Chapter 14
MAUREEN
Warmth…
Maureen could feel the warmth of sunlight on her face and hesitated as she heard a cup clatter into the sink, followed by a hushed curse from a voice that she recognized.
Opening her eyes, Maureen looked down and saw that there was a ‘toe quilt’ thrown over her – and she’d dubbed it that years ago when she bought it at a garage sale because the crochet pattern had empty spaces just enough to snag your toe into.
It was most annoying, so she always wore socks when snuggling under this particular blanket…
which is why it was so odd that her feet were barefoot – and it was daylight.
Her feet were bare…
Eli was in the kitchen…
It was morning…
Which meant that he didn’t leave, she realized slowly, sitting up as he walked into the living room carrying two cups of coffee.
He’s nervous, she immediately thought, seeing that frown line reappear between his eyebrows.
The man always seemed to frown, and that was a shame, because he had such a beautiful smile… and that laugh - even better.
“We should talk,” Eli began, and Maureen rolled her eyes at him, accepting the cup of coffee from him.
“Good morning to you too.”
“That’s what we should talk about.”
“Hang on,” she interrupted, taking a slurpy sip of her coffee – deliberately making it as loud as possible so he got the point.
She drew it out so much that he raised an eyebrow at her with that deadly serious look plastered all over his face, which finally got her to stop – that and she needed oxygen.
“Do you always wake up with a broomstick up your butt?”
“Your pillow talk is everything,” he threw back, finally backing down as he cracked a nervous smile at her. “You’re not mad I stayed the night when you fell asleep?”
“Um, heck no – you brought me coffee in couch,” she tossed, smiling at him over the edge of the cup. “I would say coffee in bed – but I’m not in bed – so it’s ‘in couch’.”
“I understood what you meant.”
“Just making sure.”
“You’re really not upset?” he asked quietly, taking a sip from his own cup as Maureen drank in his appearance. He must have woken up not too long ago because there was still a crease on the skin of his cheek where he’d rested during the night – and last night had been wonderful.
They watched ‘The Emperor’s New Groove,’ and he laughed with all the boyish enthusiasm she’d hoped for.
After that, they watched another Disney movie – Encanto – and shockingly, when she got up to dance during one scene, singing out all the words…
Eli joined her. They’d danced, laughed, and smiled at each other, simply having the best time just existing together during this small bit of time.
It was heavenly. In fact, she could still see him yanking the blanket over his head, trying to look mysterious like Bruno when she was singing…
and then he encouraged her to snuggle against his side, putting his arm around her shoulders.
Maureen had almost teased him about making ‘the moves’ on her – but it didn’t feel right.
He wasn’t crossing any lines, wasn’t making any advances on her, and was nothing but a perfect gentleman…
and she fell asleep – happy, safe, warm, her heart was full of feelings and memories that were precariously close to magical.
Maureen felt effervescent – so the idea of him needing to ‘talk’ and bringing upon the ever-present ‘Gloom-and-Doom’ that Mr. Sourpuss-the-Archangel could deliver to Mother Theresa… nuh-uh… not gonna happen.
Taking another loud, annoying, drawn-out sip of her coffee before sighing loudly with an ‘Ahhh!’ meant to get at him, she drew in a deep breath, ready to do battle once again - for his smile and her sanity.
“You’re worried,” she said bluntly.
“Yup,” he admitted, holding up his phone screen to her.
“Need a charge?” she volunteered, trying to be peevishly obtuse. It was too early for his dramatics – even if she loved them. Sure enough, his lips parted in disbelief before he frowned again, tapping on the phone screen.
“No, the text messages.”
“Someone’s brain functions earlier than mine,” she shot back, shrugging and moving to take another sip, only to have him take her cup – putting his phone in her hands. “Nope,” she replied simply. “Coffee or no Talkee.”
“Read them.”
“I’m illiterate until nine a.m.,” she retorted, reaching for her cup – only to have him pull it away again as he just sat there with that eyebrow lifted. “If your eyebrow touches your hairline, then you win – and I’ll read them.”
“If… my eyebrow… touches,” he began, and then sighed as her words finally clicked. “Maureen, it’s from my brother – and the rest of the team, apparently. Everyone knows I stayed the night with you.”
“You hoecake!” she whispered – doing her best to look appropriately aghast as he almost took a sip of his coffee, sloshing it over the rim as he did a double-take. “Your reputation is ruined. Scandalous!”
“Be serious – and read the texts.”
“I am serious. I swear as I sit here and breathe - you’re going to have a shirt that says ‘hoecake’ on it someday.”
