Passion In The Game 2

Bottom's Up

Anthony helped Rayna clean up after dinner and put the leftovers away. He stood beside her drying off the dishes as he watched her.

"Take a picture. It lasts longer." she said. Anthony laughed. Rayna looked at him and frowned. "What's so funny?"

"You." Anthony said.

"Whatever, Anthony" she said.

"Remember when we were wrapping up our last year in college. It was a week before your certification test. I tried to cook you dinner." Anthony said.

Rayna started giggling. "Oh my God. You tried to make vegetable lasagna florentine. I may love pasta but I hate that dish with a passion."

"I was determined to make you eat and like it." Anthony said.

"And you burned it and still tried to make me eat it." she laughed remembering Anthony trying to spoon feed her the burnt pasta and vegetables.

"It was not burnt! It was slightly overcooked." he said trying to defend his cooking skills. 

"Anthony, it looked like shit." Rayna said.

"Hey, it was not that bad. That was my first time making it." Anthony said nudging her.

"Hopefully, your last." she snickered.

"Okay, I see how it is." he said. Anthony took the drying towel and twisted it. It whipped Rayna with it. She turned around and threw the wet towel at him. Anthony grabbed onto Rayna and brought her close. They both erupted in laughter but Rayna realized what she was doing. She pulled away from him.

"What is it?" Anthony said.

"That's what happened last time. We got too close." she said leaning against the counter. 

Anthony just smiled at her. He grabbed the bottle of wine she had out and put some more in her glass. He picked it up and offered it to her. "It's fine. You can relax around me."

"Anthony, look. I have love for you and I care for you...but, what happened can't happen again." Rayna said taking the glass and looking down into it.

"I have love for you, too. I don't want you to feel like I'd force you into anything. If you don't want it to happen again, it won't." he said.

Rayna smiled a little. Anthony always did give her the safe feeling and that was something she missed. They finished the dishes and were lounging outside. They reminisced like the old friends they were and laughed like were sitting in at a comedy show.

"You were such a bad kid." Anthony said. "Drinking at 15, so shameful."

"Well, excuse me for not being a goody two shoes and wanting to live it up." Rayna said sipping wine.

"Give me a sip." he said.

"What?" she said.

"Let me have some." Anthony said nodding at the glass of wine.

"You want some alcohol! Oh my God!" Rayna said shocked. Anthony laughed at her reaction. "Hell must be freezing over."

"You going to give me a sample or not?" he said sticking his hand out.

Rayna pulled a glass from the outdoor bar and poured him his own glass. She handed it to him. "Bottom's up." Anthony tilted the glass and let the liquid into his mouth. He swallowed it and his face twisted. Rayna erupted in laughter.

"I didn't think wine would taste like that." he said straining.

"We just might turn this night into a liquor tasting for you." she said mischievously.