I think I'm on a roll. Fan fiction is becoming addictive.
Chapter nine
Lilly is at the counter cutting up vegetables to put in the salad. Rich is at the stove tossing in some garlic into the bolognaise sauce. There's some jazz music playing in the background and they are both sipping glasses of wine.
"My radio show was a killer this afternoon. Some guy rang in for advice on how to handle his mother because she has alzheimer's. It became way too intense and I couldn't stop thinking about my mother."
"You mum is getting advice from the best doctors possible. You offered for her to move in here, what more can you do?" Rick shakes in some salt and pepper and stirs the sauce around.
"I know you're right. It's just a lot to take in and it was hard not being bias on the radio."
Lilly walks to the bottom of the staircase and yells, "Kids! Dinner's ready. Hurry up!"
"Well, you just have to put aside your personal issues when you're working. That's normal practice when working."
Rick takes over the sauce and spaghetti and Lilly tosses the salad. Zoe runs into the kitchen and pours herself a juice.
"Mum, can you help me with my homework after dinner? I have some multiplication to do and you know how much I hate that."
"Of course, sweetie." Lilly ruffles Zoe's hair and sits down at the table.
Jessie and Eli walk in from the garage and sit down as well.
"Does anyone know where Grace is?" asks Lilly.
Everyone shakes their head and Lilly sighs.
"I guess we can start without her. Pass me your plate, Eli"
Eli passes over his plate and Grace walks into the room. He looks up quickly at her, half smiles and Lilly notices but doesn't pay much attention.
"Is everything alright Grace? You seem flushed." Lilly hands the plate to Eli and picks up another.
"Yeah, I'm fine Mum. I've just been working hard on an essay." Grace pours herself some juice and takes a big gulp.
B/W Jessie: Wasn't she just in Eli's room? Something weird is going on.
"If you need help, honey, just ask." Lilly passes Grace her dinner and Grace nods in response.
Rick takes a bit of his food and looks over at Jessie.
"You're awfully quiet tonight. What's up, sweetie?"
Jessie looks down at her plate and takes in a deep breath.
"Nothing, Dad. I'm just a little tired. We had gym last class today."
Eli looks at Jessie and gives her a wink. Jessie smiles softly and feels a little better.
"You should have an early night then," Rick pinches her cheek and takes a sip of wine.
"I'm planning on it," replies Jessie, relieved she doesn't have to talk any more.
Zoe fiddles with her fork and glances over at Eli.
"Eli's being quiet tonight. He must have girls on the brain!" Zoe squeals and lets out a laugh.
Eli gives a killer a stare at Zoe and takes a stab at his food.
"Is this true, Eli? Do you have girls on the brain?" Lilly teases and laughs.
Eli takes a gulp from his juice and runs his hand through his hair. Jessie glances from Eli to Grace.
"Ahem, uh...there is someone, but it's new so I don't want to jinx it yet." Eli coughs and takes another gulp of juice.
Grace looks down at her food and avoids any eye contact.
"I hope it goes well for you, sweetie" Lilly smiles and goes back to eating.
"Yes Eli, I hope it works out for you. You haven't had a serious girlfriend since Carla," remarks Rick.
Grace starts to cough and goes red. Lilly looks up at her concerned and Grace just waves her arm, indicating that she's fine.
"Well, this girl is pretty special so I'm pretty sure it'll work out," replies Eli.
"So, Mum, I have a soccer match this Friday. Do you think you can make it?"
"Friday should be fine, sweetie. I only have work in the morning...Grace are you sure you're ok? You're still quite flushed." Lilly places her hand on her forehead.
"Mum, I said I'm fine, but I might go back upstairs and do some more work." Grace gets up from her seat and puts her dishes in the sink.
"Alright. If you want dessert there's apple pie in the oven."
Grace walks out of the kitchen and Eli starts to get up to put his dishes away.
"I should go do some more practice. We have a gig this weekend."
Eli walks out of the kitchen and starts to walk upstairs to Grace's room. He knocks on her door.
"Come in,"
Eli quickly walks in and shuts the door behind him. Grace is sitting at her desk with her back to the door. He walks up behind her and starts to rub her shoulders.
"I couldn't handle it in there. Everyone asking you if you had a girlfriend and then you mentioning Carla. I just had to get out of there."
He leans down and kisses the top of her head.
"Neither could I. I wanted to tell them about us but I..."
"You can't Eli! Not yet. We have to see how this goes first. It might not even work out."
"Don't say that! You have to give us a chance. I know this can work out. You and me fit."
"It's just...why would you want to be with boring me if you can be with some totally wild chick like Carla?"
Eli gets down on his knees, looks up at Grace and she lets out a laugh.
"We've gone through this already. You like me for me. You don't have these unreachable expectations. You make me happy."
"But do you find me attractive? I mean, Carla had a great body and well, her breasts...wow."
Eli stands up and pulls Grace up with him. He looks down at her breasts and starts to reach for them. Grace quickly slaps them away.
"Carla has nothing on you in the breast department. And your beautiful, big brown eyes just make me want to swoon. And your cute, little smile makes me want to kiss you every time I see you. I promise you, I find you attractive. But you have to believe me."
"I just find that hard to do," whispers Grace and a tear spills down her cheek.
Eli wipes the tear away with his finger and kisses her wet cheek.
"Well, I'm just going to have to try harder," whispers Eli and he pulls Grace in tightly.
