Gilbert had really transformed the place.

The threadbare couch was replaced with something comfortable and homey. The drab, mustard-yellow curtains were tossed in favor of a lighter, brighter material. The old cable spool was updated with an actual coffee table. The bed set was changed out, along with the other linens. Any old, dingy, or broken furniture was succeeded by something new and functional. It was all "out with the old, in with the new" and with Gilbert's eye for design, Bill's house had come together wonderfully.

He almost felt high on the energy all the cleaning gave him, and in turn started tossing out anything that was once Lenore's. Boxes of her old clothes, books, pictures, mementos, anything and everything of hers went into the trash. He couldn't help but feel a little guilty, and had to keep reminding himself that she left him several years ago, after all.

Being in his new space made him feel new, too. He kept standing in the middle of each room and looking around with elation at how much better it all was. He should have done this years ago. And now he was looking forward to inviting Mia over. She was due to arrive in an hour, in time for the start of the barbecue Hank was putting on. Bill was excited for his friends and his girlfriend to meet each other. Hopefully Dale wouldn't embarrass him too much.

He crossed out through his back yard to Hank's, where the rest of his friends had already grouped together. The four of them gathered things around for the barbecue. They brought out tables and chairs, coolers to fill with ice, and different dishes of food. Bill could tell it was going to be a fun evening. He looked at his watch and noted it was almost the time Mia said she would be at his house.

"I'm going to go wait for Mia. Dale, please don't embarrass me when we come over."

As he was leaving, he heard Dale say "Why would he think I'd embarrass him?"

Bill had just gotten through his back door when he heard the front doorbell ring.

"Hi," he said when he answered the door. There Mia stood, in a dark blue sundress, wedge heeled sandals, and her hair was pinned half back, the rest spilling over her back and shoulders in waves.

"Hi," she beamed up at him, "Sorry I'm early. I was feeling antsy and left too soon I guess."

"No, that's fine! Come in."

Mia stood in the center of his new living room. Bill was so glad he finally made the place look inhabitable again. How embarrassing it would have been to bring her over to see the old, musty things.

"Wow, your place is nice!" she said, awed, as she looked around.

"Thanks. My cousin Gilbert helped me pick out new furniture yesterday."

"Jeez. He should come do my house."

He watched her as she assessed his new living room. She looked as beautiful as ever, and the way that dress hung delicately on her was a force to be reckoned with. How tempting it was to show her his new bedroom, too...

"I think everything is just about set up over at Hank's. Do you want to go over now?" he offered instead.

"Okay," she smiled. "I hope your friends like me."

"They absolutely will. What's not to like? You have a lot of neat stories and experiences to talk about. I know you'll have a way to relate to everyone."

"You make me sound so cool."

"Mia...you are cool."

She smiled as she held his hand, and they set off across the alley to Hank's backyard. Before they entered past the privacy fence, Bill spoke to her in a low voice.

"Okay, so Hank's wife, Peggy, is probably going to try and speak Spanish with you. She, um, well, she's not fluent but she thinks she is. And Dale is an asshole but he thinks he's just being funny. If he bothers you too much, just tell me, and I'll kick his ass."

They held hands as they walked in. Most everyone else was already there. Hank, Peggy, and their son, Bobby. Boomhauer and Leah. Dale and his wife, Nancy, and their son, Joseph. Hank and Peggy's niece, Luanne, her husband, Lucky, and their baby daughter, Gracie. Another group of neighbors, Kahn, Minh, and their daughter, Connie. Ladybird snoozed in the shade. Bill saw Octavio standing off in the corner. He was a friend of Dale's, and Bill could only assume he was invited by Dale as well.

"Hola!" Mia heard suddenly, and turned around to face Peggy.

"Mia, this is Peggy, Hank's wife," introduced Bill.

"I heard from Bill that you habla español?" Peggy looked very excited.

"Sí," Mia answered happily.

"Cómo estás?"

"Estoy bien y tu?"

Peggy straightened up proudly. "Sí, Sí, I was a substitute español teacher for many years. I even tutored in Méjico for a brief period."

"Hi there, Mia," Hank approached. "So glad you were able to make it.

