Chapter 2: What’s That?

A couple of weeks after move-in finished, Mia was in the kitchen re-pinning the wall calendar to show the new page for May and smiled to see where Gabe had inked a circle and “ANV” on the 22nd, their anniversary.

“It’s on a Sunday this year; that will be perfect! I wonder what he will cook up this year. It’s the big number 7.”

Gabe wandered in, wearing boxer shorts and idly scratching his nearly invisible right-side love handle.

“Make you coffee?” he asked.

“My hero! So, what are you doing for the 22nd?”

“The 22nd? Oh, that ... I dunno. I’ll probably come up with something.”

“Liar! I bet you already started planning.”

He would have a hard time topping his effort for their fifth anniversary. While Lucia and Hector spirited their daughter away from the house, Gabe got a few of his contractor/construction friends together. In those few hours while his wife was away, and with a timely lumber delivery, they had put up a new structure in the backyard. It was a little stage, with some colored lights, a tinny old boom box, and a canvas backdrop marked “Club Mia.”

Then, when she returned home, it was time for the performance. Gabe and a couple of his braver friends performed a slightly risqué amateur version of “Magic Mike” dancing. This might have had a more erotic impact if the other two dancers weren’t so embarrassed about their dancing and being 70+ pounds overweight.

However, the trio hopped and wriggled, ultimately enjoying a delightful time. Mia certainly appreciated the effort while shrieking with laughter.

While he waited for the coffeemaker to finish, Mia pulled out the frying pan.

“Oh, wait.”

“What, Gabe?”

“I’ll fry the bacon and eggs.”

“What? You’re making breakfast?”

“Yeah.”

“That’s nice. Any particular reason?”

“I was thinking, my Cadillac needs an oil change, and if I made breakfast, then you could pop the hood and take care of that for me.”

“Oh. Hmm. I wonder, is there something else I could do for you? Something other than the oil change?”

Mia’s voice had dropped into a lower register, with seduction in her tone. Her hand had dropped into the fly of his boxer shorts. They had their backs to the door, facing the countertop and stove.

“Good morning!”

It was Lucia. Mia subtly disengaged her hand, then turned to acknowledge her, leaving him still turned away from his mother-in-law. Mia brought him an apron and opened the fridge so he could start on the eggs and bacon. Not too long after that, the apron was again smooth down his front.