The unexpected tea party had gone on a little longer than Kaylee had thought it might. Between them, Caroline and Gabi had somehow managed to get pretty much all the information out of Piper, which had come together into a fascinating little story. Kaylee was looking forward to sharing it all with Correy. Right now, however, she needed to get the loft looking the way it had when Ollie had left that morning, which was why she was up to her elbows in soapy water, scrubbing at the teapot. If she was very lucky, Ollie would be so surprised to see her back after her long absence, he wouldn't notice that his crockery was shiny clean again.
Ollie returned home from his day of running errands." First he'd gone to arrange a showing at Vanima." Fallon was still beautiful, still generous, still flirty, and he felt slightly ashamed when he flirted back." So ashamed that he'd blurted out a confession about his engagement to Piper." Fallon took it well - praise God - and he left the gallery feeling optimistic about the show and subsequent sales." He hit the Marketplace bazaar for food, more paints, canvasses, and on a whim, a thick stack of handmade paper and some calligraphy pens in soft pastel shades." If he started now, he might be able to finish all the wedding invitations before the wedding.
His whistle preceded him as he ran up the steps that lead to his front door." There was a lingering scent of perfume at the door and he sniffed it appreciatively." He could pick out Caroline's and Kaylee's but the rest weren't familiar enough to place." Slotting his key in the lock, he toed open the door and slipped inside." He frowned at the sight of Kay elbow deep in suds." "You're not washing things again, are you?"" Yes, hello, Kay!" So nice to see you!
The sound of the door opening behind her was a little too soon for Kaylee's liking - she hadn't yet had the chance to hide the wet tissues left on the couch. She jumped at the sound of Ollie's voice, turning a smile that was far too bright onto her cousin. "Yes! Yes, I ....I felt so bad about leaving you to look after yourself that I, I came straight home and I decided to tidy up," she offered by way of an excuse, pulling her arms out of the sink.
"Hmm," he said, a noise of dubious disbelief." Setting the bags of groceries down on the kitchen counter, he lugged the rest of it over to the area set up as his studio." As he passed by the disreputable, sway-backed, brown corduroy sofa he'd had for the better part of ten years, he spotted a sodden mass of what looked like tissues laying on the cusions." He stopped, stared at it in utter incomprehension, and then glanced over his shoulder at his cousin." "Who was crying?" Was it Caroline?" What happened?"
Kaylee winced as his eyes lowered to the tissues, and she turned away quickly to hide the expression, wiping her arms and hands dry rather more thoroughly than she would usually. "Oh, no," she assured him, keeping her back turned to hide the guilty look on her face. "Caroline and Gabi stopped by, but, uhm ....no, they're fine. How are you? Had a busy day?"
He just shook his head at her explanation, not entirely accepting it at face value." Things were rarely what they seemed when it came to Kay's activities and he'd long ago learned to take things with a grain of salt...sometimes even an entire cellar's worth." "Yes," he said, answering her question." "I met with the gallery owner who's giving my first show and settled on the pieces for it." And I bought some more supplies, too.?" He set the bags down and then went back to the kitchen, putting things away in the cupboards and pantry." "What about you?" How are Caro and Gabi?"
Deeming it safe to meet his eyes again, since she seemed to have got away with her mischief, Kaylee turned back to him, dropping the cloth on the surface for the time being. She leaned there on one hand, the other set on her hip. "Oh, y'know, my life's just one long party," she joked cheerfully. "Work this morning, tea with the girls this afternoon, gossip with Correy tonight provided he isn't up to his nuts in Jon ....that's the plan." She grinned, knowing her reference to her brother's relationship would at the very least make Ollie wince. "Gabi's got a boyfriend, you know. Some guy in computers. And Caro's hating every minute of being in charge, despite how good she is at it."
Ollie's hawkish blue eyes narrowed subtly at the mention of Jon's...nuts." He leaned against the counter then, fixing Kaylee with a knowing look, even as he bit into an apple." Chewing it carefully, thoroughly, he said, "Speaking of your brother, would you care to explain why he turned up at the bonfire dressed as a ninja?"" That voice was so mild, so deceptively calm, ice wouldn't melt in his mouth.
