Chapter Ten:
Let the Romance Begin
Norah's phone rang. "Hello?"
"Norah, it's Greg."
Norah fell silent.
"It's nice to talk to you, too. I have to watch Linds and Cat called me to tell me she needs your help on her homework, can you come?"
Silence.
"Great, I'll pick you up in five minutes. Be ready."
Silence.
"I love you, too. Bye."
Norah hung up.
Five minutes later, Greg was knocking on her door.
Norah opened it and walked out, without even glancing at Greg. She walked out to his car and stared out the passenger-side window.
Greg climbed in the driver's seat and drove toward Catherine's house. He parked and led Norah to the front door, which opened the moment they stepped up to the porch.
"Welcome to Le Restaurant dans la Maison, the best sandwich-slash-French restaurant on this street," Lindsey said. She was dressed up nicely and had a mock nametag taped to her chest that said "Lindsey" in blue crayon.
Norah tried to translate. "The Restaurant in the House?"
Lindsey smiled with pride.
"I thought you didn't know any French," Greg said to Norah.
Norah looked and him and then back at Lindsey with a smile.
"You two must be the Sanders'. Please follow me." She closed the door and led them to her dining room. There were two places set and pieces of paper were set on top of the plates. There were candles and a bottle of sparkling grape juice next to two champagne glasses.
Norah couldn't help but smile.
Lindsey thought about her mother's rule about shoes in the house. "May I take your shoes? Your waiter will be out in a moment."
Norah took her shoes off and gave them to Lindsey.
Greg took of his sneakers and handed them to Lindsey, too. Lindsey's nose scrunched up with disgust. "If you don't mind a suggestion, sir. I think you should get some air freshener for that stench."
Greg pouted.
Lindsey walked out of the dining room with the arm full of shoes.
Greg pulled out a chair for Norah.
She walked past him and sat at the other place.
Greg shrugged and sat down.
Moments later, Lindsey returned. She now wore a white shirt and black pants and had an apron on. She had a moustache of eyeliner gracing her upper lip and her hair was now slicked back and tied into a bun low on her head. "Bonjour, I am Jacques and I'll be your waiter today." She picked up the grape juice and carefully poured some for both of them. "Can I get you something to eat?"
"I think we need a few more minutes, Linds - I mean Jacques." Greg said picking up his "menu."
Lindsey nodded and turned on her heels. She headed toward the kitchen.
Norah looked over her menu, which was written in blue marker. It listed some food a kid could make like 'grilled cheese' and 'peanut butter and jelly sandwich.' She smiled.
"Do you know what you want, honey?"
Norah didn't answer Greg.
"I'll take that as a 'yes'." Greg smiled weakly. "Jacques!" He snapped his fingers.
Catherine popped her head in thought the kitchen door. "Jacques is taking his break, she - er, he will be there in a moment." She disappeared again.
Within a minute Lindsey was back at Norah and Greg's table. "Are you ready to order now, Madame et Monsieur?"
"Oui, oui." Greg nodded.
"The bathroom's down the hall, Monsieur Sanders," Lindsey smiled.
Norah laughed.
Greg rolled his eyes, but couldn't help but chuckle.
Lindsey bounced on her heels impatiently. "Can I take your orders?"
"Hold on, Jacques, I have to check with my doctor to see if it's okay to have what I want." Norah turned to Greg. "Is peanut butter and jelly too greasy, Dr. Mom? Will it give me morning sickness?" She asked bitterly.
Lindsey shrugged and scribbled something down on a star-shaped pad of paper.
Greg ignored Norah. "I'll have P.B., hold the J."
Lindsey wrote something else on her paper and nodded. "This will take but a moment." She went into the kitchen.
Norah and Greg sat in silence, just scowling at the table.
A couple of whispers came from the kitchen a long with a lot of clanging of plates together.
Norah looked down at her watch.
Greg yawned. After a few more minutes of dead air, he finally opened his mouth. "Can you pass me the grape juice?"
