and buried her grin in my neck. “Aww. Did I make you blush?” he crooned and smiled at me.
“And this is Josiah,” I said as I felt a small hand tugging the hem of my shirt back.
“Hey,” Jo said.
“Hey, sport,” Eli said and held his hand out for a low five. Josiah slapped it eagerly and grinned. “How are you, man?”
“I’m good. How are you? Man,” Josiah said awkwardly, trying to play big boy.
“I’m awesome,” Eli chuckled.
“Where’s your mom, Jo?” I asked and followed his point to the kitchen. “Mrs. Ruth, hey. This is Eli, the guy I told you about.”
“You talked about me, huh?” Eli whispered in my ear behind me before making his way around and smiling as he said hi to Mrs. Ruth.
“Hi there, young man. It’s nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you, too.”
“Are you staying for supper?”
“Actually, I wanted to ask if you minded if I took Clara out for dinner. And then go back to my house for a little while.”
“And where do you live, Eli?”
“A couple streets over. At the bed and breakfast.”
“Oh, I love that house! Are your parents renovating it?”
“Sort of,” Eli answered and quickly changed the subject. “So I can ask your husband for permission to take out Clara if I need to,” he said respectfully.
“Oh, he’s at the church tonight. He hosts the AA meetings so he won’t be home. But if you’ll write your cell phone number on the fridge right there on that pad, them I’m perfectly fine with Clara going with you, if you bring her home by midnight.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he said smiling and went to do what she asked.
I debated going to change my clothes but didn’t want Eli to think I was more shallow than he already did, so I just said goodbye to Mrs. Ruth and we were gone. We walked to his house, the street was loud and noisy from school traffic, and he opened the passenger door to a black ‘69 Chevy Chevelle in front of his house.
“This is your car?” I stopped in awe.
“Yep.”
“Why don’t you drive it to school?”
“Because I can walk, it’s so close. Plus,” he swept his arm for me to enter, “I don’t want to answer questions about how an eighteen year old kid can afford a car like this.”
“I see,” I said, though I really didn’t, as I climbed in and he shut my door.
Once he jumped in his side and started the deep rumbling engine, he pulled out and started down the street the opposite way.
“So I’m assuming this is a classic or something?’ His face was quite funny when he looked at me, like I was a totally clueless girly girl, so I forged on. “Where are we going?”
“Do you like pizza?”
“Sure, who doesn’t?” I said laughing. “What kind of question is that to ask a teenager?”
“The times have changed.”
“You are very cryptic, Eli.”
“I know,” he muttered through a chuckle. “I’m sorry.”
“You can’t tell me what’s going on first and then take me to eat?”
“No. I want you to enjoy your meal.”
“Eli, please,” I said, turning to him. “You’re really freaking me out-”
“Hey, hey,” he said sweetly and reached for my hand. “I promised didn’t I? I will tell you everything, but you can’t be scared. Ok? I know I haven’t earned your trust but I need you to trust me for tonight.”
“Eli, really, this is...” I sighed.
“I know. Please, Clara? Please trust me.”
I sighed again and said nothing, just looked out the window. It was strange how I felt so at ease with him but I didn’t really know him. Something was definitely happening. I mean the Reveries...they were real. It was real. I was confused about a lot of things but the fact that he didn’t just walk into my life by accident was evident to me. So I sat and waited and tried to be patient.
We arrived at the pizza place and he came around to
“And this is Josiah,” I said as I felt a small hand tugging the hem of my shirt back.
“Hey,” Jo said.
“Hey, sport,” Eli said and held his hand out for a low five. Josiah slapped it eagerly and grinned. “How are you, man?”
“I’m good. How are you? Man,” Josiah said awkwardly, trying to play big boy.
“I’m awesome,” Eli chuckled.
“Where’s your mom, Jo?” I asked and followed his point to the kitchen. “Mrs. Ruth, hey. This is Eli, the guy I told you about.”
“You talked about me, huh?” Eli whispered in my ear behind me before making his way around and smiling as he said hi to Mrs. Ruth.
“Hi there, young man. It’s nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you, too.”
“Are you staying for supper?”
“Actually, I wanted to ask if you minded if I took Clara out for dinner. And then go back to my house for a little while.”
“And where do you live, Eli?”
“A couple streets over. At the bed and breakfast.”
“Oh, I love that house! Are your parents renovating it?”
“Sort of,” Eli answered and quickly changed the subject. “So I can ask your husband for permission to take out Clara if I need to,” he said respectfully.
“Oh, he’s at the church tonight. He hosts the AA meetings so he won’t be home. But if you’ll write your cell phone number on the fridge right there on that pad, them I’m perfectly fine with Clara going with you, if you bring her home by midnight.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he said smiling and went to do what she asked.
I debated going to change my clothes but didn’t want Eli to think I was more shallow than he already did, so I just said goodbye to Mrs. Ruth and we were gone. We walked to his house, the street was loud and noisy from school traffic, and he opened the passenger door to a black ‘69 Chevy Chevelle in front of his house.
“This is your car?” I stopped in awe.
“Yep.”
“Why don’t you drive it to school?”
“Because I can walk, it’s so close. Plus,” he swept his arm for me to enter, “I don’t want to answer questions about how an eighteen year old kid can afford a car like this.”
“I see,” I said, though I really didn’t, as I climbed in and he shut my door.
Once he jumped in his side and started the deep rumbling engine, he pulled out and started down the street the opposite way.
“So I’m assuming this is a classic or something?’ His face was quite funny when he looked at me, like I was a totally clueless girly girl, so I forged on. “Where are we going?”
“Do you like pizza?”
“Sure, who doesn’t?” I said laughing. “What kind of question is that to ask a teenager?”
“The times have changed.”
“You are very cryptic, Eli.”
“I know,” he muttered through a chuckle. “I’m sorry.”
“You can’t tell me what’s going on first and then take me to eat?”
“No. I want you to enjoy your meal.”
“Eli, please,” I said, turning to him. “You’re really freaking me out-”
“Hey, hey,” he said sweetly and reached for my hand. “I promised didn’t I? I will tell you everything, but you can’t be scared. Ok? I know I haven’t earned your trust but I need you to trust me for tonight.”
“Eli, really, this is...” I sighed.
“I know. Please, Clara? Please trust me.”
I sighed again and said nothing, just looked out the window. It was strange how I felt so at ease with him but I didn’t really know him. Something was definitely happening. I mean the Reveries...they were real. It was real. I was confused about a lot of things but the fact that he didn’t just walk into my life by accident was evident to me. So I sat and waited and tried to be patient.
We arrived at the pizza place and he came around to
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