by Eydie Maggio
“Excellent choice. I think everything is ready to serve.”
Elise made her way back through the living room into the kitchen where she began grabbing plates and utensils. She and Trey ate the filets with a side of baked potatoes and a fresh salad that she prepared. The meal was excellent, and she made sure that the chef was praised. Elise made quick work of cleaning the kitchen while Trey was watching the financial report in the living room.
She filled their glasses of wine again and headed into the living room to relax. Trey sat back on the sofa once Elise joined him. She placed both of their wine glasses on the coffee table in front of them.
“For the one hundredth time, thank you so much for dinner, Trey.” Elise gave him a peck on the cheek as she curled up next to him. Trey’s arm was stretched out over the back of the sofa and Elise was resting her head on his chest.
“Elise, you look exhausted. I’ll let you get some rest.” Trey motioned to get up, but he didn’t move an inch before Elise’s head popped of his chest.
“You’re leaving?” She was disappointed and too tired to hide it.
Trey ran his knuckles down her cheek, “I don’t want you to stay up on my account.”
“Can’t you stay here tonight?” The puppy dog eyes weren’t a front. She really wanted him there.
“Do you want me to?” He looked shocked and excited. It was cute.
“Yes, please don’t leave.” Elise put her head back on his chest and ran her hand over his chest and around his neck. She wanted him here, and she wanted the comfort he was offering her now.
Trey sat back on the sofa and stroked Elise’s arm that was around his neck resting on his chest. He wrapped the arm that was across the back of the sofa around Elise and rested his hand on her lower back. He kissed her tenderly on her head as they watched the news report together.
“Do you want to lie down?” Trey ran his fingers through Elise’s hair.
Elise nodded her head.
Trey moved so he was laying long ways across the sofa. Elise laid in the same direction and stretched out so her body was flush with his. Trey’s arm wrapped around her and pulled her close. Elise was totally relaxed and starting to slip into sleep.
She felt Trey’s lips near her ear, “Thank you for asking me to stay.” He placed a small kiss on the curve of her ear.
“I want you here.” Elise turned her body so she was now facing him. She laid both hands on his chest and slid one of her legs between his as Trey pulled her closer.
“I want to be here.” He kissed her temple before her eyes shut.
~
Trey kissed Elise’s temple as she fell asleep. He felt her breath on his chest and her limbs become heavy after a few minutes. He laid there with her tracing her features with his fingertips. She was beautiful and unlike anyone he had ever met before. Tonight was so fulfilling. He saw similar evenings between his parents and siblings with their spouses and was envious at times. That moment came very naturally with Elise, and he hoped she enjoyed the simplicity of it as much as he did.
He liked her townhome at the Palladium. It was very homey and he could tell that this is where she came to decompress. The courtyard on the balcony of her townhome was amazing. It had fencing and lattice work around it which added a huge element of privacy, but also had landscaping embedded along the perimeter that still allowed it to retain the outdoor element that someone would want to see when they looked outside.
The inside had wood floors throughout the entire home with a huge gourmet kitchen that any professional chef would be proud to have in their home. Her living room had picture windows looking out onto the terrace. There was built in shelving that housed her huge television and book shelves on either side filled with books that Elise collected over the years. Her style in the townhome looked like something you would find in a country home. It was beautiful and welcoming, like Elise. He could definitely get used to this.
He wanted to get her into her bed since she needed a good night’s rest after all the travel and activity of the day. Trey slid upright slowly and got up off the sofa. He slid his arms under Elise and lifted her up into his arms. She cradled against Trey as he carried her to her bedroom. He pulled back the sheets before he gently laid her down and covered her up. Trey undressed and was about to climb into the bed with her when Elise sat up. She sleepily called out his name. “I’m here.” Trey crawled under the sheets and slid next to her.
“I thought you left.” Elise wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly.
“I’m not going anywhere.” That statement wasn’t just for reassurance, which Elise seemed she needed at the moment, it was a declaration.