Norah slid the grape juice across the table at him.
Lindsey came out of the kitchen and placed a plate of chips between them, as well as a smaller plate with two pickles.
"What kind of pickles are these, Jacques?" Greg asked Lindsey.
Lindsey thought for a second. "The green kind?" Her face scrunched in confusion.
Norah giggled.
"I'll go check with the chef." She hurried into the kitchen and then back out. "Dill, Monsieur Sanders."
"Merci," Greg answered.
Lindsey went back though the kitchen door.
Norah reached for the chips.
"I don't think those would be good for your morning sickness," Greg said softly. He expected her yelling at him that she could eat anything she liked.
Instead she kept quiet and reached for a pickle. She stared at the table as she ate it in silence.
Greg ate a few chips. "I guess those four years in France finally paid off, huh?" He smiled.
"Yeah, I guess." She half-smiled.
Lindsey came out of the kitchen again, balancing a plate on one of her hands, her arm above her shoulder, her other in front of her, draped with a towel. She set the plate on the table and picked up the peanut butter sandwich and placed it on Greg's plate and did the same for Norah's sandwich.
"Thanks," Greg and Norah said in unison.
They smiled at each other for a moment until Norah looked down at her sandwich. She bit into it, keeping her eyes on the table.
"I'm sorry, Norah," Greg blurted out.
Norah stopped chewing and looked up at him.
"Honestly. Do you forgive me?"
Norah nodded. That's all she was really hoping to get out of this talking strike, anyway. She smiled at him and started eating the rest of her sandwich.
Greg didn't shut up though; "I just don't want you to be puking all over the place, you know?"
Norah grimaced. "Greg! I'm eating."
"Sorry." He inhaled his sandwich and gulped down the rest of his juice. "Jacques!" He snapped his fingers again.
Lindsey came out into the dining room, peanut butter smeared across her face. "Oui?"
"May we have our bill? We'd like to go now," Greg told her.
Norah looked down at the half a sandwich she still had on her plate. "I'm not done."
"And a doggie bag, too?" Greg said to Lindsey.
Lindsey returned to the kitchen.
"What's the rush?" Norah asked him.
"I think we should start packing, and stuff." He smiled.
Norah shook her head and picked up the second half of her sandwich. She took a bite before Lindsey came out with a brown paper bag and snatched it from her.
She also placed the "bill" face down on the table in front of Greg.
Greg ignored it and pulled Norah out into the front hall. Catherine came out with Lindsey.
"Thanks for dinner, guys." Norah smiled.
"You're welcome," Lindsey said.
Greg put on his shoes and reached for the doorknob.
"Monsieur Sanders?" Lindsey looked at Greg.
Greg turned to her. "Yeah, Lindsey?"
"Lindsey? You must be mistaken, my name is Jacques." Lindsey continued, "Where's your bill, monsieur? I don't think you've paid."
Greg rolled his eyes. "I said 'thanks,' what more do you want?"
"Bernard!"
Nick came out of the kitchen and grabbed Greg by the collar. "We can do this the hard way, or we can do this the easy way."
"Okay, jeez, I'll pay." He then realized he didn't have his wallet. "Bernard, I must have forgotten my money-o in my car-o."
"Then you'll have lots of fun washing the dishes." Nick smiled and pushed Greg into the kitchen.
Greg frowned. "This isn't funny anymore, guys."
"My services don't come cheap," Lindsey quipped.
While Nick, Lindsey, Catherine, and Norah sat in the living room, Greg scrubbed the peanut butter off the plates.
"So he came over begging for Lindsey's quote-on-quote 'romantic advice'." Catherine laughed.
The other three laughed, too.
Greg came out of the kitchen. He frowned and slid the yellow gloves off his hands. "I'm finished."
Norah stood up and walked towards the door. "Bye guys."
"Yeah, bye guys." Greg rolled his eyes. "Thanks. I haven't washed dishes since I was in 5th grade. You should really invest in a dishwasher."