Eli leveled a glare at her that was telling. Maureen sighed because apparently, Mr. Sourpuss didn’t have a sense of humor in the morning. Opening the phone, she began to read.
Bode: brOOOO… really? You ditched me for some booty?
Bode: I thought you needed my couch? Do we need to have the talk – you know – THE TALK?
Bode: Buzz, buzz bro…
Bode: Hello?
Bode: I hope you aren’t in a ditch somewhere – and if you are, muddy sex with my wife sounds fun. I’m gonna talk to Flora – and go dig up my backyard. Smell ya later!
As she scrolled through his brother’s frequent text messages that started at one in the morning… she saw twenty or so numbers were added to the string of text messages - and smiled. They were just like her, and she loved it. This was good for Eli.
He just didn’t know it yet.
Bode: Guess ol’ Archangel is getting his feathers wet, if ya know what I mean – wink-wink, nudge-nudge! I’m so proud of my brother!
Caboose: Sidewinder – it’s two-thirty in the morning. Crawl into a hole, buddy…
Valkyrie: And die. Anyone texting from midnight to four a.m. better be on death’s door, or I might put them there…
Hot Cakes: Hang on, I cannot sleep with that bombshell about our feathery friend…
Armadillo: He doesn’t have feathers – but he does have that weird-gargoyle-y look. Same thing?
Romeo: It’s the nose…
Armadillo: Like a ski jump…
Glory: Sidewinder has that same thing – Olympic ski jump, I swear!
Romeo: Oh crap, now Glory is texting?
Thumper: Am I the only one in Yonder that sleeps?
Reaper: I was sleeping – but now I’m curious where this is going…
Bode: Another one bites the dust…
Hot Cakes: That’s all Sidewinder is saying? Sheesh – disappointment!
Bode: You want me to be filthy about it? I can go there real quick and you know it…
Reaper: I suppose they could be sleeping together?
Glory: You wanna see his ‘O’ face too? I knew you had it in you, Reaper! Someone who’s comfortable in his manhood shouldn’t be threatened by another man – VALKYRIE, I’m lookin at you!
Valkyrie: NO – and I’m putting my phone on ignore.
Reaper: Heck no – what’s wrong with you, Glory – and I’m not threatened.
Glory: Drugs
Reaper: Why am I not surprised…
Houdini: Is anyone else alarmed that the our mechanic admitted that?
Armadillo: I’m freaked out – and scheduled at 7:30. Can I go back to bed now?
Hot Cakes: Romeo, you owe me twenty bucks!
Armadillo: Hey – he bet me fifty!
Alpo: Y’all are betting?
(Romeo left the chat)
Glory: I took a Benadryl, you big baby-bullies!
Alpo: That’s my wife – watch it… and yes, she has allergies
Bode: I’m just so happy that my brother has found someone here – bonfire! Tomorrow night! I’m bringing ribs – and beer. No one is drinking that watered-down swill that Alpo drinks…
Alpo: HEY! – and don’t forget my hot dogs, too
Inferno: INFERNO HAS ENTERED THE CHAT BECAUSE SOMEONE WAS TALKING ABOUT THEIR HOT DOGS
Twenty-two people left the group chat
Inferno: Guys?
Inferno: Um, guys? I’m still here…
Inferno: Archangel, don’t let them bother you – good for you! See you both tomorrow, and just be happy. I am… and it took Elana to show me how. Congrats, my brother-from-another-mother! See ya!
Inferno has left the group chat.
Thumper: Hey you two! It’s Harley here – just be happy and live your lives for each moment. Life is much too short to be anything but that, you know? Now, I’m going back to bed because I need to do payroll in the morning. See you tomorrow night – about six, okay? K – Bye!
“I ruined your pristine reputation,” Maureen began, looking up from his phone and meeting his cool gray eyes with dead seriousness as she lobbed another mental grenade right at him with zero hesitation – because it was fun, she thought silently as she spoke.
“If I’ve tarnished your reputation, then you have no choice but to marry me. ”
Maybe my timing was a little off, she thought as he sprayed coffee from his mouth everywhere – the coffee table, the carpet, heck – there were even a few droplets on the television located on the other side of the room.
She was pretty impressed with the distance, the arc, and frankly, the ferocity of that spit-take - and told him so.
“Nine-point-nine,” she volunteered, applauding. “I deducted a point for clean-up.”
Eli stood up, backing away from her, and coughing wildly – only to rush into the bathroom in the distance. She let him cough, hack, and take a moment to recover as he closed the door to put yet another wall up between them… but that didn’t discourage her.