Arielle Chapter 2
Arielle
The rest of my week went well. My office was painted and carpeted. I brought in some of my own reference books for the bookcase. By Friday, I felt like I had a good grasp of the computer system. I was getting comfortable here.
Every night after work, I would go and work on the apartment. House came over on Tuesday night and watched me work. We talked about music and he ordered some Thai take-out for both of us. It was nice having someone to eat with.
Wednesday night, he had a bunch of guys over to play poker. He invited me, but I declined since I don't know how to play. When their pizzas arrived, he dragged me over to eat and to meet the guys. Wilson was there and 3 other guys who seem interested in meeting House's new neighbor. Of course, I was at my most attractive self: paint spattered overalls and hair tucked up in my baseball cap. But they were friendly and pleasant to talk to.
House was really a different person when he was alone with me, than he was when we were around others. He was kinder and a lot less snarky when we were alone. Around others, he would be very snarky. Like he said, he has a reputation to uphold. Fortunately Cuddy had warned me about him, so I just snarked right back.
For some reason, he decided to make fun of my name in front of his poker buddies.
"Why do you pronounce your name as 'Ar – ee –elle? Ariel Sharon says his name as 'Airy–elle. Are you afraid that people will call you Airy for short, or Airhead?"
"That is how my parents pronounced it. Both ways are correct." I shrugged. "By the way, my friends call me Elle for short."
"Elle, like the 'L' word? Ooooo, have you had that type of experience?" House waggled his eyebrows at me.
I smiled mysteriously: "That's for me to know and for you to fantasize about alone in your bed at night."
The guys chuckled and Jimmy snickered: "Good one, Elle." House shot me an annoyed look. I shrugged, finished my pizza and excused myself to get back to work.
House dropped by again on Thursday night, bringing steak hoagies and French fries for dinner. The hoagies were delicious, dripping with onions and grease. He stayed only long enough to eat and sounded regretful that he had some charts to review before the next morning.
When I finished painting that night, the living room and the kitchen were done. I wanted to do some decorative stenciling in the kitchen, but that could wait a few weeks until I had a couple of paychecks under my belt. I had moved in most of my kitchen stuff. The dishes and glasses were in the cupboards; the coffee maker and microwave were on the counter.
I was so ready to get out of the motel, that I decided I would pack up my room on Friday and just move all that stuff into the apartment. Then I could stay up late working on the bedroom and not have to drive back to the motel. I had a pillow and blanket and figured I could just sleep on the floor for one night. After work on Friday, I did just that. I packed up my belongings and checked out. Then I stopped at the grocery store and picked up some essentials. I had to wait until next Friday to get paid, so I had to charge the groceries again. I just brought enough to get through to payday. I was hoping I could delay cooking for House for another week. I didn't have the money for extra food. I did buy the ingredients to make brownies. I wanted to have some to thank the guys for helping me move. For beer and my brownies, my guys will do almost anything for me. I owed them a lot. I had stayed with each one of them for 2 weeks after the break-up. They had wanted me to play 'round robin' again, but I just couldn't do it. I didn't want to strain our friendship. I decided to preserve our friendship and I moved into the motel.
I pulled up in front of the building and started unloading the car. The hanging clothes went straight into the closet. The folded clothes were in cardboard boxes, which is where they would live until I got some bedroom furniture. That might take a couple of paychecks. I wondered if maybe I could find something decent at one of the thrift stores, so I made a mental note to check that out. I had to have a good bed though, so that was on order and would be delivered in a couple of weeks. I just needed to find a dresser and maybe a couple of nightstands and that would take care of the bedroom.
I had a futon that would do double-duty as a sofa and my bed for now.
I had bought an entertainment stand, coffee table and end tables at Ikea. They were in storage and would be brought with the rest of my stuff. Of course, they were flat in boxes and had to be put together. Hopefully, the boys would be in a building mood. It would be hard for me to do it all myself, but I figure I could do it if I had to. Eventually, I would get a TV, but it's summer. There's nothing on but reruns anyway, so it could wait.
I finished unloading the car. The clothes were hanging up or in boxes. I started taping down the tarp in the bedroom. By 8:30, I had the room prepped to paint, so I decided to take a break. House had been over every night this week to eat with me, and I missed him. But I'm sure he had better things to do on a Friday night than hang out with me. I made a peanut butter sandwich and grabbed a beer. I had my dinner sitting in the middle of my empty living room listening to Billy Joel on my boom box. I was feeling somewhat sorry for myself, but I kept telling myself that it would get better.
I repeated my favorite mantra to myself.
"Yes, it's gonna be alright. Yes, the worst is over now. The morning sun is shining like a red rubber ball."
That little mantra got me through a lot of rough times when I was a kid. If I had a positive attitude, I was sure it would work again.