Guilty was a look Kaylee was very good at, especially twinned with utmost mischief sparkling in her eyes as she tried very hard not to smile over at her worryingly quiet cousin. "Probably because I asked him to?" she offered truthfully. "Well, not the ninja part, but the turning up part. Piper said he was very nice ....Ooooh." Her eyes opened wide as she realised what she had given away there. Sometimes she and Correy really were indistinguishable from one another.
Ollie returned home from his day of running errands." First he'd gone to arrange a showing at Vanima." Fallon was still beautiful, still generous, still flirty, and he felt slightly ashamed when he flirted back." So ashamed that he'd blurted out a confession about his engagement to Piper." Fallon took it well - praise God - and he left the gallery feeling optimistic about the show and subsequent sales." He hit the Marketplace bazaar for food, more paints, canvasses, and on a whim, a thick stack of handmade paper and some calligraphy pens in soft pastel shades." If he started now, he might be able to finish all the wedding invitations before the wedding.
His whistle preceded him as he ran up the steps that lead to his front door." There was a lingering scent of perfume at the door and he sniffed it appreciatively." He could pick out Caroline's and Kaylee's but the rest weren't familiar enough to place." Slotting his key in the lock, he toed open the door and slipped inside." He frowned at the sight of Kay elbow deep in suds." "You're not washing things again, are you?"" Yes, hello, Kay!" So nice to see you!
The sound of the door opening behind her was a little too soon for Kaylee's liking - she hadn't yet had the chance to hide the wet tissues left on the couch. She jumped at the sound of Ollie's voice, turning a smile that was far too bright onto her cousin. "Yes! Yes, I ....I felt so bad about leaving you to look after yourself that I, I came straight home and I decided to tidy up," she offered by way of an excuse, pulling her arms out of the sink.
"Hmm," he said, a noise of dubious disbelief." Setting the bags of groceries down on the kitchen counter, he lugged the rest of it over to the area set up as his studio." As he passed by the disreputable, sway-backed, brown corduroy sofa he'd had for the better part of ten years, he spotted a sodden mass of what looked like tissues laying on the cusions." He stopped, stared at it in utter incomprehension, and then glanced over his shoulder at his cousin." "Who was crying?" Was it Caroline?" What happened?"
Kaylee winced as his eyes lowered to the tissues, and she turned away quickly to hide the expression, wiping her arms and hands dry rather more thoroughly than she would usually. "Oh, no," she assured him, keeping her back turned to hide the guilty look on her face. "Caroline and Gabi stopped by, but, uhm ....no, they're fine. How are you? Had a busy day?"
He just shook his head at her explanation, not entirely accepting it at face value." Things were rarely what they seemed when it came to Kay's activities and he'd long ago learned to take things with a grain of salt...sometimes even an entire cellar's worth." "Yes," he said, answering her question." "I met with the gallery owner who's giving my first show and settled on the pieces for it." And I bought some more supplies, too.?" He set the bags down and then went back to the kitchen, putting things away in the cupboards and pantry." "What about you?" How are Caro and Gabi?"
Deeming it safe to meet his eyes again, since she seemed to have got away with her mischief, Kaylee turned back to him, dropping the cloth on the surface for the time being. She leaned there on one hand, the other set on her hip. "Oh, y'know, my life's just one long party," she joked cheerfully. "Work this morning, tea with the girls this afternoon, gossip with Correy tonight provided he isn't up to his nuts in Jon ....that's the plan." She grinned, knowing her reference to her brother's relationship would at the very least make Ollie wince. "Gabi's got a boyfriend, you know. Some guy in computers. And Caro's hating every minute of being in charge, despite how good she is at it."
Ollie's hawkish blue eyes narrowed subtly at the mention of Jon's...nuts." He leaned against the counter then, fixing Kaylee with a knowing look, even as he bit into an apple." Chewing it carefully, thoroughly, he said, "Speaking of your brother, would you care to explain why he turned up at the bonfire dressed as a ninja?"" That voice was so mild, so deceptively calm, ice wouldn't melt in his mouth.
Guilty was a look Kaylee was very good at, especially twinned with utmost mischief sparkling in her eyes as she tried very hard not to smile over at her worryingly quiet cousin. "Probably because I asked him to?" she offered truthfully. "Well, not the ninja part, but the turning up part. Piper said he was very nice ....Ooooh." Her eyes opened wide as she realised what she had given away there. Sometimes she and Correy really were indistinguishable from one another.