"Or we could just hire you," Catherine joked.
"Maybe you should check your pockets before you come into a restaurant, especially Le Restaurant dans la Maison." Lindsey smiled.
Greg stuck out his tongue. "I'd really like to talk to the manager about the menu." He watched Nick and Norah slip on their shoes and then followed them out, saying one last good-bye to the Willows'.
Nick backed up as Norah and Greg put on their seat belts. "Thanks, Greg. This was fun. Sorry I was so stubborn on the way home."
"It's my fault, Nor. You forgive me, right?"
"Of course," Norah smiled.
After Greg backed up out of the driveway he looked over at Norah. "Do you remember the day we met?"
Norah laughed. "Yes."
"Why are you laughing?" Greg eyed her.
Norah grinned. "Because you were such a dork back then. Oh wait, nothing's changed."
Greg rolled his eyes.
"You were hitting on me over the phone. It was quite funny," Norah told him.
"I thought you were one of Nick's girlfriends and I was set on stealing you from him."
"You are such a dork!" Norah giggled.
Greg parked in the parking lot of Norah's apartment. He didn't want to go home. His house was full of boxes and it was hard to even breathe in there. He took Norah's hand and led her up to her apartment.
She flipped on the lights. Mandy, who was sleeping on the couch, moaned and covered her eyes. "Oh, sorry, Mand. I forgot you were even here."
"I can see how much I'm loved, now can I go back to sleep?" She whined.
Norah turned off the lights again and her and Greg stumbled to her bedroom in the dark. She laid down and Greg laid next to her. Norah was so tired she didn't even want to get into her pajamas. She curled up with her jeans and stripped polo shirt on.
Greg went to unbutton her pants.
Norah turned away from him. "Not now, baby. I'm tired."
He frowned. "You're always too tired or sick," Greg whined.
"I thought you did research on pregnancy. It's part of being pregnant, I can't help it." She kissed Greg and curled back up.
Greg held her and thought about how much having a baby is unfair to the father.
Let the Romance Begin
Norah's phone rang. "Hello?"
"Norah, it's Greg."
Norah fell silent.
"It's nice to talk to you, too. I have to watch Linds and Cat called me to tell me she needs your help on her homework, can you come?"
Silence.
"Great, I'll pick you up in five minutes. Be ready."
Silence.
"I love you, too. Bye."
Norah hung up.
Five minutes later, Greg was knocking on her door.
Norah opened it and walked out, without even glancing at Greg. She walked out to his car and stared out the passenger-side window.
Greg climbed in the driver's seat and drove toward Catherine's house. He parked and led Norah to the front door, which opened the moment they stepped up to the porch.
"Welcome to Le Restaurant dans la Maison, the best sandwich-slash-French restaurant on this street," Lindsey said. She was dressed up nicely and had a mock nametag taped to her chest that said "Lindsey" in blue crayon.
Norah tried to translate. "The Restaurant in the House?"
Lindsey smiled with pride.
"I thought you didn't know any French," Greg said to Norah.
Norah looked and him and then back at Lindsey with a smile.
"You two must be the Sanders'. Please follow me." She closed the door and led them to her dining room. There were two places set and pieces of paper were set on top of the plates. There were candles and a bottle of sparkling grape juice next to two champagne glasses.
Norah couldn't help but smile.
Lindsey thought about her mother's rule about shoes in the house. "May I take your shoes? Your waiter will be out in a moment."
Norah took her shoes off and gave them to Lindsey.
Greg took of his sneakers and handed them to Lindsey, too. Lindsey's nose scrunched up with disgust. "If you don't mind a suggestion, sir. I think you should get some air freshener for that stench."
Greg pouted.
Lindsey walked out of the dining room with the arm full of shoes.
Greg pulled out a chair for Norah.
She walked past him and sat at the other place.
Greg shrugged and sat down.
