#private bar in Sydney

[lovelytsunoda]

welcome to wherever you are // lance stroll

summary: weddings are supposed to be joyous occasions. but for lance's fiancee, the wedding is just another big milestone that her father never lived to see, like her first day of kindergarten, or her high school graduation.

pairing: lance stroll x hutchence!reader

warnings: depictions of greif, mentions of a parental death.

author's note: i've been on such a bender lately listening to inxs, they truly were one of the greatest bands of the 80s, and I think its a shame that things ended like they did with micheal's death in 1997. i could genuinely talk for hours about it, and about the very real daughter he left behind, but for now i'm going to let the fic speak for itself.

also i feel like i've only done smaus lately bc i've just been in a total idea rut and these are so easy to make lmao

y/n.hutchence just posted to her private story!

VOGUE Weddings: Inside the wedding between Aussie-rock darling YN Hutchence and F1 driver Lance Stroll (you might have to click on these to read them properly)

y/n.hutchence just made a post!

liked by lancestroll, kirkpengilly, officialinxs and 34,508 others.

y/n.hutchence today was a hard day, despite being the happiest of my life. like most milestones, it was bittersweet. while i spent most of my day in love, and excited for what's to come, part of me was also grieving. my dad should have been here to walk me down the aisle, to meet my husband. to give a speech at the reception. i miss you, dad. but i know that you'd be so proud of me.

to my lovely lance, thank you for choosing me, for loving me. for reminding me that its okay to feel all the emotions at once. i love you forever, my husband xx

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lancestroll i love you, my darling wife. you are so strong.

andrewfarriss michael would be so proud of you, kiddo

user the fact that she went public for the day just to speak about her grief on her wedding day . . . that's a caliber of person i could never be

sebastianvettel thank you both for including me in your special day

user she walked down the aisle to 'beautiful girl'....i'm totally not crying my goddamn eyes out

user im not crying you are

user her dad died over 20 years ago....she needs to let it go

-> user lmao imagine telling someone who never knew her father outside of how the media portrayed him after his death to 'get over it'.

mickschumacher 10/10 pasta bar, would come again. your harem of old men scared the crap out of me, though.

-> kirkpengilly old?? who are you calling OLD

-> y/n.hutchence you mean my non-biological uncles? mick, they're the biggest sweethearts

y/n.hutchence just added to her story

y/n.hutchence and lancestroll just posted!

liked by astonmartinf1, sebastianvettel, timfarriss and 29,808 others

lancestroll mr. & mrs. hutchence - stroll, march 2024, sydney australia

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y/n.hutchence i think lance hutchence sounds pretty great

-> lancestroll and i think y/n stroll sounds pretty good too

scottyjames you're taking her last name? good on you, bro

astonmartinf1 welcome to the family y/n! (or should we say 'welcome to wherever you are'? see what we did there?)

fernandoalonso did anyone else get a little teary eyed during the vows?

-> timfarriss i was right there with you mate

-> mickschumacher i saw esteban cry so hard he gave himself the hiccups

y/n.hutchence hey google, play 'never tear us apart' by inxs ( and say thanks to kirk for playing the sax almost all night)

(next part)

TAGS:

@magnummagnussen @libraryofloveletters @httpiastri @lorarri @cartierre @thatsdemko @sidcrosbyspuck @scuderiamh

[weirdgenetic-fuckup]

Mile High Club

A/n: Was reading Steven Adler's book and couldn't get this idea out of my head, don't ask where the connection was I couldn't tell you, but have this anyway :3 Also! If you enjoy reading what I post and want to request something please feel free to!

Warnings: Smut, masturbation, oral sex(f!reader receiving), daddy!kink, let me know if I missed anything :3

Being a flight attendant you were used to going on flights of all kinds, obviously, it was your job. Recently you were told that you’d be on a private flight with a big metal band, though you were never told which band, honestly you didn’t care all too much either. You were going to Sydney, Australia and getting paid to do so.

The day of the flight came and you couldn’t be happier, not because you were meeting some big band but because you’d always wanted to go to Sydney, and now you finally were. You got boarded with the rest of the crew though you still hadn’t met the band yet. Your coworkers were talking about them non-stop and it was starting to itch at you. You didn’t want to care who you were with, but you couldn’t help it at this point.

You were walking through the plane when a man with silver hair and sleeve tattoos called out to you. “Excuse me, sorry, can I get something to drink?” He asked in a polite tone. You stopped and stared at him for a second, thinking that this must be one of the members of the band.

“Uh, yeah, there’s a bar right over there.” You told him, gesturing to the bar just down the aisle. He nodded and looked back at you.

“Do they serve non-alcoholic beverages?” He asked with a slightly worried look.

“Um, I’m not sure.” Chewing your cheek, you continued. “I’ll go ask and try to find you something to drink, sir.”

“James.” He introduced, holding a hand out to shake yours. You hesitated before accepting the friendly gesture. “We’re gonna be on the flight for a while, might as well get to know each other, right?”

“Right.” You said with a nervous smile and walked away. He never called you back to ask for your name and you were too scared to go back until you got the drink.

After looking around for a bit you managed to come up with some fruity drink that had no alcohol in it. You were bringing it back to where you had seen James but he was gone, nowhere to be found. You went to a nearby attendant and asked if they knew his whereabouts. “Oh, he said he was going to his room.” They explained. You took a step towards the band's rooms in the back but they stopped you for a second. “Everyone’s talking about the two of you, you know.”

You were confused. “What do you mean? What’s there to talk about?”

“Well,” they started, “the band hand picks out each crew member they want, we were told that Mr. Hetfield chose you specifically.” You could feel your cheeks heating up, you had no idea why he would or what everyone was really  talking about, but now you at least had a clue.

You nodded and went on your way to the back of the plane where the band’s rooms were and found the door that had a paper taped to it with ‘James’ printed in big, bold letters. You knocked but there was no answer. “Mr. Het- er, James?” You heard strange sounds coming from the other side of the door but couldn’t quite figure out what it was. “James, I have your drink.” You called, knocking again.

“Fuck- just come in, sweetheart.” You couldn’t help but feel a flutter in your stomach at the name. You kept your head down as you opened the door, quickly closing it behind you.

“I have a fruity drink, it has strawberry, banana, um...” You trailed off, trying to think of what else you saw on the juice carton. You turned around and froze at the sight. James leaning back on the bed, cock out in his hand. His head tilted back with his mouth opened in a soft ‘oh’. You couldn’t bring yourself to say anything and just stood there, paralyzed.

James chuckled at you and patted the space next to him on the bed. “C’mere, I’ve been waiting for you.” Hesitantly, you made your way over to him, setting the drink on the bedside table and sitting on the edge of the bed. Your gaze glued to his hard member. James' free hand went to your face, stroking your cheek. “I thought you were just the cutest thing when we were picking out our crew, you know.” He said, voice soft and airy. You swallowed, still staring. “What’s your name, sweet girl?”

You took a deep breath before responding, finally tearing your eyes away and looking in his eyes. For a brief moment. Your eyes quickly flickered to his lips. “Um, Y/n, sir.” James let out a soft groan when you called him sir.

“Thought I told you you could call me James.” You didn’t say anything, biting your lip nervously. He leaned closer to you, tucking your hair behind your ear. “Maybe I’ll just have to fuck that into you.” He whispered, lips brushing the shell of your ear. You sucked in a breath, cheeks going bright red. “Go lock the door, sweetheart.” You nodded as you stood and went over to the door, quickly locking it and turning around only to be met with James right in front of you. His cock was still out, it was bright red and pushing up against you as he smashed his lips against yours.

He backed you against the door, his kisses trailed up your jaw and down your neck while his hand explored your body. He tugged at your uniform, unzipping the pencil skirt and dropping it to your ankles. He didn’t even bother with your button-up, he ripped it open, sending buttons flying every which way. “Fuck, I-I don’t have any other shirts.” You said with a pout, looking down at your now exposed chest. James’ big hands went to cup your chest, admiring you.

“Don’t worry about that, sweetheart, just be here with me.” He pecked your lips again before dropping to his knees. He placed a few kisses over your thighs as he helped you out of your shoes, paying special attention to your inner thighs. He could see how wet you were getting through your panties and brought his right hand up, caressing your thigh for a moment and dipping into your lace underwear. “So pretty, so needy, just for me, right?” He asked, looking right up at him. You bit your lip and nodded. James gave a displeased hum and shook his head. “Now that didn’t sound genuine.” He kissed you over the lace. “Guess I’ll just have to show you, no one will make you feel as good as I can.” Without warning he ripped your panties off, that plus the cool air hitting you making you yelp.

James placed his hands on either of your thighs, spreading your legs for him and pulling your folds apart. “What a pretty girl.” He mused, licking a strip over your slick, tongue dipping into your hole. You tried to hold back your noises as he ate you out, licking, slurping and sucking like his life depended on it. His tongue went as deep as it could in you and his nose kept bumping against your clit, adding extra stimulation. James began sucking on your clit as he pushed a finger into you, starting off with deep, slow thrusts to get you even wetter before adding another finger. “You’re so tight, gotta stretch you out a bit so you can take me, sweetheart.” You whined and nodded.

James curled his fingers in you, finding your sweet spot and making sure to hit it repeatedly. He continued swirling his tongue around your clit. By the way your whines were getting higher he could tell you were getting close. “That’s it, that’s a good girl, come on my fingers.” Your hands went to his head, holding it in place while you rode his face and fingers.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck~! Gonna- ngh! Gonna-gonna cum, gonna cum!” You cried, thighs trembling around james’ head. “Fu-ck, cumming, cumming, fuck, daddy!” You cried as you came all over him, hips bucking against his face. James waited a moment for you to come down from your high before he pulled away and stood up, wrapping his arms around you.

“What was that you called me?” He asked, leaning down to kiss your lips. “Did you just call me daddy, sweetheart?” You tried to apologise or deny it, nothing but sputters came out of you. James laughed at you and shook his head. “Don’t worry about it, sweetheart, daddy’s gonna make you feel so good it’s the only thing you’ll be thinking about, alright?” He picked you up, you wrapped your legs around him, grinding against his throbbing member. “Fuck, if you keep doing that-” He cuts himself off with a deep groan. “Fuck it.” He muttered, taking his dick in his hand and lining it up with your entrance before shoving it in. Your head fell back as you moaned, the stretch a bit much but nothing unpleasant.

James waited a moment for you to get comfortable before he started moving. He thrust into you nice and slow, soon picking up pace and slamming his hips against your, fucking you against the door. You couldn’t contain your moans, crying out for him. “Fuck, daddy, feels so good.” You’d whine. Your arms were wrapped around his neck, your face was hiding in the crook of his neck, occasionally falling back when he hit a particularly good spot on your gummy walls. The silver headed man hooked his arms under your legs, pushing your knees to your chest so he could go deeper. “Fuck- fuck, daddy, ‘m close, please.” You whined.

“Please, what? C’mon, use your words for daddy.” James teased, grinding into you in a way that had his pelvis rubbing your clit.

“Please-please, can I cum? Please, let cum, daddy, feels so good, please.” You begged, planting soft kisses to his neck. James chuckled at your pleads.

“Go on then, cum for daddy, cum on daddy’s dick.” Just like that, you came on him, your juices dripping down your ass. Your walls fluttered around him, squeezing him just right. “Fuck, so good for me, sweetheart.” His thrusts were getting sloppy and you knew he was getting close to his own high. You started bouncing on him as best you could, it wasn’t much but it was enough for him. “Holy fuck, sweetheart, gonna cum in you, alright? Gonna fill you up real nice.” A few more thrusts and you could feel his seed spurting into you, hitting your warm walls. He kept bucking his hips into you as he groaned, holding you close.

James carried you over to his bed, laying down next to you and pulling you close as he got the both of you under the blankets. “Was that good?” He asked, kissing your forehead sweetly. You nodded and nuzzled against him. James pulled you right up against him, letting you rest your head on his chest. “Good, good, I’m glad you enjoyed yourself, pretty girl.”

[laurenairay]

I can't help it if I like it - M. Martin

Summary: Dhara Nicholls is just trying to make ends meet while working on her Masters degree. Enter Matt Martin.

This is my entry for @wyattjohnston’s summer fic exchange 2k24! My giftee is @comphy-and-cozy and I hope I incorporated everything we discussed. This is the second longest fic I’ve ever written on here and I had genuinely so much fun writing it! Definitely written with a lot of creative license, not only because Matt and Sydney are couple goals, but also because I completely fudged the season dates. I also modelled Dhara’s degree and work after one of my best friends, and her Sikh faith after another friend, so it is as accurate as I could make it without experiencing it all myself.

I hope you enjoy it C! And thank you to Demi for reading through the first half of this monster!

Words: 13.7k

Warnings: age gap, flirting, pining, extremely slow burn, implied intimate moment, some bad language, changed names of Matt’s irl wife and children

Title from Shotput by Still Woozy Lyrics used from Middle of the Night by Elley Duhé

~

Waiter/Waitress…

Bartender…

Tutor…

Barista…

Cashier…

Of all the things to leave to the last minute. Dhara usually prided herself on her organisational skills, but with her summer internship taking up most of the past couple of months, finding a part-time job to give her disposable income (and food, for that matter) for the final year of her postgraduate degree had slipped her mind. Rents had gone up quite significantly in the past few months, so anything extra she had last year was pouring directly into paying for her tiny apartment, and she needed to eat, damn it.

Unfortunately, now that it was already August, there was nothing truly suitable. She needed flexible hours, that was for sure – some of her data modelling work couldn’t just be stopped in the middle of a good coding flow to pick up a shift at a bar. And some of her classes were online this final year, so she wouldn’t find it as easy to travel back and forth to a job on campus. Tutoring could potentially work but it would involve a fair amount of planning and structure that she wasn’t sure she could commit to.

This was the worst timing. And she’d sworn to herself that she wouldn’t ask her parents for help, not when she was so close to finally finishing her education. But what could she do?

“Hey Dhara!”

She turned her head to the side quickly, dark curls whipping over her shoulder, before she smiled. The familiar voice indeed matched one of her former dormmates, Melissa. They had lived on the same floor in freshman year at NYU, but with limited student housing, most of the friends on that floor had gone their separate ways into private renting. She’d lost touch with a few of those girls too, after they graduated from their undergraduate degrees, but those she still kept in touch with had carried on their education like she had – only Melissa and another of their friends Janelle had taken up postgraduate study at Long Island University – Brooklyn though, so it was good to see her familiar face outside of the occasional coffee catch-ups, especially after the long summer break.

