Chapter 5
Chapter 5
Personal Encounters
Elizabeth fumbled around her easel looking for green #5. The class was painting fruit today, and her pear was looking more like a small watermelon by the minute. Giving up, she headed over to the supply closet and started searching through the vast number of tubes labeled green. She stood on her toes, attempting to reach up to the third shelf, when a strong pair of arms grasped her waist and hoisted her up. Elizabeth fumbled out of surprise, and slipped from the man's tight grip. The man's hand accidentally slid from her waist up underneath her shirt while trying to catch her fall. Elizabeth abruptly turned to move his hands from her chest to her back, while he once again secured his grip and broke her fall. Elizabeth's face was mere inches from Jeremy's face.
"Jeremy," she gasped, as she moved from his embrace and quickly straightened out her shirt.
"Liz, I'm so sorry. I was just trying to help you, but you moved- and I tried to catch you…" the blush on Jeremy's face was getting brighter by the moment.
"It's fine." Elizabeth quickly replied, grabbing the first tube of green she saw and quickly making her way out of the supply closet.
"Liz," Jeremy gently grabbed her arm, "I really am sorry. I just wanted to help." Jeremy smiled, and let loose of her arm.
"I know," Elizabeth replied softly, "you just took me by surprise. It's no big deal." As she started to walk away, Jeremy once again grabbed her arm.
"Liz, I was going to ask you, I'm really struggling with this new technique-and you are so amazing…I was just wondering if you could possibly meet up with me tonight for a study session." Elizabeth looked down to the floor,
"Jeremy, it's nicely outlined in the readings…"
"But it isn't the same as an actual demonstration, please Liz, I really need this grade." Elizabeth looked up, and nodded her head.
"Great!" Jeremy replied, "My place at eight!"
"Actually Jeremy, lets do my place at six." Elizabeth quickly corrected. "From six to eight should give us plenty of time." Jeremy nodded his head,
"Hey do you want to catch some dinner beforehand?"
"Jeremy this is a study session, not a date," Elizabeth laughed as she turned back towards her easel.
"Right," Jeremy whispered quietly with a sigh as he walked back over to his work station.
Will took a sharp left right before the line of scrimmage and threw a long pass to Dave, a junior running back. The ball landed perfectly in his hands as he ran across the goal line.
"Perfect Will!" Praised Coach Jones as he watched from the side line.
"You just need to watch yourself; you leave yourself open for quite a hit breaking from the line like that." Will nodded, and took off his helmet.
"That is what Jeremy is for coach." Will smiled, and patted his defensive end's back. Jeremy just nodded as he removed his helmet.
"That's a day, hit the showers!" Coach Jones called as he headed off the field. The team started to slowly mass towards the locker room. Jeremy came up from behind Will,
"So how has it been going Will?"
"Great, and you?" Will quickly glanced at his watch, it was almost 5pm.
"Great!" Jeremy replied with some awkwardness, as he continued to stare at Will.
"Great!" Will replied with a slightly confused look on his face, "well then I guess I will catch you later." Will continued as he started back towards the locker room.
"So I'm seeing Elizabeth later on tonight." Jeremy continued as Will started to walk away.
"So am I," Will replied calmly as he briefly turned back around, "I guess I will see you later then." He turned once again,
"She's giving me a painting lesson that's all…she is really great." This statement however got Will's full attention as he turned to face Jeremy once again.
"Yes she is, I'm a lucky guy." Will replied with a more serious tone.
"Yes you are…" Jeremy seemed to daze off for a moment, "Well, I'll see you later Will." Jeremy slowly walked pass Will, who remained standing idle briefly before he started to make his way back to the locker room. He decided to skip the shower, grabbed his bag, and started towards the campus bus stop. While digging though his bag in search of his phone, he felt a vibration come from the pocket of his hooded sweatshirt. He quickly grabbed the phone from his pocket and answered, it was as if she had read his mind…
"Hey babe."
"Will, what are you up to?" Elizabeth responded cheerily.
"I was just wondering the same thing?"
"Well, I made some Ramen, and there is an extra box on my counter with your name all over it."
"Hmmm Ramen, sounds nutritious." Will replied cheekily,
"Well, after you eat your dinner you can have some dessert." Elizabeth replied in her best motherly voice.
"I was thinking about dessert all night last night." William amorously replied.
"I was talking about the ice crème in my freezer, but I can see where your thoughts are."
"Always on you dear."
"Well then get your bum over here."
"Ok, see you soon." Will replied as the bus pulled into the stop.
Elizabeth was setting up her art supplies when she heard the key at the door. She quickly set down her brushes and went to hide behind the door. As the door opened and Will stepped in she jumped out from behind the door,
"Ahhh!" She screamed. Will looked like a deer in the headlights, as he dropped his bag and held a hand up to stop her advance. Elizabeth laughed in delight and she closed the door.
"Just keeping you on your toes dear!" She exclaimed as she draped her arms around his neck.
"Will, you are freezing," she ran her hands though his hair over his cold cheeks, "where is you hat?" Will ignored her comment and quickly kissed her.
"I guess you will just have to warm me up," he smirked as he pulled her closer.
"Not until you shower," she commanded as she rewarded him with one last kiss before pulling away.
"I just washed a pair of your sweatpants this morning, so quick go shower while I heat up your dinner." Will made his way to her bedroom and grabbed a pair of fresh boxers, a T-shirt, and sweatpants from his token drawer in her dresser. He set them on the edge of her bed, then made his way into the bathroom and started to peel off his clothes.
"So I hear you're having a guest over tonight," he called out from the bathroom as he started the shower.
"I can't help it I'm so amazing." Elizabeth replied as she put the noodles into the microwave.