Elise pulled away after a few seconds. She had a sleepy smile on her face which was another layer that Trey was privileged to see – Adorable Elise. Trey lay down and pulled Elise to lie next to him. She placed her head on his chest and held him as she sighed with contentment. Trey ran his fingers through her long hair that was spread out over his chest and shoulder. Before he felt her breathing become shallow and her body fully relaxed, Elise placed a kiss on his chest. Seconds later, she was asleep again.
Chapter 13
Trey felt fingers running up his arm and around his shoulders. Elise. He opened his eyes and saw Elise sitting on the bed next to him. She was already showered and changed. She looked beautiful. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail and she had on jeans, a camisole, and a casual navy blazer.
“What time is it?”
“Early. I wanted to give you a chance to sleep late and a way out if you really didn’t want to do breakfast with my mom. I will gladly leave you here in my bed where you can get some more sleep and I’ll wake you when I get back.” She ran her fingers through his hair.
“Not a chance.” Trey sat up on his elbows.
Elise bit her bottom lip, and she looked worried. “I still can’t believe you actually want to come with me.” She shook her head as she processed some thought to herself.
“Where are we meeting her?” Trey sat up and pulled Elise into his chest. He wrapped his arms around her, and then kissed her sweetly on her forehead.
“Two floors down. Her townhome. Still wanna come?” Elise’s eyebrows were raised.
“Absolutely. I’ll get showered and dressed in no time, but can I get her townhome number? I need to run out really quickly. I’ll meet you there.”
“Uh, ok. She’s in 507.” Elise looked confused but didn’t ask any questions. “Actually, that’s perfect! I’ll just head down there now and read her the riot act before you get there.” Elise smiled.
Trey was shaking his head and smiling, “That’s not necessary, Elise.” He kissed her lips quickly before he got out of her bed and walked across her room to the bathroom. He was only in his boxer briefs, and he watched Elise check him out from head to toe with a dirty grin on her face. She wasn’t even trying to be discreet about it. She was definitely great for his ego.
She stood up and grabbed her purse that was on the nightstand. Before he went into her bathroom to shower, she walked over and placed both hands on his chest, “Are you sure about this?”
Trey grabbed her chin gently, “Yes.” He lifted her chin and kissed her full glossy lips.
“Ok,” Elise slowly opened her eyes, “507.”
“507,” Trey repeated.
Elise slowly turned and left the bedroom. She shouted from the living room, “The door automatically locks when it closes. See you in a few.”
~
Trey was standing at the door of townhome 507. He had two bouquets of flowers in one hand and in the other, a bag with a bottle of champagne and a carton of orange juice that he purchased from a shop that was in walking distance of the Palladium. He figured they could do mimosas with breakfast.
He was wearing jeans with a long sleeved button down shirt that his assistant brought to him last night. She brought two changes of clothes per Trey’s request. He hoped he looked ok to meet Elise’s mom because he was truly looki
ng forward to it and knew how close Elise was to her.
He rang the doorbell to Martie’s townhome and heard barking from the other side. It sounded she had a couple of small dogs. The door opened and a shorter, slightly older version of Elise answered the door. There were two small dogs that ran around his feet outside of the townhome. Trey smiled and introduced himself, “Hi Ms. DePaul, I’m Trey Watts.”
“Mr. Trey, it’s so nice to meet you. Please come in.” Martie held the door open and stepped back so Trey and the dogs could enter the townhome. “And, please call me Martie.”
“These are for you, Martie.” He handed one of the Sweet Pea bouquets to her.
“They’re beautiful. But, that wasn’t necessary.” Her eyes lit up as she smelled the bouquet. “Elise, Mr. Trey is here.” Martie called out to her daughter as Trey navigated his way through the living room into her kitchen where he placed the champagne and orange juice.
Elise walked out from what Trey assumed was a back bedroom, although he couldn’t be sure since Martie’s floor plan was totally different than Elise’s. Her eyes lit up just like Martie’s when she saw her mom smelling the bouquet of flowers. “These are for you.” Trey walked over to Elise and handed her the second bouquet.