“Melissa! Hi! How are you?”

“I’m good, I’m good, glad to be back in the city. How are you? Did you travel back to LA to see your parents in the end?”

“I’m pretty good too, thanks. And no, the internship offer was too good to turn down. My parents went on a few trips by themselves anyway, so it’s not like I missed out on too much time with them,” Dhara shrugged, smiling, “Now I’m just trying to get myself set up for final year.”

She loved her parents – really, she did – but she wasn’t as close to them as she had been growing up. The downfall of choosing to study far away from home. Dhara had barely been back to Los Angeles since she moved to New York when she turned 18, if she was being honest, and her parents valued her independence as well as her dedication to her studies. At least they could rely on video calls to see each other’s faces.

“Oh man, tell me about it. Shitty rent increases, right?” Melissa groaned.

“Exactly!” Dhara laughed, “I’m just trying to find something that’ll let me be flexible so I can graduate to the best of my ability, you know?”

“I know exactly what you mean,” Melissa sighed, smiling sympathetically, “I’ve got a couple of interviews at coffee chains lined up, but the hours are going to be brutal.”

Dhara grimaced. Yeah, there was a reason she wanted to avoid working as a barista unless there was no other option.

“Hey, you like kids, right?”

Dhara raised an eyebrow at her friend’s question. “I…do. I have plenty of cousins who have kids already, if that’s what you mean. Why?”

“A friend of my roommate works for a nannying agency. Completely certified company, really well paid, you can input your available hours into their website so they match you up, and they cater to a lot of wealthy clients. She told me they’re opening their books, but I’m not a huge kids person myself. If you’re interested, I could pass you her details?”

“Wait, really? Just like that?” Dhara asked, surprised.

It almost sounded too good to be true.

“Really really. The agency do background checks and would want to see your resume as well as do an interview with you in person, but I can’t see you getting rejected from this. You’re crazy smart and super competent,” Melissa shrugged, smiling.

Nannying. For a potentially wealthy client. There were a whole host of problems that could come from that, with both the parents and the children, but could the flexibility be worth it?

Then again, what did she have to lose?

“Okay sure, pass me her details and I’ll give your roommate’s friend a call,” Dhara smiled.

She could only hope this worked out in her favour.

~

Time was running out, Matt knew that much. There were only a few weeks before the season started up again, and it was beyond time for him to hire a nanny for his daughter. He’d been a single dad for two years now, his marriage ending mostly amicably. Sure, his ex-wife’s announcement that she was tired of following him around for his career had been hard, but not as hard as her second announcement that she was following her own career abroad. But she’d not contested anything he'd asked of her, and hadn’t made any unreasonable demands herself, so it was as clean as a divorce could be. Being solely responsible for the upbringing of their daughter Sarah was not something he’d been prepared for, not with his lifestyle. He knew he was lucky that his mom had been willing drop everything and move in with him after his wife left them, but it was time to let his mom live her own life – and for him to move on with his.

Hockey was his first love, nothing would change that. But his daughter Sarah had taken over so much of his heart that he was struggling with the idea of hiring a stranger to take care of her when hockey took precedence. But it was time – for all of them. In the end, he’d decided to go through a reputable agency that a few of the guys on the team recommended, but after three unsuccessful interviews Matt was just about ready to beg his mom to stay a little longer.

The first interview had started well. But it had quickly deteriorated when he realised that they weren’t as flexible as he needed. It was fair enough that the nanny wanted set hours – he knew his schedule was all over the place – but he obviously couldn’t offer that, so he wished them well and cut the interview short.

The second interview had started bad and gotten worse. He didn’t know if it was the way the woman smiled at him when he saw the elegant interior of the house or how she spoke of him being a single dad with a wide-eyed pity smile, but he didn’t like the vibes she was sending at all. He didn’t need a nanny that was more interested in him than his daughter. No, just no.

The third interview sounded promising on paper. The candidate had all the right qualifications and experience, but when it came down to processes and how she handled tantrums and tears? No way. He knew Sarah sometimes got upset when he was on long roadtrips – it was only natural – and there was no way he was leaving his daughter with someone who would punish her for showing understandable emotions.

So Matt could only hope that this fourth interview – his last for the day before he gave up and started from scratch – would finally be positive.

Dhara Nicholls.

When he’d first seen the name, he hadn’t known what to expect. Dar-Rah. That was how the agency lady had pronounced it, so he could only hope she was right – the last thing he wanted was to say the nanny’s name wrong out of ignorance. While he would ask for more detail during the interview, he knew the basics about her from the information the agency had sent over. Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, studied BS Computer Science at NYU, went on to study for a Masters in Computer Science at Long Island University – Brooklyn, and was currently in her final year for that. It was the flexibility that he was most intrigued by – and her apparent intelligence. He didn’t care that she didn’t have nannying experience outside of family. If she could take care of his daughter, make sure she was happy and healthy, that’s all that he cared about.

The doorbell rang right on time. Good start.

When he opened the door to greet her, Matt found himself freezing a little. He’d assumed that she wouldn’t be Caucasian based on her first name (as much as he hated assuming anything), but he somehow hadn’t been expecting the sheer beauty of the Indian woman standing in front of him now. At least he assumed she was Indian – and again with those assumptions. He would have to check for sure with some subtle questions because the last thing he wanted to do was act like an ass. But right now, her big beautiful brown eyes, smooth skin, glossy dark curls and sweet hopeful smile had his mind whirling. What was wrong with him?

“Hi! Mr Martin?”

Huh, a typical Valley girl accent. Not what he’d been expecting. Damn assumptions.

“Matt, please. Mr Martin makes me feel like my dad’s standing behind me,” he managed to force out.

The laugh that spilled from her lips sounded like music. He was doomed alright.

“Good to know. Matt it is,” she mused.

“Thanks, Dhara. Please come in,” he said, smiling warmly.

The way she smiled as he said her name let him know he’d said it right. Dar-Rah. Beautiful. No, he needed to be professional about this. He couldn’t let himself be bowled over by a beautiful girl, not when she was (hopefully) going to be employed by him. That wasn’t fair to her. Or to Sarah.

“Can I get you a drink? Water? Coffee?” he offered.

“Water would be great, if you don’t mind,” she nodded.

Matt quickly grabbed her a bottle of water from the fridge, before leading her into the living room, handing her the bottle as they sat down on opposite sofas. She was tall even in flat shoes, maybe 5ft10, and she looked around the room with a smile before her eyes landed on Matt. Captivating.

“Let’s start, shall we?” he said, trying to clear his thoughts.

Right from the get-go, she was impressive. Her upbringing in Los Angeles was very family-orientated, living near her father’s 3 siblings and all their children, her cousins. Her studies alone were remarkable but the way he could tell how passionate she was for her work was the most interesting part of all. He liked that she could be flexible with timings, happy to stay overnight in a guest room during roadtrips, and she was willing to work around her class schedule to even take classes from his house while Sarah was occupied with something she could still keep an eye on. It was more than he could have asked for, if he was being honest. It was all just a bonus that she was warm and genuine on top of it all.

Matt knew what he wanted the conclusion of this interview to be. Dhara was exactly what he’d been looking for, and he knew that Sarah would quickly accept her too. He could only hope that she felt like she’d been a good fit for them too.

“Is there anything else you wanted to know?” she asked.

“I think I have everything I need. I’m not going to lie, this whole process has been a struggle,” Matt admitted, “Trying to figure out who to trust my daughter with is the last thing I thought I’d be doing.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Dhara said softly, smiling sadly at him, “Would you like me to take any preferences back with me to the agency? So the next person is a better fit for you?”

If he hadn’t been convinced about her before, he absolutely was now.

“You don’t need to take feedback to the agency, Dhara. Because I want to offer you the job,” he said, smiling.

Her lips parted slightly in surprise, before a wide grin spread over her face. Somehow the pure joy in her expression made her even more beautiful, if that was even possible.

“Thank you, Mr Martin. Thank you so much!” Dhara said happily.

“You’re welcome. You’re exactly who I was hoping to find for my daughter. And please, call me Matt, remember?” he mused.

“Of course, whatever you want…Matt,” she said, ducking her head slightly to hide what looked like a shy smile.

Whatever you want.

Now that was just dangerous.

~

Dhara felt like she was dreaming. Three days ago, when Matt had actually offered her the job, she’d felt like her head was spinning, and it wasn’t until she had the official contract sorted and signed with the agency that everything started to sink in. He was willing to be as flexible as she needed, in return for her being as flexible as he needed – it was a small price to pay to stay in the guest room when he was away for her to still be able to attend all her classes. The only thing they’d had to negotiate was her one in-person class every two weeks that she couldn’t do online that was outside of Sarah’s Kindergarten hours, which he’d arranged for one of his teammate’s wives to look after Sarah for a couple of hours until she was finished. And wasn’t that a trip, learning who he was. An NHL player. She was really going to be the nanny for an NHL player’s six year old daughter, and she could still complete her degree. Mindblowing. The only thing that was still sort of in the works were the Kindergarten drop offs themselves – she wouldn’t be put on the accepted pick-up person list until after a first week’s trial, just to make sure Sarah was okay with her. It was fair enough, but still nervewracking. Matt apparently had full faith that everything would be fine though, and had already given her all the details. Drop off was between 8.30am and 9am, and pick up was at 2.30pm – Matt was happy for her to work from his house on the days she didn’t have to go into campus, to save travelling back and forth, which she was absolutely going to take him up on.  It almost felt too good to be true, that everything was working out the way it was, but she wasn’t going to let such a good opportunity to balance work and her degree slip through her fingers.

When Dhara arrived at Matt’s house, having been given a brief introduction to Sarah before Sarah excused herself to the living room, she tried not to let the nerves get to her. Matt looked lighter, like a weight had been taken off his shoulders, and she could only hope it was partly to do with her. He might be nearly 10 years older than her, but he was one of the most handsome men she’d ever laid eyes on, that was for sure. Not that she’d ever tell her new employer these completely inappropriate thoughts of course.

“Now, I have some meetings and final pre-season things to film and so on at the rink today. I’m hoping it’ll all be done in a few hours but it’ll be a good little start for Sarah to get used to me and my mom not being around. I’ve already explained everything to her, and I think she understands the concept of a nanny and that it was time for grandma to get back to her own life in Canada, but if there are any major issues then please call me,” he said seriously.

“I’m sure everything will be fine, especially if you’ve already talked with her, but I absolutely will call you if Sarah needs you. And please don’t rush home? You deserve to spend some time catching up with your friends. Team bonding, and all that, especially if someone suggests lunch. Sarah and I will be fine, I promise,” Dhara said firmly, but with a smile she hoped was encouraging.

Matt let out a shaky breath but nodded, and her heart ached for him. She could tell how much this was affecting him – it was obvious – but the whole reason for her being here was to make his life easier. She could do that, she knew it.

“Sarah, I’m going to the rink!”

She smiled to herself at the sound of fast-paced walking (not running inside the house was clearly a rule) and soon enough Sarah was clinging to her dad’s legs.

“Be nice to Dhara,” Matt said, smiling warmly.

“I’m always nice!” she said, pouting.

He just ruffled her blonde hair, nodding to Dhara with a shaky smile, giving Sarah one last hug before leaving the house. This was it – Dhara was officially responsible for the wellbeing of a child.

“I’m going back to colouring. You can come if you want.”

How generous. Dhara grinned to herself at the young girl’s candour, following her quietly through the house back to the living room where Sarah had a small stack of paper and colouring pencils laid out. Sarah seemed happy enough to thump back down onto the floor and continue with her drawing, silent but focused, and Dhara watched for a little while from the doorway. The most important thing for today – and the rest of this week – was for Sarah to feel comfortable in her presence. She’d never had any problems getting her cousins’ children to like her, so she could only hope the same gentle methods would work with this child.

Sarah didn’t seem to mind Dhara sitting down next to her, barely giving her a glance, allowing her to settle in quietly. So far so good. After a few minutes of Dhara watching her peacefully, Sarah slid a piece of paper over to Dhara, and looked up at her with blue eyes eerily similar to her father’s.

“I’m drawing a picture for daddy, to make him smile when he gets home,” Sarah said simply.

“That’s very kind of you. I’m sure he’ll love it,” Dhara said, melting on the inside at the sweetness.

Sarah side-eyed her briefly before seeming to deem Dhara’s answer acceptable.

“You should draw him one too. He likes my pictures so I’m sure yours will be fine,” she said, sliding over the colouring pencil box.

Kids. You had to love them.

“I will do my very best then,” Dhara said seriously.

Sarah just nodded, going back to her drawing with all the focus a six-year-old could. Dhara just smiled to herself, picking up a pink crayon to attempt to draw some flowers. This was a good start, right?

~

The first month of Dhara’s employment (and final year of her degree) flew by. Somehow, everything was going well so far. There were no dramas, no big issues, and her classes weren’t unmanageable with her new schedule. She could admit that it initially felt weird to be dropping a kid off at Kindergarten that wasn’t hers, especially so early on into knowing Sarah, but that first big smile her charge had given her at pick-up time made everything better. Like, genuinely her heart felt like it had puffed up in size – yeah that’s right, I made her smile – and everything had only gotten better from there. They’d even settled into a decent routine, to the point where Matt even joked that Dhara was becoming Sarah’s favourite person (apparently her bedtime stories were the best?) – and neither of them had even looked at her like she was crazy when she explained her work for her Computer Science Masters like most people tended to.

(“Daddy she’s so smart.” “I know sweetheart.” “I want to be as smart as Dhara when I grow up!” “Well then you’d better show me the new spellings you learned at Kindergarten today.”)

She’d only needed to stay an extra night in the guest room once so far for a roadtrip, which also felt weird, but Matt’s flight had been delayed so there really wasn’t another choice. Thankfully, he’d been there by the time Sarah woke up, so there had been no major tantrums, but the bedtime tears were still an experience she hoped to avoid as much as possible. After looking at Matt’s schedule, she knew exactly how many roadtrips he was going to be on, so hopefully she could come up with some ideas for what to do if that ever happened again.

There were many things she was learning in this new world of being a nanny.

She knew she’d be learning something new tonight too. It was the first game of the pre-season and Matt was in the line-up to play. Traditionally, Sarah always went, and tonight was no exception. Dhara had been hesitant to accept the ticket initially, content with dropping Sarah off with the WAGs she knew and picking her up at the end,  because she was quite literally just the nanny - but Matt insisted. He also insisted that Sarah wanted her there too, and how was she supposed to say no to that?

