AN: Okay, so the reaction to last chapter blew me away. So overwhelming, but so awesome. Thank you SO much. Here's your reward… lots of interaction!
"What is this?" Eliza asks, confusion but also amusement evident in her voice. "Are you some kind of thief or something?"
"I can't be a thief, Eliza, I got the key that got us in here, remember?" I scoff as I rummage through the many and I do mean many boxes in the corner of the room. I just need to find... A-ha, gotcha! "There they are!" I exclaim, pulling out two medium sized baskets. "And it's our stock, you know, where we store all our equipment, larger stacks of ingredients and such."
"I see," Eliza nods, looking around the room making out our storage for everything ice-cream related except the actual ice-cream makers. "But it can't be here you make the ice-cream, am I right?"
I turn to look at the pretty brunette, and I can't help but smile. She's got some sort of puzzled look plastered to her face, and she looks so damn cute. "You are right," I grin. "Wanna see where we make it?" I give her a crooked smile, jerking my head in the direction of the room next door.
"Are you kidding me? Of course I wanna see it!" Eliza exclaims, her eyes wide with excitement.
I approach her, the two baskets hanging from my one arm. "Then come on," I chuckle. "And here."
Handing Eliza one of the baskets, she accepts it, though she looks a bit confused to why she's given it. "Um... o-kay," she raises her eyebrow as I use my free hand to guide her into the next room, my hand casually on her back.
"It's for the shopping later," I shrug, smiling. Eliza just nods her head as she lets me guide her through the small corridor and into the other room.
We enter the sterilized room. Every surface, every counter, every tool is cleaned and ready to be used. We aren't going to make any ice-creams today, though… some other day, I'll make sure to have her make her own ice-cream paste. It should be fun. But tonight I'm only showing her where all the magic happens.
"It's like... it's like a big kitchen," Eliza says as she takes in the room.
And she's right. It is a big kitchen, because that's really all we need to make our goods. So we've rented these two rooms; one for all the equipment and that, and the other used to create and experiment. Usually Alex is the one doing his tricks here, but sometimes Amelia and I find our way into the kitchen and help a bit… or really just try out new flavours. Most times it's successful, but it's happened more than once that we've got to throw out weird and ruined pastes. It's still fun, though, trying out new flavours and finding out what goes great with what. It's exciting and it's refreshing, but just as much it's safe and home.
"That's the idea," I grin at the woman next to me before placing a chaste kiss onto her cheek. "Gimme a sec," I tell her and take five steps to the big fridge, opening it. "Wanna grab the pad of paper and pen? They're upon the cupboard over there."
"Sure," Eliza agrees and quickly look for the cupboard I'm asking of her. She comes to stand next to me, her hand ghosting the lower of my back.
"We'll need all kinds of berries, so just write berries, please?" I ask her, turning my head to look at Eliza as she leans in a bit and write on the pad of paper, she's placed on the kitchen counter. I give her a big smile, even though she can't see it.
Eliza goes to write but not before sticking the unoccupied hand into the back pocket of my jeans. "Look who's being all handsy," I smirk at the animal caretaker who's also doing a great job at taking care of my butt right now. She doesn't squeeze, she just ghostly moves her fingers causing goosebumps to appear all over my body. It's so nice and tender, almost breaking down my every wall with every ghost-touch she gives me.
Eliza chuckles, giving me a sideway look. "Berries, check. What more?"
I react on pure instinct, dipping my head and blocking the view of the beautiful woman leaned across the counter. "Kiss."
"Huh?" Eliza says in surprise, shooting me a big grin afterwards.
"Kiss me," I repeat sheepishly as Eliza begins to beam. Both of her hands occupied with butt and pen, I use my one hand not keeping the fridge door open to guide her chin and therefore her lips closer to mine. We share a soft kiss, one of those kisses that makes your stomach flip. I swallow the ghost of a moan escaping from Eliza's mouth, making me smile into the kiss. We part when air becomes an issue, and I remember why we're here in the first place. "Berries, bananas, biscuits and toffee," I list off. "Ooh. And nuts. Pistachio, peanuts and almonds. Walnuts, too."
"So basically… just all nuts?" Eliza teases as I close the fridge.
"Shut up and write!" I order playfully.
Eliza raises both of her hands in defence, leaving my butt Eliza-Minnick-less. That I do not fancy. I miss the contact already. She laughs at my antics, clearly sensing my change in demeanour or catching the light pout on my face. She then scribbles onto the pad. "Now what, boss?" she husks flirtatiously, leaving my mind even more hazed than before.
Shaking my head, I reply the brunette with a smile. "Now we go shopping. Grab the basket and let's go."
"Not to bring down anything, but, umm... it's late. Haven't the stores closed by now? I mean... I don't know anything about where you get your supplies, but... it's like 8pm," Eliza questions as I shove her into the small corridor and out into the street, locking the door behind us.
"You're cute, you know that, right?" It just spills from my lips like that. I really wasn't going to say that... but my heart kind of won over my brains here. Quickly trying to catch onto her question, I shoot her a sheepish smile and continue. "But it's exactly at 8pm all the good stuff can be purchased."