"Of course. I've been looking forward to it all week!"

"Well, the burgers and hot dogs will be done soon. All grilled with propane, of course."

"Naturally."

Hank smiled in approval.

Bill led Mia to Dale and Nancy, thinking it better to just get it over with.

"Mia, this is Dale, and his wife, Nancy."

"Very nice to meet you," Mia said.

"You too, sug. Cute dress," admired Nancy.

"So you're the fabled Mia we've all heard so much about," Dale eyed her suspiciously. Bill rolled his eyes in return. "Bill says you're Colombian?"

"Yes, my mother is from there."

"Do you have ties to Pablo Escobar?"

"I have him on speed dial."

Nancy stifled a laugh, Bill looked impressed, and Dale stood speechless for once.

Boomhauer and Leah came up to them.

"Mia, this is Boomhauer, and this is-"

"I'm Leah!"

"Hey, our names rhyme!"

"They do! It's destiny. We're meant to be best friends." Leah beamed, always so bright and bubbly. She was quite the foil to Boomhauer, who was typically quiet and neutral. Leah was younger, too, though a few years older than Mia. She was lithe and willowy in a pale green sundress, skin freckled from the sun, her blonde hair twisted into a long side braid.

"Did Bill tell you he tried hitting on Leah when she first moved in?" Dale chimed in.

"I don't blame him," Mia said simply.

More stifled laughs, and this time Dale looked impressed.

"Quick wit...I like that."

Later on, Bill introduced her to Luanne, Lucky, and their baby, Gracie.

"She is so cute," Mia cooed when the baby grabbed her finger.

"She's just started pulling herself up on the furniture," Luanne told her proudly.

"Gonna need to nail everything up a foot higher," her husband, Lucky, joked.

Mia interacted with the baby a little longer, talking about things babies do with Luanne and Lucky. Bill felt strange watching Mia as she talked and played with the baby. He had dearly wanted kids with Lenore, but she wouldn't relent. She wanted nothing to do with them. He had long given up on ever becoming a father.

Bill and Mia grabbed some cold drinks, a can of Alamo beer and a bottle of a wine cooler. They were about to go eat before Octavio came up to them. He had a handlebar mustache and long black hair pulled into a low ponytail.

Octavio introduced himself with a smirk as he extended his hand. "Eres latina, mami?" he asked, with a glint in his eye that Bill didn't appreciate.

"Ojos en tu cabeza, ese." Mia said it firmly, although Bill didn't understand what she said. Octavio gave her an appraising look, but didn't respond.

"Come on, Mia. Let's go eat." Bill took Mia by the hand and led her away. Once they were out of earshot, he said, "Sorry about that."

"Oh, that was nothing!" she replied, shrugging it off.

They made their plates and sat together, across from Leah and Boomhauer. The four of them chatted together as they ate, Leah and Mia especially hitting it off. The pair seemed to have quite a bit in common, and had many similar life experiences.

Everybody else had a lot of interest in Mia, partly because she was a newcomer, partly because it wasn't typical of Bill to have a girlfriend. She was nearly bombarded with questions, which she answered happily.

"How do you get so many waves in your hair?" Luanne asked from across the table.

"Genetics, mostly-also a lot of conditioner and air drying."

"Have you ever been to Colombia?" questioned Peggy.

"Twice. Last time was..." she mentally calculated, "fifteen years ago."

"How did you and Bill meet?" came from Minh.

"My brother-in-law knows him from work. He set us up together."

More questions came. Where she worked, where she lived, things she liked to do. She felt like the star of the show, which was a little overwhelming, but everyone was very friendly and interested in her.

"Do they do this for every girl you bring over?" Mia asked Bill quietly.

"Only the attractive ones!" Dale shouted from down the table.

Mia chuckled nervously. "Okay, so all of them."

"Don't give him so much credit," Kahn said flippantly.

"Hey, one of them was your mother, Kahn," Dale pointed out.

Kahn scowled.

Bill felt on edge. He didn't really want everybody discussing his past relationships, especially out in the open, and most especially in front of Mia.

"So Leah," he said suddenly, saying the first thing that popped into his mind to divert the subject, "how is my aura looking today?"

