Chapter Six

The lounge room was like that of an old people's home, snug, cozzie and welcoming. The furniture was old fashioned, the material covered in flower patterns, and when you sat in them they were very cushiony. Sanji's kitchen was small and the dining room had a large wooden rectangular table with eight chairs. Outside the back door was another veranda with a little dog barking and wagging its tail frantically with excitement.

"They aren't here yet. We can just make ourselves comfortable until they show up." He said walking back to the kitchen. "Do you want anything to eat my sweet?" Sanji shot a goofy smile over at Eri.

"Um, no thanks, but I would like some tea please."

"Coming right up, Eri-swan!"

"So... is this the kind of place you would like to own someday? Or do you want to live someplace else?"

Sanji was in the kitchen flicking the kettle on, when he turned to her.
"I would like to live in a cozzie place, but not quite like this. Maybe something more modern and," He looked around with a humours grin, "with a bigger kitchen." He chuckled.

"Do-do you like cooking that much?"

"I want to be a chef actually." He grinned.

This surprised Eri, they had been going out for about a month but she never knew this. She felt a bit horrible, this was something important to Sanji but she never asked what his ambitions were.

"Are you thinking about running your own restaurant?"

Sanji nodded. "I have a friend who can help me build it," He puffed out a cloud of smoke. "and another who helped me design it. It's going to be big." The kettle whistled and he began pouring the hot water into the coffee mug.

"Oh, wow, that sounds amazing." She murmured, as he handed her the cup.

"So, what about you? Got any big dreams?" He leaned onto his hand and watched her, his eyes tender.

"Not at the moment," She stared into her cup. "I don't know what I want to do yet." She whispered.

"Well, there's plenty of time. And besides," He stared into her eyes with a gentle gaze, "if you can't think of anything you can always run the restaurant with me."

Eri was taken aback by this, 'it's like... he's really serious about me... about us...' She stared at him.

"What's wrong?" He looked at her, a worried expression on his face.
"Oh, nothing, it's just that..."
"What, my sweet?"
"It's just, I didn't realise that you were so serious about me."
Sanji looked surprised to hear this, as though it should have been obvious that he was thinking of her that way.
His eyes then softened as he reached over to clasp both of her hands in is own.
"Of course I am this serious about you."

Eri couldn't help but gasp out loud. She felt almost paralysed, her heart was beating so loud.
"Eri-swan?" Sanji went to reach over to gently caress her cheek.

"SANJI!" A loud voice called from the front door. "WE'RE HOME!"
"We're in here, mum!" He called back. Turning to Eri he noticed her face was more pink than usual. The shock of his confession still making her heart race along with his parents just walking into the door was a little overwhelming for her.

When Sanji's mother walked into the door she was carrying several plastic bags on either arm. "Sanji could you please help me with these dear?"
"Sure mum." Sanji rushed up to carry some of the groceries from her.

His mother was an average height, she was plump with ginger-brown hair.
"She's gorgeous!" His mother exclaimed! "Hello, dear, I'm Sanji's mum but you can call me Miranda!" She smiled excitedly as she shook Eri's hand. "Come in here honey!" She called not soon before Sanji's father walked in.
"Ah-ha!" He said as if coming to a conclusion to a well thought problem.

"Hello my dear, I'm Sanji's father!" He said kissing her hand politely. "You can call me Patt."
Patt was a tall man with short dark hair and blue eyes like Sanji's. He also had the same curly eye brows as his son, the only other difference between Sanji and his father was that Patt was also a little chubby like Miranda.

"Been treating her well have you son?" Patt grinned at Sanji as he sat down at the table. "You better have been a gentleman to this pretty young lady just like a taught you!" He chuckled.
"Of course pap." Sanji said as he occupied himself with putting away the groceries.

It all went very well and Eri's fears of Sanji's parents not liking her faded. They all got along very well and Eri started to wonder just how far their relationship would end up going?