He hung up then, and I walked back just in time to see Barbara putting an entire half of the kugel in one of her gorgeous milk-glass casserole dishes for me. She trusted me to wash them and return them. It was an honor. Not everyone got to leave her house with vintage Pyrex.
Eli was telling everyone how sorry he was but that law enforcement never stopped. And I understood their reticence to see him go. Beautiful man with a sexy job who’d never been married, so no ex-wife and no kids, and someday the house they were visiting would be his. All in all, he was a catch. I’d always thought so, but not for any other reason than his heart, his big melting brown eyes, and that grin that made my knees go weak. I wanted him to be mine because we belonged together, plain and simple. If only he could see that.
“Love,” Barbara called over to me. “The brisket isn’t done, but I made roast chicken earlier, so pack that up for him. There’s sweet potato and chickpea salad in there as well.”
I squinted at her.
She grunted. “Fine, you’re right. He’s not going to eat that. You’ll have to pick up some boring salad and maybe some rice on the way home.”
“I’ll just eat some of that gross veggie kugel,” Eli teased her, getting up to hug her goodbye. “There’s no leeks in it like last time, I hope?”
“Cel and I like leeks,” she snapped at him even as she hugged tight.
He laughed into her hair, and I saw the look on her face, like she was in heaven. The sun rose and set on him, and I loved seeing them together.
Once we had food, I kissed and hugged Barbara, then turned to say good night to everyone. Eli was done at that point and took hold of my hand and led me out of the house. He didn’t let go until we had to get into the car.
“So you have no idea who that woman was?” I asked him when we were headed away from the house.
“None,” he said with a yawn. “But more importantly, the hell is my mother doing cooking at nine at night?”
“I think it’s fabulous.”
“I think she should act her age.”
“I dare you to say that to her face.” There was only silence from his side of the car. I scoffed. “Yeah, that’s what I thought.”
He was scowling out at the other drivers on the road.
“Hey, I think we should go to my place instead. It’s closer, and we need to eat before we pass out.”
“You don’t have any plates,” Eli whined. “And I have to sit on the floor like I’m back in kindergarten, so no, thank you.”
“Just do it,” I pressed him. “Or drop me off and––”
“No,” he grumbled. “All I wanted to do all night was sit and talk to you while we had dinner. Can’t we do that?”
“Yes, we can,” I soothed him, “but at my place. I can’t change clothes at yours.”
Frustrated huff of breath then. “I told you to keep stuff at my place,” he groused at me. “Why don’t you listen?”
“I’ll send a bag home with you,” I promised. “But for now, just come over. And I do so have plates and bowls and silverware.”
He was quiet a moment, and then when he stopped at the light, he turned to me. “You stole those from me.”
“Stoleis an ugly word. I preferborrowed for an indeterminate amount of time.”
Eli shook his head like I was ridiculous, but I noted the grin when he made the turn toward my apartment. There was no denying he liked his things at my apartment and mine at his. I really needed to somehow ask him if he knew what that could possibly mean.
I hada pair of his sweats and a Red Hot Chili Peppers T-shirt that had seen better days, and once he changed into them, even eating in my kitchen, sitting on the counter, didn’t bother him. Comfortable clothes really did soothe the soul.
After we ate, we stretched out on my bed to watch Netflix, and when I checked on him minutes later, he was passed out. Deciding to let him sleep, I went to the kitchen and cleaned everything up, thinking it was probably time to take the plunge and buy my own place. It was time to stop living like I was going to move again at any moment. Roots were required to show off my grown-up status. It wasn’t as though I couldn’t afford it—my financial portfolio was solid thanks to wise investing—and I lived quite frugally. There was no reason not to buy something, and I decided I’d tell Eli when he woke up. Unfortunately, I didn’t get the chance, as I fell asleep not long after.
I woke up in the night, and he was spooned around me, his face pressed to my nape, his breath warming my skin. “You make me insane,” I told him, but didn’t move. I was too content and comfortable. I couldn’t even keep my eyes open long enough to figure out what to say to the idiot.
He was gone in the morning, as was the bag of clothes I’d packed to keep at his place. There was a note as well, written in Sharpie on a paper towel, that he’d saved his flatware and dinnerware from being kidnapped and they would soon be reunited with their family. It was time to invest in those as well.
When I reachedthe ballet company that morning, I was surprised to find Luna half a block down the street, doing what could only be described as skulking behind a parked car. She wasn’t very good at it, and she was wearing her fake-fur blue jacket, which made her stand out, so there was no way to miss her.