When I entered my house, I spotted Eve. She seemed to have transferred to the living room area, which I thought was a much better place than the kitchen, as well as having more comfortable seats. She also seemed to have done away with the tall piles of paper, opting for a smaller, neater stack.

“And how was Miss Rarity?” Eve asked in a business-like tone. I smiled. Even in her day-off, she was still my Handler.

I shut the door, my arm a little shaky as it held a small bucket bag which hid the parcel Rarity gave me. “A little aggressive today,” I said casually, walking towards her.

“Oh?” she asked, not looking at me. The closer I got, I noticed that she was busy sealing a letter in an envelope.

“She was even inclined to try and invite her friend back to our hotel room,” I replied, placing the bag on a chair, joining her in the couch. I let my arms brush the nape of her neck, and when she looked at me, smiling, I hugged her, kissing her on the lips. She returned it with gusto.

“You did tell her that would be a breach of contract, right?” Eve asked when we separated.

“Of course,” I said. “It was a little tempting, though. It won’t be everyday that a Gentleman would have a Princess as a customer.”

Eve blinked. “Princess?” She mulled it over a bit, then said, “Princess Sparkle?” When I nodded, she added, “Well, I seem to remember that you said you had a crush on her at one point.”

“Considering she is a much more awesome pony in person, it’s justified.” I shook my head sadly. “However, I wouldn’t dream of tarnishing your perfect record, especially since you are so close to overthrowing Platinum.”

Eve snorted, chuckling after a moment. She looked at me for a moment before her gaze turned blank. I blinked.

“What?” I asked. I sniffed myself. “Do I still have Rarity’s scent?”

Eve shook her head, smiling. “Your obsession with coming home to me without smelling like another mare is odd, but endearing, Harry. I was actually more curious about”—she motioned towards the bag I put on the chair—“that.”

“Oh, that,” I said, stealing a glance at it. “It’s actually a shirt and jacket. Rarity had a new design, and wanted me to try it out.”

Eve growled. “Okay, that mare is really pushing the boundaries. I’m going to have strong words with her and see what she really is intending.”

“Eve,” I said, calmingly, stroking her mane. She gave me a guilty look. “She just wanted me to try it on and return it to her. It’s not a gift to me. I promise.”

Eve sighed, nodding. “Okay. I still think she’s acting a bit too much like a suitor.”

“I trust Rarity to act properly,” I said. “And please trust me to tell you if she crosses the line.” That seemed to satisfy Eve, and allowed me to change the subject. “So, sealing your recommendation about the Consultants?”

She nodded. “I’ve recommended against it, and also added a small compilation explaining why. I hope they consider them.”

“They will,” I said, rubbing her shoulders a bit.

“Mm-hm, I like that,” Eve muttered, leaning to me. I smelled her scent, with a hint of soft perfume that relaxed me. I kissed her mane, which smelled freshly washed with a scent almost like lavender. “Yeah, I shouldn’t worry so much. I went for a more politically-friendly angle.”

“Like?”

“Power,” Eve replied. “I argued that Consultants given the powers they are requesting would possibly undermine the laws Princess Celestia put into place. I pointed out that some human hiring policies will clash with Equestrian ones. I also added the climate of human gender issues as a small example.”

“Stop talking,” I said and kissed her neck. “Let me enjoy the way you smell.”

Eve giggled. “Harry, I have an appointment.”

I mock-acted getting stabbed in the heart. “Using my own words against me!”

“Yes, well, now you know how I felt,” Eve replied with a smile. Her forelegs snaked around my neck, pulled me into a deep delicious kiss. I tasted the mint of her toothpaste, the heat of her tongue. When we separated, she looked dejected. “I wish you’d be available later. We could finish this.”

I looked at her. “How long will your appointment take?”

“Well, including the trip to Canterlot and then to Manehattan, I’ll probably be back right after lunch.”

“Okay, how about this?” I asked. “I’ll go straight to your apartment after I’m done with my meeting. I’ll try to make it before dinner, that way, we can have something nice. I’ll have a couple of boosters ready, and we’re going to make a proper mess of your room.”

