Chapter 29 A Tingling Sensation in the Chest

With a pack of smokes and a bottle of wine, George knocked on his in-laws' door.

The door swung open fast, and there was Ellie, grinning from ear to ear.

Without a word, she yanked him inside, but George's heart did a little flip.

She was rocking a white and red floral sundress, with a light beige short cardigan on top. Her long hair was loosely tied up, and she had on some light makeup...

"Didn't you say in 20 minutes? It's been almost half an hour," Ellie laughed, giving him a playful side-eye as she shut the door behind her.

George's breath caught, and his heart did a little dance, making his chest tingle...

As Ellie closed the door and turned around, seeing him staring at her like a deer in headlights, a little thrill shot through her, and her cheeks warmed up. She nudged him with her elbow.

"What's up?" Her voice dropped a notch, and a faint blush crept onto her cheeks.

George snapped back to reality when he looked down at the smokes and wine he was holding. He remembered what he was supposed to do and quickly turned towards his father-in-law chilling at the table.

"Dad, Mom," he greeted cheerfully.

Mr. Baker nodded with a smile, and his mother-in-law got up too.

"Go wash your hands and let's eat. I'll grab the tablewares for you."
"No need, Mom. I'll get them," Ellie said, grabbing the cigarettes and wine from George's hands and motioning towards the kitchen. "Go on, hurry up."

"Oh," George nodded and made his way to the kitchen.

Ellie watched him go, biting her lip and smiling. The way George had looked at her just now was both familiar and new, like a mix of surprise and fascination. She finally got it.

Back then, she used to catch glimpses of it, but after that, it was rare to see...

Seemed like making some changes wasn't just good for her, but it also spiced up a marriage that'd gotten a bit stale.

George, who had reached the kitchen first, walked up to the sink and turned on the water, sticking his hands under the stream.

The cool water washed over his skin, but his thoughts were all jumbled up.

His mind was stuck on the image of her smiling and giving him that sidelong glance.

Her change was too much... It made him feel kinda anxious...

That anxious feeling was weird, like the one he had when he first saw her years ago, passing by her in the hallway of the school building while looking for help from the old principal.

The difference now was that this feeling had a hint of crisis mixed in...

"Still not done washing?"
Ellie's soft voice came from beside George, snapping him out of his daze. He quickly turned his head to look at her, forcing a smile.

"It's done," he said, hurriedly pulling his hand back and turning off the water.

"Just rinsing, huh? No soap?" Ellie teased with a playful tone.

George paused for a moment, instantly feeling like an idiot, and didn't dare to look at Ellie. He turned the water back on and squeezed some hand soap...

"Heh," Ellie chuckled lightly and asked, "What's up with you today?"

"Uh... sitting in the car too long, makes my head feel a bit dizzy," George said, finally turning his head to look at her, curling his lips. "You look really beautiful in that dress. When did you get it?"

Ellie raised her eyebrows and pouted. "Is it the dress that looks good or me wearing it that looks good?"

"The later."

Seeing his slightly embarrassed look, Ellie laughed again. "I bought it when I went shopping with Allie and Lindalast weekend."

George nodded lightly, then lowered his head again and put his soapy hand back under the water.
"Linda? Which Linda is that?"
"Allie's friend, we took dance classes together," Ellie said, turning around to grab the bowls and chopsticks. "Oh, and I signed up for a Latin dance training class."

"Oh, I saw a card on the dressing table when I got back," George said, turning off the water and facing her. "When did you sign up? Why didn't you mention it?"

Ellie, holding the bowls and chopsticks, turned back to him. "That card was a bit pricey, so I didn't tell you over the phone."

"Heh, how pricey?"

Ellie stepped closer, lowering her voice. "Eight thousand eight hundred dollars."

The thin straps of her dress couldn't hide the snow-white skin on her chest. As she got closer, the unique softness and sensuality of her skin magnified in George's eyes. At the same time, a faint fruity and flowery fragrance seemed to waft into his nostrils...

His body stiffened slightly, and he blinked, his gaze becoming somewhat vacant as he nodded. "Well, that's indeed a bit pricey."

"Do you think I'm being extravagant?"

George blinked again, held his breath, and slightly averted his gaze from her, trying to hide his nervousness. "Heh, it's okay, I'm cool with it. You're exaggerating..."

"That's good... By the way, I told my mom it was two thousand, so don't spill the beans, okay?"