It had been a long time since Matty felt butterflies in her belly.
Despite her denial that it wasn’t a date, it did feel like something more than just hanging out. They had such a good day yesterday. Reese opening up to her had felt like a privilege.She had gotten the sense that it wasn’t something she did often. They talked about so much, and the look on Reese’s face when they were done was a look Matty wanted to see again and again. A lot of progress had been made. It still needed work, but there was so much more uncovered thanks to their efforts.
She had been intentionally focusing on everything about the evening except the actual reason they were meeting. The idea of tackling the GED program was daunting, but then, when Reese was added, it felt even more so. She hoped she wouldn’t make a fool of herself. Matty knew she was smart, but she had never been what Grams called book smart. She could figure out things in her head, but to put it down on paper was never something she excelled at.
The kitchen smelled heavenly. She turned to the island where softened butter waited for her. She would be mixing in shredded Parmesan, garlic, black pepper, salt, and a hint of coriander. That was her own special touch. The oven was preheating, and the loaf of bread had already been cut. All she needed to do was slather the butter mixture on it and pop it into the oven. It wouldn’t take long.
The sauce had been simmering for a few hours. It was better the longer it was allowed to cook. A recipe from her Grammy. Crushed tomatoes, a few drops of balsamic, Italian herbs, ground beef browned with a little salted butter, and onions. The sauce’s flavor developed the longer it simmered. Once it was time to eat, she would serve it over spaghetti noodles and garlic bread to sop up the leftover sauce. Her mouth watered in anticipation.
She felt eyes on her. She looked over to the couch where Hester was sitting on the back, judgment written all over her face. “What?”
The only reply given was a long, narrowed blink.
“Look, it’s not what it looks like. It’s just dinner with a friend.”
Hester tilted her head, studying her human. The look was almost sarcastic.
“Seriously. It’s nothing. Get off my back.”
She knew full well that she was arguing with a cat, but Hester was well-versed at getting her point across, even with the language barrier.
The clock on the wall said Reese should be there any minute. She quickly smeared the butter mixture on the bread, then placed it in the oven on a baking sheet.
For a fourth time, she wondered if she had picked out the right clothing. She didn’t want to be too formal but also not too relaxed. It was an evening in, so she picked a dark red Henley and a pair of well-fitting joggers with white crew socks. Very chill, but lookedlike she put a little effort in. This definitely wasn’t a date, but she couldn’t help but think she never put this much effort into her monthly outing with Kenny.
The same mellow ’90s playlist from the day Reese took a shower was playing softly in the background. A small bouquet of peonies in a short vase sat on the table. And the overhead lights were off in the living room area. She hated overhead lights in any room that wasn’t the bathroom or kitchen.
“My God, I’ve made this into a date.”
She could have sworn she saw Hester roll her eyes.
Before she could rush to change things, like lose the flowers or turn every overhead light on in the entire apartment, a knock sounded on the door.
“Fuck,” she breathed as her chest tightened. What had she been thinking?
The only thing she could think to do was quickly grab the flowers off the table and place them on the counter. She flipped the switch to light up the living room area as she opened the door.
Reese stood on the other side, her auburn hair in soft curls and clad in a pale green linen dress that stretched over her breasts but flowed out to hide delicious curves. Her shape hadn’t escaped Matty. She dressed her body in a way not to overly highlight it at work, which wasn’t uncommon for women to do in a male facility, but yesterday Matty had to actively work to keep her eyes from staring at her in those leggings. Matty was a thigh lady. The thicker the better. And Reese didn’t disappoint in that area.
“Hey,” she greeted.
“Hey.”
“Come on in.”
Reese stepped by her. A waft of floral perfume hit Matty’s nose, prompting her to breathe deep. Was it lilacs? Something light and springy. And very enticing.
“Oh God, it smells so good in here,” moaned Reese. The praise sent a shiver down Matty’s spine.
“Thanks. Nothing fancy, just some spaghetti. Is that alright with you? I could DoorDash something if not,” she rushed out as she shut the door.
Reese walked over to the stove and lifted the lid off the pan. She leaned down, smelling the sauce. “Matty, this looks delicious. Do I smell garlic bread?”
“Yep, it should be done soon.”
Reese rounded on her, her brown eyes shining. “This is really nice. You’ve gone to a lot of trouble.”
Heat coursed up her neck and to her cheeks. “I make dinner on Sunday normally. Might as well share it.” Did she overdo it? If Reese thought this was a big deal, then she was absolutely not going to pull out the cheesecake.
