something but was stopped when the lights flipped on and 15 people all yelled "SURPRISE." Karen couldn't stop smiling when she realized what Sidney had planned.

"Happy Birthday sweetie" Max said as he walked over to hug her.

"Thank you Max" she said hugging him back. Karen looked around the room and saw Jordan, Marc, and Ryan Whitney, but also her friends. "How are you guys still around? I figured everybody would be heading someplace secluded for a couple months."

"We're getting there" Jordan said "but when Sidney called, he said we needed to have one last get together."

"And when he said is was to celebrate your birthday we couldn't get here fast enough" Max said with his arm still around Karen. "I think you have a pretty great boyfriend there."

"Yeah, I'll have to agree to that" she said smiling at Sidney. "So, what are we doing?"

"What ever you want girl, it's your birthday, so what do you want to do?" Stacy yelled from the back of the crowd.

Karen got a goofy smile on her face.

"You might want to save THAT for later" Sheril told her.

"What, you guys don't want a show?"

"Care to explain Sid?" Ryan asked curiously.

"Uh, no." Sidney looked at Karen and brought her to him, laughing with her.

"Well, has anybody had anything to eat?" Karen asked the group.

Everyone agreed to order some food in and they sat around talking until it arrived. When the food came a half hour later, they continued talking while they ate. Afterwards, they were looking for something to do.

"Ok guys, in honor of Kiki's grand birthday, I think we need to play some games."

"Grand birthday? What am I 50?"

"Probably, you could have shaved off a few years to fool people."

"Well remember, if you can, that ya'll are just a few months behind me. I would call you guys being in the grand scheme of things too."

"You can't let anyone one up you huh?"

"What fun would that be?

"I think we need to play the game 'what don't we know about Karen'?" Max said.

"Um, no we don't."

"Yeah I think we do and I will start" Stacy said.

"Oh god" Karen sighed sitting back on the couch.

"Did you guys know that when Karen and I played for Team USA, she had to skate around the ice during practice in her bra and underwear?"

Karen had her hands over her face "you had to start with that one huh?"

"I'm sure there's a back story to that and I know I speak for everyone baby when I say...spill it." Sidney said as he smiled at her.

"It's not bad like a hazing or anything. The coach had us play a game against each other and the captain on the team that won would get a prize."

"So you're prize for winning the game was to skate around in your underwear?"

"No, sad to say I was the losing captain and the winning captain, Stacy, decided her prize was to torment me."

"Well, you did get a lot of numbers that day so you should've been grateful."

"Yeah, whatever. Who's next?"

"That would be me" Sheril chimed in "do you guys know that Karen made out with one of the guys from the Backstreet Boys?"

"WHAT?" Sidney and the rest of the guys yelled then laughed.

"Tequila was involved ok....let's move on."

"What about gondo surfing? Anyone know about that?" Diane asked everyone.

"Do we want to know what gondo surfing is baby?" Sidney asked.

"Gondo surfing is what we do at work when we work overnights and get all slap happy from being tired. You get on the empty gondos and someone starts pushing it then lets you go and you ride it down the aisle."

"But you left off the best part" she said.

"What's the best part Karen?" Jordan asked

"When you lose your balance and fall off on your ass." Karen sat there while everyone laughed at her.

"Are we done now?"

"Unless Sid wants to share something he knows that we don't."

Karen shot him a look and he knew what it meant "I think I am going to keep that to myself" he said kissing her.

"Alright you two, save it for later."

"But it's my birthday and you said I can do whatever I wanted."

"True, but all public displays of affection will be kept to a minimum."

"Ok, fine. We need another game and I believe the alcohol needs to come out for it" Karen said.

"I'm for that" Sheril said getting up "let's get the party started."

Almost everyone got up to help bring everything into the living room. Karen was about to get up to help when Sidney stopped her.

"So when do I get the pleasure of seeing you skate around in your underwear?"

"Sid, you've seen me naked. Why would you need to see that?"

"You in only your underwear, skating around the ice...could that turn me on any more?"

"I'll make you a deal. If you can arrange it to where there will be no one else around and no documentation will 'show up' at a later time, then it might just happen."

"Really?"

"But there is one other thing."

"Name it."

Karen leaned in closer to whisper "you do it with me." As she looked up into his eyes, Sidney captured her lips in a heated kiss.

"I think I can arrange that."