I finished my small dinner and cleaned up. I went into the bedroom and started the cut-in portion of the painting. It wasn't a big room, so I thought I could finish that tonight, then go to sleep. Rolling it could wait until Sunday.
I finished about 11:30. I was pooped. I went into the bathroom and stripped off my painting clothes and took a quick shower. I pulled on a tank top and some yoga pants, which were my usual pajamas. Grabbing another beer, I opened my laptop and checked my e-mail. I had a message from Nina, my best friend who happens to live in Seattle. I sent her a quick reply getting her caught up on my activities and promising to call her within a few days. I logged off and closed my laptop. I made up my little bed area against a corner of the living room wall facing the door. I was kicking myself for forgetting to buy a night-light. I no longer liked to sleep in complete darkness. I guess I would just leave the bathroom light on for tonight and buy one tomorrow. In the motel, I used to leave the TV on all night. It was comforting to have the light and the low noise. Maybe I would get a TV sooner rather than later. After all, I would be sleeping in the living room for a while before the bed gets here.
I dug out one of my sleep-inducing CD's and put that on the boom box. I took out my cell phone and set the alarm for 8AM. I needed to meet the boys at my storage unit at 10, so that was plenty of time. I finished my beer.
I knew it wasn't going to be enough to help me sleep, so I poured 3 fingers of scotch and hoped that would be enough. I sat down against the living room wall.
I was scared, being alone in my empty apartment for the first time. I hoped I would feel better tomorrow when I had my furniture. I wished House were at home. I would feel better knowing he was across the hall. I would have to be really, really scared to go running to him, but knowing he was there would make me feel safer. Tears streamed down my face. I sipped my scotch slowly and prayed for peace of mind and sleep.
HouseThis patient was complicated. The tests all came back negative and a search of his house turned up nothing. Finally the wife remembered to tell us that he had been in South America 2 weeks ago and all the pieces fell into place. We were able to start him on the right antibiotics and I could finally leave for the night. It was after midnight when I drove onto my street. I noticed Arielle's car parked right in front of the building. There was only a dim light showing in her apartment. Strange, as she wasn't supposed to move in until tomorrow. Curiosity got the better of me and I rapped on her door. A tremulous voice called out: "Who is it?"
I answered: "Tall, handsome guy from across the hall."
I heard her walk across the floor and start flipping the locks. She opened the door and said "Hey." She glanced up at me and then looked away. The light from the foyer was dim, but I could see her face was tear-streaked. I pushed my way in. I noticed the blanket and pillow in the corner. "Are you sleeping on the floor tonight?"
She nodded. "I'm so tired of the motel, so I thought I would just move out of there. I can sleep on the floor for one night."
"Did something happen?"
She shook her head: "No, I just thought I could get a bunch of work done and it would be nice not to have to drive back to the motel when I finished. So I checked out and moved everything over here and got started painting the bedroom. I was about to go to sleep, just having a little scotch first. Want a shot?"
"Yeah, that would be nice." She walked over to the kitchen counter and poured me a shot in a real glass. I guessed that she had done some unpacking tonight. She handed me the glass and I thanked her.
She smiled a little: "Hey, tomorrow I can invite you to sit down. That will be a novelty, huh?"
I smiled back: "Yeah, that will be good". I sipped the scotch, then said: "Don't sleep on the floor. Come over and sleep on my couch."
She paled at my suggestion and immediately protested: "Oh, no. I don't want to bother you."
"You won't bother me. You'll be on the couch and I'll be in my bed. How will you bother me?"
I could see her lip tremble. My God, was she afraid of me? "Elle, I won't bother you. I'm not that kind of a jerk. I hate to see you sleeping on the floor when I have an empty couch." I put my finger under her chin and lifted so she was forced to look at me. I saw fear in her eyes. I asked her softly: "Are you afraid of me?"
Tears sprang into her eyes and she tried to blink them away. "It's not that."
"What is it then?"
"I'm afraid, but not of you. I guess you know I was assaulted, right?"
I hadn't moved my finger so she closed her eyes so she wouldn't have to look at me as she said: "Well, ever since then, I have to have a light on to sleep, or the TV. I can't sleep in total darkness. And sometimes I have nightmares and I wake up screaming." Tears were leaking out of her eyes now and her body was trembling. "That's why I'm afraid I'll bother you, so thanks for your kind offer, but I'll be OK."
I moved my finger away from her chin and she immediately ducked her head. I said: "You're scared now."
"I just have to get used to a new place. It's my first night here. And I forgot to buy a night light."
"Didn't you have one at the motel?"
She shook her head. "I just used to leave the TV on low."
