Chapter Five

It was like they developed a routine.

It started on Tuesday. Elizabeth was running late dropping William off at school again and Jason was just leaving Anna's classroom when the two went rushing down the hallway. She didn't have much time to say much but just smile at Jason as William tugged her along, anxious to get to his second day of class and introduce her to his teacher.

The poor woman was surrounded by four year olds, each wanting to talk to her at once, wanting her attention. She handled them with the most patience Elizabeth had ever seen, all the while holding a conversation with her.

When she left the classroom, Jason was standing there, waiting for her. He stammered a little when Elizabeth smiled at him and asked if he was following her. She found it so refreshing to mess with him a little bit, to talk to a man who was so gorgeous but didn't have an arrogance about him.

He offered to walk her to work and that was where their routine took place.

Everyday, Elizabeth and William would rush into class and Jason would wait for her and then walk her to work. She protested at first, saying that The Gallery was just around the corner and she could make it on her own, but he just shook his head and continued to walk with her.

Their walks started out uncomfortable, filled with awkward silence. But as the week progressed and Jason started to feel less uneasy around her, the silence became comfortable. When they talked, it was about the kids and how much they loved school, or about her moving in that weekend.

He never came inside The Gallery which was probably for the better since Brenda and Lucky stood right by the front door waiting for them ever since they saw her walk up with Jason the first day. Elizabeth was surprised they didn't find some way to hang around outside to meet Jason. But she was glad for it, knowing that they would most likely embarrass the hell out of her, just for fun.

It was nice to walk with Jason everyday, getting to know him little by little. It was even better to annoy Brenda and Lucky when they would bombard her with questions and she would ignore them or just shrug her shoulders with a smug smile on her lips. She would cave soon and tell them everything since she couldn't hold it in much longer, but she enjoyed their agony too much to spoil her fun just yet.

She was just leaving work to pick William up when she got to enjoy her friend's agony one last time before the weekend began.

"If you don't tell me what is going on between you and that drop dead gorgeous man before you leave, I will take your favorite pair of stilettos and burn them."

"You won't be able to, Lucky, since you love them more than I do."

He narrowed his eyes. "They make your legs look ten times longer and are your sexiest pair, but I am at my breaking point, Elizabeth. I'm willing to sacrifice the heels."

Brenda gasped, holding a hand to her heart. "Don't make him do it. You know he'll spend the entire weekend listening to Kelly Clarkson as he eats through his junk food drawer if he has to destroy them."

"I'm going to have to restock my drawer since I've been going through it like crazy trying to figure out what's been going on with you and the muscle man." Lucky pouted at Elizabeth.

She just laughed. "You too seriously need some help."

"You're going to need help when I tell you that I ripped the skirt you let me borrow."

Elizabeth's eyes widened at Brenda. "You didn't."

"I will if you don't give us some information, dammit."

It was fun while it lasted, she thought. "Nothing is going on between me and Jason. He's only been walking me to work after we both drop off the kids at school."

"That," Lucky's eyes widened, "… that is the Jason?"

"I knew it!" Brenda cheered. "A man with that sexy of a voice had to look that good."

Lucky was still gaping at Elizabeth when she laughed over her friends antics. "Yes, well, now you know."

"Why the hell have you been making us suffer all week?" Lucky asked his eyes still as wide as saucers.

Elizabeth flipped her hair, "Because it was fun." She laughed on her way out the door.

"Do you think he's only been walking her here everyday?" Brenda asked with a wiggle of her eyebrows once Elizabeth was gone.

"Probably." Lucky answered, finally over his shock. "But you know our little Lizzie. If she wants him, she'll get him eventually.

"True. But I have this funny feeling that if Elizabeth does set her sites on Jason, its going to be completely different from Patrick." Brenda's eyes began to shine as a thought crossed her mind. "What if Jason is just what Elizabeth needs to get away from that dirt bag Drake?"

"That's a great notion, but Elizabeth doesn't want to get away from Patrick."

"Yeah, well, she's full of flaws. But this Jason could just be the answer. We," she gestured to Lucky and back to her with her hand, "have to encourage her all that we can, without making it too obvious. The woman is stubborn as hell and if she thinks wanting to be with Jason isn't her idea, she'll nix it right away."

"Where do we start?"

"By finding out all we can about Jason Morgan."

"And then she gave me 'tis sticker and told me that I was a good helper."

Elizabeth smiled down at William as she held her hand up for a cab. A frustrated breath hissed between her teeth when the cab kept going. This was one thing she wasn't going to miss about moving out of her apartment. Being a woman who didn't own a car, let alone know how to drive a car, she depended on cabs, especially since she lived to far away to walk. But now that she was moving closer to The Gallery, taking a cab every morning would no longer be needed.

She felt a throbbing begin behind her left eye when another cab passed her and William.

"…and then she gave me the blue crayon because Tommy wouldn't give me his."

