"Remember when you were eighteen?" Isaac asks, not looking up from the array of jewels in front of him. Some were coloured gems, other diamonds, all equally expensive. "What did you want for your birthday?"

I scoff. "Bigger boobs."

The middle-aged man behind the counter of Watkins and Sons raised his eyebrows questioningly before clearing his throat and pushing a tray of jewellery in front of Isaac's nose. For the past fifty minutes, Isaac had been looking at getting Martha a ring for her upcoming birthday but now that he was presented with some necklaces, bracelets and earrings, I could see his mind changing. 

"Maybe a necklace?" Isaac questioned to no one in particular. His mind was torn and that did not bode well for me. I'd already lost almost an hour of my life that I wasn't getting back but at this rate, I'd be losing even more of my precious time. I'd already bought Martha her present and all it took me was ten minutes. Isaac sighed heavily and leaned back in his seat, brushing a hand through his hair. "Maybe I should just get her bigger boobs."

With a roll of my eyes, I shuffled closer to the edge of my seat and surveyed the offerings that were before me. The beauty of Watkins and Sons was that they stock all of the major high-end brands in store, meaning that you didn't need to traipse around several shops looking for items as they were all under one roof. My eyes automatically went to a rose gold bracelet from Cartier which I thought would be perfect for Martha. 

It was from their Love collection, where the bracelet had several screw motifs on the bracelet, with one of the screws being functional. The bracelet came with a small tool that you used to fix the bracelet around your wrist and once that thing was tightened, that was it. It was a symbol of eternal love and knowing how much Isaac loves his daughter, I thought that it would be symbolic of their father-daughter relationship. 

"This one," I point at the bracelet that I'd been eyeing up. The man in the grey suit nodded his approval and looked at Isaac for confirmation. I was here to lend a helping hand in finding Martha's birthday gift but at the end of the day, it was Isaac's decision to make. "What do you think, babe?"

"You're sure she'll like it?" He looked at me, still a little sceptical of what he should buy. Eventually, he nodded and told the man to box it up. He also pointed at a delicate necklace that had a swirly 'M' etched onto a rose gold disk and a pair of stud earring. "Maybe I'll get that birth stone ring, too. Yeah, I'll take that as well. Box it all up and if you have a gift wrapping service, I'll buy into that too. I can't wrap things up to save my life."

Boxing and wrapping Martha's gifts were taking ages and having sat down for a prolonged period of time, I needed to stand up and walk around. Having a baby sitting on your bladder takes its toll sometimes and I found walking around for a few minutes helped to shift Nugget around a little, alleviating the discomfort. As I toured the shop and searched out a few items I thought that my family might like for Christmas this year, I noticed Sam entering the shop and shaking hands with an assistant. 

"Hey, Sam!" I called out, waddling over to him. I was now at that stage of my pregnancy where I was more penguin that human and I couldn't walk like I used to. In as much of a hurry as I could muster, I approached my best friend and wrapped him into a hug. "What are you doing here?"

Looking slightly nervous, Sam shrugs his shoulder and forces his hands into the pockets of his trousers. "I was just picking something up, that's all," he answers. His eyes shift around the shop and he looks like he wants to be anywhere but here, or maybe he was simply acting like this because I'd caught him in the shop. "Is it, uh, just you here or are you with someone?"

I explain that Isaac is in one of the rooms, picking out Martha's birthday present and tell him what we've chosen. I also let him in on the secret that my gift to Martha is a handbag that I designed for her and that my mother would be adding to her fashion line when she debuts her Spring/Summer 2018 collection in a few weeks' time. It had all been hush-hush but I was rather proud that I'd thought of the idea. Mum was on board and jumped at the chance to create the handbag for her, even suggesting that we name it after the birthday girl, and going one step further, Mum had even created a matching wallet. The leather had been dyed to match Martha's favourite colour and it would be the only one in existence as all the others in the like would be black or tanned. 

"Sounds nice," Sam commented, a sincere smile on his face. "I know Martha will love that. So, Isaac got her a rose gold Love bracelet, huh? Cartier is expensive."

