Michelle paused in her frantic tomato chopping to lean out the kitchen window, "Lizzie! Susan! Shane! Be careful! You'll hurt yourself! No running on the wet deck! She sighed.
An arm snaked around her middle to tickle her tummy. "Hi, beautiful," a rich baritone rumbled.
She jumped, whirling around, chef's knife still in one hand.
He retreated immediately, hands in plain sight. "Whoa, sorry, I promise never to tickle you again."
"Oh! It's fi-...,"
Her jaw dropped, and the knife fell to the floor with a clatter. "Who are you and what have you done to Danny Santos?"
She dissolved into a fit of giggles.
"You SAID a t-shirt, shorts, sunglasses, hat and towel."
"Um, yeah, I just didn't expect..." As she picked the knife up and put it in the sink, she started giggling again as she stared at the finished product. She had to give it to him, he had followed her instructions to the letter; he had on khaki shorts, oversized sunglasses, a Chicago Cubs baseball cap, and a gray T-Shirt stamped "Springfield University." She did not doubt that the gym bag in his hand had swim trunks, a towel, and sunscreen in it. "You have really cute knees, you know."
Danny stood there , and sighed exaggeratedly, "This is what I get for trying to please the woman in my life."
"Oh, Danny...." She leaped toward him and threw her arms and legs around him, sending him lurching backwards into the kitchen table. "It's perfect. It's EXACTLY what I said... Well, you might forget the price tag on the sunglasses," she plucked them off and set them on the table, "but... It's just so, I don't know, so normal-looking. I don't know what I was expecting. Maybe Versace sportswear." She shrugged.
"Those are still in the house on the Cote D'Azur."
"Of course. That's where I keep my sportswear."
He could feel the beginning of a new set of giggles coming on. She felt so warm in his arms, he hugged her to him even tighter and felt her laughter vibrate throughout his body. "Listen," he whispered in her ear, as he leaned their combined weight against the table, "Why don't we skip the barbecue and head out to the lake for the rest of the weekend? I'll forget my cell phone and you'll forget your books..."
Her body went still immediately. "Danny...."
"I'm sorry, I know the barbecue is important to you," He sighed. "It's an institution in Springfield." He shook his head. "I shouldn't have suggested it."
"It's not that... well, it's partly that." She sucked in a deep breath, and leaned backwards into his arms to look him in the eye. "Danny, I love our time together. I love the picnics, and the weekends at the lake, flying to Chicago for dinner and the ballet, baseball games It's wonderful..." She paused.
"I hear a BUT coming on."
She placed her arms around his neck and leaned her forehead into his own. "But, Danny, what do all those things have in common?"
H looked away, breaking the contact. "I don't know."
She gently placed a hand on his cheek and turned him to face her again, "You DO know, Danny. Since that night at the Towers, we haven't done anything together where we could run into anyone either of us know."
"I know, I know... But Michelle, this isn't exactly something where we COULD run into someone you or I know. This is something where we WILL run into EVERYONE you know."
"I know, and they are going to love you."
Danny looked at her skeptically, "I think that's going to take more than losing the leather jacket."
He looked around the kitchen. "And you cannot not be nervous. Michelle, there's enough chopped vegetables here to keep the Moosewood restaurant going for months."
She chuckled, and swatted him. "I was waiting for you. And Nola loves fresh vegetables."
"Uh, huh."
"Of course, I'm nervous. But after what we've been through... it's one afternoon, and we'll be together."
"We'll make it."
"And then, we can go out to the lake. I already packed." She looked up at him mischievously, and then looked downward at the kitchen floor. "You better put me down. I wouldn't want you to overexert yourself this afternoon."
"Oh, really?" He perked up slightly.
"Really," she grinned.
He set her down as if she were Baccarat crystal. "Bring on those burgers."
(to be continued, maybe)
I think we all know what must be said now (Everyone chant along!): Elle, Elle, we want more! ( I hear rumors that these chants work, you know...:) )