"Oh! Emerald green. Clear as I have ever seen it! And Mia's is a nice soft blue. Turquoise maybe. Your colors are very lovely together."

"It's so cool you can see auras," Mia told her. "What other spiritual things do you do?"

"Mainly crystal healing, chakra alignment, and energy cleansing."

"Do you do your healing on clients? Like a business?"

"Not for now. Just friends and family. I work full time as a paralegal; healing is more of a hobby."

"Nancy saw John Redcorn for years for her migraines. We Gribbles can attest to his skill and professionalism," Dale chimed in. Most everyone at the table's expressions became awkwardly fixed.

Soon everyone had finished eating. Octavio and Dale went over whatever new business venture they were both involved in. Luanne and Lucky had said goodbye and left with the baby, as it was getting close to her bed time. The Souphanousinphones had also departed shortly after.

Everyone was talking and drinking and having a great time. Music played quietly in the background, a playlist of 70s and 80s rock and pop. The sun was low, the air was still, moths were beginning to flutter to the lights. It was a peaceful summer evening, and Bill was with Mia again. She casually held his hand under the table while she was in conversation with Peggy and Hank. Bill knew his friends would like Mia, and it made him especially pleased to see their good opinion of her in real time. Even Dale, who always ragged on every girl Bill brought around, grinned when Mia easily deflected his more sarcastic comments.

The music suddenly changed to 90s era rap and hip-hop. Octavio had procured an aux cord from someplace and plugged his phone into the stereo. Hank sighed in annoyance and looked pointedly at Dale, as he considered it to be Dale's fault because he was the one who invited Octavio to begin with. Bobby and Joseph were dancing in the grass to the music now, trying to do a certain dance that seemed to involve a lot of smooth heel sliding and stepping.

"I feel like moving," Leah said as she was watching them, "Come on, Mia!"

The two girls left the table, leaving Bill and Boomhauer behind, and crossed through the yard to where Bobby and Joseph were. Bill watched Mia from afar, always as beautiful as ever, laughing and dancing with Leah. It was strange for him to believe that this was his life now. He had a gorgeous girlfriend, who truly liked him, and their future together looked bright and open.

He bristled as Octavio came back over to the stereo and started saying something to Mia. He couldn't hear anything they were saying, but Mia's body language still seemed at ease. Eventually Octavio said something that made her laugh. At least he wasn't being creepy to her, he supposed.

Boomhauer was watching Leah with a softened look in his eyes. Bill knew he was smitten with real love. He had never seen that look on him with any other woman before. Leah was beautiful, Bill always knew that, but it was strange to think back now to when he had tried almost desperately to get her to go out with him. She was so bright, and sprightly, so high energy. It seemed obvious to him in hindsight that she never would have had an interest in him. He still didn't fully understand how or why Mia had that interest in him. He was afraid to even question it, lest he jinx his good fortune.

"I'm going to marry that girl," Boomhauer said quietly as he looked across the yard at Leah.

"Really?"

"Well...someday. What I mostly mean is, I'm never letting her go."

"Never thought I'd see the day. But a long term relationship is a good look on you."

Boomhauer chuckled lightly.

"I'm really happy for you, Boomhauer. I'm glad you've found someone like Leah."

"Thanks, man. Likewise for you. Mia is a great girl."

Leah and Mia imitated the dance Bobby and Joseph were trying to do. Mia had kicked off her heels, to move in the grass more comfortably. She seemed to be doing the dance movements more fluidly, which impressed the boys and Leah, and she started to teach them how to do them, too.

The song that played next was full of expletives, which angered Hank, and he lumbered over to the stereo and yanked the aux cord out. Octavio groaned in annoyance. The previous playlist was turned back on, more 70s and 80s rock. Leah grabbed drinks for her and Mia and they held their bottles while they continued to dance and laugh. The next song to play was the song Bill had shut off with disgust in his car, the one he told Mia was playing when he met his ex wife. He didn't expect Mia to back up to the stereo and hit the skip button to play the next song. When she caught his eye, she bit her lip playfully and shrugged, unnoticed by anybody else.