"And where would that be?" Eliza asks as we walk the pavement, each with a basket hanging from in between the crook of our elbows. I catch her free hand and lace our fingers. It's so nice, I can't help seeking out that kind of contact with her. It's just sooo nice and all kinds of 'butterflies in the stomach'-feelings. "Your grandmother's house in the woods?" Eliza chuckles.
I instantly get her Red Riding Hood reference, scoffing at her joke. "You just wait and see. These baskets will come in very handy," I state smugly.
"If you say so," Eliza laughs. "Lead the way."
I actually didn't plan on inviting Eliza along this quickly. We've only been seeing each other for a little over a month now, but I figured... why not? Why wait? I usually do it by myself because Amelia hates it. She's not a people's person, after all... and Alex, he's totally dismissed that part of our business. He does the ice-cream making, he doesn't do shopping as she puts it, and he trusts me to get the right ingredients. After all, it's my recipes... mostly. And really, I don't mind. I actually love this part of the job. And now Eliza's here with me. I couldn't actually be happier right now, even if I tried.
Eliza's beauty strikes me again and again. She's heartstoppingly adorable and sexy. Like... really sexy, dirty hot even. And that's only what I've seen at this point in our dating... and in my dreams, of course. And now... now she's concentrating on picking out just the right blueberries. She's awesomely cute, squinting her eyes as she really tries to get the hang on how to find the best fruits. I'm at a nut-stall a little away from her, giving me the perfect opportunity to gawk at her. And it's a sight, alright. It's come to my realization that Eliza's always wearing her hair down outside of work... much to my appreciation. Not that I find her unattractive or any less beautiful with her hair pulled high or hidden under her cap, not at all. I fell for Eliza way before she released her beautiful locks. Yup, I did say fell... because that's what's also come to my realization. I've fallen for this woman. I have, and I haven't run. I can't run. I'm flat on my face, and I don't mind. Not at all. I want to keep on falling, I want to keep hitting whatever it is I hit whenever I fall… because frankly, it feels so good. It feels so good I sometimes can't believe it's really true. I've fallen for Eliza Minnick in a way I haven't fallen before. Is that a good thing? I believe it could be. Is it frightening me? Indeed. Is it keeping me awake every night because my mind can't stop thinking about her? Absolutely, yes. Is it worth being a little insecure about? Also yes. And why is that? Because it's such a wonderful feeling, is what it is.
The clearing of a throat drags me out of my thoughts, a big grin on my face. "Sorry?" I apologize the older woman standing in front of me.
"I was just asking if you needed anything else? Your mind seemed to be in a complete different place, though," the older woman smiles and turns her head in the direction I'm looking in. "I can see why," she turns her attention back to me and hands me the blue see-through bag with my purchased selection of nuts. "He's handsome."
At the short mention of a he, the smile on my face falters and I turn to look at the older woman. "Huh?" I quiz, confusion evident on my face and in voice. "Who's handsome, ma'am?"
"The man you were looking at, honey," she states as if she knew, giving me a reassuring smile.
I look at Eliza again as I'm accepting the bag from the woman. And yeah, just beside my (!) beautiful brunette there's a tall, blonde man. He's looking at berries as well. He's cute, alright, if you're into that thing. I'm not, though. But the old woman doesn't know, and I really don't go about and broadcast my sexual orientation when it's not needed, so I just give her a smile. "Beautiful," I breathe, secretly referring to Eliza… and then thank the woman, paying what she asks of me and go to join Eliza in the fruit department.
"Hey," I breathe when I snake in between her and the tall man. "Everything's good?"
Eliza beams when I turn up. The smile sending shocks down my spine, leaving me breathless just a second. I kiss her, simply because I cannot not kiss her when she looks like that. She looks surprised, clearly not having expected it. "Everything's certainly good now you're here," she blushes, but quickly covers it up with a sheepish grin. "These any good?" she asks, showing me her choice of berries.
"You're like at pro," I state proudly, draping my one arm around her waist as she shows off the variety of fruit she's purchased during our stay at the late indoor food-market.
"I guess I had a great teacher," she shrugs nonchalantly, teasing me.
"What? Only great?" I ask pretending to be shocked, my eyes wide.
She clearly knows I'm kidding, giving my hip a gentle shove with her own and chuckling. "Okay… the best then," Eliza sighs theatrically.
"I wouldn't want anything less where you're concerned," I state honestly. And I'm not even saying that because we're having some sort of banter. I'm saying that because I really mean it, and because I've sensed right from the beginning of my relation regarding Eliza that something was up with her. Something being drilled deep into her. Something that's clearly had its go at her. One of the reasons I felt drawn to her in the first place. I want to take that sad membrane and smash it, vanquish it. I want her to walk around like she owns the place. I want her to keep smiling like she does whenever she works with the animals or lately... whenever she's come to smile when she looks at me, and I really, really like that. It makes me happy in a way I've only read about or seen in movies up until now.
Eliza grins, her eyes sparkling as she hands me a mango. "Good to know," she states, blushing again. My heart skips a beat, and I'm sure I'm blushing myself. "I know it wasn't on the list, but I love mangoes. I'll pay, don't worry."