The plan would be that Dhara and Sarah would take the train over to the arena with plenty of time to spare ahead of warmups (so Sarah could hold her newly-made poster up against the glass), and then Matt would drive them all back to the Martin house – with the late timings, Dhara would need to stay late again. At least this time she had enough clothes in her overnight bag packed.

Nerves washed over Dhara as she entered the UBS Arena, but with Sarah chattering away, holding tight to her hand, it wasn’t too difficult to cover her nerves with a smile. She’d already met Kristy Cizikas – the teammate’s wife who covered looking after Sarah during Dhara’s class once every two weeks – so she would at least know one friendly face. Sarah led the way to the family suite, Dhara making sure her pass was clearly on display so no-one thought she was a fraud, and soon enough they arrived to a blonde-haired sea.

“Dhara! There you are!”

Kristy. Good.

She was thankful for the instantly-warm welcome – she was so out of her comfort zone that it wasn’t funny. Tonight really was her first time being thrown in at the deep end. At least she’d have a break soon to collect her thoughts when everyone in the suite (who wanted to) would head down to the ice for warm-ups. She could do this. She could totally do this. It helped that Kristy introduced her around the group, Grace Lee in particular making her feel at ease with her beaming smile.

The game itself was electric. Dhara mostly kept her eye on Sarah playing with the other kids in the family suite – you know, as it was her job – but by the start of the third period Sarah had fallen asleep on her lap, leaving her free to watch her first ever game of ice hockey with her full attention. Grace helped her out by murmuring along some of the rules and pointing out names of people that Dhara didn’t know yet, and she just felt herself getting fully entranced. She’d never seen anything so graceful and yet so physical. And the speed!

Dhara felt like a bit of an idiot for gasping when Matt full-body checked a player from the opposing team into the boards with a load crash, immediately throwing his gloves off to fight him, her eyes wide as Matt easily took him down to the ice. Fuck, that was hot. Why was that so hot? She could only thank her dark skin for hiding the worst of her blush as Grace and Kristy smiled knowingly at her. Whatever, they didn’t know anything. They could infer all they liked.

That didn’t mean her eyes stopped tracking Matt every second he was on the ice though.

“How was she tonight? Truly?”

Dhara smiled up at Matt, shifting a sleeping Sarah up on her hip as Matt unlocked the front door.

“She was so good. The way her face lit up when you saw her sign in warmups? She didn’t stop talking about it for ages. And she fell asleep on me during the third period so I just let her nap, I hope that’s okay,” Dhara said.

“Of course it is. I’m happy that she feels comfortable enough to do that around you!” he said, smiling.

She was too. She really was.

“I’ll put Sarah to bed, if you want to sort out your bandage?” she offered.

The cuts on his knuckles from his fight had needed a couple of stitches and would need to be cleaned then covered for at least one night, he’d told her that much on the drive home.

“You’re the best,” Matt said, nodding.

Dhara just grinned and headed up the stairs. It didn’t take her long to carefully lay Sarah down in her bed, pulling off her shoes before tucking the duvet over her. But as she slowly crept out of the room and gently shut the door, she could hear Matt cursing in the bathroom, and she frowned.

“Matt?” she whispered, trying not to wake up her young charge.

He cursed again, so she knocked on the bathroom door, and smiled slightly as he cursed in surprise and slowly opened the door.

“The bandage is caught on the dried blood in the stitch and I can’t get it off. Don’t want to rip it,” he murmured when her head poked around the door.

“Let me?” she offered, slowly walking into the room.

Dhara looked up at him through her lashes, holding her hand out, and Matt silently placed his hand in hers. His skin was warm, if a little callused, and it was all she could do to bite her bottom lip as she gently eased the bandage off his knuckles. Matt didn’t take his hand away as she reached for the cotton ball he’d already dipped in the cleansing liquid, allowing her to gently dab at the stitches until they were clean. The two of them stood close together, silent, only their hands touching, and yet somehow this was more intimate than she’d ever been with any man. It was intoxicating to be allowed to take this level of care with him. It was only when she gently pressed down the edges of the fresh bandage that she caught eyes with him once more, the intense blue making her breath catch in her throat, and she forced herself to break out of the moment.

Because it was a moment, and she didn’t know if it thrilled her or terrified her.

“That should be okay now,” she murmured, finally letting go of his hand.

“Thank you, Dhara. I appreciate it,” he said, voice just as soft.

Intoxicating.

Dhara just smiled, nodding her head as she slipped out of the bubble he’d unknowingly boxed her into, and stepped out of the bathroom with a racing heart. She needed to pull herself together. She needed to pull herself together, fast. Otherwise she was going to run the risk of ruining everything.

~

“So give us the details then.”

Matt took a sip of his beer, before frowning at Casey.

“What are you talking about?”

Casey shared a glance with Anders, who just smirked and shook his head incredulously. What?

“Seriously, what details?” Matt asked.

“About Dhara?” Anders prompted.

“Kristy and Grace told us all about meeting her at the game last week, how she was super sweet with Sarah and how much Sarah adored her. What really caught our attention was that they told us about her reaction to your fight. How her eyes lit up, how she gasped, how she was on the edge of her seat,” Casey said innocently, although the sparkle in his eyes was anything but.

“Shut up, she did not,” Matt grumbled.

Their words lit something inside of his though. It was just typical that they waited to interrogate him until they were all six beers deep at Casey’s house, Kristy and Grace having a girls night slash kids sleepover with some of the other WAGs, including Sarah. They were gossip vultures, the lot of them.

Did she really react like that?

He hadn’t been able to get that night out of his mind. The way Dhara came into the bathroom so carefully, like she was trying not to spook a horse. How she held his hand so gently, her skin surprisingly warm and soft. How her cleaning touch was so light that he’d barely felt it, how her ministrations hadn’t hurt at all. How her gaze had been so intense when they caught eyes that he’d felt his breath catch in his throat.

Matt hadn’t been able to stop thinking about that moment they’d shared, and it was driving him crazy knowing there was no way she was having the same thoughts.

But then again, if Casey and Anders were right, if Kristy and Grace were right, maybe she was?

“Bud, you know Grace wouldn’t gossip if she didn’t think there was some truth to it,” Anders mused.

He wasn’t wrong there.

“Dhara is my nanny. Sarah’s nanny. Everything is completely professional,” Matt said firmly.

“Everything is completely professional?” Casey prodded.

“Yes?”

At the hesitance in his tone, Casey and Anders grinned.

“I knew it!” Casey hooted.

“What happened?” Anders asked, eyes lighting up.

“Nothing! Literally nothing has happened. She cleaned the stitches on my knuckles for me because I couldn’t get the bandage off, that’s it,” Matt said sharply.

“Booooooo.”

“Seriously, don’t make it a thing. I don’t want her thinking that I’m some kind of creep,” he groaned.

“Now why would she think that, if you weren’t having creepy thoughts?” Anders teased.

Matt sent them both a flat look, making them hoot with laughter.

“Aww you have it so bad!” Casey cackled.

“You two are the worst. I don’t know why we’re friends,” he muttered.

“You love us,” Anders grinned, toasting him with his beer bottle.

Matt just stuck his tongue out in response, taking a big swig of his own drink. He needed to nip all of this in the bud. There was no way he wanted this to get back to Grace and Kristy, and then back to Dhara. Absolutely not.

“She is pretty,” Casey said, smirking slightly, “Kristy said her smile and her laugh lit up the whole room.”

“And Grace said that Sarah worships her, literally fell asleep on her without a care in the world,” Anders added.

They both knew his weaknesses so well. Matt groaned, tilting his head back, before staring his friends down.

“Enough, okay? Yes, Dhara is beautiful. And smart. And so beyond capable with Sarah that it isn’t funny. But I’m not going to be that guy, okay? I’m her boss and I’m not even going to consider crossing that professional boundary, understood? That’s not cool,” Matt said seriously, “I’m not that guy.”

“We know you’re not,” Casey mused, holding his hands up in surrender.

Anders just nodded his agreement. “We only tease you because we love you. And like I said, I wouldn’t have brought it up if Grace hadn’t seen something herself.”

“Just…don’t make it a thing? I don’t want to make Dhara uncomfortable around me. Sarah adores her and that’s all that matters,” Matt sighed, mostly in defeat.

“If you’re sure, then we won’t,” Anders said.

“But we reserve the right to change our minds later,” Casey grinned.

“Oh my god, get me another drink,” Matt groaned.

Seriously, the worst.

~

Sparkling lights, tinsel, and candy canes everywhere – it only meant one thing. Christmas was coming. With continuous snowfall and the way that she couldn’t escape Christmas songs anywhere, Dhara could hardly deny its upcoming presence, especially with how excited Sarah was getting. As usual, Dhara wasn’t going home for the two weeks break, and the moment Matt found out that her roommate was going home (leaving Dhara alone), he insisted that she came over to spend Christmas day with him, Sarah, and his parents.

(“Matt, no, I can’t intrude.” “No-one should be alone on Christmas.”)

He even tried to offer to pay her for coming over, with that she put her foot down. Christmas was Christmas, after all. In the end, they decided that, with her last class of the semester on the 19th, Dhara would stay over from the 20th to the 22nd, until his parents arrived on the 23rd. They would take over taking care of Sarah with Matt not getting home until late in the evening of the 23rd, and then Dhara would come back over on the 25th, leaving again in the evening of the 26th. It was a lot of back and forth, she could admit, but she’d never had someone in her life so insistent that she spend the holidays with them – and the fact that it was Matt? She couldn’t find it in her heart to say no, especially when he got Sarah and her puppy dog eyes on the case.

Somehow, travelling on the trains on Christmas Day wasn’t as bad as she feared, even with her overnight bag and holdall of gifts. It was only lightly snowing on her short walk to Matt’s house, so she wasn’t fully shivering when she knocked on the door but she was definitely glad that Matt didn’t take too long to open it.

“Hey, you made it! Why didn’t you call me from the station? I would’ve picked you up!” he said quickly beckoning her inside.

“I’m used to the walk now, and I didn’t want to disturb you,” she shrugged, unwinding the scarf from her neck.

“You would never have disturbed me. You’re…never mind, come into the kitchen, my mom’s making hot chocolate,” Matt murmured.

She left her bags in the hallway after taking off her boots, coat, and woolly hat, nervously following Matt into the kitchen. Why was she so nervous to meet his family?

“Guys, Dhara’s here!”

“Dhara! You made it!” Sarah cried out happily.

She knelt down to give her charge a big hug, grateful for the friendly face, before standing up with a nervous smile.

“I’ve heard so much about you – I’m Dawn,” Matt’s mom said, big smile on her face identical to Matt’s.

“And I’m Jim. It’s great to finally meet you,” Matt’s dad said warmly.

Was it really that easy?

“I’ve heard only good things about you too. Thank you for letting me join your family Christmas,” she said, smiling back at them.

“Letting you? I had to practically beg you,” Matt teased.

“Because I see you all year round – your parents don’t get that luxury,” she shot back, still smiling.

“I like you already,” Jim laughed.

“Drinks anyone?” Matt mused.

Once the hot chocolate was passed around, they made their way into the living room, Dhara having grabbed her holdall on the way with the gifts.

“I like your scarf, Dhara,” Sarah piped up, once she was settled on a big cushion on the floor.

Dhara’s fingers brushed over the lightweight blue patterned material draped over her chest and pinned in pleats at her shoulders with a smile. She didn’t usually indulge in her South Asian heritage with her outfits, but her holidays it always felt like a must. She might be wearing a casual plain grey sweater underneath, with light wash jeans, but the chanderi dupatta added a much-needed level of elegance – a casual but respectful outfit. Her mother had loved it at least when she called her this morning, and it was nice to know that Sarah did too.

“Thank you! It’s a dupatta – many South Asian women wear them in many different styles. I like to wear a chanderi dupatta, this lightweight patterned silk, over casual clothes to add a little something extra,” she said, smiling.

“It’s really pretty. Never seen you wearing anything like that,” Matt said softly.

“Thanks,” Dhara said, thankful her dark skin hid her blush, “I tend to only wear dupattas for special occasions. I don’t practice Sikhism as much as I did back in LA, and even then not nearly as much as my mother would’ve liked us all too.”

“Why not?” Sarah asked.

“Sarah!” Matt frowned.

“It’s okay, really,” she said, reassuring, “Well, my upbringing was fairly mixed. My mom’s parents came over from Punjab when they were newly married – my Baba Ji, my grandpa, is an Engineer. My mom and her brothers were born and raised Sikh in Los Angeles. Mom met Dad in university and they fell in love. The only problem was, he was Christian. Or at least, loosely Christian – and very white. While my mom didn’t care about all of that, because she’d fallen head over heels for him and him for her, her parents didn’t approve. She left home and married him anyway, and we haven’t really seen much of my mom’s side of the family ever.”

“But they fell in love!” Sarah cried.

“Culture and religion are complicated things,” Dhara said simply, smiling sadly, “my mom knew what she was giving up, she was very brave. She still had a lot of her friends in the community so she had that connection, and Dad’s family is huge and loud and welcoming, so she never felt alone. She raised me with a knowledge of Sikhism and the welcome to join her in celebrating any holidays I wanted to, but my parents left me to forge my own path, which I did. I have some contact with cousins on my mom’s side thanks to Instagram, so it’s not all a loss. I like to think I get the best of both worlds.”

She couldn’t have asked for more with her upbringing, she knew that. Dhara had been given the world, and been taught kindness for others always, and had an education that others could only dream of, and all the love she could ever want from her parents. She also knew that sometimes her mom struggled but that she had her husband, Dhara’s dad, to rely on for strength. Her mom truly was a hero of hers, and she could only be grateful for everything she’d done for her.

“Thank you for sharing that with us. It can’t always be easy, being so far away from your family,” Matt said softly.

“It isn’t always, no. But I’m following my passion with my degrees, and they understand that,” Dhara nodded, smiling at him, “Besides, we have modern technology, no?”

Matt and his parents just laughed, making her smile a bit wider.

“But Dhara, what about…”

“How about we give Dhara a break from interrogation and pass out gifts, hm?” Dawn mused, interrupting Sarah.

Dhara laughed, shrugging, Sarah just pouting.

“You can ask more questions later okay?” Matt said, glancing up at Dhara to make sure she was okay with that.

Dhara just nodded. The way he checked to confirm with her sent out butterflies she tried desperately to ignore. This was not the time.