“Sounds delightful,” Eve said with a longing sigh. She looked at me, shaking herself, transforming from a crestfallen mare to one ready to face the world. “I will hold you to that, Harry.”

“I won’t ever let you down,” I promised.

Eve smiled, giving me one last wet kiss before she trotted out of the living room, files and envelope ready. I grabbed her saddlebag and helped her put each of her files inside, smiles never leaving our faces. As she walked out of the room, she added a nice gait, pausing just at the door frame, and lifted her tail, just a little, tantalizing me, giving me a rather wonderful view. Then, as quick as that came, she was outside, door closing behind her.

I took a deep breath, feeling very hot, then moved. Walking towards my phone, I dialed a few numbers, making sure what I had arranged in the last few days was ready, and added a few more before calling one last number. When the call connected, I said, “I’m going to need a chariot.”

The next few hours were a bit of a rush. I went to Manehattan, visiting Eve’s favorite restaurant and reserving a place for us for dinner. I had to move quickly, checking on the time, and grabbed a few more things, including a few boosters. When I was done, I made my way to Eve’s apartment, with a few hours to spare.

Letting myself in with a key she gave me, I made a few last-minute arrangements in the dining area, placed the wrapped parcel on the table, and waited. And waited.

I don’t know how long it it was, but I kept still, staring at the antechamber that led to the dining area. Finally, I heard a key being put in place, the gears in the lock tumbler turning and clicking. I heard a heavy sigh, a plop of something to the ground, and hoofsteps going towards me.

When Eve saw me, her eyes widened with surprise. I gave her my best smile. “Welcome back.”

“Harry?” she asked, unable to believe my presence. “When did you—? I thought you were in a meeting?”

“And miss spending time with you on your birthday?” I asked.

“You… remembered,” she said, whispering the last word. Her eyes glistened with a few tears, but she wiped them away immediately. “I thought you forgot.”

I approached her, slowly, went on my knees in front of her, and hugged her neck. She returned it, gladly. “I didn’t,” I said. “I just wanted to make sure I got your gift, and I thought it was going to take me the whole day. However—” I looked at the parcel on the table “—someone was kind enough to help me get it early.”

I led her to the dining table, and handed the parcel to her. She magically lifted it, undid the tied ribbon, letting the wrapper fall to reveal its contents. Her eyes widened when she saw it.

“You didn’t!”

I smiled in response.

She opened the box packaging, removing the new tablet inside. The screen was blank, but after putting her hoof on top of it, it came to life, going through the familiar phase of booting up.

“How did you get this?” Eve asked, looking at me. Her eyes were wet again, but she didn’t seem aware of it. “I thought this was only going to be sold tomorrow?”

“Well, tonight, if you’ve made reservations,” I corrected. “I asked for a few favors, and I got an even more favorable response than I expected.”

Eve looked at the tablet, and it began opening random programs, like a writing application, clock, and even opened a few card games I didn’t know was already built in. Gently floating it back on the table, she suddenly lunged at me, crying, “Thank you,” repeatedly, and a random kiss here and there. I hugged her back, also feeling slightly misty-eyed.

“Anything for you, Eve,” I said softly. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” was her only response, the only one I needed.

We stayed like that for a few moments, before we let each other go. Her eyes were wet, but her smile was undeniable. She was glowing. Nodding, knowing I did good, I said, “Well, why don’t you take that tablet while we go out, put it through its paces. I made a few arrangements to make my birthday mare happy.”

Eve chuckled. “I’m sure. But before that—” she bit my hand gently, and began to lead me out the dining area. I blinked as she led me to her room. She let my hand go, giving me a knowing glance, and finished with “—let’s start a little early on that promise of messing up my room.”

I grinned. “Yes, ma’am.”

Author's Note

And that's a wrap. Thank you everyone for reading, and hopefully you guys enjoyed that short journey.

Shout-out to shira, coandco, permanent temporary, GIULIO, Denim_Blue, TownCrier, AJ_Aficionado, ponyboy245 and Firesight. This story wouldn't have been half as good without you guys.