"His daughter only turns eighteen once," I laugh. "Plus, he didn't really take to my idea that she may want a boob job."

Sam's eyes widened. "Martha doesn't need a boob job," he tells me before biting down on his lip as his face goes red in the cheeks. He splutters a few odd words before clearing his throat and saying, "I mean, not that I look at her boobs or anything but you know... I just meant that, erm, she's perfect as she is and she doesn't need to mess with that because, you know, she's... a bracelet sounds like a better option. So, uh, what time is her party thing on Thursday?"

Remembering that I was supposed to be hand delivering invites to Martha's birthday party, I hold up a hand while starting to rummage around in my handbag for the wad of envelopes that I was keeping safe. When I start to flick through the names on the front, I frown at the thought of delivering these today. 

"Keira and Logan, Sophie and Dan," I start to whisper the names as I go through them. Pregnancy was playing havoc with my memory and sometimes, the only way I could remember things was by saying them out loud. "Arwen and Nick, Jade, Miles, Will... oh, wait, this is yours. Here."

I hand over the one that has Sam's name written on it and he takes it with a small smile. "So, Will is still coming, huh? I thought that Martha was cooling the relationship down. Or that's what she was saying, anyhow. Know anything on that front?"

I shake my head. Martha had been rather open in terms of her love life in the past but recently, she was playing her cards very close to her chest. I think that was a sign that she was really into Will, more than she was prepared to admit. I mean, when I was her age I was exactly the same. I'd be bragging about the boy I was seeing but as soon as my feelings developed and things were becoming serious, I would start to keep some details to myself because they were precious to me. I think that's what's happening with Martha. 

"Maybe," was all Sam said when I shared my theory with him. "Hey, do I get to bring a friend to this party or is it close family and friends only?"

After a little probing, Sam explained that if it was ok, he'd like to bring his latest girl to the dinner so that he could introduce her to us all. I wasn't so keen on the idea as it was a night all about Martha and I wasn't sure how Sam bringing his new girlfriend would ensure that Martha was the centre of attention, but when Isaac arrived at my side, he was more than happy to invite the girl along with Sam. 

"It'll be nice to meet the girl," Isaac beamed, albeit slightly sadistically. "While I interrogate Martha's boyfriend, maybe Lottie can interrogate your girlfriend. I won't be the only bad guy. First, though, we need to get going so we can pick up a few more decorations for the house and we need to stop by at La Petite to triple confirm the cake order. I know, Lottie, that you told me to trust Nate and Arnaud but I still need to check. Sam, don't forget that Poker NIght this week is at mine and it's not really Poker Night but more like Help Isaac Plaster the Place with Photos of His Teenage Daughter. If you can't embarrass your kid on their birthday, when can you?"

Waving Sam goodbye, Isaac pushes me to the door and opens it for me. Thankfully, today Isaac decided to drive us around the city as I refused to leave the house if it meant I had to walk or take the tube so we were quick in getting everything ticked off Isaac's to-do list. We stopped to buy even more decorations; Isaac had purchased several large balloons, had a banner specially made and ensured that all the napkins were monogrammed with Martha's initials. 

Nate and Arnaud refused to listen to Isaac when it came to the cake seeing as they had it all planned out and knew exactly what they were doing, which meant our stop at La Petite was blissfully brief. I caught Arnaud's disgruntled stare as I exited the kitchen but said nothing; if I were the one in charge of creating the cake and I had the client constantly telling me what to do, I'd roll my eyes, mutter in French and shoo them out the door, too. 

Just as I thought we were finished, Isaac made an unplanned pit stop to some old, converted warehouse. He said that he'd only be a few minutes as he jumped out of the car and rushed in doors. From my vantage point, I saw him greet a woman at reception before running up the stairs and out of view. My interest piqued, I leaned across the centre console and pulled the keys from the ignition, locking the doors after I exited the car. 

The reception of the building was large, airy and light, a perfect first impression. SAUNDERS&TAYLOR was written in tall writing on the wall indicating that we were at Mick's place of work. 

"Are you ok?" A woman's voice asked. Turning to look at the person who spoke, I see a tall, elegantly dressed woman with dark hair watching me with mild interest. "You look lost. Is everything alright?"

