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Chapter 7 - Adaptation
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A few minutes later, Adam and Joan stood in the hall outside of his room, and true to their predictions of just a few minutes before, both were really wet. As Adam sorted through his pockets to find his key, Joan's cell phone rang.
"Hello?" Joan offered trying to keep her teeth from chattering.
"Oh, hey there Mr. Rove......yeah, Adam is right here." Joan offered into the phone. Then to Adam, "I'll trade ya, my phone for your key"
Adam grinned, handing Joan the key that he'd found in his back pocket and taking the phone from her in return. Joan took the key and opened the door to the room, Adam following her through.
"Dad?...Yeah, were fine. Where are you? I'd thought you'd make it over before the exhibit closed this evening......No, it's just raining really hard here.....No, Joan talked to Grace a little while ago, she said something about snow, but we haven't seen anything about the weather there at home."
As Adam stood inside the door to the room talking to his dad on the phone and dripping on the rug, Joan went on through to the bathroom and came out carrying two towels, one that she was using to dry her face and the other that went sailing through the air straight for Adam's head.
Adam, who was trying to pay attention to what his dad was saying, was caught unaware by the towel and turned to smile at Joan.
"No, dad...I'm still here......No I understand, it's okay. Besides they've asked me to come back next year.....Yeah it is great. I'll tell you all about it when we get home......No, we'll be fine.....Yeah, I'll tell her.....Me too, I'll call you tomorrow."
"What's up?" Joan asked as Adam handed her phone back to her.
"Well, it seems as if my dad isn't coming over."
"What? Why?"
"Well, the snow that Grace mentioned is in fact much closer to a blizzard from what my dad says and the highway patrol is discouraging travel on the interstate. Dad says it really isn't safe for him to make the drive. He was kinda upset that he wouldn't be able to come and see the exhibit."
"Well Adam, that makes sense. It's a big deal for you and your dad wants to be here to share it with you, parental involvement and all that. Speaking of parents...did your dad get a hold of my parents yet and tell them he wasn't coming over?"
"No, not yet. He said he'd call and leave a message at your house."
"Cool. I'll call later and let them know I'm okay. They probably aren't back from the hospital yet anyway. They'll be okay with it once your dad explains."
"Jane?"
"Yeah?"
"Are 'you' okay with it?"
"Yeah, sure Adam, I told you that I wanted to be here, remember? Now at least I don't have to explain all those reasons that I came up with to your dad so that I can stay til Monday."
"Yeah, I know you're okay with that part. What about the part that we have to share a room?"
"Oh," Joan replied, realization dawning on her that Adam was right.
"We'll just have to manage, don't ya think?"
"Yeah, I guess so."
"What do you think about it? I mean it is your room and everything....um...This is kinda awkward."
"Jane, it doesn't have to be ya know."
What further was there to say? Neither one knew, so they just stood there staring at one another. After a moment Adam broke the silence....
"Jane, how 'bout I make you a deal? You stop dripping on the carpet and go get in the shower and I'll order dinner to be delivered, unless you wanted to go back out and get something."
"No, no, I've been soaked enough today, delivery is fine. But, I'm not the only one making a puddle on the carpet..."
"I know, I know....What kind of food are you in for, there are menus here on the counter for subs, pizza, Chinese, Ital..."
"Italian's fine with me."
"Lasagna with salad and garlic bread?"
"Sounds good but get extra garlic bread...they never give you enough."
"Deal."
The uncomfortable situation alleviated for the moment, Joan grabbed her duffle and headed for the bathroom, closing the door behind her, in just a moment, Adam heard the shower running. On his part, after placing the order for their dinner, Adam took off his shoes, socks and then his khakis, putting on a pair of sweat pants. Next went the tie, which he hung up in the closet and his button down shirt. Intent on finding a t-shirt to wear in the drawer where he'd put his clothes last night, Adam failed to hear the bathroom door open....
"Adam...how long until din...." Joan had started to ask as she came around the corner stopping mid-question at the sight of Adam standing there without his shirt. Joan had the undeniable thought run through her head that he, Adam that is, was a hottie. She always had thought he was cute, but good gracious....without a shirt...."Stop it Girardi!" she mumbled to herself.
Adam who had located the shirt he was looking for stood up and put it on, turning around as he did so to answer Joan's question. As his head popped out of the top of the shirt, he burst out laughing.....
"Okay, okay, that's just enough," Joan exclaimed.
"It's just Jane.....I've never seen you...um..." Adam explained through his laughter.
"Alright, alright, so I've got a towel wrapped around my head. My hair's wet and the hair dryer is out here."
"I'd suggest you not make that particular fashion statement in front of Grace...."
"I'm going to ignore your laughter and your comments and inquire again...how long til dinner is delivered?"
Adam glanced over at the clock, answering still with a grin in his voice, "Twenty minutes."
"Great, I'll dry my hair and go down to the lobby to get it. Did you want me to get something for us to drink too?" Joan asked.
"That'd be great. While you're gone I'll get in the shower.....But I promise I won't make such a fashion statement when I come out," Adam replied laughing.
"Oh! You are so going to regret that," Joan said as she grabbed the towel from her head and twisted it with clear intent to swat Adam's backside if she got near enough.
Adam was at a clear disadvantage since Joan was between him and the bathroom door. But after a few near misses, much laughter, a short cut across the top of the bed and a redirection that caused Joan's hair to fall in her eyes and block her vision, he made it to safety.
Frustrated Joan leaned against the outside of the bathroom door, not knowing that Adam leaned against the inside.
"Hey Jane?"
"Yeah Adam?"
"Truce okay?"
"Okay, for now anyway."
~TBC!~
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A/N: Let me know what you think...I'll post the next chapters sooner if you do.