Moments later, Lindsey returned. She now wore a white shirt and black pants and had an apron on. She had a moustache of eyeliner gracing her upper lip and her hair was now slicked back and tied into a bun low on her head. "Bonjour, I am Jacques and I'll be your waiter today." She picked up the grape juice and carefully poured some for both of them. "Can I get you something to eat?"
"I think we need a few more minutes, Linds - I mean Jacques." Greg said picking up his "menu."
Lindsey nodded and turned on her heels. She headed toward the kitchen.
Norah looked over her menu, which was written in blue marker. It listed some food a kid could make like 'grilled cheese' and 'peanut butter and jelly sandwich.' She smiled.
"Do you know what you want, honey?"
Norah didn't answer Greg.
"I'll take that as a 'yes'." Greg smiled weakly. "Jacques!" He snapped his fingers.
Catherine popped her head in thought the kitchen door. "Jacques is taking his break, she - er, he will be there in a moment." She disappeared again.
Within a minute Lindsey was back at Norah and Greg's table. "Are you ready to order now, Madame et Monsieur?"
"Oui, oui." Greg nodded.
"The bathroom's down the hall, Monsieur Sanders," Lindsey smiled.
Norah laughed.
Greg rolled his eyes, but couldn't help but chuckle.
Lindsey bounced on her heels impatiently. "Can I take your orders?"
"Hold on, Jacques, I have to check with my doctor to see if it's okay to have what I want." Norah turned to Greg. "Is peanut butter and jelly too greasy, Dr. Mom? Will it give me morning sickness?" She asked bitterly.
Lindsey shrugged and scribbled something down on a star-shaped pad of paper.
Greg ignored Norah. "I'll have P.B., hold the J."
Lindsey wrote something else on her paper and nodded. "This will take but a moment." She went into the kitchen.
Norah and Greg sat in silence, just scowling at the table.
A couple of whispers came from the kitchen a long with a lot of clanging of plates together.
Norah looked down at her watch.
Greg yawned. After a few more minutes of dead air, he finally opened his mouth. "Can you pass me the grape juice?"
Norah slid the grape juice across the table at him.
Lindsey came out of the kitchen and placed a plate of chips between them, as well as a smaller plate with two pickles.
"What kind of pickles are these, Jacques?" Greg asked Lindsey.
Lindsey thought for a second. "The green kind?" Her face scrunched in confusion.
Norah giggled.
"I'll go check with the chef." She hurried into the kitchen and then back out. "Dill, Monsieur Sanders."
"Merci," Greg answered.
Lindsey went back though the kitchen door.
Norah reached for the chips.
"I don't think those would be good for your morning sickness," Greg said softly. He expected her yelling at him that she could eat anything she liked.
Instead she kept quiet and reached for a pickle. She stared at the table as she ate it in silence.
Greg ate a few chips. "I guess those four years in France finally paid off, huh?" He smiled.
"Yeah, I guess." She half-smiled.
Lindsey came out of the kitchen again, balancing a plate on one of her hands, her arm above her shoulder, her other in front of her, draped with a towel. She set the plate on the table and picked up the peanut butter sandwich and placed it on Greg's plate and did the same for Norah's sandwich.
"Thanks," Greg and Norah said in unison.
They smiled at each other for a moment until Norah looked down at her sandwich. She bit into it, keeping her eyes on the table.
"I'm sorry, Norah," Greg blurted out.
Norah stopped chewing and looked up at him.
"Honestly. Do you forgive me?"
Norah nodded. That's all she was really hoping to get out of this talking strike, anyway. She smiled at him and started eating the rest of her sandwich.
Greg didn't shut up though; "I just don't want you to be puking all over the place, you know?"
Norah grimaced. "Greg! I'm eating."
"Sorry." He inhaled his sandwich and gulped down the rest of his juice. "Jacques!" He snapped his fingers again.
Lindsey came out into the dining room, peanut butter smeared across her face. "Oui?"
"May we have our bill? We'd like to go now," Greg told her.
Norah looked down at the half a sandwich she still had on her plate. "I'm not done."