As they all passed around presents, Dhara had been pleasantly surprised to learn that she had gifts to open too. She hadn’t expected anything from his parents but they’d still surprised her anyway, with a gorgeous earrings and necklace set that felt fancier than anything she owned in New York. Sarah had gifted her a set of pens and a pretty notebook (which she’d picked out herself, apparently) and she’d looked so pleased with herself that it warmed Dhara’s heart.

For Matt���s mom, she’d gifted her a set of Indian spices, because Matt had told her in passing that his mom liked to cook from all different cuisines – so she’d bought her cumin seeds, coriander powder, garam masala, turmeric, and green cardamom. Dawn had looked so touched when she opened them, giving Dhara a big hug that she hadn’t been expecting. Matt’s dad looked just as pleased by his craft beer tasting tour back home in Ontario, and promised to give her reviews of every single one.

Sarah had squealed in happiness at the book Dhara bought her. A Is for Awesome: 23 Iconic Women Who Changed the World. It was important for Sarah to learn about how powerful she could be as a woman, and from Matt’s smile he seemed to agree with her.

For Matt – she’d bought him a cufflink box.

“I’m always losing cufflinks on roadtrips. You remembered,” Matt murmured.

The way her heart fluttered. Wow.

“And now you have a place to store 4 sets, wherever you go,” Dhara said softly.

“Thank you, this is…I love it,” Matt grinned.

Well now she was a goner.

Her last gift to open was from Matt. Again she hadn’t expected anything from him – he was opening his home to her on Christmas, after all – but when she opened the instant camera, Fujifilm Instax Mini with multiple packs of film cards, her heart felt like it was going to burst out of her chest.

“Matt, this is…wow. This is too much!” she gasped.

“You’ve talked about wanting to preserve memories and I thought this would be a fun way to do it,” he shrugged.

A fun way to preserve memories. A whole ass camera. This was just like him.

“Thank you,” she murmured, smiling so widely at him that it hurt.

Matt just smiled helplessly at her in return.

“Can you tell me more about Sikh stuff now please?”

Sarah’s pleading interruption made her laugh, saving her from the explosion of butterflies in her stomach. “If your family don’t mind, I’m happy to tell you more about Sikhism, sure.”

Dhara looked at Matt and his parents, who all nodded and smiled at her. Well, here goes nothing. Time for a basic lesson in Sikhism.

“Sikhism was founded by Guru Nanak around 500 years ago in an area called the Punjab. That’s where my grandparents came from on my mother’s side, if you remember – Punjab is an area which spans part of India and Pakistan now, and they come from the Indian side of it. There are lot of different elements to Sikhism, but some of the main things that Sikhs believe are that your actions are important, and you should lead a good life. You should keep God in your heart and mind at all times, live honestly and work hard, treat everyone equally, be generous to those less fortunate than you, and to serve others,” Dhara listed.

“That sounds really nice,” Sarah said, smiling.

Dhara smiled back at her, heart warmed by the sweet words.

“It is, yes. I don’t attend temple, the Gurdwara, as much as I should, but it’s always really peaceful there. I always try to go for Lohri, the harvest festival in January, and I definitely celebrate Diwali in late October because my family always has, but there are many more holy days that Sikhs commemorate,” Dhara explained.

“Can you tell me about them?” Sarah asked hopefully.

Dhara glanced around the room, seeing Matt and his parents listening raptly, and nodded.

“Of course I can! Firstly…”

~

“Watch yourself, Matthew.”

Matt lifted his head from where he was washing up, seeing his mom standing next to him with a dish towel in hand. His dad, Sarah, and Dhara were all in the living room still, playing Go Fish, but Matt and his mom had moved to the kitchen to tackle at least some of the dishes.

“What?” he said, frowning.

“Don’t think I can’t see the way you look at Dhara,” she said pointedly.

Fuck.

Matt took a shaky breath and opened his mouth to protest, but his mom quickly shook her head.

“She is a lovely young woman with a bright future. Unless you can see marriage in the cards, then don’t mess her around. She deserves the best,” his mom said firmly.

Oh.

Oh.

“Yes, yes she does,” he murmured.

~

With Matt’s parents staying through until the 2nd January, the day before her classes started up again, Dhara had the full rest of the week to herself. The only thing she had planned was getting through work for her Database Management Systems class, but Dawn and Jim had insisted that she came to the game with them on the 28th. That whole evening had been so wholesome; it was clear exactly how much Matt’s parents loved and supported him, and to see his smiling face when they went down to see him after the game? Heartwarming.  Matt had also asked her to come to the New Year’s Eve party that Anders and Grace were throwing – his parents weren’t going to that, but he’d paid for them to have a nice dinner in Manhattan for their own celebration. Dhara almost said no to Matt’s invitation (because who was she to go to a private event like that?), but when he said that Grace had invited her specifically, she couldn’t resist. An invite from Grace Lee to her own party was not something that someone turned down. She knew she’d made the right decision when Grace texted her to say how excited she was that Dhara was coming, which made her feel like a little bit less of an intruder.

What was it with these people and forgetting she was literally just the nanny?

“You look nice,” Matt murmured.

“No daddy, Dhara looks beautiful,” Sarah said firmly.

Dhara laughed, ducking her head shyly just in time to miss the way Matt blushed. Her black sparkly long-sleeved bodycon dress was something that she kept on hand as the only semi-formal thing she had in her closet – so it was really her only option for the Lee’s New Year’s Eve party tonight.

“You’re right, my apologies Sarah,” Matt mused, grinning, “You do look beautiful, Dhara.”

Even if it was prompted by his daughter, it was still spine-tingling to hear Matt say those words.

“You’re too kind, both of you,” she laughed, shaking her head.

Matt just winked before kneeling down to help Sarah put her shoes on, leaving Dhara more flustered than she’d ever been in her life. Thankfully they didn’t have to wait long for the car service that Matt had insisted on, and soon enough their party of three arrived.

“Ah, welcome Martins and Nicholls!”

Dhara giggled at Anders’ booming voice, Matt rolling his eyes fondly as they entered the house.

“Thanks for having us,” Matt mused, handing over a bottle of very nice bourbon to his Captain.

Anders just grinned. “You’re always welcome, bud. Grace is in the kitchen making cocktails for the girls – we’re not invited to that, Matt, but you should definitely head in there so you don’t miss any good gossip, Dhara.”

“Oh, but Sarah…”

“Sarah can stick with me while we go and say hi to all her uncles before they get too drunk, hm?” Matt suggested.

“Drunk Uncle Casey is funny,” Sarah giggled.

“That settles it then!” Anders said cheerfully.

He pointed Dhara in the direction the kitchen and whisked Matt and Sarah away, leaving Dhara reeling. This wasn’t what she had expected at all – and now she was being shuffled over to the WAGs like she had any right to be there?

“Dhara! There you are! Grace is just finishing a fresh batch of mojitos – join us!”

She let out a shaky breath at Kristy’s happy exclamation, but followed her with a smile. She could totally do this. She could go with the flow, especially with Matt’s insistence, and she could just get back to watching Sarah after this drink, right? If Matt was okay with it?

In truth, nothing happened the way she thought it would over the night. While she did return back to watching over Sarah, all of the other WAGs with kids insisted they she took breaks to enjoy herself because they could all chip in to watch the kids. It did make her feel weird because hello, it was literally her job to nanny, but Matt’s happy face every time she took a break to socialise was too strong to resist. The main thing that struck her though was how much she stuck out like a sore thumb. Not just in terms of appearance – she figured she was going to be one of the only people of colour there – but just in terms of importance? Not even all the team was here – the youngest ones were off clubbing apparently, which made Dhara all the more aware of how intimate this gathering was. She didn’t belong here, not in this world. What was her life coming to?

She didn’t know if Matt’s presence helped either. All through the night he made she sure had enough to drink (she stuck to water or soda after that first lethal mojito from Grace) and enough to eat. He included her in every conversation, introduced her to people she hadn’t met yet, and checked in on her when she was watching Sarah. Every time she could see a couple of his teammates and/or the WAGs smirking slightly – but not in a mean way. And certainly not mocking her. It was confusing to say the least, like the lines were blurring without giving her any way to read the meaning of the situation, and it was all she could do to try to let it go. Matt was just being a gentleman, that was all.

When it came to a couple of minutes until the ball drop though, Dhara found herself squished onto a sofa in front of the TV that Anders was setting up, with Sarah fast asleep on her lap and Matt sitting down at her side.

“Champagne?” Matt said, holding out a second glass.

“I suppose one glass couldn’t hurt to bring in the new year,” Dhara mused.

She tried to ignore the way her stomach fizzled as their fingers brushed. Eventually, with just 30 seconds to spare, the living room was packed with party guests, Dhara essentially pressed fully up into Matt’s side. All she could do was remember to breathe, keeping her focus anchored on Sarah to distract herself from the warmth of his thigh against hers. It was intoxicating to say the least, and she was grateful at least for the noise of the room drowning out her thoughts.

“3…2…1…HAPPY NEW YEAR!”

As fireworks exploded across the screen and out the windows, and couples embraced all around the room, Dhara’s breath caught in the throat as she looked up at Matt to see him already looking down at her.

“Happy New Year, Dhara,” he murmured.

“Happy New Year,” she said softly back.

The intensity in his eyes made fire burn through her skin, barely softened by the champagne she poured down her throat. The way he looked at her…it almost felt real.

~

Dhara’s birthday was always a strange time of year for her. She never did anything massive to celebrate it, just casual dinner and drinks with friends and a phone call with her parents, but this year it fell at the end of January on a Saturday, at the end of Matt’s bye week. He had no other plans that spending time with Sarah anyway, so he gave her the week off to relax.

Relax, hah.

She had her thesis proposal to finish, with the final submission of the full finished thing due at the beginning of May, but she’d managed to sort out the data she wanted to use in the first half of January – so she was able to use her week off from nannying to finish the proposal. She holed herself up in her bedroom, surrounded by drinks and snacks, barely taking any breaks other than to reassure her roommate that she was still alive, until she submitted it to her supervising professor.

It was worth it, to feel like she’d accomplished something she was proud of.

Dhara emerged from her ‘coding cave’ the day before her birthday, her roommate shoving her straight into the shower while she ordered them both Thai food to celebrate. It felt good to have a little time to actually relax before her birthday, because before dinner and drinks with her friends, Matt had planned a surprise lunch for her.

She should have expected the restaurant he chose to be a fancy one. She’d never eaten anywhere so nice, not even when her parents came up for her undergraduate degree graduation.

“I have one more surprise for you,” Matt announced, just as he paid the bill, “if you have time to come back to the house with us.”

Sarah was basically wriggling in her seat, quietly begging please please please, and how could Dhara say no to that? All through the drive back to Matt’s house, Sarah was whispering to him and giggling away, making Dhara smile to herself. Seeing the young girl so excited made her excited – and after the incredible surprise Christmas gift he’d gotten her? She could only hope it wasn’t something crazy.

“Okay Sarah, you go ahead and open the door while I make sure Dhara isn’t peeking,” Matt said with a smile.

“What,” she said flatly.

Matt just smiled innocently, stepping behind her, and it was all Dhara could to do gasp as he gently placed his hands over her eyes from behind. Fuck.

“Door’s open daddy!”

“Okay sweetheart, why don’t you take Dhara’s hands and slowly guide her indoors,” Matt instructed, “if you’re okay with that?”

“Yeah sure, go for it,” Dhara laughed.

As if her today could get any stranger than this. So with Sarah’s small hands in hers and Matt’s large hands over her eyes (his cologne smelled so good this close, it was unreal), Dhara was slowly guided into the Martin house, taking heed of Sarah’s instructions not to bash into things, until she was standing in what she was sure was the rarely-used dining room. Matt and Sarah always preferred to eat at the kitchen island, but she knew where this room was. Why was she here?

“Ready?” Matt asked.

“Ready. I think,” Dhara mused.

Sarah let go of her hands at the same time as Matt removed his, and as soon as she opened her eyes, her breath caught in her throat. What the hell. In front of her, on the dining room table, were two computer screens, high definition and huge, with a docking station and all the appropriate wires to connect them to a laptop. To her laptop? What the hell.

“Matt…” she breathed.

Sarah just giggled at her reaction before skipping out of the room, leaving them alone. Leaving Dhara with her mind whirling.

“I know you were talking about how it’s easier to see your code side by side, and rather than doing the split screen thing you have been doing on just your laptop, I thought this would be more helpful,” he explained.

He remembered that from her rambling? He was listening?

“I can’t believe you bought me two computer screens. And a docking station. This is too much, Matt, really. I can’t accept them,” she murmured.

This was so personal – no-one had ever paid attention to her like this, and it was coming from him?

“Hey, no, this is important for you. For your work. I want to make sure that you have everything that you need to finish your degree in the best way possible – you’ve done so much for us and I just wanted to do this little thing for you. Besides, you only turn 25 once, right?”

“This isn’t little, Matt. And I’m just a nanny, I’ve barely done anything,” Dhara protested.

“If that’s all that you think you are to Sarah, and to me, then I’m clearly not doing enough to show you differently,” he said firmly.

The tone of his voice made her shiver in all the right ways.

“Matt, I…”

She trailed off at the intense look he was giving her.

“Happy birthday, Dhara,” Matt murmured, smiling softly.

It was all she could do to hug him tightly, sinking slightly into his chest as his arms immediately wrapped around her too. His shirt was soft against her cheek, that intoxicating cologne filling her senses, so much so that as she moved to break the hug, she impulsively kissed his cheek. Fuck. Dhara froze for a moment, stunned at her own audacity, but as she leaned back, Matt looked just as stunned – other than the pleased smile on his lips.

“Sarah! Come and say goodbye to Dhara so she can go out with her friends!” he called out, dropping his arms to let her go.

Dhara smiled at the sound of pattering footsteps, even more so as Sarah hugged her legs tightly.

“Dhara! You’re still my friend too, right?”

Be still her beating heart.

“Of course I am. I’ll be back here on Monday, ready for Kindergarten as usual,” she promised.

“Good. Happy birthday Dhara!” Sarah said happily.

Matt’s eyes never left her once.

~

With only a few weeks left until Spring Break, Dhara didn’t know where her final year of her degree was going. She knew she was going to use that Spring Break time to finish as much of her thesis as possible – and she knew she was going to be spending the whole week at Matt’s. Her new computer screens had stayed at his house as there was way more room for her to work there, and the couple of occasions she’d used them there for her classwork and he’d been home, he always smiled a pleased little smile like he was proud of himself for providing for her. It was…strange.

