Stolen (Joe Sugg AU)

Chapter Six: Him

                It was Thanksgiving morning, and I was doing some last minute shopping with Dexter.

                “I thought you wouldn’t be home until this afternoon,” I told him as I strolled through the aisles picking up jams and bread.

                “I booked an earlier flight. I didn’t want you to be alone today.”

                “About that, I’m having some friends over.”

                Dexter looked me, his face a mixture of pleased and confused. “Really?”

                “Yeah. Just two. Or one if the other one doesn’t choose to come.”

                “Well, that’s great. I’m glad you made friends even if you keep yourself busy.”

                I sighed, but one of those sighs of satisfaction. “Yeah.”

                “Oh, look at this,” Dexter said, picking up a pie from the pastry section. “You love pumpkin pie.”

                I crunched my nose. “Do you think it’ll be too basic?”

                “Other than turkey, nothing says ‘Thanksgiving’ like pumpkin pie.”

                “You’re right. Put it in the cart,” I smiled. We quickly finished our shopping and went home.

                I was helping out in the kitchen, our cook, Mary, pulling out the honey baked ham from the oven to pour more honey unto it. She slathered it every ten minutes, and she would put it back in the oven. I mashed the potatoes to a smooth texture. It was a tedious job since I had no upper body strength what so ever.

                Dexter was carving the turkey. We got large one, and hopefully Alfie does show up. And hopefully, they had a big appetite.

                Soon, the house was filled with the smell of Thanksgiving. The dining table was filled with a variety of food. We had the turkey, ham, mixed vegetables, mashed potatoes, two types of gravy, an over the top fruit basket, stuffing, salad, apple ciders, and wine. It looked filling, and maybe for the first time in a long time, it wouldn’t just be me, Dexter, and Mary eating at the table this time.

                I lit pumpkin scented candles around the living room and dining room. I asked Dexter to light the fireplace, and quickly enough, the house was warm with the holiday feeling.

                The dining room and living room was decorated with burgundy and hues of orange and brown. It gave the large space a cozy feeling, which I hope will help ease any stress my guest may have tonight. I made some touch ups on everything, adjusting the pillows, straightening the utensils on the table, and fixing the chairs when the doorbell rang.

                I ran to the front door and viewed the camera we had that showed who was buzzing from outside the gate. I smiled when I saw Joe’s car, and he was smiling and waving at the camera.

                “Come in,” I said into the intercom, buzzing the gate open to let them in. I watched Joe pull into the driveway and I opened the door, watching him park a few yards away from the front door.

                He got out of the car. He was wearing black skinny jeans, a white button up, wool over coat, and a maroon scarf. He smiled when he saw me, and I smiled back.