An All American Love Story
Ch. Eight: Small Talk
Elizabeth could feel her face turn bright red. She hadn't planned anything to say, she didn't think that she would see anyone this early in the morning. "I was.just returning your jeans. Which is silly because I am sure you have more then one pair of pants but I just thought I should." Grinning Romano walked up closer to her. "That's ok. I appreciate it." Carefully he took the bag from her hand. Looking Romano over closely Elizabeth was just as curious to what he had been doing. "Do you normally go for walks this early on your days off?" Not hesitating, Romano answered. "I was running. But no I don't, I just couldn't sleep." At the end of his statement Romano became distracted by the wet drops of rain that he had felt on the back of his neck.
Suddenly the cold wind blew again. They both looked up at the quickly graying sky. Although the sun had just come up, more rain clouds were pushing it out. "I didn't think it was supposed to rain today." Elizabeth stated. Agreeing Romano searched for something witting and clever to add. "Well you know what they say about weathermen. They can be as smart as surgeons, but they're right less then half the time." After pausing slightly, waiting for a reaction he asked the question he had been meaning to. "Do you want to come in?"
Elizabeth was about to agree when she felt quickly falling raindrops hit her head. With a pained expression on her face she answered. "I would really love to. But Ella is scared of the storms and Chris isn't with her until later this evening." Lowering his head Romano nodded. He fully understood that this would be one of many times Ella would come first, as she should. He hoped one day Elizabeth would let him meet her. However, like many things in both their lives, it was a conversation for another time.
"I understand." He said looking up at her. With a crack from above, lightening filled the sky and the rain started to pour. They both jumped at the sound, it wasn't very far away. "I guess that means the powers that be want you to go!" Romano said, switching places with Elizabeth. "I'll still see you tonight right?"
Elizabeth barely heard him as she ran for her car, but she knew what he had asked. "I'll be over at six!" she yelled into the driving rain. After a thumb up from Romano she peeled her car out and left for home. She hoped that Ella was still sleeping and hadn't heard the storm, but doubted it. After several minutes of driving she realized that she hadn't taken down the note she had attached to Romano's window. "Damn!" she said out loud, realizing what she had written in it. "Maybe he didn't see it."
Romano darted into his house after Elizabeth left. After thinking on the recent events more he smiled. "How lucky is that." A sudden feeling of cold ran through him as the air conditioning kicked on and chilled his wet body. "Damn thing. It's freaking twenty degrees outside and it still hasn't gone over to heat yet." Walking to the side of the door to change the thermostat, he saw something on the side of his window. At first he thought it was just junk the wind had blown. However, after looking at it more closely he saw ink start to bleed through the paper as the rain saturated it. "Ah damn." He said as it quickly registered what the piece of paper was. Quickly opening the door he stuck his hand outside and retrieved the note from the rain.
After locking his door once more he took off his shoes and headed upstairs to take a shower. Not wanting to tare the letter he set it on his counter to dry while he was in the shower. After undressing and stepping into the warm water he felt better. The adrenalin from running had worn off and he was now feeling the effects from his lack of sleep even more. Ten minutes later he was out of the shower and dressed in a comfortable pair of jeans and a sweatshirt. Before he walked downstairs he grabbed the note, which was now crispy from the rain, and his recipe book his mom had given him when he left for college. Determined to find a suitable meal for tonight he knew the answers lied somewhere in his mom's Italian cooking.
After sifting through many different choices he had finally settled on one of his favorites. After marking the page he set the book down and picked up his note. Carefully opening it he found that the rain and blurred most of the writing, making it impossible to read. However, Romano didn't care. He was to busy focusing on the last five words on the page.
"See you tonight,
Love,
Elizabeth"
Elizabeth could feel her face turn bright red. She hadn't planned anything to say, she didn't think that she would see anyone this early in the morning. "I was.just returning your jeans. Which is silly because I am sure you have more then one pair of pants but I just thought I should." Grinning Romano walked up closer to her. "That's ok. I appreciate it." Carefully he took the bag from her hand. Looking Romano over closely Elizabeth was just as curious to what he had been doing. "Do you normally go for walks this early on your days off?" Not hesitating, Romano answered. "I was running. But no I don't, I just couldn't sleep." At the end of his statement Romano became distracted by the wet drops of rain that he had felt on the back of his neck.
Suddenly the cold wind blew again. They both looked up at the quickly graying sky. Although the sun had just come up, more rain clouds were pushing it out. "I didn't think it was supposed to rain today." Elizabeth stated. Agreeing Romano searched for something witting and clever to add. "Well you know what they say about weathermen. They can be as smart as surgeons, but they're right less then half the time." After pausing slightly, waiting for a reaction he asked the question he had been meaning to. "Do you want to come in?"
Elizabeth was about to agree when she felt quickly falling raindrops hit her head. With a pained expression on her face she answered. "I would really love to. But Ella is scared of the storms and Chris isn't with her until later this evening." Lowering his head Romano nodded. He fully understood that this would be one of many times Ella would come first, as she should. He hoped one day Elizabeth would let him meet her. However, like many things in both their lives, it was a conversation for another time.
"I understand." He said looking up at her. With a crack from above, lightening filled the sky and the rain started to pour. They both jumped at the sound, it wasn't very far away. "I guess that means the powers that be want you to go!" Romano said, switching places with Elizabeth. "I'll still see you tonight right?"
Elizabeth barely heard him as she ran for her car, but she knew what he had asked. "I'll be over at six!" she yelled into the driving rain. After a thumb up from Romano she peeled her car out and left for home. She hoped that Ella was still sleeping and hadn't heard the storm, but doubted it. After several minutes of driving she realized that she hadn't taken down the note she had attached to Romano's window. "Damn!" she said out loud, realizing what she had written in it. "Maybe he didn't see it."
Romano darted into his house after Elizabeth left. After thinking on the recent events more he smiled. "How lucky is that." A sudden feeling of cold ran through him as the air conditioning kicked on and chilled his wet body. "Damn thing. It's freaking twenty degrees outside and it still hasn't gone over to heat yet." Walking to the side of the door to change the thermostat, he saw something on the side of his window. At first he thought it was just junk the wind had blown. However, after looking at it more closely he saw ink start to bleed through the paper as the rain saturated it. "Ah damn." He said as it quickly registered what the piece of paper was. Quickly opening the door he stuck his hand outside and retrieved the note from the rain.
After locking his door once more he took off his shoes and headed upstairs to take a shower. Not wanting to tare the letter he set it on his counter to dry while he was in the shower. After undressing and stepping into the warm water he felt better. The adrenalin from running had worn off and he was now feeling the effects from his lack of sleep even more. Ten minutes later he was out of the shower and dressed in a comfortable pair of jeans and a sweatshirt. Before he walked downstairs he grabbed the note, which was now crispy from the rain, and his recipe book his mom had given him when he left for college. Determined to find a suitable meal for tonight he knew the answers lied somewhere in his mom's Italian cooking.
After sifting through many different choices he had finally settled on one of his favorites. After marking the page he set the book down and picked up his note. Carefully opening it he found that the rain and blurred most of the writing, making it impossible to read. However, Romano didn't care. He was to busy focusing on the last five words on the page.
"See you tonight,
Love,
Elizabeth"