So caught up in trying to get a cab and not a headache, Elizabeth hadn't been paying attention to William. "Who gave you the crayon?"

William huffed out a breath, annoyed that his aunt wasn't paying attention to him. "Anna gave it to me. I like her, even though she's a girl."

He said that with such disgust Elizabeth couldn't hold back her laugh. Her hand went up to signal another cab, but her attention was directed on William. "You know, I'm a girl, too."

"But that's ok 'cause I love you."

Elizabeth stared down at William, her hand dropping from signaling the cab to rest on his head. He looked up at her, his little face scrunched in confusion. "I love you, too."

"You getting in or what?"

Her head whipped up to see a cab right in front of her, the driver giving her an irritated look. She was just about to get in when an all too familiar voice spoke up from behind.

"No they're not. I'll give them a ride home."

Elizabeth couldn't even protest as the cab sped off. She turned around to frown at the man behind her. "Why would you send my ride home away?"

Jason smirked. "I'll give you a ride home."

"Jason, you don't—"

"How are you going to get home?"

"Fine." She sighed. "William, you remember… hey! That's not nice."

William sucked his tongue back into his mouth, pouting because Anna still had hers hanging out of her mouth at him. It wasn't fair that he got in trouble so he stuck his tongue out again until his aunt tugged on his arm.

"Anna." At the sound of her father's voice, Anna sucked her tongue back into her mouth looking up at him to give him a sweet smile. He only titled his head, making her stick out her bottom lip and looking down at her feet.

Quickly over getting in trouble for making faces at a girl, William tugged on Elizabeth's hand. "I'm hungry."

"Ok, well get something once we get home."

"I was, ah…" Jason tugged on his ear, "I was going to take Anna to Pete's Pizza if you two want to come."

"Pizza!" Two little voices shouted at the same time.

"Oh… I-I don't know."

"Come on," Jason urged. "The kid's are already excited about it."

Elizabeth looked down at William, his face full of joy. Her gaze traveled to Anna, who, a minute ago was sticking her tongue out at her nephew, but was now dancing around with him shouting about pizza. When her gaze lifted back to Jason's, there was a knowing smirk on his face.

A long sighed escaped her. "Pete's Pizza it is."

Half an hour later, stomach full, head pounding from the loud music and loud children, Elizabeth sat with Jason and watched as the children ran around the inside playground.

Did every kid's joint have a damn playground in their establishment? Elizabeth thought disgustingly. What she wouldn't give for a little quiet time, going to dinner in a restaurant that didn't have kids running around. But that was impossible, she reminded herself, she couldn't go where kids didn't go since she had one of her own now.

God, she was never going to get used to that, used to having William around.

Shifting in his seat, Jason kept his eyes on the children but leaned towards Elizabeth so he wouldn't have to yell. "Are you ready to move in tomorrow?"

She focused in on his profile—a very nice profile. "Just about. I hate to leave my place, I love it, but I'm looking forward to moving into a new apartment. William can't wait to get his own room." And neither could she since William always managed to crawl into her bed at night, and then on top of her. She lost count of the times she fell out of bed after being pushed closer and closer to the edge by the kicking sleeper.

He smiled when he heard Anna giggle followed by William. "They get along really well." When Elizabeth frowned, Jason pointed to the kids. "It's good that their friends," If was Jason's turn to frown. "Anna doesn't have a lot of friends."

"Why? She's such a sweet girl."

Feeling uncomfortable about the subject, and blaming himself for Anna's lack of friends, Jason shifted again. "It's got to do more with the parents than the kids."

Her forehead creased in confusion. "I'm not following."

"Parent's don't want their kids playing with my daughter because she's my daughter."

"What? You mean to tell me you're not President of the PTA?" When she was the only one laughing at her sarcasm, Elizabeth sobered. She didn't understand what the other parents had against Jason or his daughter, she hoped to find out in time, but she had nothing against him. Seeing that the subject upset him, she put her hand on top of his. "It looks to me like Anna's got herself a friend. And you never have to worry about me not letting William around her, I happen to like her dad."

Jason let his gaze leave the children for a moment as he looked at Elizabeth. Her touch had startled him at first, but when he looked into her eyes, he could see she meant it. His eyes were soft, warm. Turning his hand over, he grasped hers, gently squeezed. "Thanks."

The children picked that moment to come charging at the two of them, smiles plastered on their faces from ear to ear. "Did you see tat?" William jumped up and down. "I flew down the slide! I went so fast." He was so excited he was gasping for breath.

"And… and… and" Not to be outdone, Anna tugged on both of the adults hands. "I went down second, and I went faster than he did."

"Nah-uh!"

"Uh-huh!"

"I guess you two are just going to have to go down again and we'll time you to see who's faster." Jason suggested in a patient manner. She didn't know how he did it, for she was about to slam her head against the table at their bickering.

