Chapter 50: Dinner Parties Are So...For People Who Actually Cook...and Have Friends

*ZOEY'S POV*

"Are those two eating?" Amy yells across the house.

"Yeah, but I keep waiting for food to go flying...I'm telling you...I don't like the look of that one...he's already an asshole."  I say this because I have been pelted by peas, toys, and a stuffed bunny rabbit just today from this kid...sounds like asshole material to me.

"Yeah, that's all we need, the kids going home with foul language in their mouths." Amy says.

"Hey, he is one, he should learn to recognize it in my opinion." I tell her.

The daycare is going really well, but I think we're getting a little burned out on it all, which throws a monkey wrench right in our ideas to have children soon.

"If I eat another PB&J, I'm going to throw up," Amy says, biting into yet another sandwich.

I agree, "Same here, I hope when we have kids they don't like these."

Bright side?  To add to our boring fuddy-duddy reputations, Amy and I have recently bought reading tablets for ourselves and let me just tell you...I LOVE it...you can read anywhere, order books from anywhere...they're made of awesome!

Between playing with those and taking care of kids, it's a wonder we even have time for our double date, but I make sure it happens.

On a particularly calm day after the kids leave and we have both showered all the kid-caring gunk off of us, I ask Amy about having them over.

"Yeah, sure, that's doable...do they want to come over for dinner?  I can cook." She answers.

"Hmm, sounds good to me.  What are we having?" I ask, my mouth already watering.  Thank the stars she can actually cook.

"Hmm, men usually are all about red meat...how about steaks?  I have some t-bones I can marinate." She offers.

Tongue, meet eyebrow, steaks are awesome.  She eats hers damn near raw, but she always makes sure and fixes mine well-done.

So I call Terry to invite them.

"That sounds awesome!"  He replies, "I haven't had a good meal since I left home.  I can't cook a lick."

Shit.  I was kind of hoping he could cook...I sure as hell can't.  Strike two.

Wait, what does it matter?  It's not like I'm going to marry him.  Oh well.

He shows up, gorgeous as ever.

"Hey V," he greets me with the nickname he came up with just for me.

He hugs me, kissing me on the cheek, and my heart flutters.  How can he have this kind of effect on me?  I never thought it was possible.

Another man walks up behind him and he introduces him as his buddy, Mac.

Mac has long dreadlocks, big brown eyes, and a big smile.

"Hey, thanks for inviting us over, we haven't had a good meal in like, forever," Mac says.

"I wasn't aware that you cooked..." Terry adds.
"Me?  Hell no, I don't cook...Amy's doing all that, I'm sticking to setting the table and filling the drinks," I joke, "what can I get you?"

We walk into the house and Terry offers a bottle of wine he brought, so I open that up and serve it while Amy is finishing up in the kitchen.

Finally, after another half hour of torturing us with delicious aromas, Amy calls from the kitchen, telling us that dinner is ready.

Amy has prepared steaks with her mother's special marinate, baked potatoes, a side salad, and summer squash.  Delicious!

Terry is more excited than I have ever seen him about food.
"Oh man, she made steaks?" He exclaims, his eyes growing wider the closer he gets to the plate.
"Steaks are my absolute favorite!" He continues as he gets his plate and heads to the dining room.
Hmph, I guess that's good...as long as he doesn't expect me to fix them.

*AMY'S POV*

"You have to tell me what is in your marinate...this is too good to never eat again," Terry is buttering me up after dinner, and to his credit, it's working.

"I'm sorry, I'm sworn to secrecy," I tell him.  I honestly am, one thing my mother has begrudgingly shared with me has been her recipe book, where her special marinate is listed, but she has threatened to cut me off me if I ever tell a soul what's in it.

"Hmph, I'm just going to have to come over here for dinner more often," he resolves.

This makes Zoey choke on her food and I chuckle under my breath.

They really do seem like a cute couple.  He's pretty easygoing in areas where Z is uptight, but he's uptight where she's easygoing.  I think it's cute...and they seem to be pretty smitten with each other.

As for Mac, I have to admit that the super skinny dudes typically don't get me going, but he is really cute with his big brown eyes and really chill attitude.  He's also quick to laugh and his smile goes all the way up to his eyes.  I like that about a man.

Not to mention he has good manners.  Once he's done eating, he clears the table without any direction.  Not that I would have asked a guest in my home to do the dishes, I'm just saying.  Terry notices me staring at him as he heads to the kitchen and seizes the opportunity.  

"Yeah, ya' know, Mac works with me at the police station, he's a good guy," he starts, "has a good job, wants to buy a house soon, settle down...I've known him my entire life, he's always been a good friend."

"Yeah," I reply, "he seems nice."

"Well, uh, why don't you all chat for awhile..." T continues.

I look over at him and smile, "Don't worry, I'm going to leave you all alone."

I look over at Zoey and wink, and she changes three different shades of red.  Then I head to the kitchen where Mac is standing.

"Thanks for picking up the dishes, you didn't have to do that." I offer.

He smiles and shuffles around, "Yeah, well, my mom would kick my ass if she knew I went to someone's house and they fed me as good as y'all did and I didn't even have the decency to clear table." 

"So, you're close with your mom?" I ask.
"She raised me, along with having two older sisters, I am used to taking direction from women." He laughs.

I can't help but laugh too.  My brothers were raised by a house full of women too and never learned squat.

"So you and Terry know each other from childhood?" I ask.

"Yeah, back in the B.A. the three of us were good buddies, Terry, AJ, and me." He explains.

"That's cool...so you and Terry became cops together?"

"Yeah," he starts, "we really couldn't get in with the precinct there though, so we moved here."

"Oh," I reply, "What happened to AJ?"

"He's still there...he's kind of...still finding his way..." 

We continue our conversation, a deeper one than I was expecting to have with this near stranger, but we also agree to make plans to hang out more often. 

He seems like a sweet guy and I wouldn't be opposed to seeing him more often.

After the guys leave, Zoey and I meet in the kitchen to talk about how the night went. 

She and Terry spent their time in the hot tub...

"Oooh, wee!" I exclaim teasingly.
"It wasn't like that, dirty mind," Zoey responds.

"Uh-huh, sure...so what was it like then?" I ask.

She looks bashfully at me and I realize something.  She genuinely likes this guy.

I have known Zoey for over ten years and I have never seen her look this way about a guy.

On one hand, I couldn't be happier for my friend...

On the other hand...I worry...what if I'm losing her?