as an incredible cook.
I hummed. “This meatloaf is fantastic, Mr. Denver.”
He smiled. “I’m glad you like it. I tried something a bit different with the spices and everything. Wasn’t sure how it would turn out.”
Allison’s mom smiled. “It’s great, honey. Really.”
Allison piped up. “Does this mean Mom cooked dessert?”
I grinned. “Oh, was there a tag-team situation in the kitchen tonight?”
Her mom giggled. “I got the cobbler in the oven a bit late. So, dessert won’t be for another hour or so. But, yes. There’s cobbler in the oven cooking and fresh vanilla ice cream in the freezer.”
I groaned. “You guys spoil me way too much.”
Her dad chuckled. “And we’ll make sure to send you home with some leftovers for you and your mom later on in the week.”
I stuffed myself stupid before we were excused from the table. Which resulted in Allison and me lumbering up the stairs. I always ate too much whenever I came over for dinner. It just happened that way. We fell onto her bed and stared up at her ceiling fan, watching it go around and around and around. And as her door slowly shut itself because once the air conditioning kicked on, she rolled toward me.
“All right, Rae. Are we talking about the police station first, or my date?”
My eyes bulged. “Holy shit, your date!”
“Don’t tell me you forgot.”
“I didn’t forget. I just… temporarily forgot it existed?”
She pursed her lips. “I’ll forgive you this time, but only because I love you.”
I lobbed my head over to see her. “How was the movie?”
“It. Was. Phenomenal! I met him there and he had the tickets and snacks already bought. Got my favorite, too. A small Dr. Pepper with those little crunch bite things, as well as some popcorn for us to split.”
“Sounds like your kind of movie night.”
“And guess what?”
I paused. “What?”
Allison scooted up to my ear. “He held my hand during the movie.”
My jaw dropped open. “Allison! You scandalous little thing, you.”
She playfully swatted at me. “Hey, now. Not all of us can have the hoppin’ sex life you have.”
“And it is hoppin’.”
She giggled. “You’re insane, you know that?”
I rolled over onto my stomach. “Okay, tell me. How did he do it, how far into the movie did he do it, and did you like it?”
“Okay. So, we weren’t that far into the movie. I mean, maybe fifteen minutes before he tried. And he tried three times before he succeeded.”
“Why? Did you keep pulling away or something?”
Her face flushed red. “I kept reaching for popcorn and things without paying attention to what he was doing.”
“Allison!”