It all felt so … domestic. I liked it. It almost seemed like this is what I’d been waiting for, I just hadn’t realized it.
“A little help?” Brock called, eyebrow arched as he looked at me knowingly.
“Yeah, sorry,” I muttered, shaking my head.
I needed to get it together.
Once we had everything loaded, Brock called goodbye to Ming and Cass, then headed off to Brendan’s. Cass was coming down the walkway just as I was about to go back inside, and there was an awkward moment where I wasn’t sure what the protocol was … She was one of Ming’s best friends, and although I knew her, we’d never really had a conversation. Still, it seemed like now that Ming and I were together, I should put forth more of an effort.
“Uh, see you later, Cass,” I said, giving her what I hoped was a friendly smile, and not the awkward-as-shit one it felt like.
“Thanks for letting us take over your place,” Cass replied with an easy smile. She was obviously so much better at this than I was … Small talk was my kryptonite. “It’s a great house.”
I grabbed the back of my neck with my hand and replied, “Thanks, we’ll, uh, have to get together for dinner sometime, or something.”
Cass’s face lit up, and I knew I’d done the right thing.
“I would love that,” she gushed. “I’ll check with Geo and let Ming know.”
“Sounds good,” I replied, desperate for this exchange to be over.
I breathed a sigh of relief when she said, “See you later.”
“Bye.”
When I got back into the house, Ming wasn’t in the living room, so I went into the kitchen.
“Dining room,” she called, and I rounded the corner to see her setting the table.
The food was in large bowls with serving spoons, and there were real plates (not paper) set out, with silverware. She had a glass of wine in front of one spot, and a bottle of beer at the head of the table.
“Wow,” I said, when I took it all in. “I figured we’d eat out of the carton in front of the TV.”
“Oh,” Ming replied, her cheeks turning a pretty pink. “I thought it would be nice to…”
“It is,” I stopped her, wishing I’d kept that thought about the TV to myself. Wanting to reassure her, I gave her a quick kiss before saying, “It’s perfect.”
“Okay,” she said with a relieved smile. “Let’s eat. I’m starving. All we had during the shower was sweets, baby food, and champagne.”
“There didn’t happen to be any leftover cupcakes, did there?” I asked, knowing that Gaby was bringing desserts from Bee Sweet.
“I may have saved you a few.”
“You’re the best.”
Ming giggled happily, then scooped some rice onto her plate before covering it with a serving of coconut curry.
She held the spoon toward me. “Do you want some?”
“Sure, I’ll give it a try.”
“It’s actually pretty good. Not too overpowered by coconut,” I said after I had a bite, then I reached for the rice and my spicy chicken. “Do you want to try this one?”
“Yeah,” Ming replied, holding her place out so I could put some chicken on it. “Oh, I ah, got a text from my mom today. I’m going over there for dinner tomorrow.”
“That’s good,” I said, as I dug into my food. Then I thought about what I said and wondered if I was right. “I mean, it is good, right? You guys get along?”
“For the most part,” she replied with a nod. “They’re pretty strict, and they’ve always had my life planned out for me. Goals set that I was supposed to meet over the years.”