Suzie’s House 306 : Dinner and a Movie

“It’s good.” Vin held his fork at a dubious angle. His New York strip gleamed red and juicy, just the way he liked it, but he didn’t look all that happy about it.

“Yeah.” Miranda cut into her seared duck breast with about the same enthusiasm. They’d been to a dozen restaurants in as many days. Before moving in with Suzie she’d done this routinely. “But…”

“…It isn’t as good as what Suzie makes.” Vin said at the same time she did.

“Good grief. What are we doing?” Miranda leaned back in her hardwood, fan-backed chair, apatite completely gone. She let her fork drop to the plain white plate.

“I don’t know. Do you?” Vin bit into his steak. The way he looked at her made it clear that he thought he knew and was just humoring her. She hated that.

“We’re basking in the fruit of our new-found wealth.” She tossed the idea at him, and waited for him to hit it back at her.

“Hard earned, you mean. Both of us have been pulling a lot of hours for months now. I swear if I didn’t insist on taking you out to dinner I wouldn’t see you at all. Seeing each other sleep doesn’t count.”

“I meant my pay raise.” She picked at the fancy pickled cabbage and moved her bread from one side of its separate plate to the other. She could never remember if she was supposed to butter it all at once or a bite at a time.

Vin grunted in response, but kept eating.

“You think I’m being materialistic, putting in so much extra time just for a pay raise.” She tried not to feel defensive.

Vin lifted one eyebrow in question.

“It’s not like I’m trying to avoid the house. ‘Cause I love living in Suzie’s house. She always makes it so warm and inviting. It was my idea for her to turn it into a boarding house in the first place.”

“Yeah. I remember.” Vin flashed his sexy grin at her.

It always made her heart speed up when he did that. It didn’t matter that they’d been together now for longer than any of her previous relationships had ever lasted. He made her feel like a teenager. Thinking of which…

“And it’s not like all the band practices are driving me out. I mean, the kids are getting pretty good now. And it’s not like I always feel awkward and out of place when they’re around.”

“Right. And it’s not like I feel guilty every time I see Suzie float around the house with that lost look.”

“Because you couldn’t bring Drew back?”

It was Vin’s turn to put his fork down, a sour look on his face.

“That isn’t your fault. No more than it’s my fault the two of them fell in love in the first place, or that Drew felt his job was more important than loving her, or that he got so messed up.” She knew this to be completely and unarguable true. And yet still she managed to feel some responsibility. She shoved more duck into her mouth.

Vin saw right through her. He chuckled, shook his head, and picked up his fork. “We make quite the pair.”

“Yeah. We do.” She grinned back at him; feeling warm and loved, and privileged because she knew very well that she didn’t deserve any of that.

“I’ve been meaning to talk to you about this for a while now.” His shoulders looked tense, like he was bracing himself. “There will come a time when we should move out.”

“No! Suzie would be devastated.” As if Suzie’s devastation could be in any way close to how Miranda herself would feel.

“Not now,” he said patiently. “But someday. Someday we should get married, have kids, and move out.”

Miranda stared at him like a bug surprised to find itself pinned to a display board. She blinked, then took a big swallow of wine. “What?”

“Just think about it, all right? Especially the marriage part. I’d like to get to that fairly soon now.”

Miranda’s hands started to shake. She quickly tucked them into her lap. He was serious. Totally serious. The self destructive part of Miranda – the part that made her want to break up with him, or cling to him too tight, or do a million and one things guaranteed to ruin her life – that part tried to kick in. She squashed it ruthlessly by holding very, very still.

“I’m done. Ready to go home?”

Miranda hesitated. Because no, she wasn’t ready to go back yet. She hardly felt like breathing, let alone going home to watch Suzie cook.

“Or how about a movie?” He grinned, and gripped her hand.

“Yeah.” She smiled, grabbing onto this lifeline. “A movie. That sounds good.” By the time the closing credits rolled, she’d be able to look him in the eye without completely and totally freaking out.

If you enjoy Suzie’s House and would like to see more, please leave a comment. Suzie’s House is powered by its readers.