dinner with the Jordans (family & puff girls)

[Josh Jordan]

Josh caught himself staring continuously at Eve. He looked away for a moment, although he didn't want to. He liked holding her hand, and just holding her in general. It was a great thing that she didn't mind and she went along with it.

Of course, where ever Eve was, Josh felt at home, but he wasn't going to voice that outloud, only in his mind. "Do you want to just stay the night here, rather than going back to school? I mean we were given the option of being able to just spend the night at home. I frankly want to sleep in my bed in my room, which I haven't done in awhile."

[Eve Mallory]

Eve went along listening to him and when he suggested staying the night at first she was ecstatic then a bit worried. It wasn't school, they weren't on their own where she could sneak into his dorm and stay the night in his bed like she always did, and she was fifteen now...so the Jordan's probably would make her have her own room...which she would probably share with Viv and Viv would certainly notice if Eve just crept out of the room in the middle of the night to go sleep with Josh.

She was about to voice her concerns when she caught all of his words...he hadn't been home in so long, and he wanted to sleep in his own bed, who was she to deny him?

"That'd be great Josh.."

[Josh Jordan]

He noticed the sudden worry glance on Eve's face. Josh leaned closer to her so he could whisper without anyone over hearing. "You can still come in. They're not going to mind. You've always done it, so there's not a problem," he whispered to her. He was close to her again, and Josh restrained himself from turning her head so he could just full on kiss her. He was able to sneak and kiss her on the cheek without his mother looking. Josh sat up in his chair afterwords with his ears burning.

[Eve Mallory]

But that had been when they were kids...things were surely to have changed...would it still be okay? She wondered but decided that she wasn't going to make Josh worry and just nodded, when he kissed her cheek she leaned into it and accepted the kiss as it was normal between them now, and even before they got as close as they were now. Of course it made her feel all warm and tingly but she didn't think anything of it until she remembered where they were and who could have been watching, then she blushed as well.

[Josh Jordan]

He laughed softly and quietly when he noticed her blush. He loved to bring that pink tint to her cheeks. "If you don't, I'll come to you," he said looking directly at her, but still in a quiet whisper. Josh wanted her to be able to sleep and if she wasn't going to just sleep in his bed, then he'd go to where ever she was. He knew that his parents knew that they had always done that, so what was so different now? Sure, they were older, but it was completely innocent, and Josh helped Eve sleep. He wasn't going to stop letting her share his bed. It didn't matter where they were. He was just stubborn like that.

[Genevieve Danforth]

Genevieve saw the two of them talking in low voices and smiled. She hoped they were finally telling each other how much they liked each other, but with them you never could tell. She slid over next to Lance and guided him over to the table.

"Everything smells so good, Mrs. Jordan," she said politely. "I wish I knew how to cook, but I'm afraid I get distracted and forget to add things to my recipes. I tried to bake cookies once and forgot to add the sugar... it was a disaster!"

[Eve Mallory]

She smiled slowly, "Is that a threat Mr. Jordan?" she asked still whispering but in a teasing tone all the same. She tightened her hold on his hand for just that second as if to thank him. She didn't know if it would be okay but she knew that he would somehow make it okay, and that made him so wonderful to her. Finally, slowly she turned her head back to the table at large realizing they did indeed have other people there and hoping that they hadn't put on too much of a show.

[Josh Jordan]

"Well, it depends on what you call a threat Ms. Mallory," Josh added grinning. He looked back to who entered the room. He didn't care they they did put on a 'show', but he didn't feel like hearing any questions for his mother. Josh knew that he would turn all kinds of shades of red if any kind of questions were asked about him and Eve together.

Josh gave her hand a squeeze. "I have been craving your food since school started," he said to his mother.

[Eve Mallory]

There was a moment subtle as it was after he teased her when her eyes became soft looking into his, where the family and everyone else disappeared and she was close...so very close to leaning forward and kissing him.

But then he turned and addressed his mother and she let out a deep breath trying not to feel flushed.

She was almost frightened. These moments had been becoming all together too common for her tastes, one of these days she might just do it without a second thought...how mortifying, Josh would certainly think so.

[Lance Jordan]

Lance took Genevieve's hand as she lead him to the table and then sat down beside her. He squeezed her hand before he let go to pull her chair out for her as she sat down. Then took his own chair across from Josh and reached to hold Viv's hand again under the table as he waited for his mother. He leaned over and kissed her cheek and whispered in her ear, "I'm glad your here, Viv." And then he saw his mother finally come into the dining room taking off her white apron.

[Beth Jordan]

Beth came into the dining room last, seeing her family all seated at the table along with the two girls that were now part of her sons' lives. It made her warm inside to see them all together for the first time and she smiled noticing their little private conversations to each other. Her eyes drifted to her husband who was looking rather amused and she took a deep quiet breath.

Beth walked over to Thomas. She leaned down and gave him a hug from behind and spoke to him softly, "We have the perfect family, I am so happy." To her, this was the perfect family as any woman could get and she was very happy to have them all home and together for the first time. Then she sat down in her empty chair next to him and began to serve the food.

[Eve Mallory]

Eve swallowed, she was a little embarrassed over her behavior, and she knew she might have been a little flushed but she didn't know how to stop that from happening. Sometimes she felt that her feelings for Josh were written all over her face and she was just hoping nobody could see...but she knew that was pointless.

"Thank you for the meal Aunt Beth." she said smiling, it was always good manners to thank someone even if they were like your mother, even if they *were* your mother.

[Josh Jordan]

Josh looked at Eve and leaned over and whispered in her ear, "Don't look so embarrassed. There's nothing to be embarrassed about." He smiled at her. He didn't care what his parents thought of his actions with Eve, because he knew that they knew he liked her but he hadn't done anything about it yet. His mother knew that he didn't want to mess up his and Eve's friendship. That was the only hard thing about it. If he wasn't so concerned about that, he would have already told her.

He waited until it was his turn with the food and made sure that he had plenty enough to eat. His mother did cook enough for everyone to have two or more plates, but then again, Josh and Lance did eat a lot.

[Eve Mallory]

It was without conscious thought that Eve doubled up on the food she knew Josh loved. It was her own way of ensuring him a second helping as midway through the meal she'd be full but there would still be enough on her plate to give to Josh to finish off. They acted so much like a pair already with her unconsciously carrying out their dancing little rhythm almost knowing what he was going to say and do before he did it.