{"id":328,"date":"2011-03-15T06:00:07","date_gmt":"2011-03-14T19:00:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ravenoustales.com\/?p=328"},"modified":"2013-09-27T16:11:20","modified_gmt":"2013-09-27T23:11:20","slug":"a-surprise-announcement-and-homemade-pizza","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/ravenoustales.com\/?p=328","title":{"rendered":"Season 2: Episode 3"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m here! I\u2019m here!\u201d Willow rushed into the kitchen and dumped the armfuls of bags she was carrying. \u201cI\u2019m so sorry \u2013 the traffic was awful and the carnival ran overtime\u2026\u201d She trailed off, catching her breath.<\/p>\n

Tonight, Willow and Mia were cooking dinner for their friends. Given the time constraints they had decided to keep it simple and make pizzas. Willow had insisted she would be able to get to the market and pick up ingredients for the toppings despite having to attend her school\u2019s annual sports day.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m the bloody music teacher,\u201d she had complained to Mia earlier. \u201cWhat do I know about sport?\u201d<\/p>\n

Mia looked pointedly at her watch. \u201cThey\u2019re going to be here in 40 minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mia truly had no idea why Willow was so adamant about going to the market herself. Sure, she was friendly with the stallholders who often gave her discounts, but they had both known that for Willow to get from the sports day to the Victoria Market and then home again by 6pm was a little unrealistic. Still, she had insisted.<\/p>\n

\u201cDid you manage to get everything?\u201d Mia had already made the wholemeal dough for the pizzas and it was rising beautifully in the warm kitchen. She started unloading the bags: smoked trout, buffalo mozzarella, jalapenos, heirloom tomatoes\u2026 Not quite up to her normal market standards, but they would have to do.<\/p>\n

\u201cMost of the stalls were closing so I grabbed what I could.\u201d Willow didn\u2019t have the heart to admit that the market had been completely closed by the time she got there so she\u2019d had to get everything from the supermarket. She was particularly annoyed because she\u2019d missed her chance to see the gorgeous mystery man who had saved her from being trampled by the hordes.<\/p>\n

Why didn\u2019t I just ask for his phone number?<\/i>, she chided herself for the 50th<\/sup> time. She didn\u2019t know if she could wait another week to see him!<\/p>\n

\u201cLet me just jump through the shower and then I\u2019ll get to work. Everything will be done by the time they get here.\u201d Willow flashed her brightest smile. \u201cPromise!\u201d<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

When she came back downstairs, Ana had arrived home and was helping Mia set the table. They had arranged candles and little glass jars filled with jasmine from the garden along the length of the table. Willow looked quizzically at Mia \u2013 this was more trouble than they usually went to!<\/p>\n

Mia indicated her head towards Ana, shrugging. \u201cHer idea.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSpecial occasion?\u201d Willow winked at Mia behind Ana\u2019s back. They both suspected Ana\u2019s good mood was due to a rekindling of her relationship with Tom, but she hadn\u2019t said anything about it.<\/p>\n

Ana just shrugged. \u201cFelt like it.\u201d She whistled as she wandered back into the kitchen.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Thirty minutes later everyone was gathered in the kitchen. Johnny had arrived, as always, with an amazing selection of wine to complement the meal. To Willow and Mia\u2019s delight, Tom had also turned up, bearing a case of Champagne, which he assured them had been on sale. He shot a look at Ana, who was filling glasses for everyone. She cleared her throat.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s something we have to tell you.\u201d She held up her left hand and, for the first time, the girls and Johnny noticed a giant diamond, sparkling outrageously on her ring finger.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re engaged!\u201d screamed Willow and Mia, in unison.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

After dinner everyone was very tipsy. The volume of Champagne consumed was vast and didn\u2019t look like it would slow down any time soon. Ana, Willow and Tom had moved into the sitting room where Willow had put on Beyonc\u00e9\u2019s \u2018Single Ladies\u2019, shouting over the top of the lyrics, \u201cTom liked it and so he put a ring on it!\u201d<\/p>\n