I spoke as gently as I could: "Elle, come sleep on my couch. You can leave the TV on all night, just like you're used to. And if you're scared, I'm right down the hall. My leg keeps me up a lot, so you won't bother me. Really. I stay up half the night reading in bed."
She reached out and gently touched my right hip. "Your leg hurts a lot, huh?"
I nodded. "Yeah. I'm missing a thigh muscle, hence the cane and the limp."
"I could massage it for you if you think that would help."
I was touched by her sweet offer. "It's not too bad tonight. But I'd love a rain check on that. This is good. I'll have you cooking for me, massaging me. When are you going to start doing my laundry? Then you can clean my apartment and wash my back." I said this in a very teasing manner.
She gave me a smirk and a light punch on the arm.
I acted hurt, even said "OW!" She rubbed the spot and called me a big goof.
"Made ya smile, didn't I?"
She blushed and gave me a somewhat crooked smile: "Yeah, you did."
I reached down and took her hand. "Come over to my place. Drink my scotch, watch my TV and sleep on my couch. Come on. I'm sure there's some great old movie on tonight, or maybe some Monty Python reruns."
She said softly: "That would be fun. OK. You're on."
"Grab your stuff." She picked up her pillow and cell phone and after locking her door, followed me to my place. She put her pillow down on the couch and set her keys and cell phone on the end table. I tossed her the remote and headed to my room to change. I'd been in these clothes for 16 hours, and that was long enough. I put on pajama bottoms and a t-shirt. I didn't want Elle to feel uncomfortable with my casual attire, so I slipped on my bathrobe too. I limped back down to the living room. I poured each of us a double shot of scotch and sat down on the couch next to her. Elle had found a Monty Python rerun so we watched that and sipped our scotch. It was a funny episode; well they are all funny. Elle seemed to especially like John Cleese doing his silly walks. She was rolling with that skit. I had to take her glass away and set it on the coffee table; I thought she would drop it while laughing so hard. She was so cute, giggling like that. I don't know what came over me, but I put my arm around her and pulled her closer. I kissed her forehead, and she snuggled into my embrace. We sat curled up together and continued to watch the show. I liked feeling her body vibrate against mine when she laughed. Another episode followed and we kept watching. As the second episode was almost over, I noticed that Elle was starting to nod off.
"Hey, you should go to sleep. You've got a big moving day tomorrow."
She smiled sleepily: "Yeah, I gotta get up at 8AM."
"OK. Lay down. I'll get you a blanket." I limped over to the closet and got a blanket. I draped it over her and tucked it around her. She smiled sleepily: "Do I get a good night kiss too?"
I grinned: "Cheeky monkey." I leaned down and pecked her cheek. She turned her head and brushed my cheek with her lips. "Night, House. Thank you." I watched her close her eyes and drift off. I stroked her hair for a minute, reveling in the softness.
I lowered the volume on the TV and turned off the other lights. I grabbed my cane and hobbled down the hall to my bedroom. After hanging up my robe, I climbed into bed and popped 2 Vicodin. I was in the middle of the latest Robin Cook novel, so I opened it to my spot and started reading. I hoped that after an hour or so of reading that I could fall asleep. Maybe the Vicodin and scotch would kick in too.
ArielleI was so surprised when House suggested I sleep on his couch. I quickly turned him down; I was in such a state I was sure I would have a nightmare tonight. I didn't want to wake up screaming on his couch. That would be so embarrassing. He soon wore me down. I mean, the couch sounded much more comfortable than the hard floor. We walked across the hall to his place. I settled on the couch and flipped channels until I found Monty Python. He went down the hall and came back in his pj's and robe. He poured us a scotch and we settled in to watch the show. It was so funny. I was laughing so much, that he had to take my glass away from me. That was a good thing as I was about to drop it. Then he did something really unexpected. He put his arm around me and pulled me close to him. It felt so warm and comfortable that I just melted into his side. I hadn't felt that relaxed in a long time. I was so relaxed that I started nodding off. He noticed and got a blanket and tucked me in. Being silly, I asked him for a goodnight kiss and he surprised me by giving me one. I kissed him back and closed my eyes. As I was drifting off, I could feel his hand stroking my hair. He had been so kind and sweet to me tonight. I hoped to pay him back soon with some good home cooking.
HouseI had been reading for about 45 minutes when I heard a noise coming from the living room. At first, I thought it was just the TV getting louder during the commercials as it often does. But it continued and as I listened, I realized it wasn't the TV. I slowly limped down the hall and listened carefully. Arielle was whimpering in her sleep. I could hear her saying: "No, stop, don't" over and over again. She sounded so scared and small. Suddenly she flailed around and ended up rolling off the couch with a thud onto the floor. That woke her up. She groaned and rubbed her elbow. I heard her mutter: "Oh god, what a idiot."
I limped over to the couch: "Elle, are you OK?"
