Lily

Lily handed Maggie a plate.

“Can you put this one at the end of the table?” she asked Maggie.

Maggie marched the plate over to the far side of the dining room table and set it down.

“This one is for Daddy,” she said.

“Did you set out the silverware?” Lily asked.

She nodded affirmatively. “Yep.”

“Good,” Lily replied. “Thanks for helping me out with this, Maggie. I couldn't have done it without you. Your dad should be home any minute and we can have dinner as soon as he gets here.”

God, I hope everything turns out okay this time, she thought. It should, though. I spent over an hour researching how to cook the perfect steak.

Lily was pretty sure she had nailed it, too. She had seared the steaks in the frying pan, just long enough so that they had a nice, brown crust on the outside. The pad of butter on top had just finished melting. They smelled absolutely amazing, too. For the first time since she'd started working there, she felt fairly confident in the meal.

The sides had also come together quite nicely. She had grilled the asparagus and while it was cooking, had tested it at least ten times to make sure that it was perfectly cooked. The macaroni and cheese, well, was macaroni and cheese. She didn't have to think too much for that one.

“Hey, guys,” Wyatt said, stepping around the corner. “How's everyone tonight?”

Lily turned around as Wyatt stepped into the kitchen. She couldn't have been more excited to see him. Not only because she could finally show off her meal, but also because she got a chance to look at him all dressed up in one of his suits.

“Oh, hey, Wyatt,” she said, trying her best to not give him an obvious once over. “You got here fast. We weren't expecting you for another ten minutes or so.”

He set his briefcase down onto the counter. “Yeah, well, when you told me that you were cooking steaks, I felt the need to rush. I wasn't about to miss out on this. It smells absolutely amazing, by the way.”

“Daddy!” Maggie walked around the corner just in time to see her dad. She ran up and gave him a hug around his legs.

“Hey, sweetheart,” Wyatt said. “Did you have a good day?”

Maggie nodded and slowly released her death grip on Wyatt's thighs. “Yes. We made steaks.”

“I know,” Wyatt said. “It smells so good. I can't wait to try it.”

Lily's heart was pounding. “I hope it's good. I worked really hard on this one.”

“Filet mignon?” Wyatt asked, glanced toward the cooked steaks that were sitting next to the stove.

“How did you know?” Lily asked.

“It's my favorite cut of meat,” he said. “One of the most difficult to cook correctly, too.”

“I know,” Lily said. “I read about a hundred forums online that told me the same thing. Even so, I'm pretty sure that I got it right.”

Wyatt smiled as he loosened his tie. Lily's eyes dropped down his body.

Goddamn, he looks good when he's dressed up like that, she thought to herself.

The tailored suit made him look like a million bucks. He was so handsome as it was, but dressed like that, made him look like a super star. Lily's panties got a little wet just gazing at him.

“Should Maggie and I take a seat at the table?” Wyatt asked.

She brought her eyes back up to his face. “Yeah. The food is ready. You guys take a seat. I hope you don't mind, but I went downstairs into your wine cellar to get a bottle of Cabernet. I wanted something that would pair well with the filet mignon and most people online agreed that the Cabernet was the way to go.”

“My house is your house,” Wyatt said. “You have free reign to the wine cellar. I'm glad you picked my favorite wine.”

Lily gathered the food, while Wyatt and Maggie took their seats at the table. She placed a steak on each plate, along with macaroni and cheese and the asparagus.

Wyatt laughed. “I absolutely love the fact that you made mac and cheese as a side.”

“I wasn't sure what you'd think about that,” Lily said. “I just wanted to make sure that Maggie would eat at least some of this meal.”

“Good call,” Wyatt said. “I think it's genius. Love it.”

When everybody had a full plate in front of them, Lily sat down at the table. She poured Wyatt and herself a full glass of wine. She tried to stay calm, but was so nervous about this meal. It reminded her of the feeling she would get back in high school, when she was about to take a final exam. This was her last chance to get it right.

“Cheers,” she said, swallowing down her nervousness. “To the good meal that I've been promising you guys.”

“Here's to that,” Wyatt said, clinking his glass against hers.

“Cheews,” Maggie said, giggling.

Lily took a long sip of the Cabernet, then set her glass down. She watched as Wyatt lifted his steak knife and began to slice into the cut of meat. From where she sat, it looked perfectly done. It was medium rare and the center was just the right color of red. Wyatt seemed impressed. His eyes rose to meet hers.

“So far so good,” he said, with a playful smirk.

She bit her bottom lip anxiously. “Go easy on me if it's awful.”

He went back to work and finished cutting off the piece of steak. As he lifted it to his lips, Lily felt her stomach tie up into knots.

Please be good, please be good, she thought.

Wyatt popped the bite into his mouth. Almost immediately, his eyes lit up. He chewed a few times and then swallowed, before turning to face Lily.

“Oh, my God,” he said, his expression as serious as could be.

She wasn't sure how to take it.

“Is it bad?” she asked. “Please don't tell me I messed it up.”

He shook his head. “No, Lily. It isn't bad at all. Are you kidding me? This is incredible! Did you really cook this? It's perfect. It's tender and seasoned just right. It melted in my mouth.”

“You're joking me, right?” she said, smiling hesitantly.

“I wouldn't joke about this,” he replied, while cutting off another bite of steak. “This just might be the best steak I've ever had.”

He popped the slice in his mouth and moaned approvingly as he swallowed it down. “My God, Lily. I'm dead serious. This is amazing.”

Her eyes lit up. “Wow. I'm glad you like it. I really tried hard on it, but wasn't sure it was going to turn out that good.”

“It's better than good,” he said. “It's absolutely, positively perfect.”

