Steam wafts from the top of the bowl. Pink lips pursed in the smallest O, Sutton blows on each spoonful before eating.
After finishing her first bowl, she eats a second. Without becoming nauseous after three bites. I’d call that success.
Magic chicken soup: 53
Sickness: 0
Before cleaning up the leftovers—I doubled the batch, thank goodness—I snap a picture and send it in our family group chat.
Sutton collects our dishes, rinses and adds them to the dishwasher.
I pull the sports drinks I purchased out of the fridge, setting them on the counter. She picks up the blue one, taking it to the couch.
“Do you want to watch a movie?” she mumbles.
The heel of my right foot is sticking out of my shoe. I was in the middle of putting them on to leave when she asked.
I don’t allow myself to chew on her offer, I heel-toe my Birkenstocks off and walk over to the couch. Lying on the chaise, Sutton’s feet reach my thighs.
Sutton scrolls through two streaming sites before landing on her pick. She presses play onACinderella Story,and I know it’s because she had the biggest crush on Chad Michael Murray as a kid. I get it. I mean, look at the dude, when the drought ends and he’s cupping Hilary’s cheek to kiss her.
We quote the entire thing, sounding a lot like a duet audiobook. After we finish this rom-com, we let auto-play queue up the next one.
No conversation passes between us. Only us regurgitating our favorite lines, laughter, and a few tears till Sutton starts to doze off.
Eyelashes flutter gently against her cheeks. They’re the darkest shade of red, almost brown. Long and curl upward naturally.
She’s fighting sleep but eventually waves the white flag. Her mouth falls open to release the cutest little snore I’ve ever heard.
Sutton sleeps through the rest of the movie. I don’t try to leave when it ends, letting her head rest on my shoulder. A third starts, and finally after this one ends I carry her to bed and leave.
SEVENTEEN
SUTTON
Zach pullsout my chair for me. I loosely smile up at him, murmur an appreciation caught off by his height. It’s intimidating tonight. This isn’t a new revelation, but for whatever reason, tonight he’s too tall. Two inches to be exact.
Casted carefully down on me are vibrant green eyes that remind me of a freshly mowed grass, or new leaves blooming on trees in the spring. He cleans up well. This is the first time I’ve seen him in anything other than sweats or cargos. Dark denim stretches across thighs, hugging the curve of his butt perfectly—sue a girl for looking and calculating if a coin could bounce off of it. The tan sweater he’s in matches his golden hair with messes of caramel through it.
I don’t know why Elliot says blond boys aren’t attractive.
“Thanks,” I say as he hands me the menu. Our knees clash under the table. “Sorry.” I adjust mine, scooting back in the chair to sit straighter. “I’ve never been here. Have you?”
Without scanning the restaurant, I surmise that it’s packed. Voices ricochet off the walls, blending with music that could be turned down. Waiting thirty minutes for a table is also a dead giveaway. The coastal American restaurant opened beforewinter break. An awarded chef in Chicago, originally from Bensen, wanted to open a place in his hometown.
I may have read their bio on their website…and looked at photos on their social media before Zach picked me up. Dishes appear to be inspired by the West Coast while heavily influenced by the Midwest. They homemade pasta and parmesan fries are calling my name.
“Twice, actually.”
At first, this wasn’t my ideal first date. Honestly, ever. The movies or some sort of activity are more my pace. Something that can harvest time I’d otherwise have to spend talking. That was before Cooper, though.
While I was sick, a snow shower blew through, bringing a bitter chill with it. Anything outside was out of the question, even walking through downtown that still has wintery Christmas lights strung between lamp poles and wrapped like spaghetti in the leafless trees.
Dinner is great.
A date with Zach is great.
Finally feeling like myself again after being taken out for half a week with food poisoning is great.
