Alex jumped out of her car and ran over to her father and Olivia, who were waiting for her outside.  “I passed!  I passed!”

 

“Congratulations, sweetie,” John replied, giving her a hug.

 

Olivia gave her a hug as well.  “I knew you’d do great.”

 

They all went into the DMV office so Alex could take her picture and get her license made.  When she was done, she brought her newly printed license over and proudly showed it off.  “How awesome is this?” she squealed.

 

“Let me see your mug shot,” Olivia joked.

 

Alex handed it over and Olivia smiled.  “Aw, you look as gorgeous as ever.”

 

“Thanks, babe,” Alex responded, grinning proudly.

 

“So you got everything taken care of?” Olivia asked.

 

Alex nodded happily.  “Yep.  We can get outta here.”

 

“I’m calling your mother to come pick me up, so you girls go on ahead.  Have fun and be safe,” John told them. 

 

“Bye, Daddy,” Alex said, hugging him and giving him a quick kiss on the cheek.  Her father then went over to shake the instructor’s hand.

 

Alex jumped in the driver’s seat and threw her paperwork on the backseat.  “I feel so official now!”

 

Olivia laughed.  “I know, sweetie.  I was ecstatic when I got my license, too.” 

 

“So where do you wanna get lunch?” Alex asked.

 

“I dunno.  Somewhere quick.  Remember?  Your mom has a surprise for you waiting at home.”

 

“Hmm, that’s true.  How about Arby’s?  I’m kinda craving beef and cheddar and a Jamocha shake,” Alex said lustfully.

 

“That sounds good,” Olivia agreed.  “I haven’t had Arby’s in awhile.”

 

“I love their curly fries.  You wanna sit down and eat?” Alex asked, backing out of the parking space.

 

“Sure,” Olivia replied.  “But I’m paying this time so don’t even whip out that credit card.  You’re the birthday girl.”

 

Alex smiled.  “Thanks, Liv.  That’s sweet.”

 

“By the way, your parking was perfect,” Olivia complimented her.

 

Alex briefly glanced at her.  “You noticed?”

 

“Yep.  You’re a pro,” Olivia said, reaching over to ruffle her hair.  Alex grinned proudly.

 

They had only been eating for a few minutes when Jeremy Hawk and Dustin Willis came over to them.  “Hey, everybody!  The famous Alexandra Cabot has chosen to grace us with her royal presence!  Can I get your autograph, pretty please?” Dustin teased.

 

Alex rolled her eyes.  “What the hell do you want?”

 

“Just to wish you a happy birthday,” Dustin replied.

 

Alex snorted.  “Yeah, right!”

 

“So, Alex…I hear the big party is tonight,” Jeremy said with a big grin.

 

Alex rolled her eyes again and Olivia immediately tensed up.  “Yeah, it is,” Alex responded with a glare.

 

“Well, seeing as how Dustin and I didn’t get invites, you think you could let us in last minute?” Jeremy continued.

 

Alex groaned.  “No, guys.  If you aren’t on the list by now, you never will be.”

 

Olivia stood up.  “Beat it, assholes.”

 

Dustin and Jeremy turned to Olivia.  “Oh, I get it.  It’s a dyke party.  My bad,” Dustin snarled before turning back to Alex.  “Damn, Alex.  You sure know how to pick ’em.”

 

“Fuck off!” Alex yelled.

 

“So what the hell makes you think you’re so much better than us that we didn’t get invited to your exclusive little party?” Jeremy demanded.

 

“You weren’t invited because you’re fucking assholes,” Alex snapped.  “Now leave us alone.”

 

Dustin folded his arms.  “Make me, bitch.”

 

Alex picked up her Jamocha shake and threw it at them.  They jumped back and angrily began swiping at their faces and clothes.

 

“Oh, you stupid little slut!” Jeremy yelled, coming toward her with his fist raised.

 

Olivia blocked his path.  “Touch her and I’ll fucking rip both your balls off and make you eat them raw,” she threatened.  She turned to Dustin and warned, “Yours, too.”

 

Jeremy immediately backed up.  “Man, fuck this.  I don’t need this shit.”

 

“Forget them, Jeremy,” Dustin said, grabbing a napkin from an empty table and attempting to wipe the thick, sticky liquid off his jacket.  “We’ll fucking be there, bitch,” he continued, kicking the paper cup out of the way.

 

“Yeah, so will security!” Alex shouted as they slammed the door behind them.

 

Olivia sat down beside her and brushed some of her hair back from her face.  “Are you ok, sweetie?”

 

Alex nodded and gave her a quick smile.  “Yeah.  Thanks for sticking up for me.”

 

“Sweet tits, it’s second nature,” Olivia said, kissing her on the cheek.  “I’ll never let anything happen to you.”

 

Alex laughed.  “I like it when you call me that.”

 

“I like it, too,” Olivia replied, kissing her cheek again.  “It’s kinda naughty.”

 

“You really think they’re gonna try to crash my party?” Alex asked, worry crossing her face.

