My Boyfriend's Mother

20: Unless you ask me to

"Send him to my office tomorrow at 10 a.m." I heard Elena's voice as my eyes try to adjust to the light. "I'm still waiting for that email." I tried to sit up. She's in the corner of the room talking on her phone. Wearing my Metallica T-shirt and shorts. She sees me. "Okay yeah, no problem. Mallory gave me an update on that. Call me about that Nathan kid. I have to go now." She hung up and walked to my side. "Hey there." She touched my face. "How are you feeling?"

"Shouldn't you be.." She handed me a glass of water that's right on my bedside table. I took a gulp. "Shouldn't you be at work?" I asked. "I do." She got up. "You hungry? Stay in bed."

"But I-"

"Just stay." A minute later she came back with a tray of meal. "Oh my god, this smells amazing," I said once she sets it down on the bed. "You've never made pumpkin soup before?" She asked. I shook my head. "It's in your pantry." She says.

"I.. I don't know how to cook." We looked at each other. "I just bought the ingredients I found on the internet so I could try and make one." I looked down at my plate. "But I bet it won't be as good as this." I took the spoon and scooped a little bit of the soup. "Careful, it's hot." She warned me.

"I was right! This is good!" I said without lies. "You should be a chef or something."

"I took culinary in college."

"Oh, that explains it."

"Then I shifted to journalism. Cooking really is just a hobby for me."

"Well, this is just amazing. I don't care if the soup is hot or-.." I was feeling a little dizzy again. "You okay?" She took the bowl from my hands. "No, I still wanna finish that." I pouted like a baby. "I already called the restaurant." She says. "What restaurant?"

"That seafood restaurant. Turns out they served you a bad fish." She explains. "A bad fish? Does that mean Josh is sick too?" I eagerly asked. "No. He didn't have the fish."

"Oh. Right."

"You might wanna check on your bank account too. They refunded your meal." Oh good, because that's this week's grocery. "Uhm.. thank you. You didn't have to do that tho."

"Well, we had to figure out what caused this. For all, we know your allergies won't kill you but food poison will. Can I.." She looks at the table. "Use your computer? It's for work.."

"Oh yeah uhm.. Shouldn't you go?"

"Do you want me to go, Grace?"

"No!" Fuck, I said that too quickly. "I mean, you know.. You must be busy." She grabbed my laptop and climbed into bed with me. "I told you. I'm never busy for you." She opened it, went to her emails, and started typing. "Go to sleep, Grace. Don't worry I don't bite." That's not what happened last time you were in bed with me. "Unless you ask me to."