Elise looked down at the bouquet and smelled the flowers. When she looked back up at him, her eyes said what she didn’t have to – she appreciated his gesture. “You didn’t have to do this,” Elise whispered.
“I wanted to.” He leaned down and kissed Elise on her cheek. “You look beautiful, by the way.” He smiled down at her as she closed her eyes and smelled the bouquet again. Her cheeks turned pink, and she looked almost bashful. This was definitely a different side of Elise. Interesting.
He bent down to pet the two long haired dogs that were running circles around his legs. “You two are adorable. What’s their names?”
“The black one is Coco and the white and brown is Louie.” Martie yelled over her shoulder as she checked the food in the oven.
“What kind of dogs are they?”
“Shih Tzu’s,” Elise answered. “They’re Mom’s furry babies. She actually calls them my brother and sister.” She smiled as she bent down and scratched behind Louie’s ears. “They do a great job keeping Mom company while I’m gone.” Elise kissed Louie on the nose, “Don’t you! Yes, you do!” She was using a dog voice. Trey couldn’t help but smile.
He looked around Martie’s apartment and saw tons of pictures of Elise from when she was a baby to very recent photos. Trey walked over to one of the pictures on the sofa table. It was one of Elise at her graduation from NYU. She was in her cap and gown and had honor cords and stoles around her neck.
“Elise graduated summa cume laude at NYU.” Martie made her way out of the kitchen next to Trey. She was proud of her daughter.
“Wow. That’s pretty impressive.” Trey looked down at Elise who was still playing with the dogs in an obvious attempt to try to ignore her mother. He knew she was smart, but those honors were given to those who were the absolute top of their class. It showed that she wasn’t only brilliant, but she was focused and hardworking. She just continued to become more and more intriguing every minute that he spent with her.
She picked up another picture and showed it to Trey. “These are her best friends. The ones she started her company with. The gentleman’s name is Jeremy. He’s like a brother to Elise. And, the other beautiful girl in the picture is Ashley. She’s like Elise’s sister, and she’s about to have her first baby.” Elise’s friends were her like family, not only her, but to her mom, too.
Elise went over to the pantry and reached into a box to retrieve two dog treats. She tossed them to Coco and Louie who were sitting at her feet waiting on the treats. She walked over and washed her hands in the kitchen sink, “Mom, do you need any help with anything?’
“Everything is almost ready, Honey. Mr. Trey, are you hungry?” Martie went back to buzzing around the kitchen. Whatever she was cooking smelled great.
“Starved.” Trey answered.
“Momma, just call him Trey.” Elise walked over and laced her fingers through Trey’s and led him to the huge granite island in the kitchen. There were stools around it, and Elise motioned for him to have a seat. “Would you like something to drink?”
“I brought champagne for mimosas.” Trey motioned to the bag that held the champagne and orange juice.
“I definitely need one of those.” Elise went into her mother’s cabinets and pulled out three crystal flutes and began mixing the mimosas for everyone.
“Martie, it smells wonderful in here. What are you making?” Trey asked.
“Spinach and bacon quiche, homemade banana nut muffins, omelet casserole with pancetta and mushrooms, and croissants.” Martie pulled the quiche out of the oven and placed it on a trivet in the center of the island.
“That all sounds delicious.” Trey was totally impressed.
“Wait until you try it! Elise pays for me to go to these cooking classes, which I love. The quiche was one of the entrees in the breakfast food class. It turned out wonderful at school.” Martie was so passionate. He could see so much of Martie in Elise.
“And maybe if my mom will shed her stupid fear of flying, she could actually come to France and take classes there, too.” Elise cut a pair of eyes to the back of her mom’s head.