In the dining room, Mia and Johnny cleared the table, laughing at Willow\u2019s attempted lyricism. Collecting the empty glasses, Mia looked up and caught Johnny staring at her. He grinned, walked over and pulled her into a friendly bear hug. Mia was surprised at how comfortable she felt in his arms. His body felt so warm and safe. She could smell his aftershave mixed with laundry powder. Honey, vanilla and spices.<\/p>\n

Neither one of them tried to pull away.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve had too much Champagne<\/i>, thought Mia.<\/p>\n

Her legs had turned to jelly and her heartbeat had quickened. She was pretty sure this wasn\u2019t how you were meant to feel while hugging your friend. Then, without warning, Johnny gently took her face in his hands and kissed her softly on the lips. She hesitated \u2013 more from surprise than anything else \u2013 before closing her eyes and kissing him back. His tongue gently probed her lips open and tenderly explored her mouth. She uttered a small moan, opening herself up to him and pushing her body closer into his.<\/p>\n

From the other room, Willow yelled, \u201cWhere\u2019s my other single lady?\u201d<\/p>\n

Mia and Johnny sprang apart. They were both flushed, their breathing rapid.<\/p>\n

Mia felt as though an electric charge had just been run through her. She had goose bumps over her entire body and her lips tingled with desire.<\/p>\n

Willow poked her head into the kitchen, too excited to notice the tension between the two of them. \u201cYou have to come and dance with me!\u201d She grabbed Mia\u2019s hand and dragged her into the sitting room.<\/p>\n

Mia\u2019s head was spinning. She went through the motions of a few dance steps before feigning tiredness and sitting down. She snuck a glance over at Johnny who was still staring intently at her. She couldn\u2019t read his look.<\/p>\n

Suddenly, his mobile rang. Looking at the number, he hesitated before disappearing into the other room and answering it. When he walked back in it was with his jacket. \u201cI\u2019ve got to run.\u201d<\/p>\n

Willow raised an eyebrow. \u201cGot a hot date?\u201d she teased.<\/p>\n

Johnny suddenly looked very uncomfortable. Fidgeting, he averted his gaze to the floor.<\/p>\n

Willow squealed. \u201cYou do<\/i><\/b> have a hot date!\u201d Looking over at Ana and Tom, who were slow dancing and staring deep into each other\u2019s eyes, she sighed, theatrically sinking into the couch. \u201cLook\u2019s like it\u2019s just you and me, Mia.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mia felt as though she\u2019d been slapped across the face. \u201cThink I might go to bed\u201d, she mumbled. \u201cEarly start.\u201d She moved toward the hall.<\/p>\n

Johnny tried to stop her. \u201cMia, I\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

She looked up at him, her eyes flashing. \u201cHave fun on your date.\u201d<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Mia couldn\u2019t sleep that night. She cursed herself over and over again for falling for Johnny\u2019s boyish charm and dishevelled good looks. She thought that she had felt something between them \u2013 something that she had never felt with anyone else \u2013 but she was obviously wrong.<\/p>\n

She was just another conquest to him.<\/p>\n

Bastard!<\/i><\/p>\n

Putting the pillow over her face she tried to block out the painful images of Johnny with his anonymous date that played over and over in her head.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cI\u2019m here! I\u2019m here!\u201d Willow rushed into the kitchen and dumped the armfuls of bags she was carrying. \u201cI\u2019m so sorry \u2013 the traffic was awful and the carnival ran overtime\u2026\u201d She trailed off, catching her breath. Tonight, Willow and Mia were cooking dinner for their friends. Given the time constraints they had decided to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_s2mail":"yes"},"categories":[198],"tags":[59,100],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/ravenoustales.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/328"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/ravenoustales.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/ravenoustales.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ravenoustales.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ravenoustales.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=328"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"http:\/\/ravenoustales.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/328\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1185,"href":"http:\/\/ravenoustales.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/328\/revisions\/1185"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/ravenoustales.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=328"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ravenoustales.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=328"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ravenoustales.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=328"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}