She groaned again: "Oh god, please tell me you didn't just see me do that. I'm so embarrassed." She hid her face in her hands.
"Shhh, it's OK. Come up here and let me look at your elbow. Does it hurt?"
"It's OK. Just feels a little bruised." She still hid her face and didn't get up off the floor.
I sank onto the couch with a sigh: "Come on, get up here and let me look at your elbow. I'm a doctor, remember?"
"Yeah, I remember. I didn't hit my head." She got up this time and let me look at her elbow. It felt OK, and she could move it, so we went for the bruise diagnosis.
"Stay right here." I limped to the kitchen and grabbed a bag of frozen peas. I stuck that on her elbow and told her to hold it there for 10 minutes to keep it from swelling up.
"Thank you doctor. I hope you accept my insurance card cuz I don't have any money to pay you."
"I don't take insurance, but I will accept 2 extra dinners from you."
"OK. You got a deal."
I put my arm around her and she snuggled into my side like she did before.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
She sighed: "It's the same old dream. I'm asleep and he breaks in and attacks me. Sometimes I wake up before it gets too bad, other times I relive the whole night. Those are the nights I wake up screaming. Tonight, it didn't get too far. I fell off the couch in the early part. He had just broken my arm and I was trying to get away but he had a death grip on my arm and then my shoulder separated. I was in so much pain I couldn't do anything else to defend myself. He had already killed the dog." Her voice faded away to nothing. She pressed her face into my shoulder.
I stroked her arm: "Elle, do you have someone you can talk to about these nightmares? A therapist or someone?"
She shook her head: "I had one, but when I lost my job, I lost my insurance. But now I can start going again once I get all my insurance cards and stuff. I had some lorazepam right after it happened, but I took them all and I couldn't afford to go back to the doctor to get any more. That used to help me sleep."
"Hey, you know, I'm a doctor. I could write you a script for some."
She poked her head up. "You would? Really? That would be really nice of you. I'd be so grateful. I could get some sleep."
She got all choked up at this point. She threw her arms around my neck and kissed me. Then I heard the first sob escape. I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her onto my good leg. I held her halfway on my lap while she cried on my shoulder.
I don't handle crying women very well. But for some reason I felt very protective towards Elle. I held her close and gently stroked her back while she cried. After a few minutes, her sobs slowed down until she finally stopped. She sat on my lap catching her breath.
She spoke softly: "I'm so sorry, I've soaked your shirt. I'm really embarrassed."
"Don't be. It's OK."
She kept her face buried in my shoulder so that when she spoke it was in a whisper in my ear. "You know, don't you, that I was raped?"
"Yeah, I heard a rumor about that. And I heard your boyfriend dumped you right after that too."
She nodded.
"Asshole", I said vehemently.
"Thank you."
Puzzled, I asked: "What are you thanking me for?"
"For being angry WITH me and for not saying 'I'm sorry' and pitying me."
I nodded. I hated it when I got pity about my leg. I understood how she felt.
I held her and rocked her a little. I could feel the tension start to leave her body.
"Come sleep in my bed."
She looked up at me, confused: "But where will you sleep?"
"Duh, in my bed." I continued softly: "I thought if you were sleeping next to me, you might feel safer and not have another nightmare."
She blushed and stammered: "But I couldn't, I don't want to bother you,,,"
I cut her off: "I'd pick you up and carry you to my bed if I had 2 good legs.
You're not bothering me. If you were, I wouldn't be doing this."
I gently stroked her tear-streaked face. "Go wash your face and come to my bed. I will NOT hurt you. I will not be inappropriate. OK? Do you trust me?"
She nodded and said softly: "Yes, I do."
"OK, then." I gave her a nudge to get up. She scrambled off of my lap and stood up. I winced as I went to get up. I had left my cane in the bedroom and my leg became stiff while we sat on the couch. I gingerly eased my butt to the edge of the couch and using my arms managed to push myself to a standing position. Elle moved around to my right side. She picked up my right arm and draped it across her shoulders. I leaned on her as we made our way slowly to the bedroom. I felt her left arm snake across my back for extra support. She didn't say a word as we walked/limped down the hall. I guess someone who dislikes pity recognizes that trait in another person. Whatever, I appreciated it. We walked to the edge of the bed and she said: "I'll be right back. I'm going to wash my face."
"There's a little closet just to the right of the bathroom. There are clean towels and washcloths in there." She nodded and walked out.
I settled myself back into bed. I rubbed my thigh for a minute to try to get some circulation back and then I gave up and reached under the bed for the heating pad. I positioned it on my thigh and cranked it up to high. Then I popped 2 more Vicodin. Sleep was still a ways off tonight.