“Elise, don’t make those eyes at me. And, a fear of flying is not stupid. I don’t like the idea of being trapped on something so far off the ground.” Martie opened her double oven and checked on the muffins that were baking. “And, where are your manners? I have been slaving in this kitchen for hours; can your dear mom get a mimosa, too?” Martie looked over her shoulder and winked at Trey.
“Yes, ma’am.” Elise smiled and rolled her eyes as she topped off her mom’s glass with orange juice. She walked over and handed her mom the glass. She hugged her around the shoulders and kissed her head. “I missed you.”
“I missed you too, Angel.” Martie kissed Elise on the cheek. “So, Trey, what do you do for a living?” Martie was bouncing back and forth from the stove to the ovens.
“I’m in finance. I invest money for people, do some consulting, as well as, manage retirement portfolios.”
Martie looked over at Elise and gave her a look like she was impressed with his answer. “So do you work here in Virginia, or in D.C.?” The questions continued.
“I have an office here and in D.C., but I also do a lot of work in New York.”
“You sound just like Elise. She works very hard, too.” Martie looked over at Elise and smiled. “Elise hasn’t told me too much and asked that I not ask you too many questions, Mr. Trey.”
“Momma!” Elise’s eyes were wide.
“What Elise? You did! I don’t want to overstep my boundaries, but I’m just trying to make casual conversation. This is the first time for both of us, if I may remind you.”
Elise downed the rest of her mimosa and poured herself another one while shaking her head and mumbling something.
“I don’t mind answering any of your questions. I’ll give you the run down and if you want to know more, ask away. How does that sound?”
“Fabulous, Mr. Trey.” Martie stuck her tongue out at Elise, who was burning very quickly through her second mimosa.
“My name is Roger Watts, III, but my family calls me Trey. My dad used to be a Senator here in Virginia but was elected to the White House and just started his second term in January. I have a younger brother who is an architect and a younger sister who is a nurse. I went to Harvard and own my own investment firm. I am currently running for Congress where I hope I can represent the 10th District as well as my father represented the state of Virginia. And, I think your daughter is the most amazing woman that I have ever met.” Trey took a sip of his mimosa while both Martie and Elise wore the same look on their faces – utter shock.
“Your President Watts’ son.” Martie’s face was dead serious.
“Yes ma’am.” That was the firs
t time in five years that Trey was actually scared to answer that question due to the look on Martie’s face.
Martie looked down at herself and dusted off some flour that was on her apron. She looked over at Elise, “Why on earth would you leave that little detail out?”
Elise shrugged her shoulders, “I’m sorry, Momma. He’s just Trey to me.” She looked panicked.
Trey felt like he needed to say something, “Martie, I don’t expect to be treated any differently than any other guest in your home. Elise didn’t know who I was when we first met, and frankly, it was refreshing. She treated me like I was my own person and not like I was my father’s son.” Trey looked across the kitchen to Elise who was hanging on every word he said. “That’s one of the many things that I absolutely adore about her.”
Slowly, Elise’s look of panic melted and was replaced by warm, caring eyes and a small grin. Trey’s eyes stayed locked on Elise, however in his periphery he saw Martie looking back and forth between them.
“Well, any man who has such lovely things to say about my daughter is more than just a guest in my home.” Martie walked over to Trey and put her hand over his, “You’re like family.” She squeezed his hand gently, “Now, get your handsome behind over there and help my daughter get some plates out so we can eat. I’m going to take this apron off and freshen up.”
Trey smiled and nodded, “Yes, ma’am.” Martie headed down the hallway to her master. Trey stood up and walked around the island making his way behind Elise who was taking plates out of the cabinet and placing them on the counter. Trey put his hands on her hips and lowered his head to whisper into her ear, “I’m so sorry. I should have had more tact…”
Elise turned around and cut him off mid-sentence, “Do you really feel that way?” Her beautiful amber eyes were piercing his. Trey shyly smiled and just nodded his head. Elise smiled while she bit her bottom lip and looked around his shoulder. When she confirmed that the coast was clear, she put both her hands on his face and kissed him softly. Trey wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close to him.