Matt was thrilled Rose wanted to take him up on his offer of dinner. When he had first authored the note he had been nervous. It's not every day you fall into a situation like theirs, and though he had saved her life (completely by accident really) and she had saved his by taking him to get medical attention, Matt never imagined his friendship with Rose would escalate in such a manner.
Not that Matt was complaining, but the hero had never been looking for someone like Rose. He had been perfectly fine without her in his life before and now....now he couldn't imagine an existence without her. She had become so important.
So she deserved a perfect dinner and evening. He wasn't going to call it a date, he didn't want to put a restriction or a label on it in case she didn't want that. But he did like her. A lot. And that feeling grew with each day they were together.
Five minutes before seven, Matt pulled a couple of chilled bottles of wine from the fridge and set them on the table that he had expertly set. Each plate, bowl, utensil and napkin were perfectly placed and waiting to be used.
The bottles of wine were not too expensive but they weren't cheap either, a dark red and a clear white. He wasn't sure what she liked, so he had picked up one of each. A wine glass and a water glass sat empty and waiting.
When that was done, Matt went back to the kitchen.
Soft music played in the apartment. His apartment had always been neat and tidy. It was moderately furnished and the aged, wood floors were covered with complimentary area rugs. And Matt knew exactly where every piece of furniture was. The layout never really changed, and perhaps that was due to his condition.
And a last tending to dinner before the knock at the door came.
Matt was dressed up, nicer than he would if he went to the office but more casually styled. His shirt was a light purple, buttoned up until the throat which he left open. He wore black slacks and shoes to match. Rose deserved the best. His hair was normal, the brown that might have been a little too lengthy in the front but it was even the rest of the way. And he had opted for no sunglasses. He wouldn't need them.
Leaving the kitchen, Matt went to the door and he found that his heart was racing faster than usual. He pulled the door open and offered Rose a smile, able to smell her hair products and the underlying scent of wild strawberries that he associated with her. "Hey! Right on time. Come in." The door opened wide for her and he stepped aside to let her in.