Chapter 5
Breakfast the next day, was just like any other to the rest of the family. But for Eli and Grace, there was some feeling of excitement even as they did the most simplest of things. Like setting the table and getting juice. It was probably wrong to feel this way about keeping such a secret. But they were young and they had made the decision to jump head first into the pool of their own ignorance, hoping these choices would later bring some understanding of adolescence and adulthood. "Grace, bring the cream over here will you,"
Grace stood and Eli followed, carrying an empty juice glass for cover. He surprised her by his proximity to her when she opened the fridge. Their faces mere inches apart, just like it had been the moment before their first kiss, their first series of kisses. A smile curved his lips, and amusement danced across her eyes. And as she reached for the carton, he reached for her hand, running his fingers along her arm. "What are you doing?" she whispered through her teeth. "I'm just getting something to drink," he whispered back, faking innocence in his eyes and it was Grace's turn to smile. Still, he made no attempts to break their contact. "Sweetie?" Lily called and the trance was broken. "The cream?" "Oh yeah, sure mom...." Grace replied and pulled away reluctantly and returned to the table.
"Anybody have anything exciting to do today?" Lily inquired hoping to strike up a conversation.
"I'm sleeping over at Samantha's," Zoe informed while spooning some cereal into her mouth. "Oh that's right," Lily said shaking her head. "I almost forgot about that...what about you Jessie?"
She looked up from her bagel, "Oh, I'm spending the weekend with my mom," "And you Eli?" "Don't you have to work nights down at the studio now?" Rick chuckled from behind his paper. Eli shifted uncomfortably in his seat, "Actually dad, there is something I need to talk to you about," Concerned eyes appeared, as Rick set down his paper and picked up his coffee. "What is it son?"
"I got fired two nights ago," Eli confessed and raised a hand, silencing everyone else's reaction so that he could continue. "But, but I already have another interview somewhere else, this afternoon. It's a music shop that sells guitars and vinyl records, called Scales." Eli took a long calming breath and waited for his father's reaction. "Does mom know?" Jessie asked. "No, she doesn't....I'd like to tell her myself once I have this other job lined up....so she doesn't overreact."
"Well, I don't know that to say, except I'm glad you were honest and I'm happy to see your really working hard." Rick offered some kind words and the chatter turned to normal. "Grace, what are you doing tonight?" "Umm, I don't know, I'll probably go to the movies or the mall...." "I can take you," Eli offered politely. "It's on the way to my interview."
"Well, that's nice....Rick, you and I are going to dinner with Sam and Judy at six, so don't even think about flaking."
*****************************************
At around 12:30pm, Grace stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around her body. She figured since Eli's interview was at 2:45pm she had better go and take one, so he still had some hot water. A round of steam exited the hall bathroom through the crack of the door. And Grace shivered a little from the cold air. She was almost at her bedroom when Eli appeared from the head of the stairs....a towel in one hand, no shirt, tosseled hair, and wearing only his flannel pajamas, low on his waist. Grace's blue eyes grew dark and widened with shock and her cheeks flush from embarassment. She had realized they were both scnatily clad and her first instinct was to lock herself inside the safety of her room. But for some reason, her legs wouldn't comply.
Eli felt as if the wind was knocked out of him. She literally took his breath away. His hazel eyes darkened with arousal, as he took in the scene laid out before him. Long strawberry blonde hair slick and wet....clinging to her back and her face. Blue eyes peeking through. Tiny water droplets sliding down the smooth bare skin of her shoulders. "I...I...I...I" Grace stuttered slightly and Eli smiled a crooked half smile. Grace smiled slightly and rolled her eyes. "I'll see you later," she said, all the nervousness escaping her. As she entered the haven of her bedroom.
Grace waited until she heard the water start up again before beginning to change. Sitting at her vanity, brushing her hair. She staired at the reflection of the girl before her. It would be hard to pick up on the change, but she could see it. She was different somehow.
**************************************
At 2:00pm, Grace stood before Eli's door step, dressed in dark blue jeans and a form-fitting black sweater with one thin orange stripe across he middle and a low v-neck. Her hair was pulled up and pinned away from her face. The music was blaring and Grace impatiently raised her hand to knock again when the door cracked open and Eli appeared. "Hold on just a second," he said and turned off the music, squirted gel in his hair and fixed his collar. "Ok, let's go.."he added, leading her to the car while placing a hand on the small of her back.
Eli followed her to her side of the car. "Aren't you driving?" she asked inquisitively, furrowing a brow. "Yeah," he said and opened her car door. "What are you doing?" Grace chuckled, slightly amused. "I'm opening your door..." he added ushering her in. When he had entered the vehicle himself he added with a smile, "Did anyone ever tell you you ask too many questions?"
"I know, I'm sorry. It'll be the death of me," she smiled. "I'm sorry if I used up all the hot water earlier..." she said as they hit the road.
"Don't worry about it, I actually needed it cold..." he winked. "Ugh, Eli" Grace smiled as she rolled her eyes. "What?" Eli shrugged. "Just, just shut up and drive," she giggled.