I heard the water run in the bathroom then the toilet flushed. I heard Elle walk back down the hall to the living room and I wondered if she was going back there to sleep. But in a minute, she returned, with her cell phone in her hand. "My alarm clock," she said as she set it down on the nightstand. She noticed the heating pad but didn't say anything about it. She asked if I wanted anything from the kitchen before she climbed into bed. I assured her that I was fine. I had a glass of water and my Vicodin next to my bed. She climbed in next to me and laid her hand on mine. I turned my head to look at her. She asked: "Did I hurt your leg by sitting on it?"
I squeezed her hand and smiled at her: "No. You were sitting on my good leg. It just hurts all the time and it's usually worse at night and first thing in the morning."
She nodded: "Maybe you need to come see a certain pain management pharmacist next week when she gets in her office." She gave me her little crooked smile.
I chuckled: "I'll think about that. I'm going to read a little bit more. Will the light bother you?"
Elle shook her head: "Not at all." She moved closer and wrapped her arm across my chest. She gave me a brief one-armed hug and kissed my cheek.
"Night, House."
"Night, Elle."
She rolled over and faced away from me. Then I felt her foot against my left calf. She whispered: "Is this OK?"
I smiled. She needed a little physical contact and felt safe enough to touch me this way. "Yes, Elle. It's fine."
She rubbed her foot against my leg for a few strokes and then drifted off to sleep. I continued reading. But whenever she shifted, I moved my leg so I could keep it pressed up against her foot. I finally was able to close my book around 4AM. I turned off the light and fell asleep.
HouseI woke the next morning around 10AM. There was no pressure against my leg and I moved my leg around searching for her. Sadly, I realized I had slept through her departure. I rolled over and grabbed the pillow she had used. I could still smell her scent on it. I pressed my face into it and breathed deeply.
I lay like that for a few minutes, and then I opened my eyes and started to think about a hot shower. My eyes fell on a piece of paper propped up against the lamp on the nightstand.
House,
Best sleep I've had in 6 months.
Thanks for everything.
There's coffee in the kitchen.
Come over later for brownies.
Elle
Yum, brownies. I slowly got out of bed and headed towards the shower. They would be back soon and I wanted to meet 'the boys' who were helping her move.
I took a long hot shower and toweled off. I pulled on a clean t-shirt and jeans and hobbled down the hall to the kitchen. As promised, she had made coffee. She had left it in a carafe and it was still hot. I grabbed a mug and poured myself a cup. I took a sip and moaned. It was as good as Cameron's coffee, maybe even a little better. This would be a nice thing to wake up to every morning. Maybe I should give her a key and ask her to make me coffee everyday. I had a bowl of cereal and drank 2 cups of coffee before I heard the banging in the hallway. Elle and 'the boys' were here.
I really couldn't do much to help and that embarrassed me. There wasn't much I could carry and limp along on my cane. So I decided to stay in my place until most of the banging had subsided and then wander over.
I was amused by the muffled curses and shouts of 'Avi, this way you moron', 'Lenny, don't drop your end' and so forth.
After about 30 minutes, the noise level subsided and I poked my head out of the door. Elle's door was standing open so I wandered in.
The apartment looked radically different. There were 3 bookcases in the corner where Elle had been attempting to sleep last night. A futon was in the middle of the room and there was a small dining room table with 4 chairs. There were several flat boxes marked 'Ikea' and a large number of boxes marked 'books'. There were 2 bar stools under the kitchen counter. Through the pass-through, I could see Elle and several guys in the kitchen. Someone was arguing with her.
"Elle, this apartment is too small. Where are you going to put the piano?"
"Avi, I don't own a piano any more. It's David's now."
"That's BS. He doesn't even play. It's YOUR piano. YOU should have it."
Another voice butted in: "Shut up Avi! If you make Elle cry, I'll shove one of your drum sticks up your butt. Course, you'd probably like it."
Other voices chimed in, but then I heard Elle's on top of everyone's: "Cut it out guys. There is no piano. Just drop it, OK? Come on, let's have a beer and finish up."
I heard Avi mutter: "We should just steal it."
Elle laughed: "Oh, Avi, you're such a nut. How are we going to steal a piano? It's not something we can slip in a pocket or backpack. Someone would notice, ya know. Just drop it, sweetie. There will be another piano, one day."
Avi said angrily: "You should have kept your damn engagement ring. You deserved to keep it. Then you could have sold it and bought another piano."
In a voice that could cut steel, she replied: "No. I could not have done that. Drop it now, Avi. I mean it."
There was dead silence. Avi finally broke the ice, and apologized to Elle. She graciously accepted. I heard the refrigerator door open, glass clinking together and I assumed beers were being removed. I thought now might be a good time to make my entrance.
I rapped on the door with my cane: "Hey, Elle."
