Back to You

Chapter Ten

~MATTHEW~

Jessie and I had spent the first half of Friday together running around town for some errands for the dinner with my family. It felt so good that we were spending time together doing normal things like shopping at the grocery store and at the wet market. I was also enamored by how Jessie was especially cheerful and playful that time and I couldn't help but think some of it might be some kind of flirting. In turn, I sort of like flirted with her a little, too.

In the years we had been friends, I only appreciated now Jessie's skills in cooking. All those dinners I spent at her house before, I remembered praising her for the food she would serve but tonight, she really amazed me how she was so great in preparing food. The whole house was filled with the incredible smell of the marinara pasta, roasted chicken and vegetables, even the cupcakes that were baking in the oven.

For a split second, I imagined coming into the kitchen and giving her a kiss on the cheeks as our two adorable imagined kids run around us like we're one happy family.

"Matt?"

It would be perfect for us to have atleast two kids, a boy and a girl. We could have maybe one or two dogs, too. We could all fit it my house right now. Or maybe we can live somewhere in Bondi near the beach, like how she always wanted to live.

"Matt?"

Maybe it wasn't too late for us, after all. Maybe Jessie had moved on from Eric and she finally recognized my true feelings for her. I mean, that was it at the grocery, am I right? She was flirting with me, right? I wasn't stupid not to notice that.

"Matt!" Jessie snapped be back from my trance. "What's going on with you? Your buzzer had ringed three times already." she said half surprised and half annoyed at my inattention. "Food is almost ready and I'll finish setting up the table."

I apologized and quickly got up from my seat to answer the door. My mom and dad were waiting for the gate to open. I also apologized to them for the delay and let them in immediately. My sister and her husband arrived only minutes apart from our parents. They brought with them my nieces and nephew. We all met up and hugged each other at the living room.

"The food smelled fantastic from the front porch, son," my dad greeted. "Please tell me you didn't help Jessie at the kitchen and ruined anything she made?" he joked.

"Don't worry, dad, it's all Jess. I was only her assistant."

"You almost got me that one time I thought you actually prepared dinner," my sister, Sandra said as she gave me a kiss on the cheek.

"I brought some steak and potatoes. I'll bring it to Jess," Mom said holding a tray. Sandra was holding another tray.

"Yes, go ahead. She'll be happy to see you," I said as I pointed to her the direction of the kitchen.

I welcomed my dad, Leonard, my sister's husband, my nieces and nephew to the living room as we settled and waited for the ladies. Dad asked how business was doing at the company and updated me on how he and mom just got back from a cruise.

Leonard asked about our upcoming boys' night with our highschool friends and a supposed high school reunion next month. Leonard was only a year ahead of me in highschool but we were part of the rugby team. The team would hangout at our old house and that's when he met my sister, who went to a different school at the time. The rest was history and they now have three beautiful children.

"So, are you and Jessie going together?" Leonard asked me all of a sudden, as if teasing me like when we were back in high school.

I chuckled a little, "I guess. It's not a like a wedding  where I have to have a date, Leo."

"Dude, come on. You guys were a thing in highschool. People actually believed you guys would end up getting married!"

That was a shocker! "Really? I didn't know our friends were that invested in Jessie and I," I said laughing it off.

It was dad's turn to jump on the shipping of me and Jessie. "I agree, son. Jessie has always been part of our family and I don't see why the courtship is taking this long."

"Okay, first of all, there is no courtship happening, ok? And as you all know, Jessie just got over an emotional ordeal last year and I'm just being a good friend here. No hidden agenda or anything." I said almost defiantly.

"Like you say, mate, it has been a year. Why aren't you doing anything?" Leo asked.

I don't know, Leo. "We're just chill, that's all there is." I finally said.

Then, Sandra came to us to announce that dinner is served. I was thankful to get out of the hot seat.