Reese seemed to have no issue making herself at home, which would have normally peeved Matty, but she didn’t mind. There was something about the domestic actions that made it feel almost intimate. Her apartment was her safe space. A place that didn’t have triggers or stressors. It was a completely controlled environment. Having someone other than Hester in it was supposed to be difficult for her. Anxiety-inducing. But it wasn’t.
They decided the best place to work was the kitchen table. Reese put two plates with slices of cheesecake on the table, then did the same with the coffee, while Matty grabbed her laptop and the folder Elsie had given her.
She bent over to plug in the laptop, and as she was popping back up, she turned her head in time to catch Reese’s eyes glued to her ass. A thrill shot through her as her eyes locked on Reese’s. She couldn’t stop the smirk that tugged at her lips as Reese ducked her head and squirmed in her seat.Caught youwas on the tip of her tongue, but she refrained from saying it. The deep blush on Reese’s cheeks said enough.
Clearly, the attraction went both ways. And she loved that.
“So, Elsie has a whole packet for this, plus websites to look at.” She took the chair beside Reese.
“She’s on top of it.”
Matty nodded, taking a sip of coffee. “She is. She’s been doing this for years.”
“Okay, so how is the test set up? I’m sorry I didn’t look before now. I had planned to, but then I got sidetracked.”
“No problem. It’s pretty straightforward, I think.”
Reese picked up her fork, getting a bite of cheesecake and a little of the sauce and pecans. She closed her eyes as she moaned and cleaned the fork with her tongue. A pink tongue that looked like it could be good at licking other things. “This is so good.”
It was Matty’s turn to be caught as Reese had opened her eyes and was watching Matty watch her mouth. The raised eyebrow aimed at Matty had her quickly turning her attention back to the laptop. “Uh, I’m glad you like it. Anyway, the test is made up of four parts: math, social studies, science, and language arts.”
Reese began flipping through the folder as she chewed another bite before swallowing. “It looks like Elsie has websites for practice tests and study tutorials. There are three packets of practice questions here with a free YouTube video that explains how to get the answers. What subject do you want to start with?”
“I’m not sure. Should I start with the one I’m most worried about or the one I think I’ll be the best at?”
Taking a sip of coffee, Reese flipped through a few more pages. “How about the one you’re most worried about?”
“That would be math,” she sighed. She dreaded it.
“Do you not use math at work? I would imagine you have to calculate sums or find square footage or whatever.”
Matty shrugged. She took a bite of cheesecake, the creaminess and butteriness mingling together beautifully. “Damn, that is good.”
“Ridiculously good. I don’t suppose you’d mind me taking a slice home?”
“You can take the whole thing. Well, not the whole thing. I promised Bette a slice.”
“That’s surprising. Kerrie said she had the whole house on a diet of limited sugar and fats.”
Matty snorted. “Not a single one of them is following those rules fully. In fact, Kerrie’s been stopping at the country store for a biscuit every other morning. Kenny has me sneaking him cans of SunDrop when no one is looking. I just can’t say no to thosebig pleading eyes. And Bette has me put a box of cookies in my grocery bags and hide them in our shared laundry space so no one knows she’s munching on them when she’s supposedly doing laundry.”
Reese burst out laughing, and Matty joined her. The whole family was trying to be sneaky and had her in the middle of it. “That’s hilarious! Do any of them realize the others are doing it?”
“I’m not sure. Probably Kenny. He has a hard time lying, but no one has called me out since I’m hiding their secrets too.”
“That’s too funny. Well, I’ll definitely leave her a slice. Now, back to math.”
They started looking up the test itself. It would be around forty-six questions and in two parts. The first part would be around five questions only, and she wouldn’t be able to use a calculator. The second part was the rest of the questions, and she would have access to an online calculator if she took it online and a sheet explaining how to use it. After that, they began trying out the practice questions. Matty would try to work out the problem first with Reese helping, and then they would check the answer with the YouTube video. They were doing pretty good.
“Okay. Lowest common denominator between six and twelve is...”
“Two.”
“And the highest?”
“Six.”
“Yep!”
