Candy Hearts | Watty's 2015

| 06 | Friday, April 11

|  0 6  | Friday, April 11

            When Jeremy Miller invites Arizona May over for dinner with his family she asks why. He explains that his brother is in town—has been for a few weeks—and his parents are insisting on having a small dinner party, and it is only natural for him to invite his girlfriend.

            “There’ll be other families there, too,” he says, “so you can bring yours, too.”

            “No!” she exclaims a bit too quickly, a bit too loudly.

            Jeremy blinks. “Oh, uh, okay. Anyway, it’ll be at The Number ‘cause my mom doesn’t want to clean the house. So.”

            “Yeah!” she paints on a blinding grin. “Yeah, of course.”

            Though, in the inside she is shaking her head intensely. See, Lara along with the rest of her family, are under the (incorrect) impression that Jacob is her boyfriend, when it’s actually Jeremy who is. God only knows what will go down when they find out the truth—not that they will, especially Lara. Arizona will make sure of it.

            And that is how Arizona finds herself standing in the entrance of the restaurant under the descending suns, clad in the nicest non-dress she could find. The pound cake her mother had baked sits heavily (no pun intended) in her upturned palms and the toes of her shoes pull down the rising cuffs of her jeans down back over her ankles. She is not sure whether to knock on the door or go in or what. The sign hanging behind the glass says Closed, so that no one but the guests come in, and shrugging, she pushes the door open. It’s unlocked.

            “Arizona!” It’s Mrs. Miller. She’s smiling a terribly wide smile, eyes glimmering with excitement, hair frizzing up around her face. There are already some people milling around and Arizona is relieved to find that she didn’t overdress, nor did she underdress. Arizona smiles back, giving an awkward wave which soon gets crushed when Mrs. Miller crushes her to her chest in a warm embrace. “How are you? Oh, my god, is this for me? That’s lovely, thank you, thank you. It looks delicious. Did your mom make it? Oh, there’s Jeremy—Jeremy! Arizona’s here, hun’.” And then she is being pushed towards the amused-looking boy walking towards her.

            “Hey,” he grins at Arizona, also hugging her before pulling back and scanning her head to toe. “You look very pretty.”

            “Why do you sound so patronizing?” Arizona narrows her eyes at him and he smirks, throwing his hands up in the air.

            “Who sounds patronizing? I’m not patronizing.”

            “Whatever,” she laughs. “Thanks, I guess.”

            “You’re welcome. Are you not going to compliment me?”

            “No,” Arizona mumbles jokingly as her eyes survey the room. It’s been transformed, tables pushed up into one giant dining table in the center of the restaurant, and it looks almost elegant with the blinds drawn shut and festive lights hung up around.

            “Why don’t you two go help Jeremy’s brother in the kitchen,” Mrs. Miller suggests, showing up again, and Arizona nearly chokes on her spit.

            “Jacob’s cooking?”

             “Oh, sure! He always does the cooking here—god knows that it’s much better than mine,” she winks and Arizona’s face flushes, though there is literally no reason this time. What the fuck. Maybe it’s the idea of Jacob in a chef’s hat and apron, whisking around the kitchen, and how funny and—well, hot it is.