Everything was strange.

Since that kiss on the cheek, the dynamic between them had grown even more tense. Every stolen glance, brushed fingers, sweet smile, all felt like she was getting away with something forbidden. If anyone knew the illicit way she thought of Matt, she knew she’d burst into flames. And it wasn’t like she could be sure about how he felt about her either. Sure, he looked – but she was a beautiful Indian woman, and many men looked. It just felt different when she felt Matt’s eyes on her body, that was all.

She knew it was futile though. She was his nanny, nothing else. And she didn’t dare mess anything up with her employment now that she was only a couple of months away from turning in her thesis and finishing her Masters in Computer Science. She knew that she had to seriously start applying for jobs for starting in June, knew she didn’t want her years of hard work to go to waste – but it was so hard to decide exactly what she wanted when her head was spinning.

In a dream world, she’d have the career she’d always fantasised about, with Matt and Sarah by her side. But this was reality – girls like her didn’t get the career and the guy. She had to be realistic with herself, otherwise she was going to drown. She knew she had to stop indulging her daydreams and wake up – it wasn’t worth the inevitable heartache, as much as those dreams were nice to fall asleep to.

Still, when Spring Break arrived and Matt refused to let her nanny for him, rather than holing herself up in the bedroom of her tiny apartment, she holed herself up in Matt’s dining room, only emerging when Matt dragged her out to get some sleep or Sarah begged her to eat dinner with them. It was a weird but welcome change, to have people care about her wellbeing like that (her current roommate had her own weird work hours), so when she finally came out of her week of thesis writing and showered, she felt more human than she usually did after a data spree like that. It was refreshing to say the least.

“I can’t believe you spent your final ever Spring Break sitting at my dining room table,” Matt teased, handing her a plate of sliced apples.

Dhara stuck her tongue out at Matt as she happily took the plate, making him laugh.

“I needed to get my thesis finished as soon as possible so I can work on editing it and proving the data works. And I managed to get it nearly finished – now it’s just concluding it and all the weeks of editing to get done. Otherwise, all the hard work of the past three years will come to nothing, and I won’t be able to get a good job like I deserve,”

“Right, yes, of course. A job using computer science,” Matt nodded.

The way he said it though, and the way he looked like a kicked puppy, made her heart ache. “Matt, you knew I would only be able to work for you for a year. We talked about this, right from the start.”

“I know,” he said quickly, shaking his head with a smile, “It’s just going to be strange not having you around. You feel like part of the family already, and you know that Sarah loves you.”

Fuck.

“Matt, you’re killing me,” she murmured.

“Sorry,” he quickly said.

“No you’re not,” she said dryly.

“I am a little bit.”

Dhara huffed out a laugh, shaking her head. “I love systems analysis and the increase in importance of connectivity to keep up with modern systems within growing infrastructure, and I would love to work in something like that because it’s where my passion is. I just…I hope I can find something that takes a chance on a nobody like me.”

“You are the furthest thing from a nobody, Dhara. You’re incredible and talented and a beautiful person inside and out, and you deserve the best. Whatever you need, whatever I can help with, I will, okay? References, making calls, whatever. You name it and I’m there.”

Her lips parted in surprise at his supportive words, eyes stinging with tears, but she found herself smiling. He was such a sweetheart.

“That might be the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me,” Dhara said, voice thick with emotion as she stepped forward to hug him.

She felt herself tremble slightly at the warmth of Matt’s hands on her back, even more so at the way he buried his face in her long thick curls, and tried to savour the feeling of his arms around her while she still could. How had their time together come to an end so quickly? How was this fair?

“Yeah, well, you deserve everything and more,” Matt said gruffly as he stepped back.

If only she could read his mind right now, to see what thoughts were running behind the complicated expression on his face, then she would do it in an instant.

“Thank you, Matt,” she murmured.

“You’re welcome. Make sure you start applying soon, okay?”

~

Network Operations Engineer – Madison Square Garden Entertainment – full time.

Submission – completed.

~

March.

April.

May.

His fleeting time left with Dhara was slipping through his fingers. The harder he tried to hold on, the faster the days flew by, until she submitted her thesis and the end was in sight. He couldn’t blame her for being excited – fuck knows he wouldn’t be sane after all the years of education she’d gone through – but he couldn’t stop the anxiety that built in his chest when he thought of how, soon, she wouldn’t be laughing and smiling and typing away at her computer in his house.

The Islanders had barely lost the first round of the playoffs, kicking and scraping to the last minute, and now with the whole summer stretched out in front of him, the thought of spending it without her was excruciating. But Matt knew he had no claim on Dhara, had no right to feel this way, no matter how she looked at him or smiled sweetly at him or that one time she’d kissed his cheek. She was everything he hadn’t known he’d wanted and needed, and now she was soon to be gone from his life forever.

He, Matt Martin, was completely gone for Dhara Nicholls, and he didn’t know what the hell he was supposed to do about it.

“Dhara, come on, you’re not watching!”

Matt rolled his eyes fondly at Sarah’s petulant whining. “Sarah Dawn Martin, that’s not how we speak to our friends.”

He could see Dhara biting her lip to hide a smile as Sarah huffed dramatically.

“Dhara, please will you watch this with me? You said you would!”

“Of course, why don’t I just get us some more water each and we can settle in, hm?”

“Deal!”

Matt watched Dhara walk over to where he was putting together lunch in the kitchen, unable to stop himself smiling at her the moment she smiled at him.

“Hey.”

“Hey.”

She giggled, shaking her head at herself as she pulled a couple of bottles of water out the fridge.

“How’s it going in there with the Drill Sergeant?” he mused.

“Oh it’s tough, but I think I’ll make it out alive,” she grinned.

Why was everything so easy between them? Nothing had ever been this easy before.

“Look, I, uh…I was hoping to ask you something?”

Dhara raised an eyebrow with a bemused smile but nodded, leaning against the counter next to him. “Go for it.”

“So you know it’s my birthday on Saturday?” he started.

Dhara just nodded, smiling.

“Okay cool, so I know you have things to finalise this week, with administration at your university, but Casey and the guys and girls have organised a night out and I was hoping you’d come? So yeah, come out with us, please,” he said, cursing himself for rambling.

“Oh, thank you – I just…what about Sarah?” she asked.

So sweet.

“She’s having a sleepover with a friend from Kindergarten, I already sorted that,” Matt said simply, smiling.

“Well in that case, I’d love to. If you’re sure?” Dhara said, uncertainly.

“Of course I’m sure. I want you out celebrating with me,” he said firmly.

While he couldn’t tell if she was blushing or not, the flash of surprise and something else in her eyes satisfied something inside of him that felt distinctly feral. He really was losing his control around her, wasn’t he?

“Then I’ll be there,” she said sweetly, “You only turn 35 once after all.”

Matt just grinned.

Saturday night rolled around quicker than he’d expected. The WAGs had taken Dhara out with them to get ready – the full works apparently, hair, make-up, and manicures, all of which he paid for Dhara because it was last minute – and when the ladies finally arrived to the restaurant he’d booked out for dinner? Well, it felt like he’d been punched in the face. It wasn’t that her dark curls were glossy and teased to volumed perfection. It wasn’t that her make-up was flawless, full glam like she never did herself. No, it was the emerald green mid-thigh strappy silk dress she’d clearly borrowed from one of the other ladies. The dress was so dainty and unlike anything he’d ever seen her wear, close enough to a negligee that it sent his mind reeling. He knew she had a great figure already, and that her legs were long and toned, but seeing them like this? It was mindblowing. And, obviously, it had taken everything in his power not to drool or let his jaw drop.

Naturally he missed Casey and Anders smirking at their wives and receiving triumphant grins in response from Grace and Kristy. Dhara’s sweet greeting and warm hug made everyone else in the room disappear.

Still, after dinner and going to a couple of bars, they ended up in a night club nearing midnight, Anders having booked a couple of tables upstairs in the VIP area. The whole group had a couple of shots together, toasting Matt’s 35th birthday, before the WAGs all dragged Dhara off to dance with them. From their table he could just about see her in the middle of the dancefloor, looking like she was having the time of her life, body swaying and moving in a way that had his full attention. Captivating.

He watched her on and off for the next half hour, switching between talking to the guys, sipping on his whisky and coke. But it wasn’t until Casey thumped down next down next to him and clapped him on the shoulder with a huff that he realised anyone had noticed.

“Come on man, just go down to the dancefloor and put us all out of our misery,” Casey groaned.

“What the hell are you talking about?” Matt frowned.

“You’re pining after Dhara and it’s driving us crazy,” he retorted.

“We’ve talked about this. She’s my nanny,” Matt said sharply.

“Yeah okay, like that even matters. I’ve seen the way you look at her and Kristy’s seen the way she looks at you, and it’s not like she’s going to be your nanny for much longer, right?” Casey smirked.

“Oh fuck you.”

“Fuck her.”

“Don’t talk about her like that,” Matt all but growled.

Casey just grinned, clearly getting the answer he wanted, goading Matt just like he intended. Damn it, he really did know him too well.

“Love you too bud. Stop being a coward,” Casey just snickered, patting Matt on the shoulder, a clear indication to just get out of there.

And if the desire to dance with Dhara hadn’t won out, he knew he’d be scowling at his friend. Instead, he found himself drifting down the stairs from the VIP area to where he lasted spotted Dhara in the crowd, and soon enough he found her. She looked like a goddess: swaying from side to side, multi-coloured lights brushing across her brown skin like a Picasso painting, and he felt himself mesmerised. She turned her head slightly at the prompting of Grace, wide smile stretching across her lips when she spotted him.

“Mind if I join you?” Matt said, raising his voice.

“Of course not birthday boy!” Dhara said happily.

Matt stepped closer to her, barely registering the rest of the ladies grinning at each other and slipping away through the crowd to leave them alone. His attention was completely captured – Dhara’s hips swaying so close to him were a massive distraction – and it wasn’t until a familiar song started playing that he finally looked up at her face.

“I love this song!” she said happily.

Dhara turned her back to him, confusing him slightly, until she looked back over her shoulder expectantly. He knew they’d both had a fair amount of alcohol to drink at this point, but her eyes were clear enough – dance with me. He could barely control himself as he stepped up behind her fully, hands on her hips, pulling her gently back against him, the soft moan that sounded from her lips making him feel wild. Fuck, he could feel himself stirring where his crotch was pressed just above her ass, even more so as she continued to sway her hips.

“Come, lay me down, 'Cause you know this, 'Cause you know this sound

In the middle of the night, In the middle of the night, Just call my name, I'm yours to tame...”

“Matt,” Dhara murmured, looking up at him.

He followed his base instincts for once, staying silent as he used the grip he had on her hips to spin her around to face him, taking pleasure in the look of surprise on her face and the flash of lust in her eyes, swaying their bodies together again.

“…I'm wide awake, I crave your taste all night long, 'Til morning comes, I'm getting what is mine, You gon' get yours, oh no, ooh, In the middle of the night.”

“Matt please.”

It was all he could do to guide her quickly through the crowd to the edge of the dancefloor, to an empty spot against the wall, leaving them mostly in the shadow, the bright flashes of light illuminating them just about enough to see each other’s faces.

“Tell me to stop,” Matt murmured into her ear, hands threading into her thick curls.

“Kiss me,” she replied, lifting her head in challenge.

He didn’t hesitate to press his lips to hers, kissing her just as she’d demanded, his heart immediately soaring. Dhara moaned into his mouth, moaned again when he pushed her firmly up against the wall, kissing him back just as eagerly as her hands clutched at his shirt. It was like she melted against his body as he slid his tongue past her lips, fire zipping through his blood, his head swirling. Matt kissed Dhara over and over again, one hand leaving her hair to clutch at her hip, the silk of her dress driving him mad and doing nothing to mask the heat of her skin, and while the music washed over them, he wanted nothing more than to get her away from this crowded dancefloor and take her home.

Fuck, it was intoxicating how well she fit into his arms, how her body was moulded to his, how their tongues danced together as intimately as their bodies had done. In all the times he’d thought about kissing her, about holding her, nothing could compare to the real thing. Nothing could compare to this.

But he needed to know that it wasn’t just him, that she wasn’t just kissing him because she was drunk. He didn’t think he would survive that. The confused noise she made when he broke the kiss just about broke his heart though.

“Dhara, baby, I gotta know…”

He groaned, kissing down her neck, feeling like he was shaking apart at her soft moans.

“What, Matt?” she gasped as he nipped at her skin.

“You’re not…you’re not too drunk right now, right? You want this?”

“Matt, I’ve been drinking water throughout the night between drinks. I want this. I want you. I just didn’t know if you wanted me,” she said, shrugging with a sheepish smile.

She didn’t know if he wanted her?

He rested his forehead against hers, pressing her fully into the wall again so she could feel where he was half hard in his jeans. Dhara giggled, pulling him down into another kiss with her grip on his shirt, and Matt was all too happy to oblige her, knowing he’d never get enough of her now that he’d tasted her.

“It’s not just sex, baby, I swear. I want all of you,” Matt murmured, breaking their kiss again to suck on the thin skin behind her ear.

“You promise?” she asked softly into his ear, almost shyly.

“I promise,” he nodded, as serious as he could manage in this moment.

“Then take me home.”

“Yeah?” he grinned.

“Yeah, take me home Matt,” she grinned back.

~

Dhara woke with a soft groan, eyes feeling gritty and mouth as dry as an old sock. She blearily lifted her head, grabbing the glass of water on the side table and chugging it, body not recognising the weight of an arm over her waist until her head was a bit clearer.

An arm over her waist.

Over her bare waist.

Matt’s arm.

She let out a shaky breath as all the memories of the night before flooded into her head. Dancing intimately with Matt in the nightclub where anyone could see them. Making out on the side of the dancefloor. The two of them leaving the club without telling anyone, barely keeping their hands off each other in the uber back to his. Then a rush of lips and hands and teeth and bare skin, and waves of pleasure over and over again, crying out his name without a care in the world.

It was everything she’d ever dreamed over, and now, waking up in his bed with his bare body pressed to hers, it was her nightmare all the same.

She’d never acted like this before in her life. Never slept with a man she wasn’t dating. Absolutely never slept with her boss. What kind of trashy behaviour was that? How could he ever think she was worth his time if this is the way she acted the first time he showed interest? Fuck.