Breakfast the next day, was just like any other to the rest of the family. But for Eli and Grace, there was some feeling of excitement even as they did the most simplest of things. Like setting the table and getting juice. It was probably wrong to feel this way about keeping such a secret. But they were young and they had made the decision to jump head first into the pool of their own ignorance, hoping these choices would later bring some understanding of adolescence and adulthood. "Grace, bring the cream over here will you,"
Grace stood and Eli followed, carrying an empty juice glass for cover. He surprised her by his proximity to her when she opened the fridge. Their faces mere inches apart, just like it had been the moment before their first kiss, their first series of kisses. A smile curved his lips, and amusement danced across her eyes. And as she reached for the carton, he reached for her hand, running his fingers along her arm. "What are you doing?" she whispered through her teeth. "I'm just getting something to drink," he whispered back, faking innocence in his eyes and it was Grace's turn to smile. Still, he made no attempts to break their contact. "Sweetie?" Lily called and the trance was broken. "The cream?" "Oh yeah, sure mom...." Grace replied and pulled away reluctantly and returned to the table.
"Anybody have anything exciting to do today?" Lily inquired hoping to strike up a conversation.
"I'm sleeping over at Samantha's," Zoe informed while spooning some cereal into her mouth. "Oh that's right," Lily said shaking her head. "I almost forgot about that...what about you Jessie?"
She looked up from her bagel, "Oh, I'm spending the weekend with my mom," "And you Eli?" "Don't you have to work nights down at the studio now?" Rick chuckled from behind his paper. Eli shifted uncomfortably in his seat, "Actually dad, there is something I need to talk to you about," Concerned eyes appeared, as Rick set down his paper and picked up his coffee. "What is it son?"
"I got fired two nights ago," Eli confessed and raised a hand, silencing everyone else's reaction so that he could continue. "But, but I already have another interview somewhere else, this afternoon. It's a music shop that sells guitars and vinyl records, called Scales." Eli took a long calming breath and waited for his father's reaction. "Does mom know?" Jessie asked. "No, she doesn't....I'd like to tell her myself once I have this other job lined up....so she doesn't overreact."
"Well, I don't know that to say, except I'm glad you were honest and I'm happy to see your really working hard." Rick offered some kind words and the chatter turned to normal. "Grace, what are you doing tonight?" "Umm, I don't know, I'll probably go to the movies or the mall...." "I can take you," Eli offered politely. "It's on the way to my interview."
"Well, that's nice....Rick, you and I are going to dinner with Sam and Judy at six, so don't even think about flaking."
*****************************************
At around 12:30pm, Grace stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around her body. She figured since Eli's interview was at 2:45pm she had better go and take one, so he still had some hot water. A round of steam exited the hall bathroom through the crack of the door. And Grace shivered a little from the cold air. She was almost at her bedroom when Eli appeared from the head of the stairs....a towel in one hand, no shirt, tosseled hair, and wearing only his flannel pajamas, low on his waist. Grace's blue eyes grew dark and widened with shock and her cheeks flush from embarassment. She had realized they were both scnatily clad and her first instinct was to lock herself inside the safety of her room. But for some reason, her legs wouldn't comply.
Eli felt as if the wind was knocked out of him. She literally took his breath away. His hazel eyes darkened with arousal, as he took in the scene laid out before him. Long strawberry blonde hair slick and wet....clinging to her back and her face. Blue eyes peeking through. Tiny water droplets sliding down the smooth bare skin of her shoulders. "I...I...I...I" Grace stuttered slightly and Eli smiled a crooked half smile. Grace smiled slightly and rolled her eyes. "I'll see you later," she said, all the nervousness escaping her. As she entered the haven of her bedroom.
Grace waited until she heard the water start up again before beginning to change. Sitting at her vanity, brushing her hair. She staired at the reflection of the girl before her. It would be hard to pick up on the change, but she could see it. She was different somehow.
**************************************
At 2:00pm, Grace stood before Eli's door step, dressed in dark blue jeans and a form-fitting black sweater with one thin orange stripe across he middle and a low v-neck. Her hair was pulled up and pinned away from her face. The music was blaring and Grace impatiently raised her hand to knock again when the door cracked open and Eli appeared. "Hold on just a second," he said and turned off the music, squirted gel in his hair and fixed his collar. "Ok, let's go.."he added, leading her to the car while placing a hand on the small of her back.
Eli followed her to her side of the car. "Aren't you driving?" she asked inquisitively, furrowing a brow. "Yeah," he said and opened her car door. "What are you doing?" Grace chuckled, slightly amused. "I'm opening your door..." he added ushering her in. When he had entered the vehicle himself he added with a smile, "Did anyone ever tell you you ask too many questions?"
"I know, I'm sorry. It'll be the death of me," she smiled. "I'm sorry if I used up all the hot water earlier..." she said as they hit the road.
"Don't worry about it, I actually needed it cold..." he winked. "Ugh, Eli" Grace smiled as she rolled her eyes. "What?" Eli shrugged. "Just, just shut up and drive," she giggled.