Alex for letting her get away with it. Everything tasted fine to her and Alex reassured her that it was fine, to which, Howard laughed harder and louder and told Alex to grow a certain pair of round objects that males often referred to when talking about gumption.
Alex had waived him off and asked for desert. Him and Howard watched some football while the girls cleaned the kitchen and then stood around in the there, waiting for the men to be done. Elena personally didn’t want to sit in there with Howard and didn’t think Pam did either.
So they stood in the kitchen, finishing off the last chunk of cobbler together at the counter. Elena asked her questions but Pam seemed embarrassed to talk about anything. Elena knew Howard belittled her so, maybe she was self conscious.
After the guests were gone, it was approaching bedtime and Elena wondered more about the sleeping arrangements. They were married after all. She had seen the marriage certificate. It wasn’t fair to make Alex sleep on the couch every night. It had been a month. He was a gentleman and she believed he would do anything she didn’t want to. In fact, he had told her just that.
Elena didn’t know how to exactly bring that up gracefully, especially after that kiss... They hadn’t spoken of it or brought up the kiss in any way. He hadn’t touched her either or gotten near her really. She wondered about it and knew for a fact he had too. Whether he was thinking it was good or bad was left to be seen.
Alex was sitting in his chair reading so she grabbed a glass of tea and brought it to him and tried to make small talk instead. He said thanks but looked up at her a little awestruck by her gesture. She realized she’d been only doing things that she knew needed done or that he asked her to do. She had never just done something nice for him before this, for no reason.
“Is there anything you particularly like to eat that you want me to start making?”
“Uh...not really. You’re a really good cook. I’m fine with whatever you want to make. I wasn’t exactly allowed to be picky growing up so, I’m not picky now.”
She nodded and then went on.
“OK...well if you think of anything, just let me know. I’m basically just making my grandma’s old recipes so...”
“Your grandma likes to cook?”
“Yeah, you could say that. I do too. I used to cook with her all the time, when she was alive.”
“I’m sorry about that, but I guess it’s good you like to cook. I don’t like taxes, so being the tax man kinda gets old.” He smiled and chuckled a little but she could tell he meant it.
“I know how that is. I never really found a job I absolutely loved either.”
“Well, you’re a good housewife.”
“Thanks,” she said thoughtfully.
He sighed and closed his book, frowning.
“I didn’t mean it like that...I just...”
“I know, its fine. At least I do like those things. You’re right.”
He continued to stare at her, guilt on his face. Guilt over feeling like he was making her do something she didn’t want to, even though neither had much of a choice at this point.
Elena stood up, looking down and walked to the kitchen to get a snack. There was a jar of green olives in the fridge and she couldn’t resist them nor the exit she needed from Alex’s guilty expression. Also, sweet Alex had heard her say something about Diet Cherry Coke and had picked her up a case. He was trying to make her as comfortable as prying eyes would allow.
She grabbed the cold can and jar from the fridge and bumped into him as she turned around, spilling olive juice down his shirt. How does he do that? He’s like some kinda...ninja.
“Sorry,” they both muttered in unison, feeling awkward as their faces almost bumped into the others.
As she ran to the sink to grab a towel and try to clean him up, he was already unbuttoning his shirt to remove it as he spoke.
“Elena, look, I’m sorry. I feel like I’m making you...I want you to be happy here but
Alex had waived him off and asked for desert. Him and Howard watched some football while the girls cleaned the kitchen and then stood around in the there, waiting for the men to be done. Elena personally didn’t want to sit in there with Howard and didn’t think Pam did either.
So they stood in the kitchen, finishing off the last chunk of cobbler together at the counter. Elena asked her questions but Pam seemed embarrassed to talk about anything. Elena knew Howard belittled her so, maybe she was self conscious.
After the guests were gone, it was approaching bedtime and Elena wondered more about the sleeping arrangements. They were married after all. She had seen the marriage certificate. It wasn’t fair to make Alex sleep on the couch every night. It had been a month. He was a gentleman and she believed he would do anything she didn’t want to. In fact, he had told her just that.
Elena didn’t know how to exactly bring that up gracefully, especially after that kiss... They hadn’t spoken of it or brought up the kiss in any way. He hadn’t touched her either or gotten near her really. She wondered about it and knew for a fact he had too. Whether he was thinking it was good or bad was left to be seen.
Alex was sitting in his chair reading so she grabbed a glass of tea and brought it to him and tried to make small talk instead. He said thanks but looked up at her a little awestruck by her gesture. She realized she’d been only doing things that she knew needed done or that he asked her to do. She had never just done something nice for him before this, for no reason.
“Is there anything you particularly like to eat that you want me to start making?”
“Uh...not really. You’re a really good cook. I’m fine with whatever you want to make. I wasn’t exactly allowed to be picky growing up so, I’m not picky now.”
She nodded and then went on.
“OK...well if you think of anything, just let me know. I’m basically just making my grandma’s old recipes so...”
“Your grandma likes to cook?”
“Yeah, you could say that. I do too. I used to cook with her all the time, when she was alive.”
“I’m sorry about that, but I guess it’s good you like to cook. I don’t like taxes, so being the tax man kinda gets old.” He smiled and chuckled a little but she could tell he meant it.
“I know how that is. I never really found a job I absolutely loved either.”
“Well, you’re a good housewife.”
“Thanks,” she said thoughtfully.
He sighed and closed his book, frowning.
“I didn’t mean it like that...I just...”
“I know, its fine. At least I do like those things. You’re right.”
He continued to stare at her, guilt on his face. Guilt over feeling like he was making her do something she didn’t want to, even though neither had much of a choice at this point.
Elena stood up, looking down and walked to the kitchen to get a snack. There was a jar of green olives in the fridge and she couldn’t resist them nor the exit she needed from Alex’s guilty expression. Also, sweet Alex had heard her say something about Diet Cherry Coke and had picked her up a case. He was trying to make her as comfortable as prying eyes would allow.
She grabbed the cold can and jar from the fridge and bumped into him as she turned around, spilling olive juice down his shirt. How does he do that? He’s like some kinda...ninja.
“Sorry,” they both muttered in unison, feeling awkward as their faces almost bumped into the others.
As she ran to the sink to grab a towel and try to clean him up, he was already unbuttoning his shirt to remove it as he spoke.
“Elena, look, I’m sorry. I feel like I’m making you...I want you to be happy here but
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