Before I got the chance to answer, I heard two very familiar voices seconds before Isaac and Mick descended the stairs and appeared before me. The woman who had been talking to me let out a long exasperated sigh before she turned to glare at the two men. 

"Michael, you know the rules, you can't have personal visits during working hours," the woman said.  

"I couldn't give a toss, Lyanna," Mick replied, waving the woman away. "And leave Charlotte alone."

Lyanna rolled her eyes at Mick's words but let her focus fall on me. "You're a friend of his?" She asked me. When I nod, a sympathetic look takes over her stunning features. When she next speaks, her tone is empathetic, the kind that someone bestows upon you when they've heard terrible news like your parent has died. "I am so terribly sorry."

"Thanks. Do you work with him?" I try to make conversation with Lyanna. She doesn't seem so bad that Mick talked to her the way he did. In fact, she seemed like the type of person I would be friends with, reminding me a lot of Sophie. Sarcastic and stunning. 

"Charlotte Delaney, meet Lyanna Saunders," Mick makes the introductions. Despite the sombre tone of his voice, amusement is etched on his features and I can see Isaac watching the display with deep interest, a frown between his eyebrows. He tried to catch Mick's attention, but it was elsewhere. "Lyanna is the-"

"I'm the sister of the woman he's in love with," Lyanna announced. She was irritated by this point and was itching to leave. I guessed that she and Mick didn't get along. Taking a step towards me, she smiled forcefully. "It was lovely to meet you, Charlotte."

When she left, the sound of her expensive heels clicking against the marble flooring, Mick laughed. "Isn't she delightful?" He sarcastically asked. "I'll tell you something, Lydia is a much more pleasant person."

Isaac simply nodded and smirked as he made his way to my side, took my hand in his and led me out of the building, heading back towards the car. Once we were nestled inside, I turned to Isaac and quirked an eyebrow questioningly. 

"What?" He asked, ignoring the obvious.

"Don't you 'what' me, Mr Fletcher," I scorn him. "What was that about?"

"What was-" He starts to play stupid. When he sees the glare I send him, he stops with the act and laughs. "The long story is complicated so I'll give you the short story. Mick's girl, you know, the one that's taken? That's Lydia. Lyanna is Lydia's sister. Lydia and Lyanns Saunders are the daughters of Mick's boss. Mick's boss is also business partners with Mick's father. Mick can't stand Lyanna. Lyanna can't stand Mick."

I frowned. "I thought you said that it was the long story that was complicated. No offence, but the short story sounds just as tangled. Are we done now, Isaac? I really need to go home and sleep. Well, pee and then sleep."

Next update will be on Wednesday but it'll be set on Thursday. (Unless you can all wait a day and I'll update on the actual day. Let me know.)

So, I've done a bit of setting up for the Martha-Sam story (Girl Friday) that will take place after Baby on Board is complete but what I haven't done so far is give you an insight into the one that'll feature Michael Taylor as the main character. 

The story will be called La Vie en Rose and it'll centre around Michael and the character we've just met- Lyanna Saunders. I hope you don't all hate her for her attitude in this chapter because she's a really nice character. Just not when she's around Michael. Think of La Vie en Rose to be similar to Hello (if you've read it) except that it will be filled with lots of passive aggressiveness and pent up sexual frustration and hate. Or there abouts. 

Back to this story, then!

1. What was Sam doing at the jewellers?

2. Are you ready to meet Martha's boyfriend?

3. Should Sam bring his latest love interest to the party?

4. Will Isaac give Martha's boyfriend a really hard time?

5. Who here would like a handbag named after them? *raises hand*

See you all on Wednesday! If there are any Game of Thrones fans around here, the final episode is tonight! The UK air it at the same time as the States airs it, which is 2 am here, and then they show it again at 9 pm which is a more reasonable hour. Tomorrow is a Bank Holiday (no work!) so I will be staying up to watch it at 2 am! I'm going to be super sleepy tomorrow but hopefully, it'll be worth it!

Hope you all have a great start to your week!

Sarah xx