Amber had been counting down the days for months now. It wasn't very often that she could say that she was doing something just for herself. No work commitments. No messages and emails constantly interrupting her. Her laptop and work cell were safely stored away in the home office, work wasn't going to disturb her for the whole weekend. Nor her two boys and their father. They'd been safely shipped away to a lake cabin for a weekend of fishing, hiking and late night camp fires. The boys had been excitedly planning what they would be doing for the last few weeks so she was confident that her little break to help celebrate her birthday wouldn't be an issue.
"It's not every day your best friend wants to help you turn forty is it?" she had constantly told herself in the early days when she was trying to salve her conscience.
It had worked, eventually, and the guilt she'd initially felt had all but subsided and now here they were, stood in reception with Nikki enthusiastically explaining to the slightly bemused young girl behind the desk that they were both here to celebrate a very special birthday and that they had chosen this exclusive Spa Resort due to all the great reviews on TripAdvisor.
"Oh, welcome to Hope Springs then!" the young girl replied with a broad smile as she recovered her composure. "My name is Candice and I'm your designated contact during you're stay with us".
She handed Nikki a couple of highly glossed business cards that displayed details of a private WattsApp group called 'Amber's Special Birthday'.
"As you can see, I have created our very own WattsApp group for this weekend. This group is exclusive and can be used at any time to contact either myself or Eugene" she explained.
The way she said 'any time' and the fact that she held Nikki's hand for just a little bit too long didn't escape Amber's attention.
They were led to their suite by Eugene, a smart twenty-something in a stylish black top and fitted trousers. His uniform coupled with his bronzed skin gave off an aura of someone who was very content with himself and his status in life.
"I trust that your stay with us here at Hope Springs will bring you all that you wish for!" he said with a not so subtle wink as he handed over a couple of key cards.
"And remember, if there's anything that either Candice or myself can help you with to make your stay with us extra special this weekend, then you only have to ask".
He swept open the door for them and they bounded in giggling like the high school friends they had been.
"Oh my goodness!" Amber exclaimed in amazement. "It's huge. This can't be all for us can it?" she gasped in disbelief to the amusement of Nikki who winked at Eugene with a huge smile.
"This is all ours Amber. Remember you're only forty once and this is my gift to you!" she said.
She ran over to her and wrapped her arms around her and planted a huge kiss on the side of Amber's face.
"Happy birthday Amber. This is definitely going to be a birthday to remember!"
Then after a peck on her lips Nikki threw herself backwards into one of the two kingsize beds behind them and splayed her arms out sideways, snuggled down into the plush pillows and crisp sheets with an over-exaggerated sigh.
"This is bliss!" she murmured.
Amber turned to Eugene to offer him a small tip for his services so far, but he politely refused.
"We actually have a no tipping policy on site ma'am, but thank you for the kind offer!"
"So how do we get to show our appreciation then?" she asked inquisitively.
He just smiled at the question and then left them alone to explore the suite further and recover from the long five hour journey.
Amber walked into the bathroom and stopped dead in her tracks. She had never seen such opulence in her life. The floor was a dazzling white marble with thin veins of black running through it. This continued up the walls until it met highly polished mirrors that were positioned above a black granite surface which contained large oval sinks complete with ornate gold taps. A wealth of lush exotic plants in sleek black pots and carefully installed LED lighting provided the perfect backdrop and completed the overwhelming sense of luxury.
Running the whole length of one side of the room was a huge bath carved out of the same black granite. It could easily fit four grown adults in with room to spare. In the corner was a walk in rain room with ample space to accommodate at least two people. Large floor to ceiling heated rails were close by providing a constant supply of soft warm towels. It was perfection in Amber's eyes.
"Race you for a shower!" squealed Nikki who'd followed her into the bathroom.
She fled back into the other room and quickly began casting her clothes into a crumpled heap by the side of her bed. Her athletic body was quickly wrapped in a thick white bath sheet, her slightly tanned skin contrasting perfectly against it's plush fabric.
"Not fair!" Amber laughed as she tried to pull her tight jeans off over her feet. "You had a head start and besides you were hardly wearing anything to start with!" she giggled as the effects of the complimentary Champagne began to take effect.
"Oh, this is divine" she shouted as Amber heard her enter the shower.
"Come on, hurry up, there's plenty of room for both of us!"