She remembered he didn't like that song...for some reason, he felt a surge of affection for such a simple act.

Nancy and Peggy made their way over to them and joined in.

"Oh, I love this song!" Nancy whooped.

Hank and Dale scooted down the table to sit with Bill and Boomhauer. Octavio gathered up to leave, making sure to say goodbye to Mia specifically before doing so.

"It's pretty great all of our wives and girlfriends are getting along," Hank noted.

"I don't know what shocks me more...the fact that Boomhauer has been with the same woman for several months, or the fact that Bill has a girlfriend who is actually decent."

"Okay Dale, I get it. All my past girlfriends were ugly or else taking advantage of me. Can we move on?"

"Which of your girlfriends was ugly?" Hank asked.

"Let's call a spade a spade...Reverend Stroup," Dale said, ticking off one of his fingers, "Laoma. Ann Richards-"

"Ann Richards was a very handsome woman," advised Hank sternly.

"She was also geriatric."

"You focus too much on looks," Bill scolded.

"You can say that now. Your current girlfriend is objectively hot."

"Stop looking at my girlfriend."

"Alright, let's simmer down. Dale, stop picking at Bill," Hank warned.

Night had completely darkened the sky, and speckles of stars twinkled above them. Leah and Mia had linked elbows and were swaying together to a slower paced song. Mia was starting to feel two of them went back to the table and took their seats next to their boyfriends, then Peggy and Nancy sat beside their husbands. Mia felt comfortable and contented, satisfied to sit with Bill again. He wrapped his arm around her waist, and she casually rested her hand on his thigh. Her face remained placid, unaware of the surge of heat Bill felt from her touch.

"Well, Mia," Hank addressed her, "I hope you had a good time at one of our famous backyard barbecues."

"I had a lot of fun! Thank you so much for inviting me."

Peggy spoke next. "It's nice to finally meet the person Bill has said so much about. He's changed a lot since meeting you. Doesn't he look like he's lost weight?"

Bill assumed this to be true. He had noticed his belt needed one less notch lately. And he wondered if his jawline really was becoming slightly more defined.

He tended to overeat. He ate lots at meals, he ate lots in between meals, and he ate a lot during mindless snacking at night, sitting alone and depressed, needing something to do with himself. But since meeting Mia, having her to spend his time with, and to talk to, something to focus on, he realized he must have been eating less, and fewer extras.

"He hasn't been this happy in years, I tell you what." Hank nodded.

"Boomhauer, too," Peggy added, "Ever since he met you, Leah, he is certainly much more cheerful and animated."

Leah and Boomhauer looked at each other and smiled.

Everyone was feeling contented and sleepy; it was getting very late. Eventually they all said goodbye with promises of getting together again soon. Mia and Bill then walked across the alley back to Bill's house.

"That was a good time," he said to her once they were seated on his new couch.

"I had so much fun. Your friends are wonderful! I knew they would be."

"I'm sorry about Dale, though. He can get obnoxious sometimes."

"It was nothing. He was funny. When you meet my family, they will be putting you through the same thing."

"And I'm sorry about Octavio. Octavio is Dale's friend, if that tells you anything." He rolled his eyes. "What did he say to you when you and Leah were out dancing?"

"He actually came to apologize for leering at me. And he said he and someone named John Redcorn got high before coming to the party."

"Nice," Bill said in a flat tone that indicated it wasn't nice at all.

"What's the matter?"

"I just don't have the best opinion of John Redcorn."

"Why not?"

"Uh...well, he's known for picking up taken women."

"Oh. Like cheating with them?"

"Yep. And uh, okay, I experienced it firsthand."

"Damn. I'm sorry."

Bill shrugged. "It's alright. She and I weren't going to last anyway. But it's the principle of the thing."

"Right. But I don't want you to think I'd cheat on you…"

"No, I know you wouldn't. I just know he's, you know...attractive and charming, I guess."

Mia scoffed and smiled. "You're attractive and charming."

Mia slowly leaned closer and kissed him. Bill hadn't kissed her in days, and it felt wonderful.

"I had a lot of fun. I'm glad your friends seemed to like me, at least I think they might have."

