Page 62 of Apple of My Eye
Admonished, she nods meekly before smiling again. ‘You want to take me somewhere secret?’ she asked, trailing a fingertip up my chest.
It was all I could do not to kiss her forehead again. ‘Not right now,’ I whisper.Where are Cal and Hazel?I think. ‘You stay here, I’ll be right back.’
I manage to find the DVD in my room, thankfully I had spent enough time in there that I knew there was a DVD collection in one of the baskets underneath the desk, and I scurry downstairs, depositing it in Eloise’s waiting arms and shooing her out the door in just enough time for the executives to hardly notice I’d been gone.
I breathe a sigh of relief when Eloise left with her movie, assuming the crisis was averted.
Thirty minutes later .?.?.
Eloise: I told u there were movies.
Me: Technically, you picked up a DVD.
Eloise: Blah blah bring it on!
Eloise: Do u like them because I am going to surprise visit again.
Me: Twice in one day? Are you sure you should be doing that? I feel like the hike up here isn’t great for someone in your condition .?.?.
Eloise: NeedBring It On: All or Nothing.
Me:?I can bring it to you! I just need to finish something.
Each time she stops by, Eloise looked a little less swollen and a little more like herself. And each time she acts like she’s madly in love with me, smiling up at me adoringly, prattling off sexual innuendos. She doesn’t seem embarrassed in the least to be throwing herself all over me, and I can’t hide that I love the attention. It’s entirely impossible for me to continue to be mad at her when she’s so loopy. As Mrs. Parker would say, I felt my anger towards her disappearing faster than dew under a hot sun.
When I catch up to the group during the farm tour after staying behind to give Eloise another movie, Mrs. Parker winks at me and I feel like my cheeks are on fire.Eloise likes me againis blaring through my head so loudly I can hardly focus on the rest of the pitch. Harvey intimidates me into concentration, though. He appears to be exactly how Eloise would characterize someone who works for a conglomerate. He reminds me of my future boss, someone who values ambition over all else, something I used to value. But now it seems a little sinister, lacking in empathy. I wonder what Harvey would be willing to sacrifice to move further up the corporate ladder. I sure hope it isn’t the Parkers’ welfare.
Just as the Scott’s Orchards reps are about to leave, my phone vibrates again.
Eloise: I need a hug.
Me: Don’t come up here again, OK? Just ask, and I’ll come bring you what you need.
Me: I can come give you a hug.
Eloise: Now? Where’s my hug?
Nick: I’m wrapping up something but I can come in twenty minutes. I’m in a meeting for school.
Eloise: Schmool. Mouth hurts.
Me: You can’t meet me halfway again if I say I’m coming to you, OK? You really shouldn’t be walking around. I’ll text your mom.
I race down to Eloise’s place as fast as I can, only to see her blonde head bobbing through the fields. I jog to catch up to her and she smiles at me so hard she winces, bringing her hands to her mouth in pain.
‘Hey,’ I said, gently resting my palms on top of hers, ‘how are you?’
‘Better now,’ she says, and she presses her forehead to mine, breathing deeply before wrapping me in a hug, her arms tight around my torso, her cheek softly resting against my chest. I stand there, dumbfounded, wondering what on earth I had been doing these past two weeks when the best feeling in the whole world, the feeling of holding Eloise, has been right next to me all along.
Me: How are you feeling? It was good to see you yesterday. *Laughing-crying emoji* You were pretty cute.
Eloise: I am so sorry. Please blame the drugs. And honestly also my mom, she shouldn’t have let me outside. It won’t happen again.
Me: Eloise, it’s fine. I meant it. It was good to see you.
Eloise: I’m sure you loved seeing me at my worst.
Me: That isn’t what I meant.