 

Olivia shook her head.  “Nah.  They were just talking shit.  And if they do, they’ll just be arrested.  Then I’ll give them hell at school on Monday.”

 

Alex smiled.  “I love how you’re so protective of me.”

 

“Want me to get you another shake?” Olivia asked with a grin.

 

Alex laughed softly.  “Sure.  I’m sorry for wasting that one.”

 

“It’s ok, baby,” Olivia assured her.  “Seeing you throw that at them made my day.  I was thinking ‘Man, my girl has a pair on her.’”

 

Alex laughed.  “I did that without even thinking about it.”

 

“I love you,” Olivia said, nuzzling her nose against Alex’s cheek and wrapping her arms around her waist.

 

Alex giggled but suddenly pouted again a few seconds later.  “I know.  I just wanted this day to be perfect.”

 

“Don’t let those fuckers get under your skin, baby,” Olivia told her, rubbing her back.  “It will be perfect.”

 

“Hey, Liv…” Alex began.

 

“Yeah, sweetie?” Olivia asked, snagging one of Alex’s curly fries.

 

“I was thinking about getting a haircut today.  What do you think?”

 

Olivia’s jaw dropped.  “No!  I love the long goldilocks!”

 

“I was only gonna cut off a couple inches so it’s right below my boobs.  I’m tall, so it will still be long.  And I was gonna get some highlights, too.”

 

Olivia paused for a moment to ponder.  Nodding her head, she replied, “Hmm…that sounds hot.”

 

Alex grinned.  “Knew you’d think so.” 

 

“Yeah.  Now I’ll have even more blonde moments to look forward to,” Olivia teased. 

 

Alex slapped her arm.  “Hey!”

 

When they returned to her house a half hour later, Madeline and John instructed them to go upstairs.  Alex saw a new 50-inch plasma HDTV in her entertainment center along with some accessories for her new laptop on her bed.  Her mother looked up at her father and smiled.  Alex ran over and turned on the TV.  “This is beyond cool!  Thanks, Mom!”

 

“Just make sure you get your work done and don’t sit in front of this TV all day,” Madeline told her.

 

“Mom, TV is so much better than homework.”

 

Her mother gave her a stern look.  “I’m serious, Alex.”

 

Alex crossed her arms over her chest.  “Come on, Mom.  You know I always do my work.”

 

“I know, darling,” Madeline said, patting her shoulder. 

 

John looked at Madeline and joked, “I say Alex has been given enough for one day.  Maybe we should cancel the party.  Her friends can just come over here.”

 

Alex looked mortified.  “You wouldn’t!”

 

Her mother and father both started laughing.  “We wouldn’t do that, dear.  But don’t expect us to pay for your wedding,” John said, placing his hand on Madeline’s back and leading her out the door.

 

After they left, Alex nudged Olivia in the side with her elbow and asked, “They’re joking, right?”

 

Olivia laughed.  “Probably.  But we don’t have to have a castle wedding.”

 

Alex looked at her in shock.  “How’d you know I wanted a castle wedding?”

 

Olivia laughed harder.  “Because you’re a total princess.”

 

Alex put her hands on her hips and pretended to be offended.  “I am not!”

 

Olivia gave her a look.  “What’s the theme of your party again?”

 

“Arabian Nights,” Alex said, looking down at the floor.

 

“And what part are you playing?”

 

Alex rolled her eyes and muttered, “An Arabian princess.”

 

Olivia grinned.  “See, I’m right again!” 

 

Alex began chasing her around the room and eventually tackled her on the bed.  “Your ass is totally mine!” she declared, sitting on her waist.

 

“Really?  I thought it belonged to me,” Olivia said with a smirk.

 

“Smartass!” Alex shouted.  She pinned Olivia’s arms behind her head and their eyes locked for a second before their lips met.

 

Olivia ran her hands up and down Alex’s back and then flipped them over, never letting her mouth leave Alex’s.  As she let her tongue probe her soft mouth, she brought her hands around to caress Alex’s face and neck.

 

A few minutes later, Alex pulled away to catch her breath.  “Wow.  Not being able to breathe has never been such a pleasurable experience.”

 

Olivia grinned and pulled Alex’s bottom lip between her teeth.  “Ditto.”

 

“They’re not gonna be able to pull us apart on our wedding day,” Alex said with a grin. 

 

Olivia chuckled.  “Yeah, we’ll give a whole new meaning to ‘you may now kiss the bride.’”

 

“More like you can now grope the bride,” Alex teased.  “You know, I always thought a beach wedding would be really nice.”

 

“You mean if the castle is on the beach.”

 

Alex swatted her arm.  “No, silly.  Just a beach.”

 

Olivia grinned.  “Me, too.”

 

“Speaking of the beach, I cannot wait until Spring Break!” Alex said, flipping them back over.

 

“Are you gonna kiss me like this on the sand?” Olivia asked.

 

“You know it!  But I plan on doing more than just kissing,” Alex replied huskily.

