Weekend Write-In Book 3

Surprise Date

"What the hell are you doing home?"

Frank froze mid swing of his hips when he heard his wife's voice over the loud radio. He fumbled with the radio's controls until he gave up and pounded the off switch.

"Stay out there," he yelled towards the foyer, "Don't come back here."

"Why not?" Noel replied, her voice sounding closer than before.

Frank ran around the kitchen island attempting to block off the hall before Noel could peek in the kitchen or living room. As he rounded the corner, he saw her still standing just in front of the door holding her keys in her hand.

"Have a good day at work?" Frank asked sheepishly.

Noel's eyes narrowed, "My day was fine. What are you doing home?"

Frank shrugged and casually answered, "Just decided to take the day off."

"You mean to tell me you stayed home all day while I went to work like some chump?" she teased as she tossed her keys on the little table in the hall.

"I suppose so," Frank laughed.

"Fine, you get to handle the kids all night while I stay up and play video games."

"Kids aren't here."

Noel's face grew serious, "What do you mean the kids aren't here? Where are they?"

"At my parents' house," he said, then he lied, "They wanted the kids to stay the night."

"Right," Noel answered, thick with sarcasm, "Your parents never ask for the kids." She pushed past Frank and into the living room. Apex Legends' main menu filled their TV and a cooler sat between the couch and recliner.

"What's all this?" Noel asked then pointed at the TV, "I've been wanting to play that game for a while now."

"I know," Frank answered from the kitchen.

Noel turned around and followed Frank's voice. Plates and pans filled with snack foods, with dipping sauces and a heap of napkins covered the island.

"What brought all this on?" she asked, a smile creeping onto her face.

"I wanted a date night with my wife," he admitted, "It's been too long since we've been out for dinner, so I brought dinner to us." Frank pointed towards one end of the island and began listing off what he'd made, "That's kind of a taco bar there, then there are sliders, hot wings, and nachos."

"The hot wings are for me," he said, then bent down and pulled something out of the oven, "So I made an apple pie for you."

The smile grew across her face as Noel looked over the vast quantity of food. "I thought we were alone," she playfully pointed out, "This is a lot of food for two people."

"I figured that once we started playing neither of us would want to cook and we'd be up for most of the night. I wanted to be prepared," he said proudly.

Noel laughed and then narrowed her eyes in a completely different meaning, "Hope you're in for a long night of me kicking your ass."