“The restaurant got it at a discount, but this bottle normally sells for one hundred dollars give or take a few,” Heath told me. His shoulders were brushing mine as he leaned back and propped up his feet on the part of the ottoman the food wasn’t on. “We have two more bottles of the more expensive stuff in there. I put it up for a special occasion.”

I wondered what would qualify as a special occasion to Heath. “Graduation!” I said when I thought of it. Duely found my response funny for some reason, and I heard Margo laugh loudly with him. Heath just grinned down at me like he agreed that graduation was an excellent idea.

I took another drink and turned my attention to the television. Dwight and Michael were plotting in the staff kitchen and for the first time this evening, I laughed out loud. I knew what was about to happen next to Michael. The others were talking around me, and I felt the warmth from Heath’s body beside mine. We were sitting closer than normal. My entire side felt his and I wondered if he realized we were this close. I started to asked when Duely walked back in the room with a plate of food he placed in front of me.

“Eat up, now.” He sounded rather demanding. I didn’t like to be bossed around, but I wasn’t going to argue. I was hungry, and I took the plate while adjusting my position by sitting up straight. I couldn’t eat while leaning back. I focused on my plate and tried very hard to get the food on my fork. It was more difficult than it should be. The noodles were very slippery tonight. It seemed they didn’t want to stick when I tried to spin them around properly.

“Help her, Heath!” Margo said loudly then laughed.

I glanced at her, and she was laughing at me. My noodle situation was what she found so funny. I probably did look ridiculous, and I laughed with her then I turned to Heath.

I smiled at him feeling all cozy and nice under the covers with the familiar scent of Italian food filling the space around us. He was watching me with such a sincere smile that I wanted to hug him, but I was holding my food and that was impossible. He reached for my plate “Here, let me,” he said. I willingly gave my plate away because I couldn’t make it cooperate. He, however, had no problem spinning the fettuccine around the fork. He was a pro at slippery fettuccine, and I had never realized it.