Up close and personal: Lunch with Sophie - part 1.

I invited Sophie over for lunch. She stepped into the store first, her blonde ponytail catching the light. I followed, and together we picked out pasta, ripe tomatoes, tuna, the good olive oil. At my place she walked the rooms slowly, fingers trailing along the backs of chairs, taking it all in. We drank orange juice in the kitchen while the water came to a boil. She rinsed the herbs; I drained the penne. Outside the sun warmed the porch. Plates between us, we ate with the easy quiet that happens when food tastes right. After, she leaned back in her chair, skirt riding a little higher on the swell of her hips, and let the heat settle over both of us.