Page 95 of Fun Together
I ease my way in and sit on the stairs, so I’m submerged from the waist down.
“Let’s play a game,” Eli says.
“Okay! What game?” Florence asks.
“It’s called the telephone game,” he says. “I’ll stay down here and tell you something and then you have to swim to Faye and tell her what I said.”
Florence’s eyes light up as she turns to me. “Faye, do you want to play?”
“I would love to,” I say.
I watch as Eli whispers something in Florence’s ear. She paddles her way over to where I’m sitting and motions for me to lean down. She whispers, “Eli said that you’re really pretty.” I can’t help the smile that blooms on my face.
I cup my hands around her ear and say, “Can you tell him that I think he’s really pretty too?” She giggles and swims away. When I see her tell him, he makes eye contact with me and his smile is so big and beautiful that it makes my chest ache.
Oh, he’s very pretty.
We play the telephone game a little longer, until Florence wears herself out. Eli wraps her in a towel and hauls her over his shoulder to carry her inside. She cackles all the way in. I dry off as best I can before wrapping my towel around me and following them inside.
Eli is standing with the freezer door open. “Alright, Flo. Here are dinner options. Chicken nuggets or . . .” He rummages around. “You good with chicken nuggets?”
She nods. “Is there enough for Faye?”
Eli looks over to me and grins. “Faye, would you like some chicken nuggets?”
“No thank you, I’m good.”
“Faye and I are having grown up dinner later.”
We sit around the kitchen island and not long after Florence finishes her nuggets, a man who looks like a more serious, but just as good-looking, version of Eli comes in through the side door.
“Emmett, this is Faye. Faye, this is my older brother, Emmett.”
I go over and shake his hand. “Nice to meet you.”
“You too. Sorry Flo crashed your date. I had to meet with a plumber.”
“We had a good time,” I say.
Florence bounds up to her dad and grabs his legs. “We played the telephone game!”
Eli takes a sip of his water. “Maybe we’ll go without the floaties next time,” he says with a wink.
Florence, suddenly shy, hides behind Emmett’s legs. Obviously, she’s not ready to go floatie-free.
“We’ll head out so you two can enjoy your night. Let’s go, Flo.” He grabs her hand and gives me a wave. “Nice to meet you.”
“Bye Faye!” Florence shouts as they leave.
After they leave, Eli saunters around the counter and loops his arms around my lower back. “Finally. I thought we’d never be alone.” He snuggles into my neck. “Are you hungry?”
I turn my head and bring my mouth to his. It’s a little awkwardly done, and he doesn’t expect it. Very quickly, our mouths course-correct and we kiss each other with an impatient sweetness, like we’ve been waiting all afternoon for this.
“I guess that’s a yes,” he says smiling down at me.
“Actually, I am starving. For food,” I clarify.
“I thought I’d make some chicken and veggies on the grill. Is that okay?”
