"Nothing wrong with a little meat on the bones, hon. That just means there's more to go around." Secretly, she was relieved that their craigslist find wasn't Mike's type. She'd always been the jealous type, and now that she was disabled, she often found herself wondering when Mike would give in and find someone who he didn't have to take care of. Their worst fight, the only time he ever actually hit her, had been over another woman. Mike insisted nothing happened, and maybe she should've believed him, but she just didn't.
That was in the past now, though, and tonight was going to be fun.
"Just be nice." Mike was extraordinarily charming when he wanted to be, but he could also be a real asshole. She didn't want him scaring Annie away before the fun really began. Not that they wouldn't be able to find someone else; they were both attractive, clean, healthy (with one glaring exception) people, practically unheard of on Craigslist.
While Mike cleaned up, Dahlia busied herself with making a few last minute arrangements. She added some festive silk leaves to the table setting, attached Lucy's fall-themed bow to her collar, and lit a few candles around the house, concentrating most of her efforts in the guest room. It was important to Dahlia that they didn't do this in their bedroom; that just felt wrong, somehow.
When she was finished, the house smelled of a tantalizing mix of citrus and cinnamon, and Dahlia had put on the heart-shaped necklace Mike bought her on their fifth wedding anniversary. It was just a few minutes until eight o'clock, and she couldn't keep from fidgeting in the plush armchair as she waited.