Monday morning, Meg curled into her pillow quietly moaning as Dean kissed the back of her neck. "I'll see you tonight. We still haven't had an official date, don't think I've forgotten." With that whispered promise, he slipped out of the room and out of the house.
Once Meg heard the rumble of his truck fade, she stretched and pulled herself from the bed. "It's going to be a busy day. No sense lollygagging around in bed." She pulled herself up and dressed quickly. The final touch was retrieving a key and address from the bottom of her underwear drawer. "I hope he likes this. I really, really hope so." Tucking the key in her pocket, she clutched the address in her fist with her truck keys and headed out the door.
Finding Dean's apartment wasn't really a challenge. Neither was getting inside. "Holy Toledo! Has the man seen a washer? What in the…?" Meg looked at the pile of clothes that were spilling out of what might have been a hamper at one time. "I can give him credit for putting them in one place, I guess. We will be correcting this though. Ew!" She took a sheet off the bed and put the dirty laundry surrounding the hamper into the dirty sheet, tied the corners, and carried it to her truck. "Back of the bed for you." She returned for the hamper. "You can't smell good either. Truck bed for you as well." She carried his dresser drawers out and stacked them individually before returning to look at the frame of the dresser itself. "How am I going to move you? Hmm?" Shrugging her shoulders she went in to the bathroom and emptied Dean's medicine cabinet and everything from under his sink. "I'm making progress. Ready to make the first trip to the house." Locking his door, she headed home. She backed into her driveway, unloaded the bed of her truck, sorted the dirty laundry and put one load in the washer to soak in bleach and whitener, and headed back out the door. Meg was soon standing in the middle of Dean's kitchen, looking befuddled and talking to herself. "How does someone have a kitchen with no pots and pans? Really? What in the he… What have you been eating, Dean?" Opening cabinet door after cabinet door, Meg sighed and shook her head. "Fruit Loops, Apple Jacks, Fiber One, Lucky Charms, Trix, Fruity Pebbles, and FrankenBerry… Really, Dean? Could you have fit a few more kids cereals in here? Ugh. Let's play 'which one of these doesn't belong?'" Still shaking her head, Meg stacked the boxes on the counter. "Fourteen boxes of mac and cheese but no pot to cook it in? You really microwaved it every single time? Ew." Six pudding cup packs joined the growing pile of oh, so nutritional food on the counter. "We are going to have a serious discussion about grocery shopping, buster. Count on it." Moving on to the last cabinet, Meg opened the door and was pummeled by a cavalcade of chips. There were snack-sized bags, medium-sized bags, family sized bags, party-sized bags, bags that had clips, and open bags that had been just been stuffed into the cabinet. "What the hell?!" Meg cursed. "When I see Dean, I swear I'm gonna…" Setting to work picking up the mess, she slammed the bags of chips on the counter and went in search of a broom. "How can someone not own a broom?!" She returned to the kitchen pulling a wheeled duffle. "At least I found something to carry this food." She packed the food in his large piece of luggage and hefted it into her truck. As she returned to the apartment her phone began to ring. "Hey, Renee… Nah, I can't do lunch today, sorry… I'm finding out what a pig Dean really is… Long story… Dear God what is that smell? Renee, how long does it take cheese to turn lime green? I don't mean grow mold, I mean actually turn green and get soft? Yes, it looks like it was cheddar at one time… I know it's gross. That's the least nasty thing in this refrigerator. The milk was solid and actually didn't smell… I'm just putting everything in the trash, not even looking at it anymore. Do you think the freezer would be safe? You are coming over? That's so sweet. I was wondering how I was going to move some of the furniture." Meg finished the refrigerator and tossed everything that was in the freezer. "No use risking life and digestive system over questionable ice cream. We can buy new. Frozen pizzas aren't a decent dietary item anyway." As Meg returned from the dumpster, Renee was pulling into the parking lot. "Right on time." Meg greeted. The friends headed into the apartment and finished packing the silverware, dishes and glasses that Dean had collected. "We'll take it. If we are combining households, I don't want to toss all of his stuff but I don't want you to expect to see this in our kitchen very much either."
"I should hope not." Renee muttered. "This is bachelor –sheek at its finest." Meg bit her lips trying not to laugh at her friend's upturned nose.
"Speaking of, I need help with his dresser and a table in his bedroom. I haven't gotten the bed apart yet."
Renee looked at Meg with comically wide eyes. "You are moving him while he's at work. You are insane!"
Meg shook her head. "No, no. We talked about it. Dean said there was no need in keeping his apartment if he was staying at the house anyway. He wanted to start moving his clothes and things to make it more like home. I thought, 'Why just move a few things? He's here every day. Move everything at one time and get it over with. Make home home for both of us.' I don't think he'll be mad. I think he'll realize what I'm trying to tell him."
"What are you trying to say?" Renee asked.
"I am all in. I want this to last. I want it all with him, lock, stock, and barrel." Meg answered without hesitation.
Renee picked up her phone. "Hey, if anybody is around that can keep their mouth shut, Meg and I need a hand… Yes, it's legal. No, we're not in jail you ass!" Renee huffed before continuing, "Get whomever can come with their trucks and manage to keep their mouths shut for the rest of the day and come over to Dean's apartment." She hung up and muttered, "I swear I am not giving that man any sugar tonight. Asking if we were in jail…"
Meg smothered a laugh as she opened the trunk that held some of Dean's treasures. "Um…" She closed the lid and flipped the lock.
"What? What did you find?" Renee asked.
"Nothing. Nothing at all." Meg denied.
"Meg…"
"Just grab the other end. This goes in my truck." With an eye roll, Renee helped her friend carry the trunk to the truck and load it in the back before the guys arrived.
"You are moving Dean while he's at work? That'll be an interesting surprise." Seth teased.
"You helped him dig up my yard. It's only fair that you help me empty his apartment." Meg retorted. Seth didn't say another word but went right to work moving the heavier furniture into the waiting pick-up trucks.
"I think it's sweet." Renee said. "Can't wait to see Dean's reaction."
"After the way he went off while Meg was on that call yesterday, dude's gonna love this." one of the young firemen muttered. Everyone laughed in agreement.
"Don't just stand around then. Let's get this apartment empty!" Seth ordered. "Everything gets moved and into the house before 5. That's the earliest he gets back to town."
