Meet Me By The Dock

Chapter 9

Matthew Remington stood before me entirely clad in red. Complete with the bright red visor, a box of pizza, and a shirt that reads Micheal's Pizza  in black script.

"Hi?" I ask.

"Hello, are you-" He checks the name on the pizza box, "Lilah Grace?" He smiles charmingly at me. My mom always used my name for food orders because they always got hers wrong.

"No." I say, because I can clearly only supply one word answers from here on out.

He frowns, "Are you sure because—" He starts.

"Matthew," I cut him off, "What are you doing here?"

"Delivering your pizza." He replies, looking at me like I just asked him to run around in nothing but his underwear.

"How?"

"I got a job at the pizza place in town," he explains, "It's not full time, mostly Friday and Saturday nights— when they're at their busiest."

I suppress a smile, of course he would be delivering my pizza right now. Why wouldn't he be?

I raise my eyebrows and he continues, "So when I saw your last name on the box I just had to deliver it."

"Of course."

He smiles but doesn't say anything so we just stand there staring at each other, but it doesn't feel awkward.

I hold out a bill, "Well thanks for delivering the pizza, this has been fun," I say, "But I have to go eat so—" I reach for the box but he pulls it away and my brows furrow.

"Wait, I need your name." He says.

"My name?"

"Yes, so I can make sure I'm not handing off this pizza to the wrong person." He says it like it's obvious.

I roll my eyes, "My names Lilah Grace." I say, still holding in a smile.

"And-" He looks at the box again, "How do you spell that?"

"L-I-L-A-H," I spell out, "Like lilacs but with an H."

"Okay, you passed the test," He grins and passes me the pizza, "But its store policy to ask the customer for their phone number so."

He leans his forearm against the door frame and leans in closer to me, his face inches from mine.

"I'm disappointed." I say.

"Why?" He asks innocently.

"I thought you'd have a way better line than that," I back up because his face was getting dangerously close to mine, "Store policy? Really?"

"What did you want me to do? I had to come up with something quickly."

"Oh and that little lean in and fake innocent look really sealed the deal," I laugh, "Don't try to use your 'smooth moves'," I say with air quotes, "on me please because it may trigger my upchuck reflex."

He leans on the door frame and crosses his arms over his chest, "I thought you'd like that kind of stuff." He shrugs and tilts his head.

I blow out a breath and shake my head, "Oh Matthew Remington, you clueless little lover boy," I slowly start to close my door, "Goodnight." I say, amused.

A smile plays on his lips, "Goodnight, Lilah."

And I shut the door on his face.

—-------

That night I had no dreams of my dad, which was what I expected considering these last few days.

Instead I dreamed of Matthew Remington.