"Don't even think about it," I rebuke. "This is me taking you shopping. So this is me paying," I shrug casually, smiling. "Anything else you want?"
"Hmmm..." Eliza contemplates. It's hot... the way she scrunches her face. It's like freakishly hot. Head out of the gutter, Arizona! "All this shopping has got me all rumbly and hungry," she finally says, timidly smiling.
"Hard work always makes you hungry," I smirk, taking three mangoes, the many boxes of different berries and 12 bananas, placing them in the basket as I pay.
We walk back to the storage rooms… my office… hand in hand, animatedly talking and constantly sending flirtatious looks. I'm not at all nervous, not anymore... not until I am nervous. It's constantly changing. One minute I've got game, and the other I'm a complete mush because of something she's said or done or implied... even the slightest of change in her facial feature does things to my body I've got no control over whatsoever. Surely that can become a problem in the future, if she's one of those women who tends to play dirty tricks to get their way. Oh well, we'll cross that bridge when we get to it... if we get to it. I do hope we get to it and way beyond that.
When we've dropped off all the acquired things, we step out into the Seattle night again. It's late, it's really late. Almost midnight. That's no surprise, though. Whenever I go to these late night markets, I always take my time finding the right fruits, veggies and nuts. I just love it; the fresh smell and the coolness instantly making me calm. And tonight I've had the joy of having Eliza joining me, and judging by the look she sported all night, she's had a good time which makes me thrilled. It means I've done something right... and when it concerns Eliza, I really want to do right. I want to do the right thing so bad.
"So..." I watch how Eliza's cheeks redden as she scraps the tip of her boot against the pavement. "I really want to invite you up, but..."
Could she be any cuter? I think not! How she fidgets with the zipper in my jacket and finding it very interesting, is making me grin widely. "But what?" I coax her to continue. She doesn't say anything, though. "Eliza... but what?" I smile, using a finger under her chin to make her eyes catch mine.
She inhales sharply. "I don't know if it's too early," she spits out, her eyes finding my zipper again.
"Eliza..."
"Yeah?"
"Look at me."
When she finally looks at me again, I make sure that my face says it all. "You know it's almost past midnight, so I wouldn't really consider it to be early," I tease her, suddenly feeling the need to lift the mood and calm the pretty dark haired woman before me. I swear, I can almost see her wheels churning inside that beautiful head of hers.
"Ha ha. You're funny on this side of midnight," Eliza scoffs.
"Eliza, I'm always funny," I smirk, pulling her closer to me by the front pockets of her jacket. "And I'd love to... even though it's a school night."
"You don't have to," she gives me a sad smile. "I was just, you know... we talked about eating something, but it's late and I get it. And I really don't want you to think that I was counting on anything," Eliza rants, making me frozen in amusement and a little bit astounded by her honest words. "We've only seen each other for like 5 weeks and I don't usually invite women back home... I just thought, you know, since we were here and both hungry and-"
"Eliza."
"And I don't want you to think that I assume sex or anything by inviting you inside. I don't want to have sex with you."
"Um, o-kay," slips out of my mouth before I've unfiltered the disappointment.
"And that didn't come out as I wanted it to. Jeez. I'm doing so great now, I'm sorry," Eliza sighs, throwing a hand to her head in frustration. "Okay, look," she takes hold of my collar as she takes a deep breath as well, looking me up close. The look she's giving me shows so much feeling, so much caring... it's really hard not to ravish my lips upon hers right now. Though, she's just said that she doesn't want to have sex with me... not that I would just launch myself at her, but still... I've thought about sex with Eliza Minnick more than hundredths of times the last two months. "I usually got game... but there's something about you that makes me all gaaaah," she says while making a face, emphasizing the last word hoarsely. "Which is stupid because I think about you all the time, about kissing you and... eventually, having sex with you... but it's like I'm constantly stepping on my feet and not making any sense," she sighs deeply, her eyes somehow flickering but then they land on mine again.
My heart's pounding so hard in my chest now that I'm afraid it'll shoot right out of me, landing on the ground for everyone to step on and break into tiny pieces. That someone being Eliza. She's saying all the right things right now and she doesn't even know it. "You are, though," I finally find my words. "Just, you are."
"What?" she questions, those pretty eyes of hers gawking me for an answer.
"You are making perfect sense," I grin at her and then crash my lips upon hers, my arms draping around her neck. I seek entrance of her mouth which Eliza gladly grands me, my tongue running over her lower lip before dipping into the heath of mouth. Eliza's hands roam my back as she pulls me closer, our kiss the perfect amount of want and hope. "To me... you're making perfect sense."
Eliza grins, relief spreading across her face. "You are wise then."
"I am wise," I smirk before leaning in and crashing my lips against hers again. The luscious feeling of those lips engraving themselves into my heart, my mind and my soul along with the rest of her.
AN2: I know a lot of you are anxious for our ladies to be all hot and steamy, and I promise you… they will. Just, stay with me, okay? I haven't wanted to rush them into sex because of Eliza's broken heart and Arizona's previous sleeping around. But don't worry… it'll be sooner rather than later now :)