Chapter 48 Aren't you going to watch me dance?

George decided to skip cooking at home 'cause of those pesky surveillance cameras. Instead, he figured he'd swing by his in-laws' place in the afternoon.

After dinner, Ellie got a call from her cousin, asking if she wanted to hit up a training class that day. Ellie was totally wiped out and sore all over. Even though the swelling had gone down a bit after using some meds, she was still in pain. So, she was like, "Nah, I'm good."

Her cousin, Allie, teased her, saying she'd only see Ellie at the training class when George was out of town. Ellie, feeling a bit awkward, just said, "Nah, it's just that he just got back, and he needs to spend time with my folks. I'll go in a few days."

Allie was like, "Alright, I'll wait for you."

Ellie replied, "Okay."

George had been listening quietly and when she hung up, he smirked and asked, "Your cousin invited you again?"

"Yeah," Ellie said, putting her phone down.

"So, when do you plan to go? I'll take you there."

Ellie stopped in her tracks as she was about to head back to the kitchen.
She turned her head and asked, "You worried I'm gonna waste the enrollment fee or something?"

"Nah, nah, I just wanna go and see."

"See what?"

"...see you dance."

The old man sitting nearby saw his son-in-law getting all flustered by his daughter and just smiled, raising his cigarette, feeling pretty pleased with himself.

On the way back home that evening, George started grilling Ellie about what she knew about Linda.

According to Ellie, Linda was divorced and single, but her ex-hubby was loaded, so she got a sweet deal in the divorce. She had a car, a house, and a killer personality. She loved to joke around and was super generous. Whenever they went shopping, she'd always insist on paying. The more George heard, the more he got suspicious of this Linda.

They chatted a lot in the car, but once they got home, it was like they were avoiding each other on purpose. They talked less, and even their eyes seemed to dodge each other, like they were scared of making contact.

Neither of them dared to make a move, and neither wanted to touch. Even when they were sitting on the sofa watching TV, they made sure to keep a safe distance between them...
Ellie was feeling a bit better. After getting thoroughly worn out, she crashed pretty quickly, but George? He couldn't catch a wink.

With all the stuff weighing on his mind, plus the fact that he couldn't finish the job last night and this morning, it was driving him nuts. In the dim light, he leaned over, staring at the corner where the electric fan was, like he could somehow see through the surveillance and catch whoever was behind it. His eyes were sharp, full of determination.

Meanwhile, in the darkness, another pair of eyes were locked on the standing fan blocking the surveillance. But these eyes were different—full of interest and a bit of a challenge.

After a night of rest, Ellie's waist and legs were still a bit sore, but the swelling had gone down a lot, and she was feeling way better.

After breakfast, George tagged along with her to work, then hit up the supermarket to grab some groceries. They swung by Ellie's parents' place, making it seem like just another day.

But during lunch, just as George was about to have a drink with Ellie's dad, Ellie stepped in and stopped him.
"Didn't you say you wanted to watch me dance? How are you gonna drive me there after drinking?" Ellie teased with a smile.

George looked a bit taken aback. "You're going today?"

"Don't you want me to go?"

"No, I mean..." George hesitated, not wanting to ask in front of Ellie's parents if she was still sore down there...

Ellie knew exactly what he was getting at, and her cheeks warmed up a bit. She ducked her head and grabbed some food. Mrs. Baker smiled, glancing at her daughter.

"You're always picking on George, not speaking properly."

"No..." Ellie said, fishing out a chicken wing from the boiled chicken and dipping it in George's secret sauce. She looked up and said to her mom, "See, I'm being so good to him."

Everyone burst out laughing, including George and Ellie herself.

After a cozy family dinner, they chilled for a bit, munching on some fruit before heading out. George found a parking spot at the building and followed Ellie into the elevator. By the time they hit the third floor, it was almost 8 o'clock. The gym and the training class were buzzing with activity.