you'll want to get together so you can tell me she can't have china settings, either?"
Eli blinked, made himself step back into the here and now, and laughed. "I'm not waiting until I get back, coppertop. I'll be calling you every day. Which reminds me," he said, and he stepped around her, reached into the glove box of his truck, and handed her a cell phone. "Keep it on you. I want to be able to deep-six china settings at a moment's notice."
Marnie smiled broadly as she took the phone. "Nice one. I'll see if I can get it to work." And she winked back at him, touched her hand to his once more, and stepped around him. "Thanks again, Eli. For dinner. For Bingo…"
"Yeah," he said, and shoved a hand through his hair, feeling awkward, as if he were on a date or something. But this was not a date. Not even close. This was not even in the same universe as a date.
Marnie seemed to sense his awkwardness and laughed lightly before starting up the walk to her house.
"Remember what we talked about!" he called after her.
"Manage expectations!" she responded over her shoulder and continued on, swinging that lovely ass as she walked.
Eli watched her walk all the way to the door. It was the polite thing to do, he told himself, although he knew damn well it had nothing to do with polite. She put a key in the lock, and pushed it open a little, then turned and waved to him before disappearing inside.
Only then could Eli make his legs move, and he got in his truck, started it up, and wondered what the hell just happened to him. Whatever it was, it felt alarmingly good.
----
Chapter Ten
MARNIE awoke the next day feeling on top of the world,. Even Bingo's accident couldn't bring her down. When she went to pick him up from the emergency vet, he bounded out of the back room like a puppy in a cast. Bingo, it seemed, was going to be fine.
Marnie returned the dog home to Mom, who was busy making enchiladas for the book club party that night, which, she cheerfully informed Marnie, was going to include the husbands.
"What's the occasion?" Marnie asked as Mom got down on her knees to greet Bingo properly.
"
Ah buh buh buh
," she said to Bingo as she mashed her forehead to his. "Nothing really. We just want them to feel included.
Ah buh buh buh
. Look at his cast! My poor puppy needs a treat," she said, and motioned for Marnie to help her up. "They're in the pantry, honey. Get him a pig ear, will you?"
"So okay," Marnie said as she gave Bingo a pig ear, "I'm outta here."
"Are you going off with that nice man?" Mom asked coyly as she rolled another enchilada.
No
, Mom," Marnie responded, trying her best to sound disgusted. But it wasn't working—she sounded downright giddy. Nevertheless, she continued, "That nice man is my boss, and besides, he's out of town."
"Oh, that's too bad," Mom said, then suddenly gasped and jerked around to Marnie, her eyes as big as saucers. "Are you going to be with Olivia Dagwood again? Is that where you're going? With Olivia Dagwood?"
"Mom!" Marnie cried, and slid across the saltillo tile floor to grab her mom by the shoulders. "You have
got
to stop saying her name! I told you, it's a
huge
secret. Quit talking about Olivia to the book club, and quit running to the front window every time you hear a sports car!"
"Where are you two going today?" her bright-eyed mom asked. "Shopping? Are you going shopping with Olivia Dagwood? I wonder where she shops. Probably Montrose, right?"
"You're too hip for me, Mom," Marnie said, and grabbed her bag with the new cell phone in it, the very same cell phone she would never tell her mother about, and said, "I'll see you later!" as she raced out of the kitchen.
Once outside, she put a hand over her eyes and peered down the drive into the garage. "Bye, Dad!" she called.
"Bye, honey! Drive carefully now," came a reply from within the cave.
As Marnie backed out of the drive and headed down the street, she caught a glimpse of her mother in the front window, the cordless
Eli blinked, made himself step back into the here and now, and laughed. "I'm not waiting until I get back, coppertop. I'll be calling you every day. Which reminds me," he said, and he stepped around her, reached into the glove box of his truck, and handed her a cell phone. "Keep it on you. I want to be able to deep-six china settings at a moment's notice."
Marnie smiled broadly as she took the phone. "Nice one. I'll see if I can get it to work." And she winked back at him, touched her hand to his once more, and stepped around him. "Thanks again, Eli. For dinner. For Bingo…"
"Yeah," he said, and shoved a hand through his hair, feeling awkward, as if he were on a date or something. But this was not a date. Not even close. This was not even in the same universe as a date.
Marnie seemed to sense his awkwardness and laughed lightly before starting up the walk to her house.
"Remember what we talked about!" he called after her.
"Manage expectations!" she responded over her shoulder and continued on, swinging that lovely ass as she walked.
Eli watched her walk all the way to the door. It was the polite thing to do, he told himself, although he knew damn well it had nothing to do with polite. She put a key in the lock, and pushed it open a little, then turned and waved to him before disappearing inside.
Only then could Eli make his legs move, and he got in his truck, started it up, and wondered what the hell just happened to him. Whatever it was, it felt alarmingly good.
----
Chapter Ten
MARNIE awoke the next day feeling on top of the world,. Even Bingo's accident couldn't bring her down. When she went to pick him up from the emergency vet, he bounded out of the back room like a puppy in a cast. Bingo, it seemed, was going to be fine.
Marnie returned the dog home to Mom, who was busy making enchiladas for the book club party that night, which, she cheerfully informed Marnie, was going to include the husbands.
"What's the occasion?" Marnie asked as Mom got down on her knees to greet Bingo properly.
"
Ah buh buh buh
," she said to Bingo as she mashed her forehead to his. "Nothing really. We just want them to feel included.
Ah buh buh buh
. Look at his cast! My poor puppy needs a treat," she said, and motioned for Marnie to help her up. "They're in the pantry, honey. Get him a pig ear, will you?"
"So okay," Marnie said as she gave Bingo a pig ear, "I'm outta here."
"Are you going off with that nice man?" Mom asked coyly as she rolled another enchilada.
No
, Mom," Marnie responded, trying her best to sound disgusted. But it wasn't working—she sounded downright giddy. Nevertheless, she continued, "That nice man is my boss, and besides, he's out of town."
"Oh, that's too bad," Mom said, then suddenly gasped and jerked around to Marnie, her eyes as big as saucers. "Are you going to be with Olivia Dagwood again? Is that where you're going? With Olivia Dagwood?"
"Mom!" Marnie cried, and slid across the saltillo tile floor to grab her mom by the shoulders. "You have
got
to stop saying her name! I told you, it's a
huge
secret. Quit talking about Olivia to the book club, and quit running to the front window every time you hear a sports car!"
"Where are you two going today?" her bright-eyed mom asked. "Shopping? Are you going shopping with Olivia Dagwood? I wonder where she shops. Probably Montrose, right?"
"You're too hip for me, Mom," Marnie said, and grabbed her bag with the new cell phone in it, the very same cell phone she would never tell her mother about, and said, "I'll see you later!" as she raced out of the kitchen.
Once outside, she put a hand over her eyes and peered down the drive into the garage. "Bye, Dad!" she called.
"Bye, honey! Drive carefully now," came a reply from within the cave.
As Marnie backed out of the drive and headed down the street, she caught a glimpse of her mother in the front window, the cordless
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