She poked her head around the corner and saw me: "Hey, House. Come on in and meet everyone."
I limped into the kitchen. There were 5 guys standing there. "Guys, this is House. He is my neighbor across the hall. He is also a doctor at PPTH. House, this is Billy, he's the owner of Satchel's." She pointed to a big beefy guy with a goatee. He raised his beer bottle as a way of greeting. I nodded at him. "And these are my boys." She pointed at the other 4 guys. "They go by 'Orion' when they are on stage. This is Lenny; he's the bass player. This is Danny; he plays rhythm guitar. And these two guys are Adam and Avi. Yes, they are twins but they are nothing alike. Avi is the drummer and Adam plays lead guitar and is the unofficial leader of this happy band."
"And Elle plays keyboards and guitar and is our girl singer." I couldn't tell if it was Danny or Lenny who said that. Elle tried to look nonchalant and sipped on her beer.
She looked at me: "Where are my manners? Would you like a beer?"
I accepted and she handed me one from the refrigerator. "I can even offer you a seat now. There are chairs!" She gave me her crooked smile and I smiled back.
One of the twins was giving me the once-over. Finally he spoke: "So, House, you're a doctor? Well, maybe you can fix Elle's broken heart."
There was a chorus of groans, and Elle said: "Avi, that's corny, even for you. Come on, guys. There's Ikea furniture to put together. You be men, put together furniture. I be woman, bake brownies."
"Yeah, brownies, now we're talking." The guys trooped into the living room. Avi raised an eyebrow at me as he passed by. "Hey, House, have you had Elle's brownies yet?"
I shook my head.
He paused: "Ah, you are in for a treat. They are the best in the world. However, she usually makes us work for them. She is such a slave driver. So you should help with the furniture or she may not give you any."
"Avi, you're such a drama queen. Go. Work. Show me your man muscles."
"Honey, you know who I show my man muscle to and it's not the ladies."
Elle cracked up. "I don't want to see THAT muscle Avi. I meant your biceps working on the furniture."
"Fine, make me work. I'm already sweaty. I'll have to shower again before I go out tonight."
"Whatever. I'm sure Ricky would love to wash the sweat off of you, babe."
He blew her a kiss and sauntered into the living room.
She shook her head and grabbed a large bowl from the cabinet. "Ricky's his current squeeze. He has very obviously dyed blonde hair, is extremely queenie, and tone-deaf. I don't know what they see in each other, except the bedroom. He's not Avi's usual type. But whatever floats your boat, right? Can you hand me the butter and the eggs out of the refrigerator?"
"Sure." I opened the refrigerator and found the required items and set them on the counter next to Elle.
Avi called from the living room: "Elle, I'm putting on some music."
"OK."
Elle continued dumping the ingredients into the bowl and starting stirring them together. I watched her grease two oblong pans and set them aside.
Suddenly, Bon Jovi's 'Living on a Prayer' came blasting out from the living room. Elle smiled and hummed along. She scraped the brownie mix from the bowls into the 2 pans. She stared at the oven, as it hadn't preheated yet. As she waited, she started singing softly and tapping her foot. I really think she forgot I was behind her.
As the song headed towards its end, one of the guys called her into the living room to see where she wanted the entertainment stand located. Still humming, she walked past me into the living room. That song ended and the next one started. At the opening tones, Avi said: "It's your song, Elle." He had a mischievous gleam in his eyes. I limped further into the living room to see what was up.
The next song was Bon Jovi's 'It's my Life'. I could see this look pass over the guys' faces. I couldn't see Elle's face as she had her back to me. The song starts out with a very distinctive 'thump, thump' played on the drums and guitars. With that 'thump, thump', I watched Elle's hips swish hard to the right and then to the left in time with the beat. Then the boys surrounded her and she started singing the lead. Avi was playing air drums and the other guys were playing air guitar. She started singing loud and clear, and it was evident that it was truly her song.
This ain't a song for the broken-hearted
No silent prayer for the faith-departed
I ain't gonna be a face in the crowd
You're gonna hear my voice
When I shout it out loud.
There was that 'thump, thump' again and that hip swing from Elle. Then the boys joined her on the chorus.
It's my life
It's now or never
I ain't gonna live forever
I just want to live while I'm alive (It's my life)
My heart is like an open highway
Like Frankie said I did it my way
And I just wanna live while I'm alive
It's my life
It was amazing watching her sing and dance around. This was a side of Elle that I hadn't seen before. The guys stayed circled around her and they were all grooving to the song. I glanced over at Billy and caught his eye. He had a satisfied grin on his face and he gave me a nod.
This is for the ones who stood their ground
For Tommy and Gina who never backed down.
Avi shouted at this point: "And Elle!" Elle shot him a look of pure affection and just kept singing.