 

Olivia waggled her eyebrows.  “Sex on the beach.  Nice.”

 

Alex narrowed her eyes.  “Which one have you had?  The drink or the act?”

 

“Just the drink—so far,” she replied with a wicked grin.

 

“You had better only had the drink,” Alex said, poking her in the stomach.

 

“And why is that?” Olivia asked, happy to engage in the banter.

 

“Because I wanna be your first beach love,” Alex said with a pout.

 

“And you will be,” Olivia replied, reaching up to drag a finger down Alex’s lips.

 

Alex looked down at her and stroked her cheek.  “I love your dimples.”  She ran her hands through Olivia’s locks.

 

Olivia grinned wider, making her dimples even more apparent.  “They love you, too.”

 

Alex picked up a lock of Olivia’s hair and tickled her neck with the ends.  Olivia laughed and moved Alex’s fingers away.  “Stop that, you little tickler!”

 

“That’s not tickling, this is tickling!” Alex shouted, attacking her stomach.

 

Olivia giggled incessantly.  “Stop!  Stop!”  She managed to grab Alex’s wrists and hold them.  “Now what are you gonna do?”

 

“Kiss you,” Alex said, leaning down to brush her lips.

 

Olivia smiled and sat up.  “I have a couple more presents for you if you promise not to tickle me anymore.”

 

Alex grinned.  “I promise.”

 

“You’re gonna be good for the rest of the day?”

 

Alex smiled slyly.  “Well…that depends on your definition of good.”

 

“Not torturing me,” Olivia responded.

 

“Define torture,” Alex continued.

 

Olivia gave her a look and leaned back on her elbow.  “Come on, Alex.”

 

“Ok, ok.  I’ll be good.”

 

Smiling and shaking her head, Olivia got up and left the room.  When she returned, she handed her a Juicy Couture gift set, which contained a 3.4 oz. jar of body crème, a 1 oz. bottle of perfume, and a tasseled atomizer bulb.  Alex’s face lit up and she deeply inhaled the perfume’s scent.  “Mmm…this smells so good!  Thank you, Liv!”

 

Olivia smiled.  “You’re welcome, baby.”

 

“I can’t wait until tonight when I can put this on.  This smells better than any perfume I’ve ever had.”

 

Olivia cocked her head to the side.  “You’re only saying that because I got it for you.”

 

“No, Liv, I swear!  I just wanna eat it!  It’s sweet and fruity but not overpowering.  I’ll be the best smelling Arabian princess there ever was!”

 

Olivia kissed her cheek.  “You’re adorable.  Did you convince your mom to let you have a private suite?” she asked, trying to sound casual.

 

Alex nodded.  “I begged until she finally gave in.  I’m so stoked.  We are gonna have so much fun afterwards!”  She saw that Olivia was hiding a gift bag behind her.  “What’s in the bag?”

 

“The last gift,” Olivia said.  “Close your eyes.”

 

Grinning, Alex closed her eyes and put her hands over them.  “Tell me when I can open them!”

 

Olivia opened Alex’s laptop and turned it toward her.  I’ve got to capture this reaction on film, she thought.  Once she had started recording, she grabbed the gift bag and excitedly said, “Ok, now!”  

 

After opening her eyes, Alex quickly removed the tissue paper and pulled out two DVD sets.  She began screaming when she saw that they were the Looney Tunes Golden Collection, Volumes One and Two.  “Oh my god, Liv!  Oh my god!” she shouted as she pointed to Tweety on the covers.

 

“Now you can see Tweety in action anytime you want.  He will look crystal clear on your new plasma screen.”

 

“Thank you!  Thank you!  Thank you!” Alex exclaimed, wrapping her arms around her neck.

 

Olivia stopped recording and began to play back the video.  “Look at your face!  Oh my god, this iSight is the greatest invention ever!”

 

Alex laughed.  “Hey, blame it on Tweety overload!”  She grabbed Olivia and pressed her lips hard against hers.  “God, I love you!”

 

Olivia chuckled.  “So I’ve been told.”

 

“We totally have to watch now!” Alex yelled, running over to her DVD changer.

 

Olivia looked at her watch.  It was 11:30.  “When are we leaving for the spa?”

 

Alex shrugged.  “Oh, a little after 12, I guess.  We still have at least a half hour to watch some of Tweety, though!”  She popped the first DVD in and then returned to her bed with the remote.  Leaning back against Olivia’s chest, she sighed happily and said, “This is the best birthday ever.”

 

Olivia kissed the top of her head and responded, “You ain’t seen nothin’ yet.”

 

“You spoil me so much, Liv.  Seriously, I couldn’t ask for a better girlfriend.”

 

Olivia grinned from ear to ear.  “So I take that to mean that all my presents lived up to your expectations?”

 

Alex took Olivia’s hands and placed them on her stomach.  “Liv, the only things I expect from you are that you love and remain true to me.  But I absolutely love everything you gave me.”

 

“Good to know,” Olivia replied, tucking her arms tighter around her girlfriend.