Ellie had been thinking about John all day and how sweet it was of him to let her use his shower. She'd called the water company and gotten the water turned back on and switched the account information from Devon's to her own. She really wanted to do something nice for John and decided she'd make him some lemon bars. Her lemon bars were a family favorite so she quickly whipped a batch up and set them aside as they cooled.
She couldn't help but remember how it had felt the two times they'd touched each other. There was an electricity and energy that swept through their hands. Both times that it had happened, she felt exhilarated and aroused and it made her wonder that if this was caused, simply by their hands touching, what would happen if it were their lips, or other body parts touching? She smiled to herself at the thought. It had been so easy to talk with him as they'd sipped their coffee together that morning. She'd often noticed that John seemed easily irritated and annoyed with Chuck, which she admitted were feelings she often shared when it came to her lovable but ditzy brother, but she had sensed none of those vibes when John was around her. In fact, he seemed much more open and relaxed when it was just the two of them. Almost like he was a different person. She really needed to find a way to spend more time with him. Several scenarios flitted through her brain. Maybe going out to dinner with Sarah and Chuck would be a nice way to spend more time with him as John seemed comfortable with her brother and his girlfriend. Ellie decided that she'd give Chuck a buzz and see if he wanted to go out for dinner that evening.
A few minutes later, she once again found herself standing at John's front door, this time, not in a trench coat with a bag over head, nor dripping with shampoo, but rather holding a plate of lemon bars. She heard his foot-steps as he approached the door. He answered and she noted he was wearing a tight brown t-shirt that displayed even more rippling, strong muscles than what she normally saw. She had to clear her throat in order to speak.
"Ugh, Hi, John. I wanted to thank you again for helping me out this morning. I called the water company and got everything straightened out."
"Glad to hear that, Ellie." He was smiling at her and she felt the urge to clear her throat again. Remembering what she'd come for, she held the plate up to him. "I hope you like lemon bars. I made them for you. Everybody that's had them, loves them, so I hope you will as well."
John took the plate from her hands and felt an instant spark. It made him briefly think of his Cinderella. Ellie was smiling up at him waiting for some sort of reply. "Thanks, Ellie. They look delicious."
"Enjoy them, John. I had to get them out of the kitchen before Chuck spotted them as he will literally eat the whole pan. I also wanted to ask you, even though it's short notice, if you'd like to join Chuck, Sarah and myself for dinner. We're going to try a new Japanese sushi house in North Hollywood."
There, she'd gotten it out and somehow she knew he'd agree to come along.
"Sure, that sounds good. I was just trying to figure out what I was going to eat for dinner."
Bingo, she inwardly grinned, "Great, we'll knock about seven. Oh, I'm paying for your dinner just so you know."
"You don't need to pay for me. I'd like to think that if I were in the same situation, you'd shower with me- I mean let me use your shower," he quickly corrected.
Fuck, what the hell was he saying! he inwardly chastised.
Ellie's smile got bigger and her eye's sparkled as she watched his discomfort at his faux paux. "My shower is your shower, John," she cheekily replied. "See you in an hour," she chirped as she smiled at him over her shoulder, leaving him standing there with his mouth once again hanging open as it had on Halloween.
--
"Okay, Chuck, go get in-line and I'll park the car."
Ellie pulled to the curb as Chuck and Sarah got out of the back seat. She looked over to John who was in the passenger seat next to her. "Do you want to go with Chuck and Sarah or stay with me in parking purgatory?"
"I think I'll stay with you. You're going to need help."
He was right, she sighed. It was hard getting a parking spot during the dinner hour in L.A. and even harder in North Hollywood. They circled the block twice, just in case a car was leaving one of the metered, curb spots, but they had no such luck. Ellie now found herself circling the never ending levels of the nearby parking garage. Of course, she finally found a spot on the top floor of the garage. She and John now found themselves standing in a long line to prepay and get their exit ticket.
Ellie sighed as the line to pay crept along. She had been enjoying her time with John as they easily chatted with each other.
"Guess what I got to do today, John?" she excitedly asked.
John smiled at her bubbly exuberance. "What?" he replied as he watched her lovely face.
"I got to deliver a baby today! Normally we call OB/GYN down to handle that, but she was already dilated and having contractions and that baby was not going to wait for anyone, so I got to bring her into the world!"
"Was that the first baby you've delivered?"
"No, my third. It's not something we normally do in the ER, we send them upstairs."
John wanted to tell her that he too had once delivered a baby when he was in Afghanistan, but as usual, he had to keep it all inside. Never getting to share the good stuff that he'd experienced. "That sure would be exciting," he honestly replied.
"It was. It kind of uplifts you and takes your mind off the more stressful cases we normally see in the ER." She happily continued, "I'm glad you stayed with me, John, it's nice to have someone to talk to. I get really impatient and you're keeping my mind off the fact that I'm so hungry I could eat my shoe."
"Well, we're up next, and, by the time we get back to the restaurant, Chuck should have a table so it'll work out fine."
Just then, Ellie's cell rang and she irritatedly sighed and answered it. John watched her expressive face. Her eye's rolled slightly as she spoke. Somehow, he knew she was talking to Chuck. He smirked, appreciating the fact that she experienced the same irritations that he did with the like-able, but somewhat annoying Chuck.
"Chuck left his wallet in the car. Can you hold our place and I'll run back and get it for him?"
"No, you don't need to do that, I'll run back and get it. Let me have your keys."
Ellie handed him the keys, and there it was again, that hot jolt of pleasure she felt as their hands brushed together. Their eye's held for a brief second then he was off, jogging back up the ramp towards her car.
Ellie watched him as he jogged back to the car. It was driving her crazy and she knew that he'd felt and noticed it too. What was she going to do she sighed as she turned back, noting that it was finally her turn to pay.
John quickly made it back to the car and opened the rear door to check the seat for Chuck's wallet. Leave it to the kid to further slow them down he groused to himself. But, he was enjoying spending the time with Ellie. He eyed the back seat for the wallet and when he didn't find it, he looked on the floor and spied it laying under the corner of a shopping bag that was shoved behind the drivers seat. As he retrieved the wallet, he did a double take when he clearly saw a distinctive black and red patent leather heel peeking out of the bag. Hope flooded his being. 'Could it be, could I be so lucky?' he thought to himself. He quickly opened the bag and dumped the contents onto the floorboard. There, laying before him, were the infamous three inch stilettos. He noted they were size eight and one had it's heel intact while it's mate, did not. He felt a rush of euphoria come over him. Ellie, Ellie was his Cinderella!
"Hot Damn! you little minx," he grinned as he quickly wrapped them back up in the bag and tucked them back under her seat.