Tomorrow's getting harder, make no mistake
Luck ain't even lucky, got to make your own breaks
Thump, thump. Hip hard right, then hard left.
Then it was back to the chorus and I think they got even louder at this point. Elle started dancing around the room and the guys followed, trying to stay circled around her but she moved too fast for them.
She stopped right in front of me as she started the 3rd verse. That verse is short but it was really fit all that had happened in her life lately.
She grabbed me by the front of my shirt and looked me straight in the eye as she sang:
Better stand tall when they're calling you out
Don't bend, don't break, baby, don't back down
Thump, thump. Hip hard right, then hard left. She was standing so close to me I could feel her body sway against me as she moved. She looked so incredibly sexy to me right at the moment. I thought she had a slightly lusty look in her eyes as she started the chorus. She let go of my shirt and went back to dancing around the room as she sang. The boys sang along with her. I watched her shimmy across the floor and lusty thoughts ran through my mind.
In the middle of the chorus, the door opened. Two women and a toddler walked in. The dark-haired woman was carrying several bags. The blond woman had a box in one hand and the toddler's hand in her other. When Elle swung around and saw them, she smiled broadly, but didn't stop singing. She moved over to them, the toddler lifted up her arms and Elle picked her up and planted her on her left hip. She continued dancing around with the toddler on her hip. The kid was trying to sing along with her. The song ended with 3 simple words that were the song's title, and the toddler mimicked Elle's hand motions.
IT'S (their hands pointed straight out)
MY (they brought their fists to their chests)
LIFE (they threw their fists straight up in the air)
The song ends very suddenly on those words. It was quiet for a brief moment, and then Billy started clapping. The guys and I joined in. Then the ladies set everything down and completed the group. Elle blushed and looked embarrassed. She covered up by giving the kid a kiss and blowing raspberries on her neck that caused the kid to squeal with laughter.
The clapping subsided and they huddled around her. Their voices swirled around her.
"That was great, Elle."
"It's time to start singing again, Elle. Don't you miss it?"
"Come on Elle, come back. We miss you."
"The audience misses you too."
She hugged the toddler tightly and buried her face in her shoulder. The child had her arms wrapped tightly around Elle's neck. After a minute, Elle lifted her head and looked right at the child.
"What do you think, Audra? Is it time yet?"
The child nodded her head. She spoke very seriously: "Yes, Elle, it's time. I want you to sing again."
Elle gave her a little smile. "OK, baby girl. I'll do it for you."
The kid squealed: "YEAH!" and threw her hands up in the air. The guys cheered and Avi threw his arms around Elle and the kid and hugged them both. There was much shouting and laughter in the room. I enjoyed seeing it, but felt like I didn't belong. I didn't know these people and I wasn't a part of their group. I would have eased my way out of the door, but the room was small and I would not have gone unnoticed.
The dark-haired woman glanced my way and I could hear her ask Elle: "Who's the handsome guy over there?"
She looked over her shoulder at me and smiled. "Come, I'll introduce you."
The women walked over. "Ladies, this is Greg House. He prefers to be called House. He's my neighbor and he's also a doctor at PPTH. House, this is Theresa." She pointed at the dark-haired woman. She had an olive complexion and nice brown eyes. I would bet money that she was Italian. "Theresa is Billy's wife. They run Satchel's together."
Elle pointed to the blond woman: "And this is Genevieve, or Gen for short. Gen is married to Adam and she's Audra's mom."
She shifted the child on her hip a little bit, and said: "And this is Audra, our little princess. Audra, meet my friend House."
The child smiled at me and stuck out her hand: "Hello House."
I took her hand gently and said: "I'm very pleased to meet you, Princess Audra." She was a little blondie, like her mom. She giggled at me.
"Mommy, he called me princess."
Gen answered her daughter: "I heard him, sweetie. Well, you are our little princess. Come here, you're going to wear Elle out." She transferred to her mother's arms and then wiggled to get down. Audra set out to explore the apartment.
Theresa said: "Oh, we brought some stuff for you." She walked over and grabbed the bags and set them on the kitchen counter. Theresa pulled out several cartons of ice cream that causes Elle to squeal in delight.
"It's Mike's, right?" asked Elle. Theresa nodded affirmatively and placed the carton into the freezer. "There's plenty of vanilla to go on the brownies."
Elle exclaimed: "Oh, the brownies! I forgot to put them in." She took the pans and placed them in the now heated oven. She picked up a timer, set it and placed it back on top of the stove.
Gen brought over the box that she carried in. She pulled out 3 small flowering plants that Elle squealed over. I heard Gen said that they were African violets. Whatever. They looked nice.
Billy wandered over to the refrigerator to get another beer. He looked at me quizzically as if to ask if I wanted another one. I nodded and he handed me another bottle. He stood by me and we watched the woman talk animatedly.
