By the time Friday rolled around, the only thought on Jake's mind was Chelsea and having her back in his arms. Though Vanessa and a few friends, joined him for breakfast, his mind was elsewhere. Heading off to class and staring at the clock throughout the entire lecture, he didn't stick around a second longer than necessary before grabbing his weekend bag and speeding away without ever looking back.
Friday afternoon traffic made the trip longer than expected. By the time he pulled into the garage, it was already close to six. He let himself into the house and saw lit candles glowing on the dining room table. Two dinner settings were laid out, and a handful of white and yellow flowers had been cut from the backyard and stuck into a vase to complete the mood.
Chelsea came in from the kitchen carrying a dish of salmon and asparagus. Jake stared in awe at the vision before him. She was wearing her favorite black, cocktail dress. Clinging to her body and straining to hang just below her perky bottom, it was accompanied by a pearl necklace with matching earrings. Noticing she wasn't alone, Chelsea set down the dish and greeted her son with a smile.
"I was hoping you'd get here soon," she said giving Jake a hug and draping her arms over his shoulders.
"Is this all for me" He asked.
His mother nodded. "You've been eating cafeteria food all week. The least a mom can do is see that her son gets a decent meal one day out of seven."
"You look incredible."
"In this old thing?" She asked taking a step back and offering a playful pose. Chelsea pulled him close letting his hands run the length of her back side. She gave him a seductive kiss on the cheek and lifted her lips to his ear. "It's all for you," she whispered. "You know that."
Deciding to quickly wash up before dinner, Jake rinsed his hands and took a look at himself in the mirror. The man staring back put a bad taste in his mouth. Chelsea had put so much effort into getting herself ready for his arrival, and Jake looked like he had just come home from college to do his laundry. He quickly went to his old bedroom and found his dress shirts still hanging in the closet. Swapping outfits for one that complimented the beauty in the other room, he sat down across from his mother without a word and watched her eyes grow wide with surprise.
The affect was exactly what he's been aiming for. Jake proved he wasn't a college mess being cared for by an over-nurturing mother - he was a man having dinner with a beautiful woman. Chelsea was seeing him in a new light, and he wanted her to know that he could be her equal despite being her son.
"Jake..." she said still astonished at the transformation and unable to think of anything else to say.
"It's all for you," he told her. 'You know that."
Hearing him repeat her words caused Chelsea to stare at him with fascination. When had he become so wonderful? How was it possible to care for her son and admire him all at the same time? These questions made Chelsea feel vulnerable, but they also made her smile and appreciate him all the more.
Dinner was delicious, and Jake thoroughly enjoyed a meal for the first time that week. It wasn't hard raising the bar over the college cafeteria's fine dining. But between the cooking and the company, Jake was on a higher plane of happiness.
It was a wonderful feeling enjoying each other's company. They laughed and shared the latest news all the while rubbing a thigh, sharing kisses, or letting a leg rest against the other's. Chelsea talked about her day at work with added commentary on how infuriating it was working for a man who had no idea how to run the company.
"Sooner or later," she told him. "I'll finally reach my limit and just leave."
Jake filled her in on his film studies and how his editing project had been praised. "Professor Joyce was so impressed, he sent the short film to a review panel to see if it's good enough for an independent film award."