"That's what I hear," Will said under his breath as he climbed into the shower. He grabbed the lavender/lilac body wash and started to lather himself up. Truth be told, he actually rather enjoyed showering at Elizabeth's apartment. Although all of her products were very feminine, the scents were always very relaxing and made his skin feel so soft. Her shower curtain, covered in green leaves, added to the ambiance, making him feel like he was showering in a floral garden. Elizabeth set a plate, silverware, and a glass of milk on the table. She then went back into her bedroom, flipped on some music, and began to fold the remaining basket of clothing from the wash that morning. Will continued his garden escapade and poured some rose scented shampoo into his hand, then started to lather up his hair.
Joseph straightened out his shirt before knocking on the door to Elizabeth's apartment. After a few moments of silence he knocked again. Still no answer, he tested the door knob and the door slowly opened. He decided to let himself in, and carefully entered the small kitchen/living room area. On the table in the kitchen he saw a dinner setting for one prepared with a glass of milk. A small smile crept across his face as he thought of the comment he made earlier to Elizabeth about dinner. She must have prepared something for him, knowing he had just got out of practice. He went over and took a quick drink of milk before continuing his search. "Elizabeth," he gently called out. He heard music coming from the bedroom, but as he approached the hall he heard the shower running. His mind was racing; he couldn't let her come out of the shower not knowing he was in her apartment. What if she came out of the bathroom nude, not that he would mind the view, but it would most likely scare her to death and put a small glitch in his current plans to win her heart. He had to tell her he was here, he knocked silently on the bathroom door, the shower kept running and the room was full of steam as he opened the door to the bathroom.
"Elizabeth," he called again. No answer, he slowly approached the shower admiring the artistic shower curtain. Just before he called out again the shower abruptly stopped, and before Jeremy could say another word the shower curtain was pulled wide open.
There was Will standing dripping wet in all his glory. The look on Will's face mirrored Jeremy's, shock and horror.
"What the hell are you doing?" Will exclaimed as he quickly grabbed a towel from the rack.
"I'm sorry I thought you were Elizabeth!" Jeremy apologized before he realized what he said.
"You thought what!" Will screamed with fury. Elizabeth hearing the ruckus finally appeared in the bathroom.
"What is going on in here?" She asked first looking at Jeremy then at her dripping wet boyfriend.
"Elizabeth I am so sorry!" Jeremy quickly stated, "I was…"
"He was sneaking up on you in the shower." Will exclaimed in outrage as he stepped towards Jeremy.
"Will, calm down, you were in the shower not me." She quickly stepped between the two, "I'm sure Jeremy has a good explanation on his actions." She looked expectantly at Jeremy. Jeremy quickly held his hands out in front of him as to signal everyone to calm down.
'I do, I swear!" He exclaimed first, "I knocked on the door, multiple times, and no one answered so I let myself in."
"How courteous of you." Will snapped, Elizabeth gently placed a hand on his wet chest to soothe him, and looked at Jeremy to continue.
"I heard the shower and didn't want Elizabeth to come out not knowing I was here."
"It's called knocking, you should try it." Will snapped again.
"Will, I knocked and no one answered, I even called out as I came in." Elizabeth looked to Will,
"I was washing my hair." He stated plainly.
"Look I'm sorry, I just didn't want Elizabeth to get out of the shower without knowing I was in her apartment." He then looked to Elizabeth,
"I just didn't want to put you in an awkward situation."
"So you decided to creep up on her in the shower instead!" Will replied, his eyes filled with rage.
"Will, it was an honest mistake." Elizabeth calmly replied then looked to Jeremy,
"Jeremy will you go out into the living room please and wait for me." Jeremy nodded and headed out of the bathroom. Elizabeth then looked back to Will who was now seated on her wicker clothing basket and was running his hand through his wet hair. She grabbed a towel and made her way over to him. Silently she sat on his lap and started to towel off his hair, massaging his scalp through the towel as she dried. He sighed and rested his forehead on her shoulder as she finished. Will didn't handle being angry well. He normally didn't express his emotions outwardly to anyone but Elizabeth, so being openly angry with Jeremy was very hard on him. He kept his forehead on her shoulder, his breathing finally starting to even out.
"Feel better?" she asked as she wrapped an arm around his shoulders and pulled him in close to her. His head went from her shoulder to her chest. As much as he hated to admit it, her ploy was working. His anger just could not prevail in such a happy place as his head being pillowed on her chest.
"Slightly," he mumbled as he nestled further in, wrapping his arms around her waist.
"Will," she gently pulled his head up to meet her gaze. "It was an accident, nothing happened." She lightly giggled, "he didn't' see anything he hasn't seen before." Will wrapped his arm tighter around her waist as he fought the smile that crept upon his face.
"I think he was disappointed." He practically whispered, lowering his gaze back to her chest.
"I would have rather enjoyed the view," she smiled as she pulled his head back up and lightly kissed him.
"Liz, what if…"
"Nothing happened, and there will be no next time, so don't worry about it." She reassured as she kissed him again.
"Now, I have to go tutor him in art. The sooner I start the quicker he can go." Will nodded as he claimed her lips once more before she got up.
"Your dinner is ready when you put your clothes on." She reminded as she headed out the bathroom door.
Will stood and finished drying off before retying the towel around his waist. As he headed out of the bathroom, he briefly glanced into the living room and saw Elizabeth drawing outlines and pointing in a book while talking to Jeremy. Will continued into her bedroom and picked up his clothes of the bed. When he finished getting dressed he headed out into the kitchen, picked up his glass of milk off the table, and headed to the microwave for his ramen. Just as the glass reached his lips he heard Jeremy yell,
"Wait!"
Sorry about the wait! It has been a busy couple of weeks. I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Reviews are appreciated as always : )