But she remembered his words too. How he checked that she wasn’t too drunk, that she wanted this. How he swore it wasn’t just sex, that he wanted her. How insistent he was on promising that it wasn’t just talk to get her into bed. And in between each of the many orgasms he brought her to, he checked in with her each time, making sure she was okay, just because that’s who he was.

He was Matt Martin, gentleman under a rough handsome exterior, and he wanted her.

None of that changed her insecurities though, how all of this was so out of character for her. Not to mention, she knew damn well that everyone knew what they did last night, why they left the club early, and wasn’t that mortifying? No, she needed some air, she needed to think. And to maybe put on some clothes she’d left in the spare room because there was no way she could wear Kristy’s tiny silk dress home in broad daylight.

With a shaky breath, Dhara gently picked up Matt’s arm, moving it off of her body, before slowly sitting upright. If she could just stand up without waking him it would be…

“Good morning. Going somewhere?”

Matt’s husky voice made her freeze, a wave of guilt washing over her, before she turned to face him, sheets clutched to her bare chest.

“I…I don’t know. I don’t know what I’m doing,” she murmured, more honest than she cared to be.

And if that wasn’t a metaphor for her life since she met him, what was?

He just frowned, sitting upright, and she couldn’t stop her gaze from raking over his chest, his biceps, his shoulders. Damn. “What’s wrong?”

“What’s wrong? Where should I start?” Dhara said, feeling a little hysterical.

“I thought we were on the same page last night,” Matt said hesitantly, “I thought we both wanted this.”

“We did,” she said quickly, “I did. But…you know this doesn’t make any sense right?”

“Why not? You like me, I like you. You want me, I want you. It’s simple,” he frowned.

If only.

“It’s not simple at all, Matt. Not for me. It’s one thing for you to have the hots for your young pretty nanny, but to actually hook up with her? And to say you want something more? People are going to think I’m a gold digger! That I trapped you! That I manipulated my way into your life!”

“Dhara, all of that is bullshit. I don’t care what people think. Anyone who dares to call you a gold digger is an asshole who doesn’t know us. Everyone who knows us knows it isn’t like that at all. You’ve already got a job lined up waiting for you with Madison Square Garden Entertainment Group and you only just handed in your thesis – like, you’re going to be making your own money so it’s not like you only like me for that, right?”

“Well, no, but…”

“And you didn’t even know who I was when you first interviewed with me, so it’s not like you planned this, right?”

“Of course I didn’t, but…”

“If you don’t want anything more than this one night with me then obviously I would accept that. It would suck and the last few weeks of you working for me would be really awkward, but damn Dhara, I want a future with you,” Matt finished, taking one of her hands in his, the other still clutching at the bed sheet.

He really wants a future with her?

“You do?” she asked softly, almost as if she didn’t believe it.

“Yeah, I do,” he nodded, smiling warmly, “I mean, I’m not sure what you see in me – I’m a 35 year old hockey player who’s nearing the end of his career, already divorced once with a kid who doesn’t have an off switch or a volume control, and I have no idea what I’m going to do with my life…but I just know that I want you in my life, however I can have you.”

“You’re the kindest, sweetest, most handsome man I’ve ever met, with a daughter who loves you so much, and you see me for more than the Indian girl stuck behind a computer screen. I…I never expected this, any of this Matt, but I want to try?” she said, biting her bottom lip.

The way his face lit up with sweet genuine smile made her heart soar.

“You have no idea how happy that makes me. I’m going to do my best to make you so happy too, Dhara, I swear,” he grinned.

Dhara huffed out a laugh, laughing properly as he tugged the sheet out of her hand and guided her to lie down again in the messy bed, sliding his thick arm over her waist to tug their bare bodies together, lying face to face in the most intimate yet soft way she’d ever lain with another man.

And in that moment, it didn’t matter that her career was just about to kick off while his was in its hockey-twilight. And it didn’t matter than he was 10 years older than her, a whole wealth of life experience that she barely had. And it didn’t matter what people would whisper about them, or what judgemental looks she was get, or that her mother had never met him, or even that none of this would ever have happened in her wildest dreams.

All that mattered was that he wanted her, in his bed, in his family, in his life.

“Can I kiss you, baby?”

“Yes.”

~

Tagging a few people: @jostyriggslover96 @misshoneyimhome @senditcolton @fallinallincurls @2manytabsopen

[notoriouseliteevents]

Your time is your own, relax in our leisure areas, restore in the spa, warm yourself around the campfire at night or put your feet up in our plentiful chill spaces around the pool on a hot Zululand day.

Amenities at the lodge include:

Dinning

Indoor dining area - this is where your breakfast and luncheon is served, along with our delicious dinners in the evening. Outdoor dining deck - opens from the indoor dining and lounge area and is the perfect spot for al fresco breakfast or lunch.

BAR

Our well-stocked bar serves all your usual favourites along with delicious cocktails and specialty coffees. Our cellar has a fantastic selection of prime South African wines.

OPEN PLAN LOUNGE

The comfortable lounge area has a fireplace, a small library and a selection of board games.

INFINITY SWIMMING POOL

Sun umbrellas and wooden loungers with comfortable cushions surround our unique infinity pool that overlooks the African bushveld below.

SPA

Unwind, de-stress and soak up the experience with a relaxing spa treatment in serene rooms overlooking the reserve.

OUTDOOR FIRE PIT

Sitting proud on an elevated corner of the lodge deck - the perfect place to raise a toast to another spectacular day in the African bush while soaking in the views.

CURIO SHOP

Our on-site curio shop is stocked with quality souvenirs, African beadwork, items of clothing and everyday essentials.

BELOW THE CUT SEE ROOM TYPES AND ROOMMATES.

Our Luxury Bush Villas feature a spacious, open plan design with a lounge area, open fireplace and a large viewing deck. The large bathrooms with rain showers that open onto the outdoors are a guest favourite, along with luxurious bathtubs with wide windows that look directly onto the wild African bush.

Ross Lynch & Troye Sivan

Cari Fletcher & Gigi Hadid

Hayley Williams & Glen Powell

Louis Tomlinson & Madison Beer

Margot Robbie & Ryan Gosling

Blake Lively & Ryan Reynolds

Dove Cameron & Victoria De Angelis

Drew Starkey & Odess A'Zion

Jeremy Allen White & Taylor Swift

Nina Dobrev & Andrew Hozier-Bryne

Niall Horan & Hailee Steinfeld

Safari Rooms room has a private bathroom with double vanity and shower, opening out onto a small viewing deck. The bedroom has a glass sliding door that opens onto a deck which is screened from guests in the neighbouring rooms ensuring your complete privacy.

Jennie Kim & Austin Butler

Dua Lipa & Gracie Abrams

Harry Styles & Dylan O'Brien

Zendaya Coleman & Madelyn Cline

Nicholas Galitzine & Taylor Zakhar Perez

Lauren Jauregui & Perrie Edwards

Ariana Grande & Olivia Cooke

Luke Hemmings & Tom Glynn-Carney

Phia Saban & Jacob Elordi

Kehlani Parrish & Olivia Holt

Kelsea Ballerini & Megan Pete

Danielle Campbell & Joe Jonas

Daisy Edger-Jones & Aaron Taylor-Johnson

Olivia Rodrigo & Hailey Baldwin

Damiano David

Anya Taylor-Joy & Sydney Sweeney

Lalisa Manoban & Kaia Gerber

Yoo Jimin (Karina) & Paul Mescal

Lily-Rose Depp & Joe Burrow

Sophie Turner & Becky G

Kim Taehyung & Kendall Jenner

Jackson Wang & Renee Rapp

Demi Lovato & Conan Grey

Madelaine Petsch & Jenna Ortega

Auli'i Cravalho & Sabrina Carpenter

[scullymurphy]

My DHr Advent Story is Live!

https://archiveofourown.org/works/43177080 

Be sure to check out the whole collection, which is dropping throughout the month!

Hermione laughed again and glanced over her shoulder. "God, I'm starving. How long has it been?"

"Over an hour." Malfoy grimaced and Hermione's laugh turned into a groan. "I'm bloody ravenous," he said. "Should we just go? Get a curry or something? The host said an hour at the most."

"So sorry!" Said host suddenly appeared between them. "I haven't forgotten you two, but people are lingering. Always happens this time of year. Big celebrations, special occasions. I'll send you another round to make up for it." He nodded at their nearly empty glasses and hurried away.

"That does not sound promising." Malfoy drained his cocktail and stretched his back.

"Damn and bugger." Hermione tore her eyes away from defined deltoids under crisp cotton and spun to face the room. She really wanted to try this place. The smells coming from the kitchen were heavenly and she could see a snug dining room through the bar doorway. Plus, she'd had her eye on the mini-Christmas puddings that had been flaming merrily by in waiters' hands...

"We could use a small move-along spe—" Malfoy broke off his highly improper suggestion as a large, red-faced gentleman stopped in front of them and did a double take.

"Helen?" the man bellowed, stepping forward and grabbing Hermione's shoulder. "Helen Lathrop, you've done something different with your hair! Almost didn't recognise you!" He squinted into Hermione's face, the fumes from his breath about 90-proof. "Suits you, though." He leaned back with a jolly grin. "But what are you doing at the bar? We've got a private room in back. Full party spread and booze all paid for!" His smile widened and he turned to Malfoy, weaving in place a little.

"And this must be the famous Jack!" he cried, sticking out a huge hand, which Malfoy silently took. "Roger Grimsby. Head of Sales. Brilliant to finally meet you! Although we feel like we already know you." He elbowed Hermione. "But we thought you two weren't going to make it! Especially with those freakish floods in Sydney. Flight got off all right, though?" He waved at someone near the door and Hermione shot Draco a look. He was eying the man in a very speculative way and unease trickled through her. The man—Roger—must have seen it in her face. "This is Jack?" he asked in a loud stage whisper.

Hermione blinked. "I'm sor—"

"Bloody right it is!" Malfoy shouted over her in a very creditable Australian accent. "How you going, Rog?"

[wheresjonno2023-complete]

Is St Mary's the place they put Marjorie in The Beetle?

I re-read part of the Beetle for this so now you have to. All that Marsh tells us is:

I believe that, even after her physical powers were completely restored—in itself a tedious task—she was for something like three years under medical supervision as a lunatic.

Given how fabulously wealthy everyone in the Beetle is, this sounds like it could mean some kind of private asylum (such as the one Jack Seward runs in Dracula) or even in house care. I don't know the period well enough to say to what extent that would have been a thing, but she does textually already have at least one doctor in her employ.

If you've read the fic The Best Man, centered around Percy Woodville and the Atherton-Grayling wedding (and you should, it's a lot betterthan reading the Beetle, which is admittedly quitea low bar), Sydney therein suggests that Marjorie has been incarcerated at Bedlam, but you know what Sydney is like.

Whether Marjorie Lindon stayed there or not, St Mary's of Bethlehem is better known as Bedlam, the most infamous mental hospital of all time. There are popular Madness Songs such as Bess of Bedlam dating back into the Renaissance. It's featured in Sweeny Todd as the place where both Joanna and the doomed Lucy end up. However it was also part of the major mental health reforms of the late Victorian period (which seem to have penetrated Seward's asylum at Purfleet only to a partial extent). So it's a byword for a Very Bad Place, but that would have been at least in the process of changing by the time we are looking at now.

I admit I'm not at all sure what to do with poor Jonno in Option 4 now that he's got to London. Would you guys prefer I leave him in Bedlam and hope it helps? Or have him escape and have more Harrowing Gothic Adventures around London? Well I guess we can ask the old fashioned way:

[totouchthcstars]

@cquity || Harry & anyone

.｡.:*☆ Since he did love singing and payling instruments so much - like, more than working in a bank, or being a lawyer, or whatever - Harry had decided that, here in Sydney, he would make his dreams come true, finally.

Which meant, finally opening his own karaoke place. There was the main room - which had been a bar before - with a small stage and tables for people to sit at. And of course there were also drinks and snacks he would serve. But Harry had also transformed some of the smaller backroom into private boxes so to say, for those who did not wish to sing in front of strangers. They could then sing in those secluded places just with their friends.

However, Harry could not do this alone. He still needed people for the band - no music coming from records here on the stage, actually - and a waitress or waiter to serve the drinks. Oh, and also someone who could kick people out that did not know how to behave. So he had been placing ads in the local newspaper, and also put posters up onto the windows of the bar a couple of days ago.

The doorbell chimed, pulling Harry out of his thoughts. he could only hope whomever came in actually wanted to apply for one of the positions so he was searching for so desperatly.

[cityofdreamsrp]

🌈 YOU’RE INVITED TO THE PRIDE MASQUERADE MARDI GRAS BALL! 🌈

When: Tuesday, June 13th, 2023

Where: Aboard the Creole Queen 

Join us for a pride-themed, Masquerade Mardi Gras inspired celebration! Board the Creole Queen Paddlewheeler - rented out privately with comfort, safety, and luxury in mind. The Creole Queen riverboat, which holds a capacity of 800+, features outer decks with authentically patterned wrought iron trims, richly appointed interiors with plush Victorian style draperies, soft period lighting, wooden parquet dance floors, and Louisiana Cypress bars accented with brass railing for a warm and welcoming setting. During the ball, enjoy dinner serving traditional New Orleans style foods with pride themed drinks on the top deck. Afterwards, jump in our photo booth, capturing a forever memory before enjoying the DJ as you dance the night away! Please continue tagging all posts with #cityofdreamsprideweek so everyone can see your ball look.

ENJOY PRIDE WITH A MARDI GRAS TWIST.

While on the surface Mardi Gras appears to be no more than a party, many say Gay Mardi Gras helped usher in the Gay Rights Movement in the United States. Today it remains an important symbol of pride for the community and its allies. Mardi Gras balls are an extremely important part of LGBTQIA+ Mardi Gras celebrations. Inspired by the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras festival, enjoy your night on the ship in celebration of gender and sexuality as all funds will go to LGBTQIA+ rights. 

AND DON’T FORGET YOUR MASKS AND BEADS!

Whether they cover the wearer’s eyes or whole face, masks add an element of mystery and intrigue when worn, especially around this particular holiday in the city. Along with masks, traditional Mardi Gras beads are purple, green, and gold colors. The purple symbolizes justice, the green represents faith, and the gold signifies power. Tonight, wear your identity with pride featuring the beads of the rainbow, or the corresponding colors of your flag. Whether you decide to be formally dressed, or show up in an extravagant Mardi Gras outfit, don’t ever be afraid to show off your true colors.

