She wanted to slam her head against the dashboard. Way to be subtle and
completely not stupid, Meredith.
Eli took the keys out of the ignition and shook his head. He didn't want to go back to Shakey's. He wanted to be with her. To spend time with her and just her. It was something that he had secretly hoped would happen all night and it just never did. He pressed his lips together and for a long moment contemplated telling her everything. Laying everything on the line, that way if she didn't feel the same way or wanted him to leave he wouldn't have to be thrown out of the house.
But it passed. He couldn't do it. He knew before he even tried, the words would never come out.
He climbed out of the car when she did and his gaze fell over her house. She lived in a nice part of town. Where people had white picket fences and rose bushes to line their houses. Her house was nice.
He was afraid of going inside with her. Terrified of being alone with her with no one else around. He was afraid of rejection, of her pushing him away, cutting him out completely and not looking back. But then realization came. She had witnessed everything at Shakey's and she was still inviting him in. She wanted to spend time with him. Just them. His heart fluttered and he smiled when she moved over to him. "Ice cream sounds great."
She smiled when she met him on his side of the car. One hand dropped from her stomach and her fingers wrapped around his as she walked with him up the stone path to the small patio. She let go of his hand when she began to dig in her purse for her keys and unlocked the door.
Pushing the door open, she moved inside and waited for him to enter before closing the door behind him. They were standing in a small foyer area with the kitchen to the left and a staircase to the right and a living room straight ahead. She smiled, dropping her purse onto a table by the stairs and led him to the left, to the kitchen.
She flicked the switch and the entire kitchen, in white and yellow tile and linoleum became visible by fluerescent lights above them. There was an island with a white marble cutting board built as the surface in the center. A wooden table at the far end, looking out of a bay window. There were two stools set up on one side of the island and she motioned for Eli to take a seat as she moved to the fridge.
She opened the freezer and looked inside, pulling out two pints. "Phish food or Half baked?"
He watched as she opened the freezer and his mind began to race. He wanted to tell her how he felt. He had spent the last few weeks denying that he had any feelings for her other than friendship. Afterall, it was Meredith. He'd known her since eighth grade. How could he like her? But in one night, she had shown him without even realizing it how wonderful everything could be. She had shown him that everything could be perfect, better than he ever imagined. He sighed softly as he replayed some of the moments from the night in his head.
He had always thought of her as the quiet and reserved type. And that she would go after a guy that reflected her interests. But tonight, tonight he had seen another side of her. A fun and care-free side. He was drawn to her, to how perfect she was, to how she took everything in stride and still smiled after the bad parts.
He loved her smile.
He blinked and looked up when she asked what flavor. "Huh? Um, tough one, but I'm going to have to go with Phish Food because that's my favorite."
She grinned and put the pint of Half Baked back, closing the freezer and moved over to the counter, setting it down. "It must be a sign then," she grinned, "of course, I don't know what the sign is for, but it's still a sign. How else could I have your favorite B&J ice cream in my freezer? What are the odds." She winked as she turned, reaching up into a cabinet and grabbing two white bowls and then a drawer by the sink and pulling out two spoons, setting them next to the container. "Mind doing the honors?" She didn't wait for his reply as she pushed the contents closer to him and he just laughed.
"Sure."
She smiled and moved around the counter to take the stool next to him. She let one arm rest on the counter, her head resting in her palm as she watched him.
"Are you feeling better?" He asked as he finished scooping out the ice cream.
"Mmhm, thank you."
He smiled softly, nodding. "Good." Turning on the stool, he slid off and moved the ice cream back to freezer. He shivered when he opened it and the cold freeze came to his face. "Geez, remind me to bring my parka next time."
Meredith smiled softly, looking down at her ice cream and stabbing it with her spoon. "Or, you know, I could always warm you up." Meredith could feel her cheeks turn red immediately and was glad his back was still to her. She couldn't believe she just said that.
Eli's mouth dropped open and he was glad that he wasn't facing her. He shifted his weight and closed his mouth, turning, he smirked as he looked at her. He half toyed with the idea of asking her exactly how she planned on doing that, but he kept his mouth shut.
He moved back over to the stool and slid onto it. He turned so that he was facing her and their knees were basically touching.
When she turned her head so that she was looking at him, he smiled softly. "You were right, this was a sign." The smile slowly disappeared from his face into a serious expression as he watched her. "You have the most incredible eyes. They're so beautiful. You're so beautiful."
She looked down at his compliment, her cheeks growing pink slightly and her eyes closed. She felt his hand on her cheek, his thumb brushing the skin gently before he kissed her other cheek. When he moved back, her eyes opened as she watched him. He bit down on his bottom lip gently and smiled softly. "Perfect," he whispered. "Tonight has been nothing short of perfect."
He moved his hand to brush hair out of her face gently and she just stared at him for a long moment. Her heart was pounding and she knew she could feel her knees shaking. She wondered if he could feel it too. She wasn't really thinking anymore, but she didn't need to when she leaned closer to him, her face coming closer to hers in what seemed like motion picture slow motion. Her eyes closed and her lips touched his, gently before pressing against them in a soft kiss.