Wyatt reached over and cut up Maggie's steak for her. “Honey, you've got to try this.”

“Is it salty?” Maggie asked innocently.

“No, sweetie,” Wyatt said. “It's so good. Trust me.”

Maggie took a bite and chewed it up. Lily watched as a smile crossed her face.

“Yum!” Maggie said, then immediately popped another piece of steak in her mouth.

Lily was floored by their reaction. She had to try it for herself. She quickly cut a corner off of her steak and ate it, surprised by how delicious it was. Wyatt wasn't joking. It melted in her mouth and tasted just exactly like a nice steak should.

I can't believe I'm the one who actually cooked this, she thought. It really is good. I don't eat much steak, but this is probably the best I've eaten.

“It's actually not bad,” Lily said.

“I'm legitimately impressed right now,” Wyatt said. “I'm proud of you, Lily. You just made me the best steak of all time. Good job.”

Lily was beaming now. To hear that Wyatt was proud of her made her smile wide. She'd done it. She had made the perfect meal for the perfect man. Despite her doubts, she had managed to pull off what she once thought was impossible.

“Even Maggie likes it,” Lily said, with a smirk.

Maggie nodded eagerly, while chewing her food. Meanwhile, Wyatt was busy cutting another bite off of his steak. Lily took a slow sip from her wine and just enjoyed the view. Even though it was just a simple dinner, Lily felt accomplished because of it.

* * *

“I'm so full.” Wyatt laid his knife and fork down onto his empty plate. “I couldn't eat another bite if I tried.”

“Me either,” Lily said, patting her belly.

Maggie patted her belly, imitating Lily. “Daddy, I'm tired.”

“Did that big meal tire you out?” Wyatt asked.

Maggie nodded and then lifted her hands in the air to stretch.

“Do you want me to take her up to bed?” Lily asked, standing from her chair.

“No, that's alright,” Wyatt said. “I'll run up to bed. I wouldn't mind changing out of this suit anyway. Don't go anywhere, though. We should finish that bottle of wine before we go to sleep.”

Lily nodded. “Sounds good. I'll clean up the dishes while you're changing.”

Wyatt got up and walked around the table, picking Maggie up from her chair. She rested her head onto his shoulders. With eyes half open, she gazed at Lily and said, “Goodnight, Aunt Wiwee.”

Lily kissed her on the forehead. “Goodnight, Mags. I'll see you in the morning.”

Wyatt turned and headed upstairs, leaving Lily to herself in the kitchen. She quickly gathered the dishes and put them in the sink, then wiped down the counter top. She was filled with energy and walking on cloud nine, still riding the satisfaction of the amazing meal she had managed to produce.

I can't wait to call Mom and tell her how good that was, she thought. She'll be proud that I managed to pull it off. I'll have to fly home one of these days and cook her and Dad a nice steak.

Lily took a quick sip from her glass of wine and then headed upstairs to her bathroom. She wanted to quickly make sure she looked okay for Wyatt. This would be one of the first times ever where they would get to spend some time without Maggie around. It was exciting, because it was a chance to get to know him a little better.

She closed the door behind her and faced the mirror.

Should I change into something else, or will Wyatt think that's weird? She thought, running her hands down the side of her shirt until they landed on the upper part of her jeans. I mean, he's changing right now, too. I guess he might not find it that strange. Maybe I could put on that green dress I packed. I haven't had a chance to wear it for anything else.

Inside her suitcase, she had packed a silk dress. She hadn't worn it in years, but remembered that it was a little bit skimpy. Not enough to make her feel like a slut, but enough to make her feel sexy. The bottom of it fell just below her butt. The upper part exposed a fair amount of cleavage. It didn't leave a ton to the imagination, but it was still one of the classiest dresses she'd ever owned.

This might be a little much, she thought, holding the dress up in front of her. I'll just try it on real quick, though. Can't hurt to try it on again. It's been a while.

She slipped out of her jeans and t-shirt, then stepped into the dress. The silk felt nice against her skin as she pulled it up to her shoulders.

I almost forgot how perfectly this dress fits me, she thought, turning to the side.

The material clung to her curves as though the dress had been sewn just for her. It was definitely the nicest piece of clothing she had, and she wanted to wear it, but still wondered if Wyatt would think it was strange that she'd changed into something so formal. Especially since dinner was now over.

“Yeah, he'll wonder why I'm wearing it,” she whispered to herself.

Still, though, it does look good, she thought, as she battled herself over whether or not she should keep the dress on. I guess I could just tell him that all of my other clothes were dirty and this was the only dress I had left to wear. Yeah, that's what I'll do. When else will I have a chance to wear this? It's not like I go to any fancy events or anything.

Lily decided she'd wear the dress. Even if Wyatt did end up thinking it was odd that she'd changed into it, she had a feeling that he'd enjoy seeing her in it. She looked as sexy as ever and figured it might be nice to show herself off to him in that way.

With her decision made, she walked over to the dresser. She combed through her hair a few times, then touched up her makeup. With care, she applied some red lipstick. It was a darker shade of red than she normally wore. It was sexy, but not too obvious. With her makeup looking perfect, she pumped a few sprays of her favorite perfume over the exposed area of her chest, just above her cleavage.

Alright, she thought. Ready to go.

She noticed that her heart was fluttering rapidly behind her rib cage. It was a combination of nervousness and of excitement. It was the same way she'd felt any time in her life when she was about to go out on the first date with a man.

But this isn't a date, she thought. It's not even close. It's just Wyatt and I finishing a bottle of wine. Of course, it will just be two of us. I guess that part is a first. Still, though, it is not a date.

Lily took one last glance in the mirror, and then turned to leave her bedroom. She wasn't about to be late for her non-date.