Chapter 7 - Adaptation
-----------------------------------------------------
A few minutes later, Adam and Joan stood in the hall outside of his room, and true to their predictions of just a few minutes before, both were really wet. As Adam sorted through his pockets to find his key, Joan's cell phone rang.
"Hello?" Joan offered trying to keep her teeth from chattering.
"Oh, hey there Mr. Rove......yeah, Adam is right here." Joan offered into the phone. Then to Adam, "I'll trade ya, my phone for your key"
Adam grinned, handing Joan the key that he'd found in his back pocket and taking the phone from her in return. Joan took the key and opened the door to the room, Adam following her through.
"Dad?...Yeah, were fine. Where are you? I'd thought you'd make it over before the exhibit closed this evening......No, it's just raining really hard here.....No, Joan talked to Grace a little while ago, she said something about snow, but we haven't seen anything about the weather there at home."
As Adam stood inside the door to the room talking to his dad on the phone and dripping on the rug, Joan went on through to the bathroom and came out carrying two towels, one that she was using to dry her face and the other that went sailing through the air straight for Adam's head.
Adam, who was trying to pay attention to what his dad was saying, was caught unaware by the towel and turned to smile at Joan.
"No, dad...I'm still here......No I understand, it's okay. Besides they've asked me to come back next year.....Yeah it is great. I'll tell you all about it when we get home......No, we'll be fine.....Yeah, I'll tell her.....Me too, I'll call you tomorrow."
"What's up?" Joan asked as Adam handed her phone back to her.
"Well, it seems as if my dad isn't coming over."
"What? Why?"
"Well, the snow that Grace mentioned is in fact much closer to a blizzard from what my dad says and the highway patrol is discouraging travel on the interstate. Dad says it really isn't safe for him to make the drive. He was kinda upset that he wouldn't be able to come and see the exhibit."
"Well Adam, that makes sense. It's a big deal for you and your dad wants to be here to share it with you, parental involvement and all that. Speaking of parents...did your dad get a hold of my parents yet and tell them he wasn't coming over?"
"No, not yet. He said he'd call and leave a message at your house."
"Cool. I'll call later and let them know I'm okay. They probably aren't back from the hospital yet anyway. They'll be okay with it once your dad explains."
"Jane?"
"Yeah?"
"Are 'you' okay with it?"
"Yeah, sure Adam, I told you that I wanted to be here, remember? Now at least I don't have to explain all those reasons that I came up with to your dad so that I can stay til Monday."
"Yeah, I know you're okay with that part. What about the part that we have to share a room?"
"Oh," Joan replied, realization dawning on her that Adam was right.
"We'll just have to manage, don't ya think?"
"Yeah, I guess so."
"What do you think about it? I mean it is your room and everything....um...This is kinda awkward."
"Jane, it doesn't have to be ya know."
What further was there to say? Neither one knew, so they just stood there staring at one another. After a moment Adam broke the silence....
"Jane, how 'bout I make you a deal? You stop dripping on the carpet and go get in the shower and I'll order dinner to be delivered, unless you wanted to go back out and get something."
"No, no, I've been soaked enough today, delivery is fine. But, I'm not the only one making a puddle on the carpet..."
"I know, I know....What kind of food are you in for, there are menus here on the counter for subs, pizza, Chinese, Ital..."
"Italian's fine with me."
"Lasagna with salad and garlic bread?"
"Sounds good but get extra garlic bread...they never give you enough."
"Deal."
The uncomfortable situation alleviated for the moment, Joan grabbed her duffle and headed for the bathroom, closing the door behind her, in just a moment, Adam heard the shower running. On his part, after placing the order for their dinner, Adam took off his shoes, socks and then his khakis, putting on a pair of sweat pants. Next went the tie, which he hung up in the closet and his button down shirt. Intent on finding a t-shirt to wear in the drawer where he'd put his clothes last night, Adam failed to hear the bathroom door open....
"Adam...how long until din...." Joan had started to ask as she came around the corner stopping mid-question at the sight of Adam standing there without his shirt. Joan had the undeniable thought run through her head that he, Adam that is, was a hottie. She always had thought he was cute, but good gracious....without a shirt...."Stop it Girardi!" she mumbled to herself.
Adam who had located the shirt he was looking for stood up and put it on, turning around as he did so to answer Joan's question. As his head popped out of the top of the shirt, he burst out laughing.....
"Okay, okay, that's just enough," Joan exclaimed.
"It's just Jane.....I've never seen you...um..." Adam explained through his laughter.
"Alright, alright, so I've got a towel wrapped around my head. My hair's wet and the hair dryer is out here."
"I'd suggest you not make that particular fashion statement in front of Grace...."
"I'm going to ignore your laughter and your comments and inquire again...how long til dinner is delivered?"
Adam glanced over at the clock, answering still with a grin in his voice, "Twenty minutes."
"Great, I'll dry my hair and go down to the lobby to get it. Did you want me to get something for us to drink too?" Joan asked.
"That'd be great. While you're gone I'll get in the shower.....But I promise I won't make such a fashion statement when I come out," Adam replied laughing.
"Oh! You are so going to regret that," Joan said as she grabbed the towel from her head and twisted it with clear intent to swat Adam's backside if she got near enough.
Adam was at a clear disadvantage since Joan was between him and the bathroom door. But after a few near misses, much laughter, a short cut across the top of the bed and a redirection that caused Joan's hair to fall in her eyes and block her vision, he made it to safety.
Frustrated Joan leaned against the outside of the bathroom door, not knowing that Adam leaned against the inside.
"Hey Jane?"
"Yeah Adam?"
"Truce okay?"
"Okay, for now anyway."
~TBC!~
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A/N: Let me know what you think...I'll post the next chapters sooner if you do.
