Chapter 5!
Chuck sat alone at a booth in the customer-less pie hole, which would be closed for the three days that Ned and Olive were away. She sat with the lights off, listening to hum of the radio from the kitchen. It had been only a day that Ned and Olive had been gone, and she was already more upset than she had been earlier.
She had spent the night at Ned's but had left before he had woken up, not because she was totally mad at him, but because she just did not want to say goodbye. But now Chuck was regretting her decision not to say goodbye. Not because she missed Ned, but because she was jealous of the small blonde woman who was at this moment probably flinging herself at Ned.
Ever since Ned had given up the part of his job that included touching dead people back to life Chuck had sensed something different about him, he no longer held the sense of mystery or adventure that she had fallen in love with. Her favorite part of being with Ned was how different he was, and now that he had given up what made him the most different she found that her attraction to him had greatly been diminished.
Then there was a knock on the locked door of the pie hole, and she was shaken from her thoughts. Looking over he shoulder, she saw two familiar faces looking into the darkness of the restaurant, Lily and Vivian. Slowly she sunk lower into her seat to avoid being seen, where she stayed and waited until the two aunts left.
***
Back at the cook off Olive and Ned stood in line waiting to be told where they would be staying. Behind the main tent and across a small field was an already set up camp sight, where the contestants were to stay in small pre-assigned cabins.
"Next!" Was yelled by the man at the booth, Olive and Ned stepped up together each holding their bags, but also each other's hands.
"Ned, and Olive Snook, from the pie hole." Ned said to the impatient man standing before him.
"Yes, yes, pie hole…" The man mumbled searching through his book for their name. "Ah! Yes, Cabin nine Mr. Snook." He finished, handing Ned a key.
"Um, um." Ned stammered taking the key. " I'm not Mr. Snook… Were not, I'm not." His babbling was stopped when a small hand took hold of his arm, and olive spoke.
"Only one cabin?"
"Yes, we were under the impression that you two were a married couple. I'm sorry. But yes, you have been put in only one cabin." The man said apologetically looking behind the non-couple, observing the still growing line.
"Are there any more available for one of us?" Olive asked as she stepped up to the booth.
"No ma'am everything had been reserved, now if you don't mind there are many more people waiting for their own keys. I am sorry, there is nothing I can do." He claimed as he waved the two away impatiently.
"Can you believe that?" Olive said as they began to make their way to their number nine cabin. "Yeah right, like he didn't have any other cabins open. I think he just wanted to move us along."
"I can go back and ask him again if you want Olive."
"No, no Ned! I don't mind really, I don't. That guy just annoyed me. I'm sorry."
Ned chucked a bit at Olive's over reaction, "It's cool, um, I think this is us…" He said as he stopped in front of a small white-shingled house with red shutters and doors.
"Well at least it's cute." Olive said as she skipped up the front steps and waited for Ned to unlock to door.
***
It had been about an hour, and The pie maker and Olive had finished unpacking, and were now preparing dinner together, all the while neither of them had exchanged a single word.
Olive stood at the stove, mindlessly mashing potatoes as she watched Ned set the small table across the room. She wondered…
"Hey Ned? What's up with you?" Ned looked up from the expertly set table questioningly.
"You're kinda quite, and not that you usually aren't, but you being pretty awkward." Olive said, once again looking down at the mashed potatoes as she plopped two spoonfuls onto each plate.
"Sorry." Was all Ned said as he came to her side to watch her fill her own plate with chicken and salad, and his with a mixture of cooked vegetables. He took his plate and gestured for Olive to follow him to the table.
"See, your still not talking. Is it because of the whole, ' Mr. Snook' thing?' I mean it was just a simple mistake, its not like we kissed Ned" Olive finished setting her plate down as Ned did, but neither sat down. They stood inches apart; Ned shook his head.
"No Olive that's not why I am upset. Well in a way it is, but not really."
"Why then?" she tilted her head, waiting for an answer.
"Did you ever think that I am upset exactly for that reason?"
"Which one?"
Ned wished he hadn't said anything. "Because we didn't kiss."
Olive stood dumbfounded by what Ned had said. Lost completely to reality she was brought back to it by a light hand on her arm. Before looking up into Ned's face she felt another of Ned's hands close on her back.
"Ned." She whispered desperately hoping this was not a dream of a hallucination. But when the Pie Maker's lips lightly touched hers she knew for a fact that this was no daydream. She thought as Ned deepened the kiss that this was so much better than any of her fantasies, so much more… Well perfect!
"Olive." Was all Ned said as he pulled away from the small blonde and stood up straight, still holding her arms. He smiled at her and she smiled back, it was to Ned the most perfect smile in the world.
"Sit, dinner will get cold." Olive said happily taking her place at the table.
The two finished their meal in almost complete silence, but this time it was a different kind of silence. Instead of an awkward cold silence, this was a silence filled with loving glances, and warm hands that held each other under the table.
(i wish Ned had a last name...)