Chapter nine
Lilly is at the counter cutting up vegetables to put in the salad. Rich is at the stove tossing in some garlic into the bolognaise sauce. There's some jazz music playing in the background and they are both sipping glasses of wine.
"My radio show was a killer this afternoon. Some guy rang in for advice on how to handle his mother because she has alzheimer's. It became way too intense and I couldn't stop thinking about my mother."
"You mum is getting advice from the best doctors possible. You offered for her to move in here, what more can you do?" Rick shakes in some salt and pepper and stirs the sauce around.
"I know you're right. It's just a lot to take in and it was hard not being bias on the radio."
Lilly walks to the bottom of the staircase and yells, "Kids! Dinner's ready. Hurry up!"
"Well, you just have to put aside your personal issues when you're working. That's normal practice when working."
Rick takes over the sauce and spaghetti and Lilly tosses the salad. Zoe runs into the kitchen and pours herself a juice.
"Mum, can you help me with my homework after dinner? I have some multiplication to do and you know how much I hate that."
"Of course, sweetie." Lilly ruffles Zoe's hair and sits down at the table.
Jessie and Eli walk in from the garage and sit down as well.
"Does anyone know where Grace is?" asks Lilly.
Everyone shakes their head and Lilly sighs.
"I guess we can start without her. Pass me your plate, Eli"
Eli passes over his plate and Grace walks into the room. He looks up quickly at her, half smiles and Lilly notices but doesn't pay much attention.
"Is everything alright Grace? You seem flushed." Lilly hands the plate to Eli and picks up another.
"Yeah, I'm fine Mum. I've just been working hard on an essay." Grace pours herself some juice and takes a big gulp.
B/W Jessie: Wasn't she just in Eli's room? Something weird is going on.
"If you need help, honey, just ask." Lilly passes Grace her dinner and Grace nods in response.
Rick takes a bit of his food and looks over at Jessie.
"You're awfully quiet tonight. What's up, sweetie?"
Jessie looks down at her plate and takes in a deep breath.
"Nothing, Dad. I'm just a little tired. We had gym last class today."
Eli looks at Jessie and gives her a wink. Jessie smiles softly and feels a little better.
"You should have an early night then," Rick pinches her cheek and takes a sip of wine.
"I'm planning on it," replies Jessie, relieved she doesn't have to talk any more.
Zoe fiddles with her fork and glances over at Eli.
"Eli's being quiet tonight. He must have girls on the brain!" Zoe squeals and lets out a laugh.
Eli gives a killer a stare at Zoe and takes a stab at his food.
"Is this true, Eli? Do you have girls on the brain?" Lilly teases and laughs.
Eli takes a gulp from his juice and runs his hand through his hair. Jessie glances from Eli to Grace.
"Ahem, uh...there is someone, but it's new so I don't want to jinx it yet." Eli coughs and takes another gulp of juice.
Grace looks down at her food and avoids any eye contact.
"I hope it goes well for you, sweetie" Lilly smiles and goes back to eating.
"Yes Eli, I hope it works out for you. You haven't had a serious girlfriend since Carla," remarks Rick.
Grace starts to cough and goes red. Lilly looks up at her concerned and Grace just waves her arm, indicating that she's fine.
"Well, this girl is pretty special so I'm pretty sure it'll work out," replies Eli.
"So, Mum, I have a soccer match this Friday. Do you think you can make it?"
"Friday should be fine, sweetie. I only have work in the morning...Grace are you sure you're ok? You're still quite flushed." Lilly places her hand on her forehead.
"Mum, I said I'm fine, but I might go back upstairs and do some more work." Grace gets up from her seat and puts her dishes in the sink.
"Alright. If you want dessert there's apple pie in the oven."
Grace walks out of the kitchen and Eli starts to get up to put his dishes away.
"I should go do some more practice. We have a gig this weekend."
Eli walks out of the kitchen and starts to walk upstairs to Grace's room. He knocks on her door.
"Come in,"
Eli quickly walks in and shuts the door behind him. Grace is sitting at her desk with her back to the door. He walks up behind her and starts to rub her shoulders.
"I couldn't handle it in there. Everyone asking you if you had a girlfriend and then you mentioning Carla. I just had to get out of there."
He leans down and kisses the top of her head.
"Neither could I. I wanted to tell them about us but I..."
"You can't Eli! Not yet. We have to see how this goes first. It might not even work out."
"Don't say that! You have to give us a chance. I know this can work out. You and me fit."
"It's just...why would you want to be with boring me if you can be with some totally wild chick like Carla?"
Eli gets down on his knees, looks up at Grace and she lets out a laugh.
"We've gone through this already. You like me for me. You don't have these unreachable expectations. You make me happy."
"But do you find me attractive? I mean, Carla had a great body and well, her breasts...wow."
Eli stands up and pulls Grace up with him. He looks down at her breasts and starts to reach for them. Grace quickly slaps them away.
"Carla has nothing on you in the breast department. And your beautiful, big brown eyes just make me want to swoon. And your cute, little smile makes me want to kiss you every time I see you. I promise you, I find you attractive. But you have to believe me."
"I just find that hard to do," whispers Grace and a tear spills down her cheek.
Eli wipes the tear away with his finger and kisses her wet cheek.
"Well, I'm just going to have to try harder," whispers Eli and he pulls Grace in tightly.