"They definitely did. Trust me, if they didn't then they wouldn't hide it. They're not really ones for subtlety. And I'm happy you and Leah got along, too. It seemed like you two were having a good time."

"She's awesome! I think we really clicked right away. We were talking about hanging out together at some point."

How great would it be if she and Leah became friends? Friends with his friend's girlfriend. And maybe she would be friends with Peggy and Nancy, too.

"Do you think your family would like me?" he asked. Mia had told him before she had no friends, not since breaking it off with her ex. Her family was all she had, while he was the opposite; friends, but no family. Except for Gilbert now, anyway.

"Yes, absolutely. They like everyone, really. My dad can talk to anyone about anything. My mom is motherly over everybody. My sister is like Tom, and you know what he's like...the personification of a golden retriever. My brother will mess with you like you're part of the family. And my cousins, too; everyone will tease you or drive you up the wall."

"They sound great. It must be so nice having a close family."

Bill never mentioned his family, much, outside of saying they were all dead except for Gilbert.

"Weren't you close with your family?"

Bill contemplated this, weighing the heaviness of the subject. "No...not really. Truthfully, my father was abusive. My mother was nice to me, but emotionally absent most of the time. Most of my other family members I didn't see too often. Gilbert and I got along when we did see each other, though we didn't have much in common."

"I'm sorry. And I'm sorry about your dad," Mia said quietly. She slid her hand into his.

"It's alright. It was all a long time ago."

"But still, no kid should have to go through that. Not with people who are supposed to love them and keep them safe."

Bill shrugged it off.

"You were very good with Gracie I noticed," Bill said, on the subject of kids.

"She was very cute."

"Do you like kids?"

Mia nodded. "I do. Do you?"

"Yeah. I do."

"Do you want kids? Someday, I mean."

The question startled him a little. "Um...I used to. But it wasn't in the cards for me. I haven't given it any thought in a long time."

Mia nodded, but didn't say anything as she looked thoughtfully away.

"Do you want kids?" Bill prompted.

"...Yeah. But it's kind of like what you said...it wasn't in the cards for me, so I stopped thinking about it."

"You're still young, though. You have plenty of time."

"You're not out of time, either, you know."

Bill shrugged it off again.

Mia was comfortably leaned against the back of the couch, her head turned to look at him.

"I know I say this a lot...but I really like you."

"You can say that as much as you'd like," Bill smiled, "I really like you, too…"

She kissed him again, softly at first, and then the kisses deepened into something more demanding. Bill felt the flare of heat in his body intensify with every subsequent kiss. He hadn't fully thought about how the night was going to end as he planned his day earlier that morning. He still tried to keep his thoughts about her restrained, not wanting to subject even the Mia in his mind to being degraded...but boy, did he slip up. Often. Especially after last weekend, after experiencing her flushed naked body under him, crying out his name. He had since imagined her stretched over every conceivable surface, be it at his house or even, shamefully, at his work.

Suddenly she hopped onto his lap, and her dress had flared out around them, her bare legs tight against his thighs. The sudden change in sensation made Bill feel dizzy. The voice in his head that had kept reminding him to take things slow with her was speaking up again, but the voice was farther away than usual, and sounded tinny like an echo. He still feared losing her from rushing into sex but at the same time, he was certain it wasn't rushing anymore; they had a true connection with each other, they understood each other, they had many days and evenings of spending time together. He didn't have any of that with anyone else of the past.

His hands slid against her legs and grabbed her ass, something he usually caught himself daydreaming about. She gasped softly and ground herself against him, returning to his bottom lip with a bite. He throbbed achingly under his jeans, under her rocking against him, and he needed more - immediately. He pulled her dress up and off of her, quickly, and he took in the new sight of her with blazing eyes. She sat upon him in a gray satin bra and panties, her breasts rising and falling as she panted with longing. The animalistic part of his brain was impatient and eager, fighting the more reasonable side of his brain for control.

Mia yanked off his shirt now, and her eyelashes fluttered as she looked at him, insatiable for his solid, strong body. She liked his body hair, too; it felt so manly to her, so virile. She kissed his jaw and neck as her hands roved down him. He froze a little as she skimmed across his stomach, one of his main points of contention with himself. But he also liked that she touched him there, that she did it voluntarily, that she wanted to.