"And a doggie bag, too?" Greg said to Lindsey.
Lindsey returned to the kitchen.
"What's the rush?" Norah asked him.
"I think we should start packing, and stuff." He smiled.
Norah shook her head and picked up the second half of her sandwich. She took a bite before Lindsey came out with a brown paper bag and snatched it from her.
She also placed the "bill" face down on the table in front of Greg.
Greg ignored it and pulled Norah out into the front hall. Catherine came out with Lindsey.
"Thanks for dinner, guys." Norah smiled.
"You're welcome," Lindsey said.
Greg put on his shoes and reached for the doorknob.
"Monsieur Sanders?" Lindsey looked at Greg.
Greg turned to her. "Yeah, Lindsey?"
"Lindsey? You must be mistaken, my name is Jacques." Lindsey continued, "Where's your bill, monsieur? I don't think you've paid."
Greg rolled his eyes. "I said 'thanks,' what more do you want?"
"Bernard!"
Nick came out of the kitchen and grabbed Greg by the collar. "We can do this the hard way, or we can do this the easy way."
"Okay, jeez, I'll pay." He then realized he didn't have his wallet. "Bernard, I must have forgotten my money-o in my car-o."
"Then you'll have lots of fun washing the dishes." Nick smiled and pushed Greg into the kitchen.
Greg frowned. "This isn't funny anymore, guys."
"My services don't come cheap," Lindsey quipped.
While Nick, Lindsey, Catherine, and Norah sat in the living room, Greg scrubbed the peanut butter off the plates.
"So he came over begging for Lindsey's quote-on-quote 'romantic advice'." Catherine laughed.
The other three laughed, too.
Greg came out of the kitchen. He frowned and slid the yellow gloves off his hands. "I'm finished."
Norah stood up and walked towards the door. "Bye guys."
"Yeah, bye guys." Greg rolled his eyes. "Thanks. I haven't washed dishes since I was in 5th grade. You should really invest in a dishwasher."
"Or we could just hire you," Catherine joked.
"Maybe you should check your pockets before you come into a restaurant, especially Le Restaurant dans la Maison." Lindsey smiled.
Greg stuck out his tongue. "I'd really like to talk to the manager about the menu." He watched Nick and Norah slip on their shoes and then followed them out, saying one last good-bye to the Willows'.
Nick backed up as Norah and Greg put on their seat belts. "Thanks, Greg. This was fun. Sorry I was so stubborn on the way home."
"It's my fault, Nor. You forgive me, right?"
"Of course," Norah smiled.
After Greg backed up out of the driveway he looked over at Norah. "Do you remember the day we met?"
Norah laughed. "Yes."
"Why are you laughing?" Greg eyed her.
Norah grinned. "Because you were such a dork back then. Oh wait, nothing's changed."
Greg rolled his eyes.
"You were hitting on me over the phone. It was quite funny," Norah told him.
"I thought you were one of Nick's girlfriends and I was set on stealing you from him."
"You are such a dork!" Norah giggled.
Greg parked in the parking lot of Norah's apartment. He didn't want to go home. His house was full of boxes and it was hard to even breathe in there. He took Norah's hand and led her up to her apartment.
She flipped on the lights. Mandy, who was sleeping on the couch, moaned and covered her eyes. "Oh, sorry, Mand. I forgot you were even here."
"I can see how much I'm loved, now can I go back to sleep?" She whined.
Norah turned off the lights again and her and Greg stumbled to her bedroom in the dark. She laid down and Greg laid next to her. Norah was so tired she didn't even want to get into her pajamas. She curled up with her jeans and stripped polo shirt on.
Greg went to unbutton her pants.
Norah turned away from him. "Not now, baby. I'm tired."
He frowned. "You're always too tired or sick," Greg whined.
"I thought you did research on pregnancy. It's part of being pregnant, I can't help it." She kissed Greg and curled back up.
Greg held her and thought about how much having a baby is unfair to the father.