Eli took the keys out of the ignition and shook his head. He didn't want to go back to Shakey's. He wanted to be with her. To spend time with her and just her. It was something that he had secretly hoped would happen all night and it just never did. He pressed his lips together and for a long moment contemplated telling her everything. Laying everything on the line, that way if she didn't feel the same way or wanted him to leave he wouldn't have to be thrown out of the house.
But it passed. He couldn't do it. He knew before he even tried, the words would never come out.
He climbed out of the car when she did and his gaze fell over her house. She lived in a nice part of town. Where people had white picket fences and rose bushes to line their houses. Her house was nice.
He was afraid of going inside with her. Terrified of being alone with her with no one else around. He was afraid of rejection, of her pushing him away, cutting him out completely and not looking back. But then realization came. She had witnessed everything at Shakey's and she was still inviting him in. She wanted to spend time with him. Just them. His heart fluttered and he smiled when she moved over to him. "Ice cream sounds great."
She smiled when she met him on his side of the car. One hand dropped from her stomach and her fingers wrapped around his as she walked with him up the stone path to the small patio. She let go of his hand when she began to dig in her purse for her keys and unlocked the door.
Pushing the door open, she moved inside and waited for him to enter before closing the door behind him. They were standing in a small foyer area with the kitchen to the left and a staircase to the right and a living room straight ahead. She smiled, dropping her purse onto a table by the stairs and led him to the left, to the kitchen.
She flicked the switch and the entire kitchen, in white and yellow tile and linoleum became visible by fluerescent lights above them. There was an island with a white marble cutting board built as the surface in the center. A wooden table at the far end, looking out of a bay window. There were two stools set up on one side of the island and she motioned for Eli to take a seat as she moved to the fridge.
She opened the freezer and looked inside, pulling out two pints. "Phish food or Half baked?"
He watched as she opened the freezer and his mind began to race. He wanted to tell her how he felt. He had spent the last few weeks denying that he had any feelings for her other than friendship. Afterall, it was Meredith. He'd known her since eighth grade. How could he like her? But in one night, she had shown him without even realizing it how wonderful everything could be. She had shown him that everything could be perfect, better than he ever imagined. He sighed softly as he replayed some of the moments from the night in his head.
He had always thought of her as the quiet and reserved type. And that she would go after a guy that reflected her interests. But tonight, tonight he had seen another side of her. A fun and care-free side. He was drawn to her, to how perfect she was, to how she took everything in stride and still smiled after the bad parts.
He loved her smile.
He blinked and looked up when she asked what flavor. "Huh? Um, tough one, but I'm going to have to go with Phish Food because that's my favorite."
She grinned and put the pint of Half Baked back, closing the freezer and moved over to the counter, setting it down. "It must be a sign then," she grinned, "of course, I don't know what the sign is for, but it's still a sign. How else could I have your favorite B&J ice cream in my freezer? What are the odds." She winked as she turned, reaching up into a cabinet and grabbing two white bowls and then a drawer by the sink and pulling out two spoons, setting them next to the container. "Mind doing the honors?" She didn't wait for his reply as she pushed the contents closer to him and he just laughed.
"Sure."
She smiled and moved around the counter to take the stool next to him. She let one arm rest on the counter, her head resting in her palm as she watched him.
"Are you feeling better?" He asked as he finished scooping out the ice cream.
"Mmhm, thank you."
He smiled softly, nodding. "Good." Turning on the stool, he slid off and moved the ice cream back to freezer. He shivered when he opened it and the cold freeze came to his face. "Geez, remind me to bring my parka next time."
Meredith smiled softly, looking down at her ice cream and stabbing it with her spoon. "Or, you know, I could always warm you up." Meredith could feel her cheeks turn red immediately and was glad his back was still to her. She couldn't believe she just said that.
Eli's mouth dropped open and he was glad that he wasn't facing her. He shifted his weight and closed his mouth, turning, he smirked as he looked at her. He half toyed with the idea of asking her exactly how she planned on doing that, but he kept his mouth shut.
He moved back over to the stool and slid onto it. He turned so that he was facing her and their knees were basically touching.
When she turned her head so that she was looking at him, he smiled softly. "You were right, this was a sign." The smile slowly disappeared from his face into a serious expression as he watched her. "You have the most incredible eyes. They're so beautiful. You're so beautiful."
She looked down at his compliment, her cheeks growing pink slightly and her eyes closed. She felt his hand on her cheek, his thumb brushing the skin gently before he kissed her other cheek. When he moved back, her eyes opened as she watched him. He bit down on his bottom lip gently and smiled softly. "Perfect," he whispered. "Tonight has been nothing short of perfect."
He moved his hand to brush hair out of her face gently and she just stared at him for a long moment. Her heart was pounding and she knew she could feel her knees shaking. She wondered if he could feel it too. She wasn't really thinking anymore, but she didn't need to when she leaned closer to him, her face coming closer to hers in what seemed like motion picture slow motion. Her eyes closed and her lips touched his, gently before pressing against them in a soft kiss.