Free Better Than Perfect by Kristina Mathews

meant to remind him of his manners.
    “Well, you do.” He swallowed before speaking, but wiped his mouth with his sleeve. His napkin was still folded beside his plate. She glared at him and he got the message, slinking down in his chair a little as he spread the cloth over his lap.
    “I have to agree.” Johnny gave her a warm smile as he dug into the meal. “This is very good.”
    Alice watched Johnny and Zach mirror each other’s movements. They were so much alike it was as if they were related. Neither of them liked to talk much while they were eating. The quieter they were, the more they enjoyed the food. They were both quiet tonight. She could tell Zach must have a zillion questions for Johnny, but he didn’t know where to start.
    Johnny, too, seemed to have unanswered questions. He wasn’t all that talkative in the best of situations. When he was uncomfortable, or unsure of himself, he became even more withdrawn. It had driven her crazy when they were dating. Tonight, though, it gave her a chance to observe the two of them.
    Zach looked so much like Johnny, she couldn’t believe she hadn’t seen it before. Denial was a powerful hallucinogen. Zach’s hair was lighter and a little longer, but she was seeing signs that it would someday darken to Johnny’s deep golden brown. Their expressions were similar, too. The crooked smile, the crinkle of the eyes when they were amused. Even their scowls were identical. But the eyes really stood out. Zach’s eyes were an exact copy of Johnny’s. A deep, dark, chocolate brown. The kind to make a girl go all gooey inside.
    “You guys up for dessert?” Alice asked when they were getting close to the end of the meal. They’d talked a little bit about baseball. Johnny kept his humility. Didn’t do a lot of name dropping or making it seem too cool to have been on the same All-Star team as guys like Derek Jeter. He actually made it sound like any other job.
    “No, thank you.” Johnny never had much of a sweet tooth.
    “Um, maybe?” Zach cleaned his plate, having seconds of everything. “Do we have any ice cream?”
    “You can help yourself.” Alice was starting to wonder if she could afford to go back to school. Zach was going to bankrupt her with his never-ending appetite.
    “You sure you don’t want any, Johnny?” Zach asked, knowing she wouldn’t have any. She was more of the bite-sized dark chocolate kind of girl.
    “No, thanks. I’m good.” Johnny reached for the glass of wine he’d barely touched.
    “Yeah. The best.” Zach’s voice held a bit of awe. He smiled at Johnny before heading off to the kitchen.
    “He’s really impressed.” Alice kept her voice low; she didn’t want to embarrass either of them. “He’s always looked up to you, you know.”
    “Why is that?” Johnny asked. “Since I’ve always played on the other side of the country, how did he even know about me?”
    “I’ve followed your career. Every step of the way.” Alice barely had time to explain before Zach returned with his ice cream. Three scoops. Covered with chocolate syrup. And sprinkles.
    “Zach, that’s a little much.”
    “I’m sure he’ll burn through those calories before he even finishes eating it.” Johnny laughed. “He’s built like I was at that age. It drove my mother crazy when I’d eat a whole week’s worth of groceries in one day.”
    His mother. That was the first time she’d heard him mention her without a note of bitterness in his voice. Maybe he’d finally been able to forgive her for what she’d had to do just to get by.
    “I don’t eat that much.” Zach shoveled ice cream into his mouth like he hadn’t eaten in days. “Just when I’m hungry.”
    “Which seems to be all the time these days.” Alice shook her head, but couldn’t help but smile.
    “So tell me something no one knows about you.” Zach gulped down another bite. “Something about your family or when you were a kid.”
    “There’s not much to tell.” Johnny never