Billy took a swallow of his beer and said: "This is the happiest I've seen her in months. It's really good, her getting this apartment and that job. Now she says she's going to sing again." He smiled and nodded. "It's great, man. She hasn't sung since it happened. The boys are flippin' out there that she's coming back."
"She was really depressed?"
"Depressed doesn't even begin to cover it. Catatonic, maybe. Definitely despondent. Not quite suicidal, but we watched her, just in case. It was such a huge blow. She lost everything in a 6-week period. But she's tough. She's bounced back. It's really good to see her smile again."
He stepped away from me and called to his wife: "Hey, Theresa. Where's the housewarming present we got for Elle?"
She replied: "It's in one of these bags. Hey, guys, come in here."
The boys dropped what they were doing and wandered into the kitchen. Audra came in riding on her daddy's shoulders.
Elle protested: "You didn't have to do that. You guys have all done enough."
Theresa said: "Oh, hush, girl. It's an old Italian tradition."
Out of one bag, Theresa pulled a loaf of bread and handed to Elle.
"Here is bread, so that your house will never know want, and there will always be food."
Elle took it from her and smiled her thanks. "Ooooo, and it's challah too."
She looked at me and said: "French toast for breakfast tomorrow." There was a big smile on her face.
Theresa laughed and handed her a container of salt: "Salt, so that your life will always have flavor." Elle accepted the salt from her.
Theresa went on: "And last, but not least, the tradition is to give a bottle of wine so that there will always be happiness in the house. But Billy and I thought you might like this better than wine." With a flourish, she pulled out a bottle of scotch. Elle gasped. My eyes got big. It was a bottle of 15-year-old Laphroaig, rather expensive stuff.
Elle had tears in her eyes. "This is so expensive. You shouldn't have."
Billy simply said: "You're worth it." Elle put her hand over her mouth and looked like she was going to cry. She managed to compose herself and walked over to Billy and gave him a hug. He wrapped her up in a big bear hug and Theresa came over and hugged on her too.
The guys were quiet for a minute, and then Avi broke the silence. "That's it. Make us look bad, that we didn't get her a present."
Elle broke away from her hug. She swiped at her eyes. "I don't need any presents, really. I have you all. I don't know what I would have done without you these past months. You're my family."
Avi retorted: "Well, you are our little sister. We gotta look after you."
She smiled at him: "You know guys, I can't tell you how I really feel without crying and I don't feel like crying today. So let me just say 'thank you'. Thank you, all of you. And we should break open this scotch and all have a snort."
Gen found some paper cups in the cabinet and Elle broke open the bottle. She poured cups for all of us and passed them out. When we all had a cup, she lifted hers and said: "To my family. To Avi, Adam, Gen, Audra, Billy, Theresa, Danny and Lenny. Thank you for your love and support through these last few tough months." Elle looked at each of them in turn as she spoke their names. Then she looked at me. "To House, my new friend. Thank you for all your support this week and all the dinners you fed me." She smiled at me and I gave her a small smile back. She raised her cup high and said: "To a fresh start."
We echoed her sentiment and slowly sipped that expensive scotch. It burned beautifully going down. I watched Elle drink hers. She had closed her eyes and sipped slowly, savoring each drop. When she finished, she told Billy that it was the most exquisite scotch that she had ever had. She looked relaxed and happy.
Elle looked around at the group; we were all staring at her. "What are ya doing? Let's get back to work. The furniture isn't going to build itself, you know."
Avi replied: "Ah, the slave driver is back." They all laughed. People started shuffling towards the living room. Avi hung back and went over to her.
He asked: "Are you really coming back?" He sounded like he was pleading with her.
She put her hands on his shoulders and said softly: "Yeah, I'm really coming back. We play next Saturday, right?"
I could see Avi grin: "Right." He wrapped his arms around her waist, picked her up and swung her around. She laughed as he spun them around. He finally put her back down. She took his face in her hands and kissed him on each cheek. Avi rested his forehead on hers for a moment, and then Elle leaned away. "Go on, get back to work. There'll be brownies shortly. I put in extra chips just for you." She gave him a very affectionate smile. He smacked her butt and walked off. She chuckled and turned towards the stove to check the timer. Then she turned around to head to the living room and our eyes met. Elle walked over to me and stopped very close to me. She was definitely inside my personal space, but I didn't seem to mind. She said softly: "I'm really glad you're here." She wrapped her arms around my neck and my arms automatically reached around her back. I pulled her close and breathed in her scent. Her hair smelled like citrus, I wondered if it was her shampoo. Underneath the citrus smell was another scent. I smelled it on my pillow this morning. The smell of Elle. I held on tightly. I wanted to keep that scent in my nostrils forever.