[theavenuesydney]

Why Should You Use a Party Space with a Private Bar in Sydney for Events?

Many people opt for party venues with a private bar in Sydney for their events. What encourages them to make such a decision? Let us understand the reasons that make these types of venues popular.

No extra styling needed

You don’t have to waste time on additional styling. These spaces are specially designed for conducting various types of events like corporate meetings, birthday parties, product launch events, and more.

Eliminating the need for external vendors 

Fully functional party venues don’t make you worry about relying on different vendors. They provide all amenities, including beautiful spaces and built-in audio and video equipment, to meet your party needs efficiently. In other words, these Sydney party spaces for hire with a private bar offer everything under one roof to help you save time, money and effort.

Best beverages and restaurant-quality dishes

Get the best dishes and beverages for your guests. These private spaces hire the services of experienced chefs and bartenders to treat your guests perfectly. Most importantly, you can choose a customized menu based on the taste preferences of the invitees.

Organising an event becomes stress-free when you depend on a party venue rental with a private bar. In fact, it is a one-stop destination that delivers everything you need to conduct a party or event.

[fandomslashcontent]

Luxury Bucks Party in Sydney

For those looking for a luxurious and sophisticated bucks party in Sydney, there are countless premium experiences to choose from. Start with a private helicopter ride over Sydney’s iconic landmarks, giving the groom and his mates a breathtaking aerial view of the Opera House, Harbour Bridge, and Bondi Beach. Afterward, you can unwind aboard a chartered yacht, where you’ll sail through Sydney Harbour, sipping champagne and enjoying catered gourmet meals. This exclusive option is perfect for those who want a more refined yet unforgettable experience. For the evening, treat the groom to a lavish meal at one of Sydney’s high-end restaurants. With numerous options featuring Michelin-starred chefs and innovative dishes, your group will indulge in culinary delights. After dinner, head to a rooftop bar offering panoramic views of the city skyline, where you can enjoy premium cocktails and toast to the groom’s big day. No luxury bucks party in Sydney is complete without VIP treatment at one of the city’s elite nightclubs. Book a private booth, complete with bottle service and personal waitstaff, ensuring the group has the ultimate night out. The combination of world-class dining, opulent experiences, and exclusive nightlife makes this bucks party in Sydney the epitome of sophistication and style.

Paintball Adventure for a Bucks Party in Sydney

Paintball is an exciting, high-energy activity that is perfect for a bucks party in Sydney. It allows the group to engage in a bit of friendly competition while running through outdoor obstacle courses and strategizing team victories. Locations like Delta Force and Heartbreak Ridge provide expansive fields and a range of game modes, from capture the flag to last-man-standing battles. This activity is ideal for thrill-seekers and guarantees an adrenaline-fueled experience. After an action-packed day of paintball, the group can relax and enjoy post-game drinks at a nearby pub or bar.

Bucks Party in Sydney: Yacht Hire for Luxury Celebrations

For a more luxurious bucks party in Sydney, hiring a private yacht is a top-tier option. Sydney’s sparkling harbor provides a picturesque setting for a day of relaxation and celebration. Yacht hire packages often include gourmet catering, drinks, and even entertainment options such as live DJs or onboard barbecues. Whether cruising past the iconic Opera House or anchoring near secluded beaches, this experience combines luxury with adventure. Yachts also provide ample space for lounging, swimming, and socializing, ensuring a memorable day out on the water for the groom and his friends.

Escape Room Challenge for a Bucks Party in Sydney

For a unique and mentally engaging bucks party in Sydney, consider booking an escape room challenge. Sydney has a variety of escape room venues offering immersive, puzzle-based adventures. Teams must work together to solve clues and "escape" from a themed room within a set time. This activity fosters camaraderie and gets everyone involved in the excitement. From spooky horror themes to intricate crime-solving plots, escape rooms add an unexpected twist to the traditional bucks party. After successfully escaping (or not!), the group can head to a nearby bar to continue the celebration.

Whiskey Tasting for a Sophisticated Bucks Party in Sydney

Whiskey tasting offers a sophisticated yet relaxed experience for a bucks party in Sydney. Several bars and distilleries in the city provide private tasting sessions where you can sample premium whiskeys from around the world. Expert guides offer insight into the history, distillation process, and flavor profiles of each whiskey. This is a great option for smaller, more intimate groups that appreciate fine spirits and want to enjoy a more cultured celebration. Pair the tasting with a cigar lounge visit or a private dining experience to elevate the event even further.

Bucks Party BBQ in Sydney’s Parks or Beaches

For a more casual bucks party in Sydney, organizing a barbecue in one of the city’s scenic parks or beaches is a fantastic idea. Locations such as Centennial Park, Bondi Beach, or Nielsen Park offer great spots to set up a grill, enjoy good food, and spend quality time with friends. This laid-back setting allows for outdoor activities like frisbee, soccer, or swimming, making it ideal for a daytime celebration. Bring along your own drinks, snacks, and music to create a relaxed and festive atmosphere. A bucks party barbecue is a cost-effective and enjoyable option for any group.

Private Chef Experience for an Upscale Bucks Party in Sydney

For those seeking an upscale dining experience, hiring a private chef for a bucks party in Sydney is a great way to elevate the celebration. Whether at a rented holiday home or a luxury Airbnb, a private chef can prepare a gourmet meal tailored to the group's preferences. This experience adds a touch of class to the event, allowing the group to enjoy restaurant-quality food in a private, intimate setting. Pair the meal with a curated wine or cocktail menu for a truly luxurious experience. A private chef bucks party ensures the groom and his guests are well-fed and pampered.

Crafting the Perfect Bucks Party in Sydney

Organizing a bucks party in Sydney offers endless possibilities, from adrenaline-pumping adventures to sophisticated and relaxed experiences. Whether your group prefers cruising Sydney Harbour on a private yacht, exploring the city’s nightlife, or enjoying a laid-back barbecue at a beachside park, the options are tailored to every groom’s personality and interests. Planning early, choosing the right activities, and considering the groom's preferences will ensure a memorable day for everyone involved. With so many venues and activities, Sydney stands out as the ultimate destination for an unforgettable bucks party.

Conclusion

Sydney’s diverse range of activities, venues, and entertainment options makes it the ideal city for hosting an unforgettable bucks party. From thrilling outdoor adventures to more refined celebrations, there’s something for every group and groom-to-be. Whether you choose an exclusive boat party, a high-energy pub crawl, or a relaxed day of golfing and whiskey tasting, the key to a successful bucks party in Sydney is personalizing it to fit the groom's style. With the right planning, Sydney offers everything you need for an epic send-off into married life.

[maranofamilylawyers]

Sydney Family Lawyers

A Sydney Family Lawyer can help with various legal matters. Some of these include divorce and separation, children’s matters, property settlement, and domestic violence. It is important to choose a family lawyer with good communication skills and empathy.

If you are experiencing separation issues, it is best to hire a Sydney Family Law Specialist who has the knowledge and expertise to handle your matter. They can help you navigate the process and get your life back on track after separation.

Doolan Wagner Family Lawyers

Doolan Wagner Sydney Family Lawyers is a based law firm that specializes in family law. They handle cases involving divorce, property settlement, child custody, and domestic violence. They also offer legal services for restraining orders and appeals. Their lawyers have extensive experience in the industry and are well-versed in the local laws.

The firm’s criminal law practice handles matters related to bail applications, Section 2 application (mental health), and District Court appeals. They have an in-house counsel, a notary public, and solicitors agent. They are available to assist clients 24/7.

Family law is a complex area of the law that involves numerous facets of a relationship. A good family lawyer in Lower Northern Sydney can help you navigate this challenging process with sensitivity and empathy.

Shore Lawyers

Attorney Shore has been practicing law in New Haven County for nearly a decade. She is a member of the Connecticut Bar Association and has been on several committees, including the Family Law and Estates & Probate sections and the Young Lawyers Executive Committee. She also serves on the Board of Directors for the New Haven County Bar Foundation.

She is a partner and co-owner of Wolf & Shore Law Group and practices in family law, estate planning and juvenile law. She has completed GAL and assigned counsel training and is accredited in veterans benefits.

She is a passionate client advocate and zealously advocates for clients’ rights in courtroom trials. She also coaches a high school mock trial team. She is a proud member of the Electric City BNI group.

Maatouks Law Group

Maatouks Law Group offers legal services in Sydney CBD, Liverpool, and Narellan. Its lawyers specialize in family, property, and immigration law. They also offer mediation and arbitration services. They are available around the clock to assist you with your legal needs.

Peter Maatouks began his legal career in 1993 when he commenced employment with a medium sized firm in Parramatta. Since then, he has become one of the most sought after Sydney lawyers. His success is due to his willingness to be accessible to the Australian public. He puts his face and contact details out in the public domain and takes calls 24/7.

The firm’s criminal lawyers handle bail applications, Section 2 applications, and District Court appeals. Their family lawyers help clients with divorce, property settlement, and same-sex marriages.

Goldman & Co. Lawyers & Attorneys

Goldman & Co is an international legal firm specializing in dispute resolution and litigation, private investments, international tax, wealth and assets. Its discreet commercial private client expertise attracts high net worth individuals and wealthy families both locally and internationally.

Janet Goldman has developed extensive relationships with financial and insurance companies, fellow attorneys, and the Rhode Island courts. She uses these connections to guide clients through the complexities of bankruptcy and other debtrelated issues, divorces, and family law matters.

She also has experience in complex real estate and commercial litigation, including mortgage foreclosures and landlord/tenant matters. She has counseled and litigated numerous issues pertaining to condominiums and cooperatives and has experience in arbitration and mediation. She has also lectured extensively on the subjects of employment and insurance coverage law.

O’Sullivan Legal

Alison O’Sullivan delivers multifaceted and compassionate legal Legal advisor Sydney to private clients in complex family law, guardianship, and contested estate matters. Her extensive experience in these sensitive cases, combined with her empathy, allows her to guide clients through every step of their legal journey with compassion and expertise.

In addition to family law, she has significant commercial litigation and creditor’s rights experience. She also has an active international practice, advising public and private companies on a variety of corporate transactions and disputes.

After graduating from Cornell Law School summa cum laude, she clerked for Chief

Judge Levin Campbell of the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit and Justice Sandra Day O’Connor of the Supreme Court of the United States. She also has substantial experience in complex financial litigation, including mergers and acquisitions and white-collar criminal defense work.

[m-illustr]

Bucks Party Ideas for the Ultimate Sydney Experience

A bucks party in Sydney can be tailored to any style or preference, ensuring the groom-to-be has the time of his life. Sydney offers a variety of experiences that can make your celebration truly unforgettable. From action-packed days to luxurious nights, the city is brimming with possibilities. Start with an adventurous day of jet skiing, surfing lessons, or even a scenic helicopter ride over the city. For a more laid-back approach, enjoy a golf day with the boys at one of Sydney’s premier courses, or charter a yacht for a private cruise along the stunning coastline. These daytime activities can set the tone for an epic bucks party. When night falls, head to Darling Harbour or The Rocks, two of the most popular nightlife destinations. The vibrant bars and nightclubs offer excellent entertainment, while many venues provide special packages for bucks parties. Hiring a private party bus to tour Sydney’s top spots is another popular option. No matter how you plan it, a bucks party in Sydney will create lasting memories for everyone involved.

Bar Crawl for a Bucks Party in Sydney

One of the most popular ways to celebrate a bucks party in Sydney is by organizing a bar crawl through some of the city’s hottest nightlife districts. Areas like Darlinghurst, The Rocks, and Kings Cross are home to a range of bars, pubs, and clubs, offering a lively and diverse drinking scene. A bar crawl lets you explore the city’s vibrant nightlife, with each stop bringing a different atmosphere and drink menu. Whether you prefer craft beers, fancy cocktails, or classic pub vibes, Sydney’s bar scene has something for everyone. To add to the fun, many bucks party packages include a party host, transportation, and VIP entry to some of the city’s most exclusive venues.

Brewery Tour for a Bucks Party in Sydney

For beer enthusiasts, a brewery tour is a fantastic way to celebrate a bucks party in Sydney. The city is home to a growing craft beer scene, with plenty of local breweries offering behind-the-scenes tours and tastings. Brewery tours are a great opportunity to learn about the brewing process, sample a variety of beers, and relax in a laid-back setting with friends. Many breweries also offer food pairings, games, and outdoor seating, making it an all-around enjoyable experience. It’s a low-key yet fun-filled way to celebrate, especially for groups who enjoy great beer and good company.

Jet Boating Adventure for a Bucks Party in Sydney

For a high-speed and exhilarating bucks party in Sydney, jet boating on Sydney Harbour is an unbeatable experience. Feel the thrill as the boat speeds through the water, performing spins, slides, and other adrenaline-pumping maneuvers. Sydney’s jet boating companies offer packages tailored specifically for bucks parties, providing a safe yet heart-racing adventure for the group. Afterward, you can continue the party at one of the many nearby waterfront bars or restaurants. This activity combines the excitement of a high-speed ride with the beauty of Sydney Harbour, making it a unique and memorable option for a bucks party in Sydney.

Go-Karting for a Competitive Bucks Party in Sydney

If you’re looking to add some friendly competition to your bucks party in Sydney, go-karting is a fantastic option. Sydney is home to several high-quality go-kart tracks where you and your friends can race each other in high-speed karts. Many venues offer special bucks party packages that include exclusive track time, all necessary equipment, and even prizes for the top racers. Go-karting is perfect for groups who love to compete and enjoy the thrill of racing. It’s a great way to kick off the day before heading out for more celebrations in the evening.

Skydiving for an Extreme Bucks Party in Sydney

For the ultimate thrill-seeker, skydiving is the perfect way to celebrate a bucks party in Sydney. Experience the rush of free-falling from a plane while taking in breathtaking views of Sydney and the surrounding coastline. There are several skydiving companies in Sydney that offer group packages specifically designed for bucks parties. It’s an experience that’s guaranteed to be talked about for years to come, making it an unforgettable way to mark the occasion. After the jump, you can celebrate with drinks and food at a nearby venue, capping off a truly epic day.

Fishing Charter for a Relaxing Bucks Party in Sydney

For a more laid-back bucks party in Sydney, consider booking a fishing charter. Sydney’s waters are home to a variety of fish, making it a popular destination for fishing enthusiasts. A private charter allows you and your mates to spend the day out on the water, fishing, relaxing, and enjoying the beautiful views of the city’s coastline. Many fishing charters offer full-day packages that include all the gear, food, and drinks, ensuring that you have everything you need for a fun and relaxing day. It’s a great way to escape the hustle and bustle of the city while still enjoying a memorable bucks party in Sydney.

