The Arrangement | Completed | Wattys2020

35

"Can we get peperoni pizza?" Phoebe whispers to me.

"No. Matty is a vegetarian, remember? Which means, what?" I ask her, trying to remind her once again that he does not eat meat.

"He doesn't like animals." Phoebe says simply.

Matty chuckles at her reply, and I do the same. Phoebe has a way of making things a little less awkward. Thank God.

"Actually, I love animals. That's why I don't eat them." He laughs, winking at me. I blush at his gesture, even though there was absolutely no romantic gesture behind it.

"I love animals, too. I want cheese pizza." Phoebe says simply.

"Baby, just because you eat meat doesn't mean you hate animals. We can get peperoni pizza. I'll even try a slice." He tells her, knowing that Phoebe really doesn't like plain cheese pizza.

"You will?" She asks him, relieved that she doesn't have to get cheese pizza.

"Of course." He smiles at her.

"You know you don't have to do that. We can split that one pizza that has all of the bell peppers on it. I dont mind." I said, instantly regretting mentioning the fact that we could share a pizza. Too intimate, Candace. Too intimate.

No, i'm overreacting. It's a fucking pizza. Who cares if we share one? It's just a pizza.

"I'ts okay. I can pick the peperonis off." He whispers to me so Phoebe won't hear him.

"We should get the pizza to go. We can just take it back to my house and eat it." I tell him. Maybe i'll feel more comfortable in my own house. Unlikely, but it's worth a shot.

"Sure, if you want to." He smiles.

We order two large pizzas to-go. One was peperoni, and the other was the specialty pizza with bell peppers and mushrooms that Matty loves so much. When the girl at the counter gives me the total, Matty playfully shoves me to the side and hands her his credit card.

"You don't have to do that," I mumble, handing the girl my card as well. She holds her hands up in surrender and looks between the two of us.

"I already ran his card." She says, handing his credit card back to him.

"Well, I owe you." I say, putting my card back into my wallet.

"I'll start thinking of ways that you can repay me." He jokes, nudging my shoulder gently.

"Okay, come on Phoebe. We need to get you home so we can eat and you can leave for your play date with Kenzie." I tell Phoebe, who just up excitedly.

"Who's Kenzie?" Matty asks.

"She's my friend I met at dance class!" 

"Yeah, Phoebe started dance at Elite Dance Company. She loves it so far." I say.

"I'm doing ballet and hip hop!" She says, earning a laugh from Matty.

"Well, that sounds fun. I'm glad you're enjoying it!" He tells her, earning him a small hug.

Matty drives his car over to the house after we leave. I get home before he does, which gives me a chance to clean up the mess that is covering the house. My house is nothing compared to his house or his mom's house. So, there is no reason that it should be trashed. Well, other than the fact that I have a four year old living here and he doesn't. I see his car pull into the driveway and shove the last of Phoebe's toys under the sofa, which will hopefully stay unseen.

He walks in and heads into the kitchen, where I am begining to place the pizza slices onto plates.

"Phoebe! Get in here and eat! Kenzie's mom said that she was on her way to the house to get you! That means you have ten minutes at the most!" I yell down the hall so she could hear me.