Patience, she reminded herself, all she needed was some patience.

Jason stood at the bottom of the small plastic slide, waiting for the two of them to come down. William was first, then Anna. Elizabeth could see that Anna went a little faster than William but Jason only shook his head, looked serious for a moment.

"It's a tie." Jason smiled. "You're both really fast."

It was a lie, but she could see that it was a good one when both children smiled angelic smiles. When William jumped up to slap Jason's hand, she wanted to kiss him in that moment. Though William was getting along well in school, he was still a shadow of the child he used to be. He had his moments, but he wasn't the same kid.

But Jason changed that, even if it was for just a night at a pizza joint. She may not know Jason very well, but she did know that those parents that shunned him and his daughter—for whatever reason—where fools.

It was eight o'clock in the morning and someone was knocking on her door. Blinking her eyes furiously, Elizabeth threw her pillow against the wall.

Someone was going to die.

Not knowing how she made it there with her eyes still closed, Elizabeth ripped her front door open and stared grumpily at the large men standing on the other side. "What do you want?"

The largest of the three men shifted from one foot to the other. "We're, uh, we're here to help you move."

The hands that were scrubbing at her face dropped down to her sides. "What?"

"I don't know if you remember me, Ms. Webber," the large one spoke again. "But I'm Max, I showed you the apartment a week ago. Jason—"

"—is out of his freaking mind if he sent you three here this early."

"I did and I'm not." He was turning the corner when he heard Elizabeth's grumpy voice. Stepping through the three men staring down at her, Jason smiled at her disheveled appearance. She was always so put together in her little skirt suits that drove him crazy all week. But looking at her right now, her tank-top riding well above her bellybutton, her simple cotton pants riding low on her hips, didn't do too well with his sanity either.

Could this woman ever look bad?

Her frown turned on him. "I did send them here this early and I'm not out of my freaking mind."

"You sure as hell are." She snapped. "Don't you realize that's its Saturday?" Later she would feel embarrassed, but right now she was just tired and cranky.

He kept his smile at bay, leaving his expression serious. "I know its Saturday, and we're here to move you."

They had a staring contest for a moment before Elizabeth let out a huff of breath. "Fine." She left the door open, walking into the kitchen. The word coffee was the only thing running through her mind at the moment.

She walked around the kitchen like a zombie, fixing the coffee while the men began to carry boxes out her door. Once her first cup was through her system, she was finally able to see—focus on—all the men working in her living room.

Yummy.

These men obviously worked out. A lot.

Each man was bigger than the next, Jason being the biggest she summarized with some pride she didn't know why she felt for him. He was a little shorter than Max, but… damn, was it legal to have so many good looking men in her apartment at once?

It suddenly dawned on her that she was wearing no makeup, that she looked a mess, and that she was a total bitch to them when she first opened her door. And while they worked on moving her, she stood around drinking her coffee.

Clearing her throat, she called out to Jason. "I'm just going to go get changed and I'll be right out." She offered a smile, hoping he wasn't annoyed with her. His only response was a nod.

She figured she should apologize to them, but that would have to wait until she didn't look like a total mess. Moving around quietly so not to wake William, she dressed the best she could, knowing that she would have to move boxes around. She added a light layer of makeup. Shallow enough to admit that having four good looking men in her company for most of the day was reason enough to look somewhat presentable.

Besides, they were more likely to forgive her if she didn't look so much like a nasty witch that she was to them only an hour before.

Walking back into her living room, Elizabeth was pleased to see all four men in the room. "I just want to apologize for this morning," She gave a flirtatious laugh. "I'm not really a morning person."

"It's ok, Ms. Webber." One of the men reassured with a smile. "I'm Francis, by the way." She smiled up at the blonde man as he extended his hand. He had a strong but gentle grip, his smile was very appealing. All together, he was a very well put together man.

The one who walked up to her next was the complete opposite. His nose was crooked, most likely broken in a fight, maybe he was a boxer of some sort, she guessed. His smile was large, his gaze direct. "The name's Johnny." His voice oozed of sexual appeal.

Smiling, she turned to Max and remembered his earlier statement.

"Yes, I remember you Max. Who could forget a face like that?" to emphasize her question, Elizabeth pinched his cheeks. Cheeks, she laughed inwardly, that turned bright red. "It's nice to meet you all, and I just want to thank you so much for coming to help me move. I don't know how, but I'll find some way to repay you all."

"Oh, no there's no need for that." Francis shook his head.

"I can't let you guys do this huge favor for me and not find some way to thank you. It would disappoint me greatly if you don't let me thank you in my own way. I hate to be disappointed."

"And I'd hate to see you disappointed." Johnny all but purred. "You can thank me anyway you want to."

Elizabeth's smile grew when Jason thrust a box into Johnny's arms, pushing him out the door as he glared at the man, and then at Elizabeth. Well that was interesting, she thought.

Interesting indeed.