"Bill," she breathed, her fingertips stopped at his belt buckle, "What do you want to do?"

He knew she was asking how far he wanted to go. And he knew that no matter what they did tonight...their relationship together wouldn't be damaged. He was beginning to believe it may even grow stronger. He wanted to share himself with her, he wanted that connection with her, that bond.

"Come to bed with me," he murmured, looking into her brilliant brown eyes, hoping to convey all of his thoughts and feelings of her into that one glance.

She kissed him again, her body pulsing from the radiating passion between them. Swiftly Bill sprang to his feet, having collected her in his arms simultaneously. She laughed as he carried her down the hall and to his room. The room was dark, save for the light of the street lamp outside partially streaming in through the window.

Bill dropped Mia gently onto his new bed, and quickly began to undo his belt buckle. Mia leaned back onto her elbows, her back arched, and knees spread apart as she watched him. He felt frenzied now, seeing her like this on his bed, ready and waiting for him.

He crawled over top of her, grazing the side of her waist with his hand. He kissed her neck as he deftly unclasped her bra, removing it off to the side, and began to feel her breasts. "You're so sexy," he mumbled against her skin. His hands roved all over her, feeling the softness of her body, savoring the realized fact that she was going to let him take her...whenever he got around to it. They lay a moment together, exploring each other, breathing heavily against each other's bodies. He kissed and sucked on her nipples as she gasped, and reached down to take off her panties. She could only whine in response, desperate for more than just touches. She tugged anxiously at the front of his boxers, needing him, begging desperately for an outlet. Her fingertips brushed against the head, which sent his mind swimming. The thin material was the only thing between them.

He kissed her collarbone while he pulled off his boxers, tossing them onto the abyss of the floor. Mia's ankles pressed behind him, pulling him closer to her. It was too much for either of them to bear any longer. He positioned himself, mind entirely fogged over, and slowly thrust inside of her. They both groaned together instantaneously as he filled her. He almost felt drunk from the sensation. He had wanted to do this for so long, to have sex with her, to make love to her, and now he finally was, and it was infinitely better than anything he had ever imagined it would be like.

Bill sat up on his knees, gripping her hips and pulling her into him. Mia laid back on his bed, her hair fanned out around her, her arms above her head gripping the sheets. With every thrust she moaned and her breasts bounced with the movement. He could only look at her in intervals; the combination of her blazing, soaking core tight around him, the gasps and mewls she made as he moved deep into her, and the sight of her, his sexy, beautiful girlfriend, was all too much to take in at once. He felt close to release, and he still needed her to finish…

He had slowed his pace, which made her dig her heels into him again, pulling him deeper into her. She gazed up at him with blazing eyes, panting, her body flushed and glowing.

"Mia," he finally managed, "Cum for me…"

"Okay," she said, breathless, and bucked her hips with a gasp when he rubbed against her with his thumb. He began to quicken his pace again, sliding deep inside her. He thrust continuously, stroking her with his thumb at the same time, watching her as she hitched and moaned, building ever so close to her release.

He felt her walls start to clamp down on him, and she was twisting the bed sheets in her fists. All of a sudden her building climax burst throughout her body, rolling wave after wave of ecstasy over her, and she shouted his name with an urgent passion as she came.

He couldn't possibly hold back any longer, the sensations were past the point of overwhelming, and he growled out her name, digging his fingertips into her hips as he filled her.

"Oh...Bill..." she purred.

He collapsed next to her, sated and spent, glistening with sweat, mind still in a daze. They kissed lightly and spent a while laying together, enjoying the moment, allowing the glow of their shared passion to wash over them.

"That was amazing," Bill whispered. And he did mean it... There was more fire and passion between them just in this one night than he ever felt in his life.

They laid together the entire night, feeling complete, feeling whole, their daydreams and fantasies finally had been realized. Bill held her close to him, like he had when spent the night at her house, but this time the comforting bond between them felt stronger, more substantial, embodied by the unspoken connection between them.