My Boyfriend's Mother

10: Non-date it is.

I hopped into my car and jotted down Elena's address on my phone. I only hoped she's not home. Surely she has a maid. Or a butler. You can't be that rich without a butler. I parked right outside and rang the doorbell. No answer. I pushed the button again. Still no answer. Last one and I'm calling Josh. Before I could ring again, a voice answered from the inside. "It's open." She said. I turned the knob and what do you know, it is open. I was met with Elena up on her toes. Stepping on a chair. It looks like she's painting her enormous bookshelves. "Oh my God. Elena. Please tell me you're not alone in here." I rushed towards her and held her legs firmly. She paused to look down at me. "So you do care." I rolled my eyes. Of course, I care. Just because I left you that night doesn't mean that I don't. That's when I noticed the outfit Elena is wearing. She has a red bandana over her head. An orange T-shirt tucked loosely in white shorts. She's barefoot. Her toenails are perfectly painted red. Again. Of course, she gets weekly manicured. The legs I'm holding are long and as firm as I can remember. I inhaled Elena's scent. Intoxicating. Mixed with the paint's scent. I looked up and there it is. My hands' inches away from her sweet sweet ass. "Grace." Oh shit. "Huh?"

"I said what brings you here." Dang, it. Stop looking at her ass. "Oh uhm. Josh called he said he left a briefcase here the other night? What are you doing painting your shelves? Don't you have a maid for this kind of thing?" She reached out for my hand and I helped her get back on the floor. She placed her hands on my shoulder. Now we're at eye level and very close with each other. My heart skipped a beat. "You got a little.." With the back of my hand, I wiped the smudge of white paint from her nose. She wore very little makeup today. But her lips are pink and plump and pulling me in. "Josh's briefcase.." Her voice broke the trance I was in. "Y-yes." I swallowed. "Follow me."

She set the brush down and I followed her up the stairs. Is it me or barefoot Elena is sexier than with those killer heels she often wears? "And to answer your question earlier, no I don't have a maid." She opened a door to what seemed like an empty room full of boxes. "Why is that?" I asked once we entered. "I like doing stuff on my own." Was her reply. "But you're rich enough to hire a maid so why don't you? It's easier that way."

"Did you just assume that just because I have money, I can't do simple stuff such as painting and renovating my library?" Oh. She's right. I shouldn't have said that. "Sorry.." I muttered. "Don't mention it. Now I'm sure I put the case in here somewhere.." She looked around the room. And so did I. I lifted a photo with a frame from an antique table. "Is this you and Josh?" I asked. She looked over my shoulders. "Yeah. He was only 5 years old when his mother left." I touched Josh's baby picture. But it was Elena's young self that caught my eye. Her hair was much darker then. But she had the same smile. "You two seemed really close," I remarked. "Not as close as him and his dad. Frank and I broke up years ago. We haven't hung out that much ever since."

"How was he with the breakup?" I asked. "He's a pretty chill kid. He understood that his father and I were never gonna work out. We called from time to time though." I see a small white bunny and lifted it up. "That's his. I think it was named Yahoo." She says. I laughed. Elena kept a straight face. "Oh, you're not joking." I put the stuffed animal down. "Oh my goodness." A rocking chair that was sitting near the window called my attention "This is beautiful. Look at the detail on this thing. Where did you buy it?" I asked when I sat on the chair. "I made it." Was her reply. "Y-you made this? Shut your beautiful face." She chuckled. "I did. Took me 3 weeks. But it was worth it."

"So worth it. You bake, you do carpentry. What else do I not know about you? How much are you selling? I want it. Take my money. I'll give you anything." She leaned into me and whispered. "Have dinner with me." What? "That seems to be the easier way of getting to know me don't you think?"

"Dinner? Like.. like a date?" She took a step back. Hesitating. "You know what, never mind that." She continued to look around the room. I stayed on the rocking chair. I mean, I did ghost her. I guess I owe her this. "Fine," I said and got up. Which I regretted because the chair felt magnificent. "Fine, what?" She said with a briefcase in her hands. "Let's have dinner. Tomorrow night. And it's not a date. Just.. dinner." She handed me the case. "Non-date dinner it is."