A Special Dinner
As Jade walked into the one room apartment she shares with Beck she exhaustedly shrugged off her light coat. For Los Angeles it had been a rather windy day. She's had a long day but she still hung her coat on the coat rack. She remembered Beck and her scouring thrift shops around Los Angeles looking for a cheap coat rack. Jade tried her best to convince Beck that their new home would be complete if they had a coat rack. They found a black cast iron coat rack with an umbrella stand. It was exactly what Jade had been hoping to find. Beck had to lug it out to the car and carefully maneuver it to fit it inside. It was quite the process but Jade had insisted that a proper home must have a place to hang your coat and umbrella. She was a surprisingly classy girl, that's what Beck had been learning about her since they had moved in together a few months ago. It brought a smile to Beck's face every time he learned something new about her. After nine years Jade was still full of surprises. It certainly never got boring.
Today was a special day. It was an exciting day and that says a lot because not much excites Jade West. Beck had gotten his first real t.v. job. It was a recurring role on a hit crime drama called Look Closer. Instead of receiving and solving a case in one episode the show featured one crime each season. The show centered mostly on the detectives and lawyers on the case but as one of the suspects accused of murdering his college professor (spoiler alert: the guilty suspect) Beck would be featured in most of the episodes. It would be a major boast in his career. Beck had gotten the call about the job late that morning. Jade was at work and he rushed over to tell her the news. She was thrilled for him. Therefore, she was planning a special dinner for him. He was working a half shift at the restaurant until nine so Jade was planning a late dinner. It was already seven o'clock by the time Jade got home from making a quick trip to the grocery store after getting off work. She was a research assistant on the hit primetime drama, Loyalty. Jade was fixing Beck's favorite: chicken spaghetti, rolls, his favorite cheap red wine, and for dessert her special chocolate brownies. Quickly Jade went back and forth from the kitchen prepping dinner to the bathroom showering and doing her hair and make up for the night. This role was a big deal and would be sure to bring new opportunities for Beck so Jade wanted the night to be extra special. She selected her black leather dress with cut outs on the sides because she thought it was his favorite along with tall strappy high heels.
Beck stepped through the warped door. The dim apartment was only illuminated by the flickering flames of the candles setting on the small kitchen table, at which his girl for nine years sat. He smiled his famous side grin and made his way over to her as she stood and greeted him with a slow kiss.
"You made me a special dinner?"
"Well, I thought you should be rewarded now that you'll be getting a nice pay check. I expect a few more dinners like this that don't consist of ramen noodles," Jade explained.
"Will we still have your specialty ramen noodles infused with mixed vegetables?" Beck questioned.
"Well, yeah, you're not getting a big enough pay check to forgo ramen all together. Hopefully, you'll get paid enough to where we can buy some more bath towels so we don't have to do laundry as often. Maybe we'll go crazy and see a movie at night instead of the cheaper Sunday matinée," replied the blue eyed girl as she stood in her boyfriend's embrace.
"Your wish is my command," Beck simply replied in between kisses as he ran his hands up and down her side.
"Alright, I need to go check on the food before it burns so keep your hands to yourself Oliver. You'll just have to have a little patience and wait to see if you get lucky tonight."
As Jade checked on dinner and Beck began to pour the wine there was a knock on the door. A groan could be heard by Jade before Beck leaned over to kiss her and made his way to the door. On the other side of the door was none other than Mrs. Oliver, holding a covered dish. From inside Jade could hear the woman explain that she was so thrilled for her son and made his favorite stuffed pasta shells with her special chocolate soufflé for dessert. As Beck began to explain that Jade already made dinner his mother had walked through the threshold and saw Jade at the stove and the table set. Both women looked unpleased in the situation and Beck was left feeling rather awkward.
"Mom thanks for the dinner. It's really nice of you but Jade's already started dinner," Beck explained.
"Yes, I see I just assumed you'd be ordering Chinese or something so I thought I would make you a special dinner. I guess I'll just put this in the fridge for tomorrow. It's your favorite stuffed pasta and chocolate soufflé. It should taste just as good tomorrow, hopefully. What did you cook Jade?"
"Chicken spaghetti, another favorite of Beck's," Jade said enunciating the word favorite.
"Well, it smells delicious," Carol Oliver complimented but awkwardness still loomed in the air.
The two women exchanged hellos and made small talk over how happy they were for Beck. Beck then walked his mother to her car as he worked up the nerve to tell his mother something. Since Beck and Jade had moved in together Mrs. Oliver often stopped by unexpectedly or did and said things that bothered Jade and over stepped the boundaries that should have been clear. Her words and actions always implied that Jade didn't "take care of Beck". Jade always told Beck that when it came to his mother he was a coward and that he should inform his mother that he is an adult not a little boy. Also that it is not 1955 and Beck's mom should not expect her to don an apron every night and make him a five course meal.
"Mom, you know you should probably call before you do something like this. It was really nice of you but since Jade was making dinner you didn't have to go through all the trouble. Since Jade and I live together now you know she feeds me and stuff," Beck tried to explain though kept stumbling with his words.
"So you'll call next time?"
"Yes, I'll call from now on. I guess I'm just use to doing stuff for you. It takes a little adjustment. Well, good night sweetheart," Beck's mom said giving him a hug. She had looked embarrassed and also sad. Beck thought he should talk to his father about getting his mother a dog or something.
Beck made his way back to the apartment. He wanted to inform Jade that he had the much needed talk with his mother. However, he did not get a chance as Jade did not let a second pass from the time Beck walked into the door and she opened her mouth to vent.
"Did you hear her dig? Oh, I thought you'd be having Chinese. And she just had to make chocolate soufflé to show me up cause my brownies come from the box. We're not all Betty Freaking Crocker. Oh, and she thinks I don't take care of my man because I don't wear an apron and cook a five freaking course meal every night. Maybe if she didn't take care of her man quite so well your dad wouldn't have high blood pressure from all the food she cooks. It's not 1955. A man can take care of himself. So, a man can't take care of himself very well but he won't die or anything. I'm your partner not your slave or babysitter. And I can take care of my man in every way, like in the bedroom or even the kitchen if he so pleases…..".
"Okay, okay, "Beck jumped in saying," I talked to my mom."
"I think we're on the same page and this won't happen again."
"Well, why didn't you just tell me that in the first place?" Jade questioned.
"You didn't give me a chance."
"Why do you always say that?"
"Because you always just start talking and assume things"
"Okay, we could continue this but how about let's not since I'm sure it's only a matter of time before we have this exact exchange again," Beck told his girlfriend.
"So you stood up to your mom," Jade declared with a smile forming on her face," That's pretty sexy. Your chances of getting lucky tonight are looking better."
Thank you for reading. I hope you review and if you have any suggestion for a future chapter please let me know because I would love to incorporate it.