Escape Room Challenge for a Bucks Party in Sydney

For a unique and mentally stimulating bucks party in Sydney, an escape room challenge is a great choice. Sydney is home to several top-rated escape rooms that offer immersive and challenging scenarios. In these rooms, you and your group will need to work together to solve puzzles and complete tasks in order to “escape” within a set time limit. It’s a fantastic way to test your teamwork and problem-solving skills while having a lot of fun. Many escape room venues offer packages specifically for bucks parties, making it easy to organize a memorable and engaging event for the groom and his mates.

Conclusion

With so many incredible options to choose from, planning a bucks party in Sydney is an exciting adventure in itself. Whether it’s a high-speed jet boating ride, a competitive day of go-karting, or a VIP nightclub experience, Sydney has everything you need to create a once-in-a-lifetime event. The city’s unique blend of outdoor activities, world-class nightlife, and picturesque views make it the perfect destination for celebrating this special occasion. By carefully selecting activities that reflect the groom’s personality and interests, you can create a memorable event that the entire group will talk about for years to come. Sydney’s dynamic energy and iconic locations make it an unbeatable destination for a bucks party celebration.

[thesapphire123]

The Sapphire: Elevating Events with Professional Indian Outdoor Catering in Sydney

Welcome to The Sapphire Professional Indian Outdoor Catering, where passion for international cuisine meets a distinctive custom catering experience. If you've visited The Sapphire and fallen in love with our food and presentation, we have exciting news for you: even if your event can't be held at our venue due to date availability or other reasons, you can still enjoy our culinary excellence with our professional outdoor catering services.

Bringing The Sapphire Experience to You

We proudly offer a complete range of catering services across Sydney and surrounding areas. Whether you need innovative finger food for a casual gathering, a sit-down dinner for a formal occasion, or unique catering for private parties, birthday celebrations, or corporate events, The Sapphire is here to serve. We cater to all venues, including corporate venues in Western Sydney, your home, community centers, or any other function space, and even provide full bar services to complete the experience..

Our Focus: Freshness, Originality, and Presentation

At The Sapphire, our focus is on freshness, originality, and impeccable presentation. All our dishes are handmade with the finest ingredients to ensure that your guests are treated to an exceptional dining experience. Our diverse menus cater to a wide range of tastes, ensuring that everyone at your event will be sumptuously fed.

Selecting the perfect menu for your celebration can be an involved process, but our team is here to help. We work closely with you to imagine each dish in the context of your event, along with accompanying beverages. Contact us for a consultation that covers not just the menu but also decor, floral arrangements, venues, rentals, linens, and more.

Indian Catering Services Tailored for You

Our Indian outdoor catering service offers an array of authentic and flavorful dishes that will leave a lasting impression on your guests. From traditional curries to tandoori specialties, our experienced chefs use only the freshest ingredients to craft meals that are as memorable as your special occasion. Whether you’re hosting a wedding, corporate event, or private party, we provide top-notch service and delectable Indian cuisine that your guests will rave about.

Custom Indian Catering Packages

For Corporate Events: Elevate your next corporate event with our exquisite Indian catering packages, designed to impress even the most discerning guests. From flavorful curries to aromatic biryanis, our menu offers a wide variety of authentic dishes that are sure to satisfy and delight. Whether you’re hosting a small meeting or a large conference, our customizable catering packages will suit your specific needs and preferences. Impress your clients and colleagues with the rich culinary heritage of India, all while enjoying impeccable service from our professional catering team.

For Birthday Parties: Celebrate your special day with our Indian Catering Packages for Birthday Parties, featuring a delightful array of authentic dishes. From savory curries to mouthwatering biryanis and tandoori specialties, our packages provide a diverse selection of vegetarian and non-vegetarian options to please every palate. Whether your gathering is intimate or grand, our catering packages will elevate your birthday celebration with the exquisite flavors of India.

For Wedding Events: Make your wedding unforgettable with our Indian Catering Packages, offering a culinary journey through the rich flavors of Indian cuisine. Our packages include a diverse selection of traditional dishes, meticulously crafted to cater to various tastes and dietary preferences. From aromatic biryanis to delectable curries and a variety of vegetarian and non-vegetarian options, our expert chefs use only the most authentic ingredients. We also offer customizable menus and professional service to enhance your wedding celebration, ensuring a truly memorable occasion.

[zaynah-studies]

How to Plan the Perfect Bucks Party in Sydney? Tips and Ideas

Organizing a bucks party in Sydney is an exciting yet challenging task. Sydney, known for its stunning landscapes, vibrant culture, and dynamic entertainment scene, provides endless possibilities for creating an extraordinary celebration. Whether your goal is to plan an action-packed day or a more relaxed and refined evening, Sydney has something to offer. Kick off the bucks party in Sydney with an adventure that gets everyone's adrenaline pumping. One popular choice is a group surfing lesson at Bondi Beach, where you can ride the waves and soak in the sun. For thrill-seekers, there’s the option of indoor skydiving or go-kart racing, which adds an element of competition to the day. These activities are not only fun but also provide great opportunities for bonding and creating lasting memories. After working up an appetite, it's time to focus on food and drinks. Sydney boasts an impressive array of dining options that cater to all tastes and budgets. You could opt for a classic steakhouse, where the group can enjoy hearty meals and top-notch service, or choose a trendy gastropub offering craft beers and gourmet burgers. For something truly special, consider booking a private chef to prepare a customized meal in the comfort of a luxury apartment or Airbnb.

Gourmet Dining Experiences for a Bucks Party in Sydney

Food is a highlight of any bucks party in Sydney, and the city’s vibrant culinary scene offers endless options for a memorable dining experience. Whether you’re looking for a high-end steakhouse, a trendy gastropub, or an exotic Asian fusion restaurant, Sydney has it all. For a more personalized experience, consider hiring a private chef to prepare a gourmet meal in a luxury apartment or Airbnb. Pair the meal with a whiskey or wine tasting session for a sophisticated touch. A gourmet dining experience is a great way to indulge and celebrate during a bucks party in Sydney.

Nightlife Hotspots for a Bucks Party in Sydney

Sydney’s nightlife is legendary, making it the ideal location for a bucks party in Sydney. The city is home to some of the best bars, clubs, and pubs in Australia, offering a range of options for a night out. Start with cocktails at a rooftop bar overlooking the city skyline, then head to a nightclub where you can dance until dawn. For a more exclusive experience, book a VIP booth with bottle service or organize a private bar crawl with a guide who can show you the best spots in town. Sydney’s nightlife ensures a night of fun and excitement for any bucks party in Sydney.

Bucks Party in Sydney: A Day on the Water

A day on the water is a popular choice for a bucks party in Sydney, offering a unique and memorable experience. Consider renting a private yacht or catamaran for a cruise around Sydney Harbour, where you can enjoy drinks, music, and stunning views of the city’s landmarks. For something more active, organize a fishing charter or a group sailing lesson. Water sports like jet skiing or wakeboarding are also great options for adding some adventure to the day. A water-based bucks party in Sydney provides the perfect combination of relaxation and excitement.

Relaxing Spa Day for a Bucks Party in Sydney

After a night of partying, a relaxing spa day can be the perfect way to wind down and recharge during a bucks party in Sydney. Sydney is home to several luxury spas that offer a range of treatments, from massages and facials to hydrotherapy and saunas. Book a group package where everyone can enjoy some pampering together, complete with champagne and gourmet snacks. A spa day not only helps the groom and his friends relax but also provides a great opportunity for bonding and reflection after the celebrations. It’s a soothing and rejuvenating way to conclude a bucks party in Sydney.

Bucks Party in Sydney: The Ultimate Pub Crawl

A pub crawl is a classic way to celebrate a bucks party in Sydney, allowing the group to explore the city’s vibrant bar scene. Start the crawl at a historic pub in The Rocks, where you can enjoy a pint of local craft beer. From there, move on to some of Sydney’s trendy bars in Surry Hills or Darlinghurst, each offering a unique atmosphere and drink selection. Consider booking a guided pub crawl to ensure you hit the best spots and receive VIP treatment. A pub crawl is a fun and lively way to experience Sydney’s nightlife during a bucks party in Sydney.

Adrenaline-Pumping Activities for a Bucks Party in Sydney

For an unforgettable bucks party in Sydney, why not add some adrenaline-pumping activities to the agenda? Sydney offers a range of thrilling experiences that are perfect for a group of friends looking to push their limits. Try skydiving for an ultimate rush, or go bungee jumping off one of the city’s iconic bridges. For those who prefer something closer to the ground, go-kart racing or paintball can provide plenty of excitement and competition. These high-energy activities are sure to get everyone’s heart racing and set the stage for an action-packed bucks party in Sydney.

Bucks Party in Sydney: A Whiskey Tasting Experience

A whiskey tasting experience adds a touch of sophistication to a bucks party in Sydney. Sydney boasts several venues where you can enjoy a guided tasting session, learning about the different types of whiskey, how they’re made, and the best ways to enjoy them. Some venues even offer private tasting rooms where your group can sample rare and exclusive whiskies in an intimate setting. Pair the tasting with a selection of gourmet snacks or a cigar lounge for an added layer of luxury. A whiskey tasting is a refined way to celebrate and bond during a bucks party in Sydney.

Conclusion

When it comes to celebrating a bucks party in Sydney, the options are as varied as they are exciting. Whether your group prefers adrenaline-fueled adventures, laid-back relaxation, or a mix of both, Sydney provides the perfect setting for an unforgettable day. By selecting activities that reflect the groom’s personality and preferences, you can ensure a celebration that is truly special. The blend of Sydney’s natural beauty, world-class venues, and unique experiences makes it an ideal destination for a memorable bucks party. Whatever you choose, a bucks party in Sydney promises to be a day filled with fun, laughter, and lifelong memories.

[coconuts-on-palm-trees]

Bucks Party in Sydney: A Comprehensive Guide to the Ultimate Celebration

Planning a bucks party in Sydney is all about creating an experience that perfectly blends fun, adventure, and camaraderie. Sydney, with its stunning scenery, vibrant nightlife, and endless activity options, is the ideal city for such a celebration. Start the day with an adrenaline-pumping adventure, like skydiving over the Sydney Harbour or a thrilling go-kart race that fuels competitive spirits. For those seeking a more relaxed vibe, a private yacht cruise along the harbor provides a luxurious way to enjoy Sydney’s iconic sights while sipping on champagne and enjoying gourmet snacks. As the day turns into evening, Sydney’s lively nightlife offers an array of choices to keep the party going. You can start with a sophisticated dinner at a waterfront restaurant, offering exquisite dishes and panoramic views of the city’s skyline. Afterward, dive into the heart of Sydney’s nightlife with a pub crawl through popular neighborhoods like Darlinghurst or Surry Hills, where the bars are diverse and the energy is high. For a touch of exclusivity, consider booking a private room at a top nightclub, ensuring your group gets VIP treatment.

Adrenaline-Fueled Bucks Party in Sydney

For thrill-seekers, an adrenaline-fueled bucks party in Sydney offers the perfect mix of excitement and adventure. Start the day with skydiving over the stunning Sydney Harbour or try your hand at bungee jumping off one of the city’s iconic bridges. The rush of adrenaline will set the tone for an unforgettable day, making it the perfect beginning to a bucks party in Sydney that the groom and his friends will talk about for years to come.

Surfing Lessons for a Beachside Bucks Party in Sydney

Take advantage of Sydney’s beautiful beaches by starting your bucks party in Sydney with surfing lessons at Bondi Beach. Whether you’re a group of beginners or seasoned surfers, the experience of catching waves together is both fun and exhilarating. Afterward, relax on the golden sands and enjoy the sun, creating a laid-back yet exciting atmosphere for your bucks party in Sydney.

Private Yacht Cruise for an Exclusive Bucks Party in Sydney

For a touch of luxury, consider booking a private yacht cruise around Sydney Harbour. This option for a bucks party in Sydney allows you to enjoy breathtaking views of the city’s skyline while sipping on champagne and indulging in gourmet snacks. A yacht cruise offers a sophisticated and relaxing way to celebrate, making it an excellent choice for those looking for a more refined bucks party in Sydney.

Craft Beer Tasting Tour for a Bucks Party in Sydney

If the groom is a fan of craft beer, a tasting tour is a must for your bucks party in Sydney. Sydney is home to a vibrant craft beer scene, with numerous breweries offering unique flavors and brews. Organize a tour that takes you to several top breweries, where you can sample a variety of craft beers and learn about the brewing process. This laid-back yet engaging activity is perfect for a bucks party in Sydney that’s all about good drinks and great company.

Poker Night for a Classic Bucks Party in Sydney

For a classic bucks party in Sydney, consider hosting a private poker night. Rent a stylish venue or set up a poker table at home, complete with professional dealers, chips, and cards. Add in some whiskey and cigars, and you’ve got the perfect setting for an evening of friendly competition and fun. A poker night is a great way to combine entertainment and socializing, making it a popular choice for a bucks party in Sydney.

Rooftop Bar Crawl for a Scenic Bucks Party in Sydney

Sydney’s rooftop bars offer stunning views and a vibrant atmosphere, making them ideal for a bucks party in Sydney. Plan a rooftop bar crawl that takes you to some of the city’s best spots, where you can enjoy cocktails while taking in panoramic views of the skyline. This option combines the excitement of a night out with the beauty of Sydney’s cityscape, ensuring your bucks party in Sydney is both memorable and picturesque.

Paintballing Adventure for an Action-Packed Bucks Party in Sydney

Add some action to your bucks party in Sydney with a paintballing adventure. Gather the groom and his friends for a day of strategic gameplay and friendly competition at one of Sydney’s top paintball venues. The thrill of dodging paintballs and outsmarting the opposing team adds a dynamic element to your bucks party in Sydney, making it an experience that everyone will enjoy.

Conclusion

Planning a bucks party in Sydney offers an incredible array of options, ensuring that every celebration is as unique as the groom himself. Whether you choose an action-packed day filled with adrenaline, a luxurious evening on the water, or a relaxed gathering with friends, Sydney’s diverse landscape and vibrant culture provide the perfect backdrop for an unforgettable event. With careful planning and attention to the groom’s preferences, a bucks party in Sydney can become a cherished memory that marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter.