"That didn't work well at all!" Kellan exclaimed after he'd closed the door behind him to Rob's room.
"Well, it didn't completely backfire," Rob pointed out. "We got a good reaction from her in the beginning, but I think your shit-eating grin gave it away," he said with a laugh.
"Yeah, her eyes did almost pop out," he said with a smile. "She's hard to crack though. Most girls in that situation that had a thing for us would have died."
"Yeah, if we could just get her to admit if she likes us or not- if she does, I think she'd be willing to get into that costume." Rob mused.
"We have to get it out of her- I know!" Kellan jumped up out of the chair he'd planted himself in. "What if we dress up like the Cullens and get her to see us- we would know for sure if she even knows about the movies, and maybe if she likes us or not."
"Yeah, good one," Rob said with a smile. "I have the contacts they gave us, do you?"
"Yeah. We could dress preppy, and tomorrow on set we could get a couple of the bottles of white to do our faces..." Kellan continued.
"That seems like so much work though. What if, and you know tomorrow while we're gone- she'll be in here making beds and stuff, if we left out a copy of a movie for her to find..." Rob thought out loud.
"But then we still wouldn't know if she likes us or not."
Rob nodded in agreement. "Well, at least we have some time to think it over. Maybe we'll eventually become more friendly, and we can just ask her," he said.
"I guess I'm just too impatient," Kellan said with a chuckle.
"I know, but it's time we got changed and made our way back down stairs for another round of her deliciousness," Rob said with a smile, insinuating more than just food.
"I'll see you down stairs," Kellan said, and went to his room.
Rob took a moment to plan what he was going to wear. Maybe some nice jeans and a light fitting long sleeved shirt. He figured Kellan would wear a t-shirt to show off his muscles, but he had his hair. Not many could beat his hair. Thinking of his hair, he ran a hand through it, and felt the dried chlorene and decided to shower first.
*******
Gracie Jo plated dinner, salmon fillets over couscous and a salad, and pulled the raspberry bars out of the oven and onto a cooling rack, next to the cake. She checked her supply of beer, a pitcher of home made sweet tea, and the champagne on ice she had breathing on the counter, just in case. It did go better with the salmon, after all- that would be how she'd serve the meal in her restaurant- but she knew guys were partial to beer, especially in a casual setting, and she didn't want them to think she was trying to be all fancy or get them liquered up with the champagne. She tried to prepare for anything, and wasn't surprised when they came down on time. She was surprised, however, to see Rob, the first down, dressed up as he was. She would have thought he'd be the other way around. Dressed nicer when he arrived, for travelling, and more casual when "home". Kellan wore a fitted button down t-shirt, and nice jeans. Must be the same for him, she thought to herself. She turned and placed the plates in front of them with a smile. She saw them look down at their plate, then up at her with a smile. She told them what the food was, and offered beverages from her list.
"Champagne?" Rob asked, surprised.
"Yes, it would be the suggested beverage with the meal, and the cellar just happened to have it, but you can have something else if you'd like," she said with a smile. She watched his eyes lower slowly to her mouth, then back up to her eyes. She struggled to keep her smile in place, and ignore the butterflies in her stomach that seemed to take wing at his heated gaze.
"The champagne sounds perfect," he said quietly.
"And for you?" She turned to Kellan.
"Champagne for me too. Have the whole experience," he said with a smle. She nodded in agreement, then turned to pour the champagne. After setting their flutes next to their plates, she turned to start cutting dessert.
"Aren't you going to eat?" Kellan asked.
She paused, knife poised right above the bars. She hadn't been told not to eat with them, but she felt that would be interfearing too much. She was told to stay as invisible as possible. What if the request of her charges were different?
"Ah, I hadn't planned on it, honestly," she said, without looking at them.
"Why not?" He continued.
"Well," she stalled, mind racing for the best reason. Did she want to eat with them? Of course. Would that be too intimate? Probably. She knew she needed to keep her space, or things could get thick quickly. "Well," she repeated, "I guess I'm so used to serving the food and not eating it." She looked at them over her shoulder, flashed a quick smile, then began slicing the bars.
"Why don't you sit? It's fannntassssticcc," he said in a sing song voice. She couldn't help but grin. "Sit, eat, have some champagne, let's get to know each other a little. We're going to spend the next three weeks together," he continued, trying to persuade. "Come on, pretty please?" She could imagine his puppy dog eyes.
"Alright," she sighed, then turned to the stove to serve herself. She heard a loud scrape, and she knew someone was dragging another stool somewhere near by. She turned and found the stool on her side of the bar. She smiled at them while she sat her plate down, then turned for another flute and the champagne.
"How about you just bring the whole thing?" Kellan asked. She complied, bringing the entire bucket with her and sat it on the counter. Rob immediately reached for it and filled her flute, then topped of his and Kellan's.
"Thank you," she said quietly, spreading her napkin over her lap and smoothing it, trying to smooth her nerves at the same time. Here goes the blurring of the lines, she thought.
Chapter Five